Very topical BRS tv today about low maintenance tanks. Their conclusion? No waterchange didn't work for them on setting up a new tank and they are switching their new systems to awc.
why do water changes?
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Julian Bastidas
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I like how everything looks after a water change. You know you just did something good
biophilia
Well-Known Member
I do regular water changes primarily to mitigate potential environmental pollutants (I live less than two blocks from a major freeway interchange and have two dogs so dust/city grime and pet hair are ever-present). I also do them to help make up for salinity drift due to wet skimming with a 10 gallon reef tank. If it weren't for those issues, I probably wouldn't do them very often.
marinesnow
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Check out the triton method. And think of it as doing water changes only, and if, they’re necessary, instead of not doing them at all.
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WVfishguy
Community Member
I've kept aquariums for more than 40 years. And, for more than 20 years, I've been paid to do water changes in customers' tanks - among other aquarium services.
But it's the water changes that kept me in business.
My customers now believe it's normal for fish to live 10-20 years. I've installed aquariums for customers whose kids were in elementary school when I first worked for them, until those same kids enter college. And they keep the same fish throughout.
I agree you can get by with NOT doing water changes, especially in salt water tanks with filter socks, protein skimmers, algae scrubbers, et al.
But here's the rub: I call this the, "Everything was doing great until they all died" syndrome. I say this because I've seen it dozens of times. It was one of the main things which kept me in business. Customers would lose an entire tank, call me, I'd set it back up, and they never had a tank crash again.
Water changes are insurance. There are a lot of things we do not know about aquarium chemistry. We only measure a few parameters. And we get complacent when everything appears to be doing well.
Then comes the crash.
"Did you hear about Steve's tank?"
"No, what? His corals are spectacular!"
"His tank crashed yesterday. During a thunderstorm, the electricity went out while he was asleep. When he woke up the next day, everything was dead."
"Wow! That sucks. I don't get it. He had that tank running for ten years. Didn't even have to do water changes anymore - it was perfectly balanced."
Everything was doing great until they all died.
It could be an power outage, a new fish/coral, a heat/cold wave, an unnoticed dead critter, or a malfunctioning automatic gizmo. Without water changes, aquariums are very subject to "crash" when a new stress is introduced.
I could go on with what I've seen, but I've written too much already. Long story (sorry) shortened somewhat; Without water changes, a system crash is inevitable. It's exactly like smoking cigarettes; even if you appear healthy now, you will pay later.
BTW, I NEVER post what I've been told, or something I read. I only post what I've seen.
But it's the water changes that kept me in business.
My customers now believe it's normal for fish to live 10-20 years. I've installed aquariums for customers whose kids were in elementary school when I first worked for them, until those same kids enter college. And they keep the same fish throughout.
I agree you can get by with NOT doing water changes, especially in salt water tanks with filter socks, protein skimmers, algae scrubbers, et al.
But here's the rub: I call this the, "Everything was doing great until they all died" syndrome. I say this because I've seen it dozens of times. It was one of the main things which kept me in business. Customers would lose an entire tank, call me, I'd set it back up, and they never had a tank crash again.
Water changes are insurance. There are a lot of things we do not know about aquarium chemistry. We only measure a few parameters. And we get complacent when everything appears to be doing well.
Then comes the crash.
"Did you hear about Steve's tank?"
"No, what? His corals are spectacular!"
"His tank crashed yesterday. During a thunderstorm, the electricity went out while he was asleep. When he woke up the next day, everything was dead."
"Wow! That sucks. I don't get it. He had that tank running for ten years. Didn't even have to do water changes anymore - it was perfectly balanced."
Everything was doing great until they all died.
It could be an power outage, a new fish/coral, a heat/cold wave, an unnoticed dead critter, or a malfunctioning automatic gizmo. Without water changes, aquariums are very subject to "crash" when a new stress is introduced.
I could go on with what I've seen, but I've written too much already. Long story (sorry) shortened somewhat; Without water changes, a system crash is inevitable. It's exactly like smoking cigarettes; even if you appear healthy now, you will pay later.
BTW, I NEVER post what I've been told, or something I read. I only post what I've seen.
Its the same for me - what I write - Is my own experiences - but not necessarily in the saltwater hobby - I have been working with water and life supporting system in one or another form for more and less my whole grown up life. and I always try to fit my experiences in a theoretical summary.
I have been out for tank crashes before - when I did regular WC but when I constructed my new aquaria I constructed it as a biological machine and it works well without WC as a routine.
