Water Changes, Daily or weekly?

[Indo Nano]

So I've been doing 25% water change weekly on my 50g custom build. Because of my busy schedule, I was think of just doing daily water changes, if my math is right I could meet the needs of a weeks worth if I did one and a half gallon water change daily.... I just want to ask what R2R community advise would be on this topic, please give me your input. If you do daily water changes please tell me how it works for you. Thanks to those that will help!

 

[Leyth]

I'd like to hear the responses as well, I was recently wondering the same thing.

 

[Jason mack]

It will depend on your tank and the bio load on it .. I only ever do 10 % weekly .. but if you don't have a lot of fish or corals you could do one every two week or even longer .

 

[Indo Nano]

It will depend on your tank and the bio load on it .. I only ever do 10 % weekly .. but if you don't have a lot of fish or corals you could do one every two week or even longer .

I have a bit of things in my tank, but so raf everything is in order. All water parameters are great, no algae blooms... I just to want to "test" daily water test and have things go wrong.

 

[Indo Nano]

I'd like to hear the responses as well, I was recently wondering the same thing.

If I get an answer from other sources I'll let you know. Great profile pic btw!

 

[Leyth]

If I get an answer from other sources I'll let you know. Great profile pic btw!

Thank you and thank you haha

 

[ps2cho]

Seems like a lot more work and salt for probably slim to no gains.

 

[yellojello]

Depends on a lot of factors. Bio load of number of fish and how much feeding, what kind of filtration you have, type of corals. Dosing any elements separately from water change?

 

[wkscott]

If you have 50 gallons in circulation, 1.5 gallons would be 3 % per day. This in no way compares to the benefits of the 25% weekly water change. For example, if your nitrates are at 100ppt. a 3% water change will only reduce them to 97ppt. On the other hand, a 25% water change would reduce them to 75ppt. Do the math on the 3% water change and see just how many days it would take to reduce your nitrates by 25ppt.

 

[Indo Nano]

If you have 50 gallons in circulation, 1.5 gallons would be 3 % per day. This in no way compares to the benefits of the 25% weekly water change. For example, if your nitrates are at 100ppt. a 3% water change will only reduce them to 97ppt. On the other hand, a 25% water change would reduce them to 75ppt. Do the math on the 3% water change and see just how many days it would take to reduce your nitrates by 25ppt.

Totally makes sense, I will stick with my weekly.

 

[tgionet]

If you have 50 gallons in circulation, 1.5 gallons would be 3 % per day. This in no way compares to the benefits of the 25% weekly water change. For example, if your nitrates are at 100ppt. a 3% water change will only reduce them to 97ppt. On the other hand, a 25% water change would reduce them to 75ppt. Do the math on the 3% water change and see just how many days it would take to reduce your nitrates by 25ppt.

Depends on the rate of increase. Large changes will dilute further while smaller more frequent changes will dilute more slowly. Both will eventually find levels they plateau between assuming other variables remain the same. It'll also take more volume in smaller water changes to reach the same dilution rate. I.e. 10 10% water changes results in a 65% dilution whereas 2 50% comes to a 75% and 1 100% is effectively 100% dilution. All these values use the same amount of new water.

 

[malacoda]

Totally makes sense, I will stick with my weekly.

As someone else already mentioned, if your filtration and care are already enough to keep your parameters in line and your tank healthy, you may be able to cut back to bi-weekly water changes in order to help ease your work load.

Give it a try, testing twice a week. If you see your nutrients start to rise, switch back to weekly changes. If they don't change significantly, you'll know bi-weekly changes are all your system needs.

 

[p7willm]

I do daily water changes, but I take the easy way out. I have a DOS that sucks out 4 liters and sticks 4 new liters in every day at 1pm. I only make salt water every 10 days.

 

[wkscott]

I do daily water changes, but I take the easy way out. I have a DOS that sucks out 4 liters and sticks 4 new liters in every day at 1pm. I only make salt water every 10 days.

Any reason that you do this at 1pm, when I'm guessing that it's the height of your photosynthesis point?

 

[Indo Nano]

Thanks for the great feed back guys! I will try to do bi-weekly water changes and see how it goes!

 

[p7willm]

Photosynthesis is not the reason, although I might look better if I said it was. I do it at 1 because I am usually home then and if something goes wrong I have a better chance of catching it. I hear the DOS when it comes on and would see the start of water leaking on the floor.

 

[Baldguy]

Daily water changes would certainly give you more stable parameters. I noticed that Randy Holmes-Farley does daily water changes.

 

[BlennyKravitz]

Oh man. I went from 15G/weekly (10%) to 1G every 12 hours via automated system... obviously it's a lot better than bailing water every Saturday morning, but the coral is SO much happier. Less dosing all around, nitrates and phosphates easier to control. Total no brainer.

Regardless of what your schedule is, I think everyone would benefit from daily changes.

 

[Baldguy]

Oh man. I went from 15G/weekly (10%) to 1G every 12 hours via automated system... obviously it's a lot better than bailing water every Saturday morning, but the coral is SO much happier. Less dosing all around, nitrates and phosphates easier to control. Total no brainer.

Regardless of what your schedule is, I think everyone would benefit from daily changes.

Do you have a thread that details how you do this?

 

[p7willm]

One advantage that stands out for me is how easy it is to do daily changes. I have a DOS and Apex so actually doing it happens all by itself. I don't have to carry water up from the basement. Nothing spills on the floor. Once every 10 days I make new salt water, right next to my RO/DI water, and check salinity. So on a normal day I spend no time worrying about water.