water change question; an idea not normally used

[Mstanker]

Here's the main Idea. When you did a water change lets say 20g of old water. After you have done the water change take the old water and place in another tank. That has a protein skimmer running, algae scrubber,ect on the tank to remove any extra waste. Wait lets say 3-5 days do your test on the water for everything cal,alk,mag, and then add whatever salt to get the salinity right. If your cleaning that same 20 gallons for 3-5 why could you not reuse this water in your next water change?? I know its weird or not of the norm but reefers are in a cycle of buy buy buy. Just wondering.

 

[Triggreef]

Here's the main Idea. When you did a water change lets say 20g of old water. After you have done the water change take the old water and place in another tank. That has a protein skimmer running, algae scrubber,ect on the tank to remove any extra waste. Wait lets say 3-5 days do your test on the water for everything cal,alk,mag, and then add whatever salt to get the salinity right. If your cleaning that same 20 gallons for 3-5 why could you not reuse this water in your next water change?? I know its weird or not of the norm but reefers are in a cycle of buy buy buy. Just wondering.

Well water changes are only partially about removing nutrients. More importantly your removing things that could build up in your water over time and wreak havoc. Things that there is no other way to remove. Think of it like this... Tds is not a clear measurement of what is in the base water you use for your tank. Just because your meter says 0 for instance when you make ro di water doesn't mean there is NOTHING in it. In fact on my own system in the past with a reading of only 2 tds, I had a miniscule amount of copper and zinc which I only figured out through triton testing. So that means every water change I was adding some amount of those 2 elements. Then there's evaporation. Water evaporates leaving whatever elements are there, in your tank. Only to be replenished again when you top off with water also containing that level of contaminant. Again and again and again. Every day actually.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that the proposed method (which, FWIW, has been asked before) will reduce and add back some of the problems with old water (nitrate, phosphae, etc.) but not deal with issues such as organics (including toxins), various elements accumulating or depleting (iron, copper, tin, aluminum, iodide, zinc, vanadium, and on and on), and the chloride/sulfate balance.

So IMO, I wouldn't think it worth the effort.

 

[Diesel]

It's almost like the Triton method where you don't do a water change but you add the elements what is lacking overtime back in.
You got to do the Triton ICP test thought every month or so.

 

[beaslbob]

Here's the main Idea. When you did a water change lets say 20g of old water. After you have done the water change take the old water and place in another tank. That has a protein skimmer running, algae scrubber,ect on the tank to remove any extra waste. Wait lets say 3-5 days do your test on the water for everything cal,alk,mag, and then add whatever salt to get the salinity right. If your cleaning that same 20 gallons for 3-5 why could you not reuse this water in your next water change?? I know its weird or not of the norm but reefers are in a cycle of buy buy buy. Just wondering.

No different that just no doing the water change to begin with in a tank that is balanced out and stabilized with algae.

my .02

 

[JimWelsh]

No different that just no doing the water change to begin with in a tank that is balanced out and stabilized with algae.

my .02

Yes, it is different. It's a whole lot more work!

 

[beaslbob]

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

I think ultimately you'll see the problem of diminishing returns. Some elements that are necessary will be removed, and then you have less, as you move the water from tank to tank. I guess if you're moving water from an sps tank to a non-sps tanks, this would be very appropriate. Though you'll need to compensate alkalinity more than anything else.