How often do you do water changes?

[ReefNoob3000]

I have a 36 gallon bowfront (I know, not everyone's fav, but it was on a wicked sale) and am wondering how often other folks with similar size tanks change the water and how much? I check my water parameters every few days but I've noticed that my water is quite clean even after a month between changes. I have a pretty solid CUC of nassarius snails, a few hermits, emerald crab, peppermint shrimp, a pincushion and tuxedo, and a few trochuses. I only have a clown, diamond goby, and firefish. Is it wise to change with water even if ammonia and nitrite are undetected and nitrates are below 20ppm?

Thanks for the discussion.

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

You'll get answers like weekly, monthly, and never, to name a few.

Do you have corals or just fish and other inverts? Fish and motile inverts don't mind high nitrates, and your nitrates are already in a good range, even for many corals.

 

[BryanM]

I have a 36 gallon bowfront (I know, not everyone's fav, but it was on a wicked sale) and am wondering how often other folks with similar size tanks change the water and how much? I check my water parameters every few days but I've noticed that my water is quite clean even after a month between changes. I have a pretty solid CUC of nassarius snails, a few hermits, emerald crab, peppermint shrimp, a pincushion and tuxedo, and a few trochuses. I only have a clown, diamond goby, and firefish. Is it wise to change with water even if ammonia and nitrite are undetected and nitrates are below 20ppm?

Thanks for the discussion.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I do not do water changes. I dose all for reef to avoid them.

If I were to do WCs on this tank, I'd probably do 10% every other week.

Another reason to do them (or dose AFR or similar) is to replace trace elements. You cant just not do them because nitrates are sub 20.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

When I was doing water changes I would try and do them every other week.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I do 20 to 25 % water changes every other week. I feed my fish twice a day, so my nitrates stay up a bit.

 

[ReefNoob3000]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I do not do water changes. I dose all for reef to avoid them.

If I were to do WCs on this tank, I'd probably do 10% every other week.

Another reason to do them (or dose AFR or similar) is to replace trace elements. You cant just not do them because nitrates are sub 20.

Thanks for the response!

I'm not familiar with AFR or really even how dosing works, though I keep seeing the method pop up on forums and in videos.

I don't mind doing the changes. I just want to make sure I have the healthiest water for my tank.

 

[ReefNoob3000]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

You'll get answers like weekly, monthly, and never, to name a few.

Do you have corals or just fish and other inverts? Fish and motile inverts don't mind high nitrates, and your nitrates are already in a good range, even for many corals.

No corals YET. Waiting for my lights to come in. But I plan to have mostly softies and maybe some LPS.

 

[Freenow54]

I have a 36 gallon bowfront (I know, not everyone's fav, but it was on a wicked sale) and am wondering how often other folks with similar size tanks change the water and how much? I check my water parameters every few days but I've noticed that my water is quite clean even after a month between changes. I have a pretty solid CUC of nassarius snails, a few hermits, emerald crab, peppermint shrimp, a pincushion and tuxedo, and a few trochuses. I only have a clown, diamond goby, and firefish. Is it wise to change with water even if ammonia and nitrite are undetected and nitrates are below 20ppm?

Thanks for the discussion.

As said lots of different answers. I do not dose except now that I have coral trace elements. I change every week. I probably overfeed. My skimmer is very active, and usually 1nch in cup, and I use batton meant to stuff pillows ,( I get it at a material store very cheap ) for filtration it is always dirty. However I also use canister filters , and change the media in them once a month

 

[Freenow54]

As said lots of different answers. I do not dose except now that I have coral trace elements. I change every week. I probably overfeed. My skimmer is very active, and usually 1nch in cup, and I use batton meant to stuff pillows ,( I get it at a material store very cheap ) for filtration it is always dirty. However I also use canister filters , and change the media in them once a month

I have a 40, and just clean the skimmer every week, and 8 litres of water

 

[kevgib67]

I have a 32g mixed reef tank with corals maxed out. I was. Able to keep parameters good doing 12.5% weekly water changes. I continue to do the same weekly water changes but also have to dose calcium and magnesium to keep them at the levels I want them. My previous 16 years in the hobby I did 10% weekly water changes and always liked the way everything perked up after. The need and the reason you do water changes will change as your tank matures.

 

[spencerkilgore]

I have a 36 gallon bowfront (I know, not everyone's fav, but it was on a wicked sale) and am wondering how often other folks with similar size tanks change the water and how much? I check my water parameters every few days but I've noticed that my water is quite clean even after a month between changes. I have a pretty solid CUC of nassarius snails, a few hermits, emerald crab, peppermint shrimp, a pincushion and tuxedo, and a few trochuses. I only have a clown, diamond goby, and firefish. Is it wise to change with water even if ammonia and nitrite are undetected and nitrates are below 20ppm?

Thanks for the discussion.

10% weekly

 

[BriDroid]

For the first 6 months of my nano I was doing 10% per week. I’ve moved on to 10% every other week. I dose AFR daily along with Amino-Organic and Phos-Feed. My N stays less that 1-2ppm and my P is hovering around 0.04-0.06ppm. I’m happy with it there and so are the corals. I may find that I only need once every 3 to 4 weeks?

 

[X-37B]

4 systems. I do 5% a month for each system.

 

[rtparty]

I’m doing roughly 25% every 2 weeks right now

10% weekly is my goal for all systems. No matter what is dosed or used to maintain parameters. Water changes do far more than help replenish a few things. They remove organic and inorganic compounds we have no way to test for.

They are the best insurance we have