Longest you’ve ever gone without a water change

[musel101]

What’s the longest any of you have gone without a water change either intentional or you just forgot?

 

[BOYERZ]

About 9 months, 20L with a 15 gallon sump. The tank crashed.

Here I am 10 years later new 29 gallon same stand same sump.

New tank has been up for a year.

 

[LPS Bum]

6 weeks in my large FOWLR and 3 weeks in my reef. I only do small ones, but I’m pretty adamant about doing them on a regular basis.

 

[musel101]

About 9 months, 20L with a 15 gallon sump. The tank crashed.

Here I am 10 years later new 29 gallon same stand same sump.

New tank has been up for a year.

Nice looking tank those toadstool leathers are huge!

 

[musel101]

6 weeks in my large FOWLR and 3 weeks in my reef. I only do small ones, but I’m pretty adamant about doing them on a regular basis.

Would you say you do them as frequently as you do as part of your filtration system? I’m guessing you have protein, skimmers, GFO etc.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What’s the longest any of you have gone without a water change either intentional or you just forgot?

8 years

 

[Charlie the Reefer]

About a year and a half since I’ve started this tank. I haven’t done a single water change. Using moonshiner method and ICPs pretty rigorously. Some SPS don’t make it but other than that virtually no issues.

 

[musel101]

About a year and a half since I’ve started this tank. I haven’t done a single water change. Using moonshiner method and ICPs pretty rigorously. Some SPS don’t make it but other than that virtually no issues.

I definitely see reason for that method. Is your goal to never do water changes again? Or just do them very rarely?

 

[BOYERZ]

Water volume is the key.

I know every system is different.

I have never known of a successful pico or nano without water changes.

I'm curious what the threshold would be. 75 gallons, 100, 125....

 

[X-37B]

18 months.

 

[BeanAnimal]

5 or 6 years... maybe 7 now. I stopped keeping track. BTW for 5 or 6 of those years, no skimmer, no ATS, no dosing, nothing but ATO. PERIOD.

 

[musel101]

Water volume is the key.

I know every system is different.

I have never known of a successful pico or nano without water changes.

I'm curious what the threshold would be. 75 gallons, 100, 125....

Yes, but let’s just say a nano or pico tank for instance. Has 20 gallons of display water. and then a 20 gallon sump filled to the brim with ceramic media wouldn’t the biodiversity help clean the water?

 

[musel101]

5 or 6 years... maybe 7 now. I stopped keeping track. BTW for 5 or 6 of those years, no skimmer, no ATS, no dosing, nothing but ATO. PERIOD.

Jesus Christ what are you doing posting here go change your water I got to see a picture of the tank how it looks

 

[t5Nitro]

I think I’m on year 4 or 5, can’t remember exactly.

 

[musel101]

I think I’m on year 4 or 5, can’t remember exactly.

Any pictures proof is in the pudding. Algae under control?

 

[PeterEde]

1 whole month when I went OS

 

[musel101]

1 whole month when I went OS

Any negative effects during that time?

 

[PeterEde]

Any negative effects during that time?

Nitrates 60ppm
Only had someone ensure ato was topped off and feeding.

 

[BOYERZ]

Yes, but let’s just say a nano or pico tank for instance. Has 20 gallons of display water. and then a 20 gallon sump filled to the brim with ceramic media wouldn’t the biodiversity help clean the water?

It will to a point.

Not trying to derail your thread.

Would be nice if if everyone included their system volume.

The ones that went years I can guarantee are over 100 gallons.

 

[musel101]

It will to a point.

Not trying to derail your thread.

Would be nice if if everyone included their system volume.

The ones that went years I can guarantee are over 100 gallons.

I agree they need to add water volume so we have an idea