Superlightman
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many people followed his advice and do same even shop and coral farm in his country; triton also have many peoples, moonshiner also.
Are water changes over rated?
- Thread starter saltyMJ
- Start date
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I don’t understand why this water change or not is even a question for nano or small tanks…
Are we gonna put a Trident on a fish bowl so we can skip water changes?
I just came from a thread where someone has an issue on a 20 gallon and wanted to know how to solve a dosing problem … who cares? For small tanks change 25% of the water and your troubles go down the drain, literally.
At those scales even test kits are near stupid… dosers, nearly so
My take: if the tank is less than 30 gallon and you want to skip water changes you are a gambler or you like playing with chemicals and equipment or you live in a desert or you are plain lazy
Are we gonna put a Trident on a fish bowl so we can skip water changes?
I just came from a thread where someone has an issue on a 20 gallon and wanted to know how to solve a dosing problem … who cares? For small tanks change 25% of the water and your troubles go down the drain, literally.
At those scales even test kits are near stupid… dosers, nearly so
My take: if the tank is less than 30 gallon and you want to skip water changes you are a gambler or you like playing with chemicals and equipment or you live in a desert or you are plain lazy
True, I should show you the piles of crap in my garage and the thousands in equipment under my stands…Tech people are going to tech
Teasing of course. Hope your day is well.
CivicS14
Well-Known Member
It’s a waste of time but I like to waste time. Also, I like to vacuum my sandbed and like staring at my tank from the top seeing what I need to screw up next. Great waste of time.
VintageReefer
2500 Club Member
I am vocal about my non-need to do water changes…on my 75g display. Which has 10yr old rock and sand and a cryptic zone fuge and turf scrubber. I don’t recommend or push people out of water changes. I simply chime in when people are adamant they are required, as proof they aren’t if certain things are done. So may people may think I am “anti water change”. I am not.
I also have a 15g Waterbox peninsula, and water changes for it are quick and easy, and a key for its health. A regular 5g bucket which I have tons of…is a 30% change in volume and fast way to correct any issues.
I agree with the above statement, I don’t see any reason for people with smaller tanks not to do them especially when they have an issue correct
Well you of all people SHOULD be vocal about not doing water changes: Anyone with a 10 year old reef should be spreading the news… I’m listening
Heck it’s also a goal, it’s especially my goal with 450 gallons of Aquariums to change and a titanium hip…
On a small tank 2 buckets and voila, no ICP needed, no Tridents, heck not even dosers are needed, some of the equipment and testing minutia is close to silly (if only from a results only perspective)
areefer01
2500 Club Member
Just as an aside you do not need test automation of any manufacture to be successful. We didn't have this 15 years ago and managed perfectly fine. Same can be said about phosphate testers. They are a quality of life or luxury. If you want one by all means. Same with ICP, or eDNA testing.
Hobbyist shouldn't fall into the trap of feeling they are mandatory for success. Not saying you said that.
VintageReefer
2500 Club Member
I will clarify. My tank rock and sand were all setup about 10 years ago. I built it into a sps mixed reef under halides and t5 with many fish. It struggled between years 1 and 2 with uncontrollable algae issues. Not “out of control” but algae in spots that persistently would grow back and uglify my display. Phosphate reactor with gfo and a full cheato fuge emptied weekly has no impact.
I installed a algae scrubber and in 2-3 months all my cheato died out, and all my display algae died out. I lost a few sps due to reduction in nutrients but then everything rebounded and tank was successful for about 1-2 more years. I grew nubs and sticks into colonies. Everything pretty much started as a frag.
I ended up with this after 3-4 years. Including the start up year where things are slow, and phases come and go, and then a slow second year dealing with algae and phosphate issues.
I did not do water changes since installing the scrubber. I grew lost of that between years 3 and 4 and you can see, I had good growth and no more display algae. I used brs dosing pumps and 2 part. I never had a ato or anything computer controlled. Everything was stable and doing sell. But then, I lost almost everything from a 5+ day power outage during a hurricane. I rebuilt. And I was doing good. I don’t have photos. Then I moved 800 miles. Prior to move I sold off acro colonies and fish and kept what I wanted to keep. I packed up my sand, live rock, critters and yes…50 gallons of tank salt water in brute garbage cans and hauled a trailer behind me for 800 miles. Live stock was in buckets with aeration and heaters on inverters in my vehicle. I had a local aquarium supplier set up tanks in advance in my new home. Upon arrival I spent overnight rebuilding everything the best I could. And the next few days also.
