Catchemall
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I wouldn’t want to remove all nitrate and phosphate
why do water changes?
- Thread starter Matthew Morrison
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I wouldn’t want to remove all nitrate and phosphate
Mr. Limpid
Active Member
hey beaslbob, long time no talk, how you been. I love your galloping elephants.
I think that these tanks perfectly illustrate what I am talking about. Those are beautiful tanks, but they appear to have a ceiling. I see stags, montis, birdsnest, poci and stylophora with a bunch of softies... and maybe a clam? Is there a clam? I do not see any millepora, shortcakes, lokani, echinata, other deepwaters - while these might be limited to availability or personal preference, this is pretty indicative to what you find with tanks like this... thriving species continue to thrive and the others wither away with their objection only noticed by a few. Perhaps the photos are just not detailed enough to see these items and I am way off base. Just like the super-high N and P tanks (which kinda follow the same pattern), there are too many of these to ignore if you know what you are looking at.
If somebody wants to argue that most people will never get to this level so this supposed ceiling does not really apply to the masses, then I am all ears. However, I think that it is important to point out the details for the few who do want to go beyond.
What salt do you all use? I have never had an issue with TM Pro Reef (isn't that available there?) or Instant Ocean... rock solid since 1992.
If somebody wants to argue that most people will never get to this level so this supposed ceiling does not really apply to the masses, then I am all ears. However, I think that it is important to point out the details for the few who do want to go beyond.
What salt do you all use? I have never had an issue with TM Pro Reef (isn't that available there?) or Instant Ocean... rock solid since 1992.
I was just at the Omaha zoo And got a behind the scenes tour. They change 40,000g of saltwater every couple weeks with salt they make from scratch.
On their big shark system, 900,000g they only change 5k gallons a week but reclaim 30,000 in large holding bins and use strong ozone and such but this is a fish only system.
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I was under the impression it's dumped but not 100% on that. I didn't hear about any neat sort of system to re-use it so would guess it's dumped. Except the 30-40k from the big system, that's re-used eventually.
I'm a fan of water changes. Cause if used concurrently with siphoning the sand, debris on the rock and detritus on the glass of bare bottom tanks they are great at exporting nutrients and waste. Just changing the water isn't enough imo. Siphoning waste with it is much more effective.
BedrockIOMC
Never to salty, Just don't go over 35.
For my 1st 25 years i did weekly water changes, in the last 5 years ive slowly gone away from them, to the point now of not doing any. My current tank i started as a fowlr about 2.5 years ago, wanted to keep it simple. Well that didnt last for long as i found myself everytime i visited my lfs's adding a small frag here and a small frag there, no specific species, if i liked it i put it in the tank. About a year in I had all the fish stocked i wanted plus i was way maxed out with 15 fish. Today they are still going strong. Fast forward to today and my tank is a full blown cluster **** of all types of corals. Sure some corals could have better coloration or faster growth rates, but for me its good enough and in my case the fish are more important, but the frags i cut off i trade in to my lfs for free fish food. Now go back in time I probably would not have been successful growing corals without frequent water changes. With all the products that are out there now it makes it possible to have a successful tank without doing water changes. Heres a couple pics i just took showing that not doing water changes can have a successful outcome although i would not suggest it to someone just starting out in the hobby.
Beautiful tank.
beaslbob
2500 Club Member
thanks
Oshengems
Valuable Member
I have hawkings enchinata, red dragon, purple dragon and Pac-Man acro also a Maxima clam, also I got a free brown strawberry shortcake that in 2 months Regained it’s color and I don’t do regular WC very infrequent all doing great, I do have a 15 fishes in a 75g don’t know if that helps also a Ton of LR.
Oshengems
Valuable Member
I have hawkings enchinata, red dragon, purple dragon and Pac-Man acro also a Maxima clam, also I got a free brown strawberry shortcake that in 2 months Regained it’s color and I don’t do regular WC very infrequent all doing great, I do have a 15 fishes in a 75g don’t know if that helps also a Ton of LR.
BTW those are months old those have growned significantly since
Reefing is not a race about getting the corals that give you a headache and a burnout after a few years.
It's about enjoying your hobby and tank als long as possible.
Thanks
juanmanuelsanchez
Active Member
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Water changes are cost effective if the tank is small.
For a big tank... You need to add everything. No water change will make your levels stable in the high ranks. Unless you do them in a big percentage and continuously.
About the skimmer and the junk. I got a diamond goby. The ****** moved all the sand and all the junk came out. You just can't imagine how much junk there was. So syphon it's a good idea to keep things at check. And by doing it you do a water change. But again... It's not going to get all your main components in check.
That's my experience. So far and I have a 220 gallon.
For a big tank... You need to add everything. No water change will make your levels stable in the high ranks. Unless you do them in a big percentage and continuously.
About the skimmer and the junk. I got a diamond goby. The ****** moved all the sand and all the junk came out. You just can't imagine how much junk there was. So syphon it's a good idea to keep things at check. And by doing it you do a water change. But again... It's not going to get all your main components in check.
That's my experience. So far and I have a 220 gallon.
dennis tb
Community Member
You mean these (see pictures). I got them all from tiny frags and they have grown over the years. My tank is 5 years old and never had a WC.
I do moniter the possible buildup of heavy metals via triton analysis. But sofar no build up
Oshengems
Valuable Member
You mean these (see pictures). I got them all from tiny frags and they have grown over the years. My tank is 5 years old and never had a WC.
I do moniter the possible buildup of heavy metals via triton analysis. But sofar no build up
BEAUTIFUL TANK Dennis!!!!!!
With success prof Yet some here will say stuff like “in the long run your tank will crash, or something drastic will happen” it’s the same thing with light discussion LEDs are still not 100% certified for SPS tanks although major vendors use LEDs to light their corals. we need to have an open mind to move this hobby further, new ideas should be welcomed not bashed, I remember a few years ago saying algae scrubber was like a curse word in these forums so much that People having success would rather not even speak about it.
I just don’t get it!
Talking about Clams
Eldest is 13 months i my aquaria. Between January 2017 - January 2018 no WC; January 2018 - 6 * 50 litre during two weeks. February 2018 - to now - no WC
This picture show the growth of the one to the right. It was in the size of the one to the left when I got it - 13 months agoo
This had the size of the small one the 10 of April - this year
This I get 3 weeks after the first
Oh - I forgot - its the easiest of the clams - Deresa - It would never work with croccea, gigas or maxima for sure …. or....
And other odd things with this tank - it has a reversed remote deep sand bed with a chaeto fuge at the top. I let the skimate going back to the DT - only use the skimmer as gas exchanger. Never ever clean for organic waste - neither in the DT or the sump. It have cryptic zones and next development will be that I feed my filter feeders with juice from mixed Chaeto. And I do not QT.
As we say here in Sweden - not a number in the right place - but still it moves
Sincerely Lasse
Eldest is 13 months i my aquaria. Between January 2017 - January 2018 no WC; January 2018 - 6 * 50 litre during two weeks. February 2018 - to now - no WC
This picture show the growth of the one to the right. It was in the size of the one to the left when I got it - 13 months agoo
Oh - I forgot - its the easiest of the clams - Deresa - It would never work with croccea, gigas or maxima for sure …. or....
And other odd things with this tank - it has a reversed remote deep sand bed with a chaeto fuge at the top. I let the skimate going back to the DT - only use the skimmer as gas exchanger. Never ever clean for organic waste - neither in the DT or the sump. It have cryptic zones and next development will be that I feed my filter feeders with juice from mixed Chaeto. And I do not QT.
As we say here in Sweden - not a number in the right place - but still it moves
Sincerely Lasse
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