I´m not surprised that the setup in the BRS test showed up as it did. If you try to run a tank without any microbial life or diversity of life - you will crash sooner or later if you do not do WC. (but IMO WC is only a solution for now - not the future) You create an unstable environment. For me sand, sand beds, detritus (with the word detritus I mean the ecological definition - particular organic matter), fuge and a great diversity of life is critical in those tanks that will run stable for years to come. I never ever (during normal running) chase detritus in my tank. I even let the skimmate go back to the DT.
Sincerely Lasse
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Sallstrom
2500 Club Member
If NWC tanks are more likely to crash when something like a power failure comes, do you have any theories on why?
We've have had a couple of partly or total power failure in our NWC tank during the years, but I haven't seen any real bad effect. We don't have that much fish, but high density of stony corals.
Luckily I think the longest power failures have been around 8-10 hours. Maybe that's not so long. So that's my experience on that
IMO and in your case - the skimmer will be the most important input of pollutants because it is one of the best gas exchangers that exist. Gas from the air will be transported down into the water. A active carbon filter before the skimmer intake would probably be a good solution if the air is heavy polluted. It will take away the worst contaminants.
Sincerely Lasse
Of course you did!
But...... If you have everything managed the right way, you won't see a differrence. But these are things that can be learned.
I've been doing this for more than 14years without.
Now since 2012 without any tanks crashes and my corals always look healthy and the are even growing like crazy.
That must account for something.
I hope it is that it is very clear that I do not advocate no water changes at all regime whatever happens
I do not mind doing WC if my measurements or observations say that it is a good idea but I do not use regular (or irregular) WC just because I should do that, otherwise……
Sincerely Lasse
I have the same toughts.If NWC tanks are more likely to crash when something like a power failure comes, do you have any theories on why?
We've have had a couple of partly or total power failure in our NWC tank during the years, but I haven't seen any real bad effect. We don't have that much fish, but high density of stony corals.
Luckily I think the longest power failures have been around 8-10 hours. Maybe that's not so long. So that's my experience on that
Power outages affect fish first due to CO2 build up, not corals.
Those who have coraltanks crashes were on the limit. That could have been tanks with WC also.
You need to review the tank maintenance first before judging what the cause was.
It's true that you do get better result with WC than with half measures and plain without doing anything at all, but that's imo just ignorance
Of course, the only way to test that a NWC tank is just as good is to do a series of 20-25% water changes over a few months and then see no difference in the actual tank. I do not think that it takes anything away from the argument if you tell somebody that you changed a bit of water once to test your theory. There are just as many people who saw positive results from starting to change water again as there are people who swear (without knowing) that they do not need them.
Sallstrom
2500 Club Member
Or you start using ICP tests and addetives and stop changing water for a couple of month in your tank?
Jokes aside, that kind of test would be mostly up to each and everyones taste. And since we are all a bit bias in this matter, I think we would all be getting the results we expected
Edit. But I really hope there will be more things to test soon, like the DOC test Triton lab announced at Interzoo. We are running both NWC and some water change systems, so it would be great to be able to compare DOC.
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Most of us already all do this... I go 6 months during my busy work season without changing water and just letting my CaRx run and dose some iron and sometimes a bit of potassium. I always notice changes when I change some water again... growth spurt (larger scute separation in the clams and increased calcification in the stonies). This test happens all the time with most hobbyists - nearly everybody has experience in this.
Sallstrom
2500 Club Member
It's like if I where to start change water with a crappy salt...
Sure. I wouldn't dare go without water changes for long if there were no ICP tests.
But if you use the tools and addetives avalible, and not just use a calcium reactor and dose without testing, you might get better results.
There is where the assumption WC are better goes wrong. You are doing half a method, so you get half result[emoji23].
You also compare neglect followed by a WC with getting on top of things and taking control of your tank.
Read into the system i apply then you will see we are talking about a very different appoach.
http://www.DSRreefing.com/history
Just what i am saying . If you use crap tools you get crappy results. Than any WC will be a gods gift.
Btw.. i never do ICP on any of my tanks, but still no crash since 2012.
Gungo
Well-Known Member
Even if science proves that it is possible having a healthy reef tank without any water changes, I will continue to do them religiously. I noticed that not doing water changes in this hobby has become a title.. "No water-change man". I'm not saying that isn't possible.. I just enjoy doing them, so do my reef
When you enjoy keep on doing it[emoji106]Even if science proves that it is possible having a healthy reef tank without any water changes, I will continue to do them religiously. I noticed that not doing water changes in this hobby has become a title.. "No water-change man". I'm not saying that isn't possible.. I just enjoy doing them, so do my reef
Reefing is a hobby you should enjoy anyway you choose to.
For me regular WC would have killed it[emoji58]
