How often should I be doing water changes?

[willforr]

I know the general rule of thumb is a 10% water change weekly. I was doing that for a while but all that work was starting to seem a bit unnecessary. If your parameters are still in check after a week, should I still be doing that water change? I used to have problems where my tank was too “clean” and I started having to dose nitrates however at the same time I still get this brown algae on the rocks and especially the glass witch I scrape off about every day. I dose alkalinity as well, but to be honest I haven’t done a water change in a while because all the corals seem to love their conditions. Just wondering if anyone else has some advice or thoughts on that.

 

[Waters]

Water changes are strictly to either reduce nutrients and/or add back in trace elements. If neither of these are needed, than water change frequency/amounts can be reduced or eliminated. Plenty of tanks are run with no water changes at all while dosing trace elements.

 

[MnFish1]

I know the general rule of thumb is a 10% water change weekly. I was doing that for a while but all that work was starting to seem a bit unnecessary. If your parameters are still in check after a week, should I still be doing that water change? I used to have problems where my tank was too “clean” and I started having to dose nitrates however at the same time I still get this brown algae on the rocks and especially the glass witch I scrape off about every day. I dose alkalinity as well, but to be honest I haven’t done a water change in a while because all the corals seem to love their conditions. Just wondering if anyone else has some advice or thoughts on that.

There is no real way to answer this because - it depends on the filtration you use - Some people do water changes every month or even less. I tend to do bigger water changes - less often (like 40% every 3-4 weeks - and I don't measure parameters - except before that. One problem is - there are things that (depending on your filtration) - that are not measured 'parameters') - can only be seen on an ICP test. It would SEEM to me that based on what you said - you can cut back on your frequency - if everything looks 'great'. What we don't know (and cant know) is whether things would look better with more water changes - or better with even fewer. Hope this makes a little sense.

 

[GoVols]

If your parameters are still in check after a week, should I still be doing that water change?

no...

If your reef is intaking calcium and alkalinity, might want to go to a trace element program. The Red Sea Colors dose per your calcium's intake.

 

[Mr Cypher]

BRS has a series on the triton method where they do there water changes according to the test results seems interesting but I tend to lean toward what works for me lol 15% weekly

 

[WVNed]

You should do what your tank needs at the time you are going to do it. I have never used a set amount/time. I do have a set time I check my tanks to do testing and decide what I am going to do.
The lazy way I have used in the past is to judge just by nitrates and if they are not rising to keep putting it off. If after a month I haven't done one then I do 15%.
Even that was somewhat arbitrary and I have sometimes gone 2 months or even 4.

Then I automated it mostly.
Now one machine does them for me and I do 1% every day. Another machine adds stuff to the tanks about every hour.
All I have to do is go behind and make sure the containers are refilled.
It's all balanced out to do what my system needs. I was under the weather and skipped doing my part for a month but the system carried on and I finally did the testing today. Nothing needs changed.

 

[Timfish]

I shoot for 20% to 30% monthly total. I'm definitely in the camp water changes are needed to help maintain healthy microbiomes and acheive the life expecancies our animals are capable of acheiving. Not only are water changes the best way to remove the hydrophilic forms of DOC detrimental to corals but also the best way to keep the refractory forms of DOC from building up in reef ecosystems.