Do you do water changes?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

no water change with dosing at the moment. I have what I need to set up an awc. Right now my nutrients are good so no need, but as it is a newly upgraded system, the load isn't super high.

That's only a logical statement if nutrients are the reason to do water changes. IMO, that's not the only reason they are useful.

Water Changes in Reef Aquaria by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Conclusion
Water changes are a good way to help control certain processes that serve to drive reef aquarium water away from its starting purity. Some things build up in certain situations (organics, certain metals, sodium, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, etc.), and some things become depleted (calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, strontium, silica, etc.). Water changes can serve to help correct these imbalances, and in some cases may be the best way to deal with them. Water changes of 15-30% per month (whether carried out once a month, daily or continuously) have been shown in the graphs above to be useful in moderating the drift of these different seawater components from starting levels. For most reef aquaria, I recommend such changes as good aquarium husbandry. In general, the more the better, if carried out appropriately, and if the new salt water is of appropriate quality.

Calcium and alkalinity, being rapidly depleted in most reef aquaria, are not well controlled, or even significantly impacted by such small water changes. In order to maintain them with no other supplements, changes on the order of 30-50% PER DAY would be required. Nevertheless, that option may still be a good choice for very small aquaria, especially if the changes are slow and automatic.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

This is my most viewed video as of now. I expect it to grow even more, but also believe this is one of my good kick starts to my channel. Gotten a lot of subs, likes, and views than normal in the past month, so thank you for your support.

 

[Treefer32]

The picture below is the reason I do water changes. Even with mechanical filtration on my bare bottom system this is what I pull from my sump every 2-3 weeks

Funny, my water is yellow not brown. I suspect it's chlorophyll from the algae in my algae turf scrubber.

 

[Treefer32]

I'm preparing to do my first large water change since July, almost 6 months. My nitrates have climbed over those six months from the teens (18-22) to 30-35. Although not too high yet, as my corals are actually liking the higher nitrates. It doesn't leave much room for error if nitrates were to spike. So, I'm goign to do a water change to reduce nitrates down to 15-17. Phosphates were around .06. Also with larger changes, one removes discoloration of the water, and refreshes in any trace elements as well.

I vodka dose, run an ATS, an oversized skimmer, auto roller mat, nu-clear 25 micron cannister filter (cleaned religiously). I dose trace elements (red Sea A,B,C,D), and dose alk, calcium, magnesium.

I run no reactors, no carbon, and use 0 TDS RODI water for top off.

I think I'm finally equipped to run with minimal water changes with little to no adverse effects.

 

[Tidal Gardens]

We do weekly water changes!

 

[MillennialReefer]

As much as I truly HATE water changes. I know they are important for my system. But I can truly see my system change if I skip my weekly 10% water change. My logic is that if water changes are going to help my reed succeed then why not perform them. I could set up an auto water change but I don't have the room, maybe one day Ill get innovative and find a way to set it up.

 

[Neon_Devil]

Every Sunday. I got LRS on my 20g that was sps/lps dominant due to working 7 days a week 12 hrs a day. I got lazy and would dose without testing, skipped many water changes and basically neglected my tank because I was tired. It crashed and it's not the money I'm upset about. It the beautiful tank I would lay on the couch after work and watch I miss the most. I do a WC every Sunday and test after and test on Thursday just to keep an eye on everything. The attached pic was my 20g

 

[revhtree]

It's been well over a year for me now....ssshhhhh.

 

[Koh23]

Total water volume is very important in this debate....

 

[Susan Edwards]

That's only a logical statement if nutrients are the reason to do water changes. IMO, that's not the only reason they are useful.

I know at some point I will implement water changes, at least hook up the awc system and do small daily changes.

 

[Nebunu]

I'm preparing to do my first large water change since July, almost 6 months. My nitrates have climbed over those six months from the teens (18-22) to 30-35. Although not too high yet, as my corals are actually liking the higher nitrates. It doesn't leave much room for error if nitrates were to spike. So, I'm goign to do a water change to reduce nitrates down to 15-17. Phosphates were around .06. Also with larger changes, one removes discoloration of the water, and refreshes in any trace elements as well.

I vodka dose, run an ATS, an oversized skimmer, auto roller mat, nu-clear 25 micron cannister filter (cleaned religiously). I dose trace elements (red Sea A,B,C,D), and dose alk, calcium, magnesium.

