Why should i do water changes?

Jake_the_reefer · Jan 30, 2020

Forgot to add. Gfo in the 20g as well

CivicS14 · Jan 30, 2020

While my tank water is clear, parameters stable, and sand looks good, I perform water changes to vacuum my sandbed. The nastiness that builds up in my biweekly water change confirms why I do it everytime.

Greg P · Jan 30, 2020

I use food grade not pharma grade Calcium and don't run GAC or GFO, so I do b-weekly water changes.
I should probably start looking at the cost differences between my current methods and using pharma products with little to no WCs, and then the addition of trace elements.
Just too lazy right now to deal with it.

X-37B · Jan 30, 2020

My 120 is 7.5 months old. No water changes since startup.
Filter sock skimmer now carx and I add trace elements.
Only water added is to replace skimmer effluent at 3-400 ml a week currently.
Every month I clean the 4 powerheads in around 1/2 gallon of tank water.
With that said its just the way I decided to run my tank. Here is a pic I just took. Lots of coralline and no bad algae.
STABILITY is the key imo.
Anyone else have no water change tank pics?

fishguy242 · Jan 30, 2020

yes

Scorpius · Jan 30, 2020

I'm going to buck the trend and say do regular water changes. Not doing water changes no matter how careful you are with monitoring/adding/adjusting macro/micro nutrients things will get out of normal sooner or later. I don't care who you send your test kit off to or what it tells you. Water changes fix most issues. Remember keeping a reef full of coral is more about keeping water than coral care.

X-37B · Jan 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
yes

How old is your tank?
It looks awesome!

fishguy242 · Jan 30, 2020

13 years ,240 bare bottom,90's reefer i started in 90 with my first reef tank

X-37B · Jan 30, 2020

Scorpius said:
I'm going to buck the trend and say do regular water changes. Not doing water changes no matter how careful you are with monitoring/adding/adjusting macro/micro nutrients things will get out of normal sooner or later. I don't care who you send your test kit off to or what it tells you. Water changes fix most issues. Remember keeping a reef full of coral is more about keeping water than coral care.

Bucking the trend is not doing water changes lol.
If I ever need one I am prepared. My mano ran almost 2 years no water change. My 45 frag is setup as a no water change system.
I say do what works for you. More ways than one to run a reef tank

Scorpius · Jan 30, 2020

90's reefer said:
Bucking the trend is not doing water changes lol.
If I ever need one I am prepared. My mano ran almost 2 years no water change. My 45 frag is setup as a no water change system.
I say do what works for you. More ways than one to run a reef tank

And it's a bad trend. Just my opinion. Take it or leave it. I've tried the whole no water change thing. Never again.

fishguy242 · Jan 30, 2020

we are not saying never,if a prob arises yes,but regular no,imo

X-37B · Jan 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
13 years ,240 bare bottom,90's reefer i started in 90 with my first reef tank

Nice I started in the late 80's. Here is my proof lol.

fishguy242 · Jan 30, 2020

the origanal liquid gold

X-37B · Jan 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
the origanal liquid gold

Yes and dkh of 16 lol.

Scorpius · Jan 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
we are not saying never,if a prob arises yes,but regular no,imo

And by the time a problem arises you're already in reaction mode trying to curtail a parameter swing which may have been completely avoided by doing regular water changes.