Considering trying a massive water change as a reset - what are your thoughts?

[djryan2000]

So my tank (JBJ 45) has been neglected for a while and trying weekly 10 gal water changes has done little to help. My primary issue is that I feed very heavily and have no real export besides a skimmer and my mini carbon/GFO reactor. I also have chronically low all (around 7.3-7.7).

With school coming to a wrap I’m excitedly planning how I am going to get my tank back on track. I purchased a chaeto reactor and am waiting on the mail for the pieces to finish plumbing it. I am thinking that on the same day I will plumb it of ripping out all the hair algae manually and doing a massive water change so I can get the detritus out from the sump as well. I have a 29 gallon tank sitting around that I could fill with water and mix. Is there any reason I shouldn’t do this? I dont think the pH varies much, if at all, between the water and my tank so the fish should be fine (temp and salinity will match). I doubt my LPS/softies will care about a nutrient fluctuation or slight inc in alk to 8. According to google my anemones and other corals will be fine exposed to air for a little while if I turn my aquarium light off. I am planning on scooping most of it out and then using my ATO for the remaining water to pump it into the tank.

Any thoughts on if this is a good or catastrophic idea?

 

[blaxsun]

Define "exposed to air for little while".

 

[djryan2000]

Define "exposed to air for little while".

The amount of time it requires the water to be drained and put back into the tank right after.

 

[JCM]

7.3-7.7 Dkh isn't low alk, that's a great place to keep it.

Edit: assuming you match parameters well, your plan sounds fine.

 

[blaxsun]

The amount of time it requires the water to be drained and put back into the tank right after.

It would probably be better if you placed the rock, corals and anemones in a container of saltwater (even used tank water) while you do this. You really don't want them exposed to air for more than a few minutes, and you may find that you end up vacuuming the sand, etc.

 

[mehaffydr]

I would limit the water change to about 50% of Volume and just do 2 changes about a week apart. Stability is the key to success and doing basically all of the water s quite extreme