I'm very impressed by the frequency and quantity of water changes many of you are performing!
To answer byronious' question- In my opinion, you probably can't change too much water in an aquarium. However, the argument could be made that, if your water parameters are not consistent from barth to batch, you could be causing more stress with massive daily water changes...All in all, the simplistic answer, IMO, is to make small, but frequent water changes. I have long employed two 5% water changes per week in my systems, and I have enjoyed great stability and really no downside. Small, more frequent water changes give you a few advantages, including:
1) You are never more than a few days from a water change!
2) Less likelihood of severe depletion of trace elements, etc. (notice I said "less likely, because it depends on lots of factors!)
3) If your consistent with your prepared water parameters, you'll create consistent water quality for your changes
4) The more frequently you are actively engaged with your aquarium, the more likely you are to note any trends and catch any potential problems before they manifest or morph into something more severe.
5) Accumulation of dissolved organics is slowed somewhat by the regular exchanges of water. Granted, you need to employ other good husbandry practices (i.e.; careful feeding, cautious supplementation, and proper stocking), but water changes will contribute to a healthier, more stable system over time, IMO.
There are many other advantages to smaller, more frequent water changes, but at teh risk of "beating a dead horse" (awful expression, huh?), I'll leave it alone for now! Suffice it to say that, when you're performing regular water changes on your reef aquarium, you are doing one of the best things that you can do to assure health and long term success with your animals.
Thanks for the great input everyone!
Regards,
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
