So... I was thinking the other day, all the gear we buy and supplements we dose, other than return pump, powerheads, lights and heater, is there just to strip the water off the dirt of various types continuously generated by life in our tanks. And yet, water changes are still very highly recommended at ~10% or so rate per week.
What if, we just stopped doing anything to the water, except keep changing it but at a higher rate to compensate. Say 25 or 50% per week. The powerheads do in effect bio filtration by pushing water through LR, but we need those for flow for the corals anyway so not including those in the questionable gear category.
The cost profile is different. You'd be paying more for salt, but less to none for supplements, carbon, GFO, biopellets etc. Not to mention all the devices like reactors, skimmers dosers etc. All you would need would be:
1. Lights
2. Powerheads / flow
3. Return pump
4. Heater (and/or chiller if need be).
5. ATO
6. Auto W/C setup
I just did some rough math in my head for my system, 50 Gal display + 20 Gal sump, hopefully to be expanded soon by additional 100 Gal display. If I use Reef Crystals, I can get a box good for 200 Gal (though I have to double check if it really is 200 at 35 ppt), this runs me anywhere between $55 to $75 / per box. W/a $170 Gal system, if I did a 100% w/c per month, that would be $55-$75 / month. But then I don't have to pay for anything else, I can shrink the sump to literally just a floss pad or a sock, heater and a return pump. With a spot for probes, ATO and that's it. The sump could be small regardless of the size of the system.
I've read some people run w/out any water changes too, but I find that highly suspect and/or magical in what they must be doing to their systems, so that is I think the exact opposite of what I am saying here - monster water changes, and no chemical filtration or dosing. This would include any macro algae reactors, which isn't chemical strictly speaking.
What if, we just stopped doing anything to the water, except keep changing it but at a higher rate to compensate. Say 25 or 50% per week. The powerheads do in effect bio filtration by pushing water through LR, but we need those for flow for the corals anyway so not including those in the questionable gear category.
The cost profile is different. You'd be paying more for salt, but less to none for supplements, carbon, GFO, biopellets etc. Not to mention all the devices like reactors, skimmers dosers etc. All you would need would be:
1. Lights
2. Powerheads / flow
3. Return pump
4. Heater (and/or chiller if need be).
5. ATO
6. Auto W/C setup
I just did some rough math in my head for my system, 50 Gal display + 20 Gal sump, hopefully to be expanded soon by additional 100 Gal display. If I use Reef Crystals, I can get a box good for 200 Gal (though I have to double check if it really is 200 at 35 ppt), this runs me anywhere between $55 to $75 / per box. W/a $170 Gal system, if I did a 100% w/c per month, that would be $55-$75 / month. But then I don't have to pay for anything else, I can shrink the sump to literally just a floss pad or a sock, heater and a return pump. With a spot for probes, ATO and that's it. The sump could be small regardless of the size of the system.
I've read some people run w/out any water changes too, but I find that highly suspect and/or magical in what they must be doing to their systems, so that is I think the exact opposite of what I am saying here - monster water changes, and no chemical filtration or dosing. This would include any macro algae reactors, which isn't chemical strictly speaking.