My 75g tank was put in its current place about 8 years ago. I started adding acro frags and easy corals and was doing well. Then I had a baby, and My job field was unstable and I went through several jobs. I let my tank go. Barely touched the tank. Just added top off water when the return pump started spittin bubbles out. Whatever survives will survive. I didn’t have the time or motivation. 2 years ago I decided it’s time to rebuild again and I took a look at what I had to deal with
Well. We have life and colorful life so things can’t be too bad. Obviously some nutrient abundance and hair algae. But I’ve seen worse and rebuilt from less.
And I decided. I’m doing something different. I like my no water change method and it’s been successful for me, but if shtf then what’s the first to go. The acros and sps. What survived. The zoa and lps. So I decided to go full on low maintenance and build a killer lps reef. And over two years I now have this
When I make saltwater it’s to replace water and/or to maintain proper salinity
When I rebuild tanks or experience a disaster I follow up with a few water changes. And currently I’ll say things like “this tank hasn’t had a water change in 2 years or 4 years”. I view those technically as water changes but the purpose wasn’t to do anything other than replace water from evap or skimming. Or as a proactive measure. I took my skimmer offline over a year ago. This further eliminates my need to make saltwater. I just add fw top off with all for reef.
So while the coral and fish in this reef aren’t 10 years old, the rock, sand, and bulk of the water is. The tank has changed directions a few times, both intentionally and unintentionally. But one thing has been consistent, no matter what I was keeping over the last 10 years, water changes were not part of my weekly or monthly or even annual maintenance. I use them “as needed” to remove a medication or correct an occasional salinity issue. I honestly wouldn’t even count them as water changes, but some know it all will be like “water left the tank and you made sw so that’s a water change!” So I agree, technically I’ve had a few “water changes” over a decade, but it’s not a routine or requirement for the tank, especially in its current state.
VintageReefer
2500 Club Member
Just realized some of the earlier pics are 2012. Sooo I guess this tank is more like 12 years old. The rock in my tank today is the same as what I started with. Just using less. The rest is in the brute in my garage
I’ve never had an icp. I’ve never had any automation other than light timers for 2 part years ago. I never even used an ato. I didn’t need that crap in 2012 and I certainly don’t need it now.
I’ve never had an icp. I’ve never had any automation other than light timers for 2 part years ago. I never even used an ato. I didn’t need that crap in 2012 and I certainly don’t need it now.
I want to highlight this…I didn’t smell any fear here…
This is a seasoned reefer, no panic buttons…
Respect for showing us that, the slightly dirty “biologically” realistic sand make your post genuine…
those pristine white sand tanks with the gravity defying rocks are staged BS for the photograph most often
VintageReefer
2500 Club Member
And I got called our before for my “blue pics” and they must be hiding stuff. Well I’m not hiding anything. People say oh well there’s no fish. I have fish. They are super camera shy
Two anthias are also in qt and will be added in the next week or two hopefully
Two anthias are also in qt and will be added in the next week or two hopefully
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Seansea
Valuable Member
I want to start off by saying i hate doing water changes. There annoying and expensive and wasteful.
That being said i do weekly 10% changes. I have 17 fish in a 75 gallon and feed heavy. Twice a day plus a quarter sheet of nori. If i dont do weekly water changes my corLs will show it. Taking out the polluted old water and putting in clean fresh water can only be good. And yes i match all paremeters including temp.
I think if you have a light bioload nonwater changes make sense. Even my algae scrubber cAn do so much with such a load.
That being said i do weekly 10% changes. I have 17 fish in a 75 gallon and feed heavy. Twice a day plus a quarter sheet of nori. If i dont do weekly water changes my corLs will show it. Taking out the polluted old water and putting in clean fresh water can only be good. And yes i match all paremeters including temp.
I think if you have a light bioload nonwater changes make sense. Even my algae scrubber cAn do so much with such a load.
VintageReefer
2500 Club Member
This months lol
REEF OF THE MONTH - May 2024: A MIXED REEF SMACKDOWN!!!
R2R Username: @thekoralito My Tank Thread: The Koralito's Custom Penisula Mixed Reef Tank Hello fellow reefers! My name is Rocky Eliseo or you may know me as The Koralito @thekoralito on Instagram. I have been keeping freshwater fish since I was a kid back in the Philippines and only started...
www.reef2reef.com
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