Diluting Your Mistakes: How often are you changing out your water?

[MARK M. DAVIS]

Anecdotally, water changes seem to be a good thing. The whole dilution and replenishment aspect seem fundamentally sound. There are a lot of testing related errors which can cause over dosing or under dosing. There's consumption and a myriad of elements that don't get tested. How does one replenish necessary elements without overdosing non-consumed elements? The Triton test method whereby, only consumed elements are replaced seems to be a good alternative. However, the Triton method can be rather tedious and expensive which may be good for the good ol' 1%ers. I do a little of both. I test via Triton and add the basic elements like Calcium, Alk, Mg, Trace, Iodine, Potassium and Strontium. I don't add anything else with respect to elements. I do monthly 10% water changes and 1% automatic daily. I'm getting good results so I continue. I've read some forums about the dilemma of over dosing some of the discrete element packs. They're reset recommendations have always been to do a significant resetting water change. Water changes can had a detrimental impact if the water changes are large and parameters are not matched (PH, Salinity, Temperature, and Alk/Calcium). Also, contaminants can be introduced based on bad RODI water. I guess it's a trade off.

 

[McPuff]

I do about 10% water change per month, usually. Since I run a CA reactor I'm not too worried about any of the parameters getting out of whack. And in a larger system, it's also less of a concern. When I DO a water change, I really focus on getting out the nastiest stuff anyway which means siphoning out the sump and probably 8-10 gallons of super dirty sand vacuuming water.

 

[maceto]

A 25% wc every week is my routine. Help me to keep everything under relative control.

 

[X-37B]

Zero water change system here.

 

[adrianr514]

So are you saying it’s a mistake to do water changes? Mistakes or no mistakes water changes are a regular part of my maintenance practices.

No, the premise is that water changes help dilute mistakes. Mistakes being overdosing of an additive, high nutrients, improper salinity levels or build up of “x” over time that’s not being used as much.
So then doing regular water changes helps dilute and mitigate these issues without needing to do emergency 50%+ water changes.

 

[mfinn]

I don't see it as diluting my mistakes.
I see it as replenishing elements and diluting pollution.

 

[drblakjak55]

25g water change with IO Reef now once every six weeks into 110g system including sump around five years. Believe feeding our fish and coral to get high growth rates has to lead to accumulating industrial byproducts in our tiny bit of ocean. I’ve noted for decades in my 125g African tank that the fish start acting more aggressively and scratch more without that 30g water change every month. Fifty good size cichlids.

I do WC using a Mag5 return pump connected to thirty feet of Eheim tubing straight into toilet up one floor from basement to empty the tank. Same pump to empty Brute with prepared, heated water right into tank. No carrying buckets.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Personally, I do 10-15% per week... ish... The dilution really won't to correct big mistakes but I think helps reduce the long term impact of small ones. I need all the help I can get!

 

[Javamahn]

I change out 15-20 gallons every 2 weeks on a 150 gallon system. I cannot say if it dilutes mistakes as I tend not to change much of anything chemistry wise. I have only added a cheato reactor over the past year and half. Not to say everything is 100% stable all the time but it is pretty consistent both good and bad.

 

[K7BMG]

I think that first you need to know that a mistake is or was made.

If a mistake was made then yes of course the water change will HOPEFULLY slowly rectify the situation.

But I would think and hope that one would be doing water changes for the good of the system first off and not hey this is what I do to cover up a potential mistake I may make. LoL YMMV

 

[sghera64]

Of course, the magnitude of the "mistake" and the magnitude of dilution are major factors in the ability of one to overcome the other.

Perhaps it is worth noting that if stability is key, and one consistently makes a mistake that is consistently "hidden" by consistent water changes, then it is not a matter of significant consequence.

 

[luisgo]

Depending on how busy I am I change 25% monthly. Yes I agree that mistakes are diluted!

 

[Wolf89]

I dont do water changes anymore!

 

[JimFuller]

I do about 10 Gallons per week on my 75 Gallon System. I find it keeps the tank in good shape and the coral colorful.

 

[Ferrell]

I started out in 2017 doing 20%every two weeks and things looked meh so about a year ago I started doing 10% weekly and it has changed things for the better. I think if there is even a slight difference of Alk, temp and salinity (because you can’t get it “dead on balls accurate) of larger changes would have a more significant effect on the animals than a smaller one with the same slight difference. I try really hard to match salinity, temp then Alk to the best of my ability but it’s always a bit off. As far a correcting/diluting mistakes, of course it does

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I'm having some dinoflagellate/other algae issues (again), so I am not changing the water often. My nutrients is kinda out of wack right now so I'm coming up with a regimented feeding schedule and stuff.

 

[Cleaner.]

fresh nutreints are allways a good thing,,,,changing your behavior about maintenance,probably needs lookin at regularly

 

[krash7172]

I view normal scheduled water changes not as diluting mistakes, but more of a way of keeping trace perimeters that I don't measure, or don't understand enough to attempt to dose, in check to some degree. More along the lines of dosing than diluting.

I'm trying to keep a low maintenance mixed reef. With regular water changes, I only watch alk and salinity closely.

20% every 3 weeks

 

[Chuka1212]

I don't run a skimmer in either of my 45-gallon tanks. One is an ultra-low maintenance, and I do monthly changes (if that). My other tank I dose kalk - Mg and Ca as needed. I religiously change about 12% every week. My nuisance algae situation is much better (almost non-existent) in the tank where I change water. So yes, I do feel that water changes dilute mistakes - in my case, helping with nutrient export.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I think that first you need to know that a mistake is or was made.

If a mistake was made then yes of course the water change will HOPEFULLY slowly rectify the situation.

But I would think and hope that one would be doing water changes for the good of the system first off and not hey this is what I do to cover up a potential mistake I may make. LoL YMMV

I just assume I've made mistakes. It reduces the surprise when I recognize I've made one!