How often should I change water for a lower bioload?

[kingkapoor]

So I had a 10 gallon when I started off with a clown fish and damsel. The waste wasnt bad so I did once every 2 weeks (25% change).

Then I upgraded them to a 30 gallon, added one more damsel, everyone was peaceful.

I just got a 55 gallon, Im wondering if the bioload is very low could I get by with a monthly water change?

 

[Blackice615]

Depending on your filtration, most likely

 

[Jesterrace]

Probably not. I would say every 2 weeks would work though. Do you have a sump with a filter sock on the 55? Frequent filter sock changes can help greatly with keeping things from getting too nasty as can a sizeable cleanup crew.

 

[kingkapoor]

Probably not. I would say every 2 weeks would work though. Do you have a sump with a filter sock on the 55? Frequent filter sock changes can help greatly with keeping things from getting too nasty as can a sizeable cleanup crew.

I have a pretty decent size clean up crew, 3 turbo snails, 5 hermit crabs, 4 nassarius snails. I dont have a sump or filter sock just a canister filter.

 

[Blackice615]

With a cannister, biweekly is the longest I would go.

 

[Deltatail14]

With the fish you have if you are feeding light in a 55 I’m sure you could go quite a while between water changes. Possibly longer than a month. Realize some people can do reef aquariums with no water changes or very few water changes.

 

[Jesterrace]

With a cannister, biweekly is the longest I would go.

Agreed Canister filters are more problematic for trapping the nasties.

 

[nereefpat]

Reef or fish only?
Do you test for nitrates or phosphates?

If it's fish only, and you don't have algae problems(N and P are reasonably low), then there isn't a need to change water at all, really.
If it's a reef, and you aren't doing Triton, then I would still recommend weekly 10% or 20% every other week.