I run no reactors, no carbon, and use 0 TDS RODI water for top off.

I think I'm finally equipped to run with minimal water changes with little to no adverse effects.

Is like you discribed my tank bro. Only I havent done a water change for more than a year now, Nitrates 50, phosphates 0,5, dosing aqua forest A B C. Not dosing alk calcium magnesium. Something that I will change soon and start mixing on my own. Vodka dose, no reactors, oversized skimmer and just topping off. LPS and 2 BTA. I need to start adding alk calcium and magnesium and start doing some water changes.

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

not sure if this is the right thread, but since we are talking about water changes and volume:
I am planning to build a new sump system for my tank after the move.... currently the 75g DT has a 20L sump, I want to go to a 40breeder that will feed into a 75-100 gallon tank for more volume and act as a refugium. I am also contemplating having another tank that would house rock and water would be pumped to it from the larger sump and that would overflow back to where it was pumped from. Eventually I will pipe a 40 gallon LowBoy to it, but that is further down the road.
As far as the tank with the live rock, the rock would be added at 1-2 rocks every 1-2 months.
do you all see any issues with adding so much more volume? should I progressively add water to the system to prevent any ill effects? I have been toying with this in my head, but not sure its even worth it.

Thanks,

Barnabie

 

[glency]

Weekly, but I’m still new so it’s still “fun.”

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

New YouTube short video coming out tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who watched this video, liked, subscribed and commented. This video is still getting a lot of traction to this day and I hope it acts as a good kick start to my YouTube channel. I’d appreciate if you liked my videos and subscribed to my channel! Hoping to get 100 subs in the next few uploads. I will be publishing on this thread tomorrow when my new video releases for you don’t miss it. Thanks for blowing up this thread. Really have learned a lot from it.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

This is my newest upload. It’s a 30 second YouTube Short of my new tiger conch snail, Carlos. My previous conch snail, Alberto, died recently and my sandbed has suffered ever since. I had a light dusting of cyano pop up (and now a Dino outbreak, but that was for different reasons), and I soon realized the importance of conch snails in my reef. I defeated the last phase of cyano several months back by deploying one of these conch snails. It’s easily one of the best purchases I have ever made. But I want to hear from you. How did you defeat the ugly phase? I included a poll for you can vote, and made it unlimited choices, because some people may have had multiple factors that ended your ugly phase.

I would appreciate if you gave my video a like, subscribed to my channel, and commented on my video. Let me know you came from R2R! My channel is really starting to get a lot of traction over the past few uploads, and I want to continue to push these uploads out to more and more reefers. The best way you can support my channel is simply viewing my videos. I spend many many hours making some of these videos, so I encourage you to check out some of my previous uploads! Trying to reach my goal of gaining 100 subscribers by the end of February, and it’d make my day if you express your support for I can continue to make these uploads for you guys!

Link to new discussion:

How did you defeat the ugly phase?

This is my newest upload. It’s a 30 second YouTube Short of my new tiger conch snail, Carlos. My previous conch snail, Alberto, died recently and my sandbed has suffered ever since. I had a light dusting of cyano pop up (and now a Dino outbreak, but that was for different reasons), and I soon...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Wasabiroot]

My next build will incorporate automated water changes. If we picture the ocean and the sheer volume of food, and the constant replenishment of nutrients and removal of waste, I believe they are not something you should skip unless a thorough and comprehensive solution to remove pollutants is employed and dosing is followed diligently. Clearly people have pulled it off though...but only for a time. just not for me.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I try not to WC because of the effort for a large system, but there's a bit of satisfaction from seeing the brown water full of gunk from vacuuming the sand. For those that do the 'water exchange' from maybe DT through a sock back to the sump to basically mechanical filter the sand... is this just a basic 1 micron sock enough to get all the big stuff leaving the smaller DOCs for the skimmer?

 

[UltraKelius]

Once weekly water change of 10% and dosing TM All For Reef and Bacto-Balance
I feel like not changing water is like living in a house with the windows nailed shut. I couldn’t do that!
Though I do understand why some people don’t do regular changes.

 

[biecacka]

30 gallons a month via AWC. No hassle at all.


corey

 

[Sgchick]

10-15% water change every week.