Water changes
- Thread starter Rmckoy
- Start date
- Tagged users None
I average them every 10 days or so. Weekly is my goal but life gets in the way most of the time.
Water changes are not great for element replenishment. So dosing vs water changes isn’t the real topic to debate IMO.
Water changes are not great for element replenishment. So dosing vs water changes isn’t the real topic to debate IMO.
The_Paradox
Valuable Member
I think it’s most what you’re comfortable with and what your export looks like. If your system can export via filtration, biomass, telekinetic powers, whatever, that removes one reason to do WCs. Even with water changes if you have coral you should dose. Personally I change my water 10% maybe once every 3-4 months assuming nothing stupid pops up.
Mr. Mojo Rising
7500 Club Member
I do them every week on my 3 tanks (15, 20, and 40 gallons), sometimes even twice a week on my main tank. I find it oddly thereuputic.
I hate testing, I don't understand any of the math involved to figure out how much to dose, and trying to understand the correlations between parameters and chasing numbers just makes me feel dumb.
I hate testing, I don't understand any of the math involved to figure out how much to dose, and trying to understand the correlations between parameters and chasing numbers just makes me feel dumb.
OP
OP
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
There is a very easy calculator
Choose the product , tested value , tank volume and it tells you exactly how much to dose .
Easy as 1,2,3
fish farmer
2500 Club Member
I do water changes about every two or three weeks, 10 percent at a time on my sumped 29.
I'm not just changing the water, I'm siphoning mushrooms, bits of algae, maybe vac the sandbed.
The only thing I dose is kalk and mag.
I actually started to cut back my WC amount from 4 gallons to 3 gallons and boosted feeding to see if my nutrients would rise...they did, along with in tank algae growth.
I'm not just changing the water, I'm siphoning mushrooms, bits of algae, maybe vac the sandbed.
The only thing I dose is kalk and mag.
I actually started to cut back my WC amount from 4 gallons to 3 gallons and boosted feeding to see if my nutrients would rise...they did, along with in tank algae growth.
Neko
Community Member
I do water change every 10 days even if water parameters are totally fine and stable, 10% water change at 53gal nano acro dominant. The motivation of water change for me is (1) I want to see great PE next day, and (2) piece of mind.
I dose ESV B-ionic for alkalinity and PH control, tropic marin NP-bacto balance for Nitrate phosphate control. I feed one hikari mysis shrimp to fishes everyday.
I dose ESV B-ionic for alkalinity and PH control, tropic marin NP-bacto balance for Nitrate phosphate control. I feed one hikari mysis shrimp to fishes everyday.
gbroadbridge
2500 Club Member
Water changes are not really useful for macro element replacement as they simply cannot keep up except in small nanos with frequent large water changes.
In larger systems they are primarily useful for export of things you cannot measure such as dissolved organics and other impurities that may be added with normal macro element dosing.
Having said that, you also need to consider the impact of water changes on stability, not simply chemical but disturbances to a stable ecosystem.
For my 90 gal system I change about 10% every 1-2 months, and the tank has been fine with that for several years, dosing AF 3 part and AF trace elements.
For the 10 gal nano, 10% a week works together with AFR dosing.
00W
7500 Club Member
10 % every Monday. I've been doing it like that for as long as I can remember. That's how I was taught back when all I had to go by was a few books.
I work 70 hours a week so it's therapy for me.
My whole family knows what I do on Monday morning and it's my time.
Then I help my son with his....
I work 70 hours a week so it's therapy for me.
My whole family knows what I do on Monday morning and it's my time.
Then I help my son with his....
littlefoxx
7500 Club Member
I change my nano every week 5 gallons. My 70 I do every two weeks, 15 gallons cause I have a higher bioload. My 125 once a month, 25 to 30 gallons
Roatan Reef
Valuable Member
Starting off, I did 10 to 20% water changes weekly, but after a year and a half, tank is doing good, so now I'm at 10% every 2 to 3 weeks. 40GB. I also dose AFR daily...and is has helped alot!
CasperOe
In it to win it!
I do them every Saturday religiously - but only after having managed to get my auto water change up and running. For me, if it is not easy it will probably not get done 
Lazy reefer? Maybe a wee bit..
Lazy reefer? Maybe a wee bit..
Townes_Van_Camp
Valuable Member
I tend to get carried away and obsessive about water changes. I have to do things to back myself off of them otherwise I end up with dinos. Dosing any one of AFR, kalk, or two part helps tremendously. Instead of water changing to keep my nano's stocked with minerals and at the same time striping out nutrients. Now I can take my time, run gfo for phos when I need to and a skimmer. At whatever point my phos or nitrates get too high, I do a WC now.
Usually that takes about 3-4 weeks.
Usually that takes about 3-4 weeks.
Koty
Well-Known Member
100g no water changes. Use all export methods, and check Salinity Ca, KH, K, PO4, NO3, and Mg (no ICP). Dose Balling combined with TM K & A elements, carbon dose Elimi NP (daily), and Reef Actif twice weekly. Many fish, LPS, and few softies. SPS corals added recently are growing nicely
UtahReefer
Active Member
I do automated daily water changes. It's about 2.5 gallons per day on a system with about 147 gallons of water.
Waters
"...in perfect isolation, here behind my wall."
I do very aggressive water changes with AWCs monday through thursday (about 15 gallons total) then another 15 gallons manually on friday, every week (to clean equipment/ glass, etc). DT is 105G. I still have to dose ALK and CA via Trident/DOS.
