For Those of You Who DONT Do Waterchanges....

How do you manage your Exports? (multiple choice)

  • Skimmer

    Votes: 62 84.9%
  • GFO Media Reactor

    Votes: 12 16.4%
  • Carbon Media Reactor

    Votes: 25 34.2%
  • Biopellet Media Reactor

    Votes: 6 8.2%
  • Filter socks

    Votes: 25 34.2%
  • Mechanical (canister, bioballs)

    Votes: 7 9.6%
  • Vodka dosing

    Votes: 5 6.8%
  • Vinegar dosing

    Votes: 6 8.2%
  • NoPox dosing and other similar products

    Votes: 17 23.3%
  • Live bacteria dosing (DrTims, Vibrant)

    Votes: 13 17.8%
  • Macro algae (chaeto, etc)

    Votes: 41 56.2%
  • Algae scrubber

    Votes: 9 12.3%
  • OTHER plz explain

    Votes: 7 9.6%

  • Total voters
    73

Subsea

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For those of you that DONT do waterchanges....how do you thoroughly manage your exports

I frag & sell coral. No skimmer and I don’t wear socks.

I just heavy dosed phyto & reef roids contributing to cloudy water. It will be clear in an hour.

image.jpg image.jpg
 
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Subsea

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If exporting NO3 PO4 was easy, why is it a topic on R2R every 5th post?

Because people throw products at an ecosystem that they don’t understand completely.

PS. There are many other reasons, but it’s the biggest one.
 
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Subsea

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I don’t export nutrients. I use micro inverts & detrivores to recycle organic & inorganic nutrients into live food to feed hungry mouths.

@Foothill Corals said it correct. Trace minerals are the challenge. Every 6 months, I do 50% water change to keep it simple, but have gone 5 years with no water change. I use an opposite photoperiod with macro refugium and allow coral and macro to exchange DOC.
 
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Ike

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Just a skimmer and GAC when I feel it and the water could use some clearing up.
 

Halal Hotdog

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My tank has been set up for around 3 years. I have not done water changes. I have added saltwater over those 3 years equaling close to ~50 gallons, total water volume is between 155-180 gallons. There are a few key things that are important. Filtration is critical. I run a skimmer, have a large refugium, have an ATS, and carbon dose (vinegar). I ran filter socks until recently, but am thinking of adding them back on. Testing is critical. Have to know all your elements otherwise things will get out of control very easily. For two years everything was stable so I got lazy. Weird stuff started happening, lost a few beautiful colonies. Tested the water and nitrates were at 40-50ppm and phosphates are .5-1!!! Quickly upped the carbon dosing, started adding lanthanum chloride, and everything is back to normal after a few months. Testing is absolutely critical. Beyond that I purchased Tropic Marin Part C salt that only replaces trace elements. Does a great job of keeping the minor elements in check, but it is high in magnesium from my experience. No water changes is definitely not cheaper, but I prefer it to lugging buckets around and find it to be a lot more stable.

Did I mention testing is CRITICAL?
 

Foothill Corals

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If exporting NO3 PO4 was easy, why is it a topic on R2R every 5th post?

Seems like every fourth post these days is about dosing Po4 and No3 due to over exporting. You listed a dozen methods of exporting yourself, its not hard to do.
 

ArizonaAquatics

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I haven't done a w/c on my 250 since I set it up (Nov. 2018). I use a skimmer and dose no3po4x and phosphat-e. Testing really is critical, as nopox tends to lower nitrates faster than phosphates (if it even lowers phos at all). Current parameters are 10 nitrate and 0.06 phos.

I simply top off with salt every once in a while supplementing my ato to maintain salinity. Also, I think that ICP testing really helps if you're not going to do w/c. I've been using the RedSea Coral Colors program to keep all minor and trace elements in order.

FWIW, I dont keep many SPS. Some montis and digis, but my tank is primarily palys, mushrooms, and LPS.

