Water Change

[Hookster15]

I have a 55 gal mixed tank with a 20 gallon custom sump. it has been up for 3 years.

Alk 8.5
cal 420- 430
mag 1350
sal 1.025
nit 0.2
phos .011

I test once a week with hanna tester, i have not done a water change in 13 months. the tank and corals look great, should i do a water change or just keep doing what i'm doing?

 

[Mikedawg]

As we say down here, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

 

[OdinCorals]

do you have a skimmer? just curious

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is it broken?
That is, does everything seem to be growing well and look good?
Water is not yellowed at all?

Do you add trace elements?

 

[Hookster15]

do you have a skimmer? just curious

Skimmer runs 12 hours a day, yes

 

[Hookster15]

Is it broken?
That is, does everything seem to be growing well and look good?
Water is not yellowed at all?

Do you add trace elements?

yes i do have trace elements being added, and everything looks great. I have a chaeto reactor and a carbon reactor sorry i should have said that. and no yellowing .

 

[beaslbob]

sounds to me like you could cause damage by doing a water change.

 

[Hookster15]

I get a little bubble algae once in a moon, and thats it.

 

[beaslbob]

looks good to me anyway

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not of the opinion that a water change will be likely to hurt, but it also may not help and is a fine experiment, if you choose to try doing one.[emoji3]

 

[Hookster15]

I’m not of the opinion that a water change will be likely to hurt, but it also may not help and is a fine experiment, if you choose to try doing one.[emoji3]

I'm was going to see how long it would go before i would need one, BUT if it did take a turn for the worst I'm hoping it's not going to wipe me out. I'm new to this so that's why I'm asking people that know more than myself.

 

[Hookster15]

Thank you everyone for your help , I ask because I never want to assume I know because I don't.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you everyone for your help , I ask because I never want to assume I know because I don't.

Most people do water changes, but more and more are not.

 

[Hookster15]

Most people do water changes, but more and more are not.

Thank you , I'll see where this goes.

 

[aileen]

What trace elements are u dosing?

How often and what do you feed?

Astonishing...

 

[Hookster15]

What trace elements are u dosing?

How often and what do you feed?

Astonishing...

Trace elements are
alk 16 ml a day
cal 2.5 ml every 2nd day
mag 2.0 ml every 3rd day
fuel 2,0 ml every 2 days

Feeding- now this is crazy but to maintain nitrate and phosphate i need to do this,
feed dry flake 4 times a day for the fish and reef chilli and oyster feast 4 time every other day.
this keeps my Nitrate and phosphate above zero.

nit 0.2
phos .011

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Trace elements are
alk 16 ml a day
cal 2.5 ml every 2nd day
mag 2.0 ml every 3rd day
fuel 2,0 ml every 2 days

Feeding- now this is crazy but to maintain nitrate and phosphate i need to do this,
feed dry flake 4 times a day for the fish and reef chilli and oyster feast 4 time every other day.
this keeps my Nitrate and phosphate above zero.

nit 0.2
phos .011

Just to clarify since I asked the question if you dose trace elements, none of those are actually trace element supplements except for some of the ingredients in fuel.

Trace elements are inorganic elements at very, very low concentrations in seawater. Elements such as iron, copper, manganese, etc.

Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate/carbonate (alkalinity) are major ions in seawater. The vitamins and amino acids in Fuel are not trace elements either.

 

[Hookster15]

Just to clarify since I asked the question if you dose trace elements, none of those are actually trace element supplements except for some of the ingredients in fuel.

Trace elements are inorganic elements at very, very low concentrations in seawater. Elements such as iron, copper, manganese, etc.

Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate/carbonate (alkalinity) are major ions in seawater. The vitamins and amino acids in Fuel are not trace elements either.

See this is why i ask, so what would be a good trace element or is there? and can i test for them?

 

[Hookster15]

See this is why i ask, so what would be a good trace element or is there? and can i test for them?

I looked a seachem reef trace, is this something you would use?

 

[Hookster15]

Just to clarify since I asked the question if you dose trace elements, none of those are actually trace element supplements except for some of the ingredients in fuel.

Trace elements are inorganic elements at very, very low concentrations in seawater. Elements such as iron, copper, manganese, etc.

Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate/carbonate (alkalinity) are major ions in seawater. The vitamins and amino acids in Fuel are not trace elements either.

I looked a seachem reef trace, is this something you would use?