9 month no water changes

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes I get my water tested weekly at my LFS

And what was the alkalinity?

 

[BryceJohn39]

Do you measure alk? And what foods do you feed to the aquarium? What is everything that you put into the aquarium? Thanks.

I feed benereef 2 times a week or whenever I can my nitrates have always been super low but everything looks fine to me

 

[BryceJohn39]

And what was the alkalinity?

Around 195 ppm but this was last week and I haven’t gotten it tested this week but it tends to stay around that

 

[BryceJohn39]

If you can maintain alk and calcium levels without dosing and water changes that would indicate your stony corals are not growing.

Well I haven’t really had to much issue with my Stoney corals growing they all are growing pretty fast I had one that was stung to all hell by a anemone but since I removed it has came back pretty quickly

 

[Troylee]

Try changing the water and watch your corals really perk up! People observe their tanks but the trasitions are so slow you don’t notice anything by not changing water.. change the water and next day you’re gonna be like huh! He was right!

 

[BAMatter]

Well the corals that were dying were literally buried by the pistol shrimp if you would take the time and read instead of being ignorant

Wasn’t being ignorant at all. You’re showing off your no water change tank, and then say excuse my bleached corals…

It’s like not changing your oil, and blaming a car breaking down because of a worn out tire.

No water changes and no dosing is not a long term sustainable way to keep a reef tank. You may be seeing signs and results of not giving corals what they need.

Good luck.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Around 195 ppm but this was last week and I haven’t gotten it tested this week but it tends to stay around that

Hard corals are not growing at all if that is the alk in a no dose no water change tank.

 

[skey44]

Try changing the water and watch your corals really perk up! People observe their tanks but the trasitions are so slow you don’t notice anything by not changing water.. change the water and next day you’re gonna be like huh! He was right!

I will reiterate this and reinforce. Just try a one bucket change. Do it right and thank us later. Come back and report.

Don’t know if you have a barrier for doing a WC like no RO DI, no mixing equipment, no good fish stores with quality premade salt water (my LFS even ICP tests his RO), etc. But whatever the barrier is try and get past it and give your corals and tank what it needs.
We are not trying to be mean here just speaking from experience and trying to be helpful.
I am very detail oriented when it comes to my tank and notice small changes in my corals. Even with weekly water changes and dosing All For Reef on a dosing pump to maintain chemistry, I still see a big positive difference every week when I do the change Every tank I’ve ever had responded positively to water changes. It just makes scientific sense, that fortunately you can also see with the naked eye.
It’s a lot of work and I’m currently thankful I’ve got some saltwater ready to go already for this weekends change :)
Best of luck to you. Let us know if you decide to try it out!

 

[BAMatter]

I will reiterate this and reinforce. Just try a one bucket change. Do it right and thank us later. Come back and report.

Don’t know if you have a barrier for doing a WC like no RO DI, no mixing equipment, no good fish stores with quality premade salt water (my LFS even ICP tests his RO), etc. But whatever the barrier is try and get past it and give your corals and tank what it needs.
We are not trying to be mean here just speaking from experience and trying to be helpful.
I am very detail oriented when it comes to my tank and notice small changes in my corals. Even with weekly water changes and dosing All For Reef on a dosing pump to maintain chemistry, I still see a big positive difference every week when I do the change Every tank I’ve ever had responded positively to water changes. It just makes scientific sense, that fortunately you can also see with the naked eye.
It’s a lot of work and I’m currently thankful I’ve got some saltwater ready to go already for this weekends change :)
Best of luck to you. Let us know if you decide to try it out!

What I said, but pretend I worded it like this. lol.

 

[BryceJohn39]

Wasn’t being ignorant at all. You’re showing off your no water change tank, and then say excuse my bleached corals…

It’s like not changing your oil, and blaming a car breaking down because of a worn out tire.

No water changes and no dosing is not a long term sustainable way to keep a reef tank. You may be seeing signs and results of not giving corals what they need.

Good luck.

Well it’s been working so far for me

Try changing the water and watch your corals really perk up! People observe their tanks but the trasitions are so slow you don’t notice anything by not changing water.. change the water and next day you’re gonna be like huh! He was right!

I am definitely not denying that a water change wouldn’t help I’m just never home now because of college so I would rather leave it how it is everything happy than do a water change and something tragic happen

 

[Troylee]

Well it’s been working so far for me

I am definitely not denying that a water change wouldn’t help I’m just never home now because of college so I would rather leave it how it is everything happy than do a water change and something tragic happen

Nothing “drastic” will ever happen from a water change besides a “drastic” improvement.

 

[BryceJohn39]

Nothing “drastic” will ever happen from a water change besides a “drastic” improvement.

But why change something if everything is happy and growing?

 

[LPS Bum]

Looks fine but with the blue lights it’s hard to tell. With automation and advances in knowledge and technology it’s become easier to get away from water changes. That being said, I still do a 5 gal water change every 2 weeks on my 165 gal reef.

It allows me to vacuum the sump and correct any minor salinity changes from dosing. To each their own. Lots of ways to reef.

 

[Troylee]

But why change something if everything is happy and growing?

Why change the oil in your car if it’s still running and going?

 

[LPS Bum]

Nothing “drastic” will ever happen from a water change besides a “drastic” improvement.

That’s assuming the new water is of a higher quality than the existing water. Might not be the case if someone isn’t using RODI and a good salt mix.

 

[Troylee]

That’s assuming the new water is of a higher quality than the existing water. Might not be the case if someone isn’t using RODI and a good salt mix.

Of course! But anyone using tap water has more problems haha!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

But why change something if everything is happy and growing?

I’m not suggesting you do anything, but it is not possible for hard corals to have grown in your tank.

 

[BAMatter]

Why change the oil in your car if it’s still running and going?

Why buy the wife new shoes when she has 764 pairs already?

 

[Troylee]

Why buy the wife new shoes when she has 764 pairs already?

You got one of those to huh? :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing: Sheesh I just ordered closet organizers on Black Friday to try and clean that up haha!

 

[BAMatter]

You got one of those to huh? :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing: Sheesh I just ordered closet organizers on Black Friday to try and clean that up haha!

May have embellished a tick, but you get the idea lol.