Keeping water parameters stable via dosing is more practical for me since my tank is a bit larger, and my coral uptake is relatively low (for now at least). [emoji6]
 
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Sir Chris

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When everything stabilizes out NO WC can be implemented. A rigorous QT must be used to not have to dose and remove water for that reason.
I use bio pellet as a carbon source and have been battling turf algae issues. Thinking about changing to zeovit for a more balanced approach.
A lot of people complain about prolonged ?? Issues with pellets allowing a stable WC free tank. I’d like to see people’s sumps running NO WC schedule. Dosing 2 part of use of acalcium reactor.
I feel a zeovit, calcium reactor with a ATS can facilitate all the standard issues. Dosing traces
 
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TheGreatWave

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IMO you should change your water at some point as there are more trace elements then I care to test and dose for. There are toxins that may possible build up. (Though carbon may go a long way)

Take this guy for example, I'm not picking on him but over the years I wondered when bad would happen, if you can't or won't change your water you are bound for a crash.
If you watch previous videos years gone by he has mentions that he can't do big water changes due to cost.
He's a nice guy and supposedly knows his stuff (Worked for zoo medic or aqua medic something or other) but these tiny water changes he does are a waste of money. That tank needed to be drained and refilled 6 months ago, then drained and filled 2 weeks after that. It's not so much a crash as a pull over to the side of the road and slowly rust away. Now instead of a water change he's going to try a pellet reactor lol.

To his credit at the end of this video he finally admits he needs to invest in some salt. Maybe we can crowd source him some salt, if we each send him a cup of salt...is only 105 cups. Actually now i'm annoyed, I thought the tank was way bigger, you could basically do this tank with one box of salt. lol!
 

ArizonaAquatics

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IMO you should change your water at some point as there are more trace elements then I care to test and dose for. There are toxins that may possible build up. (Though carbon may go a long way)

Take this guy for example, I'm not picking on him but over the years I wondered when bad would happen, if you can't or won't change your water you are bound for a crash.
If you watch previous videos years gone by he has mentions that he can't do big water changes due to cost.
He's a nice guy and supposedly knows his stuff (Worked for zoo medic or aqua medic something or other) but these tiny water changes he does are a waste of money. That tank needed to be drained and refilled 6 months ago, then drained and filled 2 weeks after that. It's not so much a crash as a pull over to the side of the road and slowly rust away. Now instead of a water change he's going to try a pellet reactor lol.

To his credit at the end of this video he finally admits he needs to invest in some salt. Maybe we can crowd source him some salt, if we each send him a cup of salt...is only 105 cups. Actually now i'm annoyed, I thought the tank was way bigger, you could basically do this tank with one box of salt. lol!
This is a thread about how to not do water changes, not how you should point out one person who doesn't, then assume everyone's tank will crash.

Let everyone else (including myself) get the advice we want from this thread. We're not here for the preaching of how great water changes are.

We all know water changes can be beneficial for some people. For others, it's a hassle or not worth it. If I just "did a water change" without taking the time to adjust it to my parameters first, that would crash my tank in and of itself. ICP testing once a month is pretty good at giving results of minor/trace elements [emoji1303]
 

TheGreatWave

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This is a thread about how to not do water changes, not how you should point out one person who doesn't, then assume everyone's tank will crash.

Let everyone else (including myself) get the advice we want from this thread. We're not here for the preaching of how great water changes are.

We all know water changes can be beneficial for some people. For others, it's a hassle or not worth it. If I just "did a water change" without taking the time to adjust it to my parameters first, that would crash my tank in and of itself. ICP testing once a month is pretty good at giving results of minor/trace elements [emoji1303]

This is a discussion forum. I'm really not interested in any sort of lesson from you.
 

ArizonaAquatics

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This is a discussion forum. I'm really not interested in any sort of lesson from you.
Neither is anyone else here for a lesson from you about why water changes are awesome. Your point actually negates the entire discussion of this particular thread.

We want to learn from others who have experience with not doing water changes, not from someone who just thinks everyone should do them and not offer any insight other than "your tank is bound to crash".
 

TheGreatWave

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Neither is anyone else here for a lesson from you about why water changes are awesome. Your point actually negates the entire discussion of this particular thread.

We want to learn from others who have experience with not doing water changes, not from someone who just thinks everyone should do them and not offer any insight other than "your tank is bound to crash".

It's true though isn't it?
 

ArizonaAquatics

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It's true though isn't it?
For some/most: yes, absolutely.

For the few others who have a good understanding of the relationship between the elements and nutrients in an aquarium: not necessarily.

That's why we are here, to converge ideas and information about not doing water changes; what works and what doesn't. NOT about why we should just do water changes, because trust me, we all know we "should".

This thread wouldn't exist if everyone mutually agreed water changes are the best/most effective way to keep a tank stable.
 
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