water changes

Bruce Burnett · Dec 8, 2015

I think coral color has to do with what is in the water and also what is not in the water including amount of light and spectrum along with the length of photo period. I have found the longer a coral is in my tank the better it looks and the growth also gets faster the longer it is in the tank. I quit buying corals based on color as they always change usually for the better. Must be the LED fixtures I use.

ReefBum · Dec 8, 2015

10% on a weekly basis.

merlberg · Dec 8, 2015

ReefBum said:
10% on a weekly basis.

What size is your tank?

ReefBum · Dec 8, 2015

merlberg said:
What size is your tank?

I have a 187g tank and a 74g sump so with rock and sand I am estimating I have 200 gallons of water.

Puratek · Dec 8, 2015

At Puratek, we do automatic water changes of 2 gallons on a 210 gallon reef and .5 gallon on 28 nano reef daily.

2k3sgm · Dec 8, 2015

My water change was erratic and it showed. Algae out of control and corals not too happy. When I had to change out the tank due to a developing crack I decided to build an Auto Water Change setup. With a couple 5 gal buckets, solenoids, relays, old PC power supply and a Neptune VDM I'm now doing 2.5% (5 gal) every Friday and everything is getting happy again.

squalo_75 · Dec 8, 2015

bvs12 said:
Automatic water change 2 times every day. Total of 1 1/2 gallons a day. Everything in the tank is loving it!

how do you do the automatic water changes?? never heard about that before...

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 8, 2015

squalo_75 said:
how do you do the automatic water changes?? never heard about that before...

Many of us (myself included) use dual slow pumps that very slowly pump out old water and pump in new water in equal volumes. I use a 15 gallon per day dual head Reef Filler pump on a timer so it runs for a bunch of 15 minute periods each day, effectively changing out 1% of the volume daily.

Pete polyp · Dec 8, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Many of us (myself included) use dual slow pumps that very slowly pump out old water and pump in new water in equal volumes. I use a 15 gallon per day dual head Reef Filler pump on a timer so it runs for a bunch of 15 minute periods each day, effectively changing out 1% of the volume daily.

How do you keep the salinity from rising in the fresh saltwater caused by evaporation?

TCFletch · Dec 8, 2015

I know a guy with a 300 gallon that never does water changes. Has a calcium and phosphate reactor and a huge skimmer. Does all the work for him.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 8, 2015

Today I'm doing my first 50g water change since before my back surgery. I had surgery Nov 18, 2013.

What makes it worse..... I have a Genesis auto water change system that's not completely set up.

There..... I said it....... O.O

TCFletch · Dec 8, 2015

I, on the other hand, have to do 10% once a month. Never dose. Nutrients are in the salt.

Lionfish Lair · Dec 8, 2015

Guess I wanted to say it twice! Sorry, double post. You can't delete posts or am I missing that?

Today I'm doing my first 50g water change since before my back surgery. I had surgery Nov 18, 2013.

What makes it worse..... I have a Genesis auto water change system that's not completely set up.

There..... I said it....... O.O

RobberyinCSharp1824 · Dec 8, 2015

beaslbob said:
+1

have ran a mixed reef tank for up to nine years and FW planted system for up to 9 years also with no water changes. Nitrates and phosphates unmeasureable. FW tank 10g had a more or less stable population of 30 live bearers for years.

my .02

I'm actually really curious about this...do you have a phosphate reactor? I haven't changed my water (except for DI top-offs) in about 2 months now, and my phosphates are out of control...I have diatoms plaguing my tank

Feet4Fish · Dec 8, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Many of us (myself included) use dual slow pumps that very slowly pump out old water and pump in new water in equal volumes. I use a 15 gallon per day dual head Reef Filler pump on a timer so it runs for a bunch of 15 minute periods each day, effectively changing out 1% of the volume daily.

Are you using peristaltic dosing style pumps? I want to get something like this set up on my new build.

cmcoker · Dec 8, 2015

Lionfish Lair said:
Today I'm doing my first 50g water change since before my back surgery. I had surgery Nov 18, 2013.

What makes it worse..... I have a Genesis auto water change system that's not completely set up.

There..... I said it....... O.O

Eek, this scares me. I am scheduled for back surgery 12/21.
I am in the process of getting things setup so my wife can takeover water change and topoff fills in the meantime.. But I wasn't thinking 2 years of her doing it.. Glad she is attached to the fish..

Bruce Burnett · Dec 8, 2015

Doing 1% water changes a day would require 100 gallons of salt mix a month. Add that to 100 gallons of ro makeup water I would need 3 storage tanks of 100 gallons each. Not everyone has that kind of room. I like to be able to go out of town for 1-3 weeks at a time. I try to stay on a low budget for the aquarium as I am disabled and on fixed income. I found that sometime less fiddling I do the better my tank. I do not have a problem with diatoms, cyanobacteria, or algae. I do not have any crabs or snails in the tank.

bvs12 · Dec 8, 2015

I use a 2 head lab grade doesing pump. Puts new water in at the same time as taking it out. I mix the new water in brute trash barrels with a power head and a heater. I leave the lid on the barrel so there is not much evaporation. I make fresh water 1 time a week and just let the system run for that week. It is all hooked up apex so if there are any leaks or water is getting low everything stops.