Thoughts on a BIG waterchange...

[ShawnSaucier]

I'm looking to do a large (50%) waterchange on my tank to help reduce my nitrates. Thinking about adding 5g of fresh SW, let it circulate, then remove 5g. I'll repeat this about 20 times over the day. I know a large water change all at once can shock a system, what about gradually over the day? Should I split it between two days?

 

[Marty.h]

I don't know your setup and I'm new to the marine side but have kept tropical for a long while.

Have you managed to trace the cause of your high nitrates ?

 

[ShawnSaucier]

No, not really. Tank is just over a year old. Approx 220 gallons with a handful of fish, nothing really large. Don't feed to much, only once a day

 

[Marty.h]

I would try and get to the bottom of the cause doing big water changes are no fun for the fish or yourself. What's your complete setup equipment wise

 

[rayn]

If everything matches...temp, ph, salinity, then you should be okay. If the new water is way off then it could affect things. If you have a bunch of coral and alk swings dramatically that would be a issue as well.

Track down the nitrate issue, apparently you need to export it more. Sometimes water changes aren't enough. Something like macro algae in the fuge or a type of carbon dosing goes a long way in helping out.

 

[ShawnSaucier]

Tank 190g
Flow: 2x wp25, 2x 6105 and a XF 150 riptide
Sump: 70g , tunze 9420 skimmer, Waveline DC 10000ll for return
fuge: 25-30 gallons with 25lbs of rock elevated on egg crate. ball of chaeto
And I run carbon in a bag, Rowaphos in a MR1

I don't have to much of an algae problem, but I have been seeing some cyano pop up on some rocks. I just added the XF150 last Friday, so I am hoping that will help with flow and keep the rocks a bit cleaner. I don't have to much coral, since I've had this tank it has been one issue after another. I had a bryopsis outbreak so bad, I replaced all of my rock last summer. Like I said the tank is just over a year old. I don't feed to much, food is frozen homemade (krill, shrimp, squid, clams, mussels and scallops, caviar) that has been blended and soaked in selcon. I don't target feed, I change my socks 1-2 times a week and same with filter pads. I blow off the rocks with a turkey baster atleast every other day if not more and I do a water change weekly or every other week if time doesn't permit.
Thoughts on what may be the cause.... Well my melanarus wipes out my cuc every two months of so (snails and hermits) even though some are left, if wondering if it's not enough to keep up with the tank. Or my sand may be an issue. I used tropic Eden dry reef flakes and mini reef flakes. There is only 2 1/2"-3" of sand. I've been having thoughts of maybe adding sand, just not sure.
Honestly I'm getting a bit fed up with the tank as I have yet to really add coral. Everything that is in there has been from my old tank. Thinking a larger tank would be a bit easier.
All water is ro/DI and I use tropic Marin pro salt.