Poll: How often do you do water changes?

[Unitylover]

wow thats a lot of answers, I didnt expect that many this fast O_O

 

[Wasabiroot]

wow thats a lot of answers, I didnt expect that many this fast O_O

To be honest polls are underutilized on these forums in my opinion

 

[Billldg]

As of late, ALMOST NEVER!!! I installed, and, was using a AWC system. As my tank settled I realized that I did not need to use the AWC now. In fact I needed to allow it to stay a little bit dirtier. I only recently did a 25 percent water change because I had to drop the water level down to below the return bulkheads so I could totally redo my returns.

N03 13.7 and P04 at .07 as of yesterday.

 

[muzikalmatt]

I'm doing 10-15% water changes weekly in my main tank right now, but that's mainly for nutrient control until I get my fuge and skimmer dialed back in to keep them stable. Since I'm running the Reef Moonshiner's method, I'm replenishing trace elements by dosing so eventually I'm hoping to no longer need water changes.

In my new 10 gallon bedroom build I'm just playing it by ear. Right now nutrients are pretty stable and the bioload is so light I'm not needing weekly water changes. I'll probably end up doing 25% every 3-4 weeks depending on nutrient levels.

 

[nereefpat]

5 gallons, about every week in my 125 + 40 breeder sump (about 4%).

I don't do it for reduction in nitrate or phosphate, as they always read about zero. I do it to siphon out algae, and because my corals always look a little better afterword...guessing trace element related, but who knows.

 

[attiland]

How often do you do water changes?

Every 3-6 month. Usually it is a byproduct of sand vacuuming. It I a pain to get alk mg and calcium to the same level as the tank and I find the swings it causes have worse effects than if I don’t do it.

 

[jfoahs04]

45-50% weekly. Easy to turn that volume of water over in a small tank and I use locally collected natural seawater so it's not costly and the livestock responds well. The challenge has been making sure I feed enough to keep nutrients from zeroing out, but I've got it dialed in pretty good now.

 

[attiland]

45-50% weekly. Easy to turn that volume of water over in a small tank and I use locally collected natural seawater so it's not costly and the livestock responds well. The challenge has been making sure I feed enough to keep nutrients from zeroing out, but I've got it dialed in pretty good now.

This doesn’t count .

 

[jfoahs04]

This doesn’t count .

It's definitely an outlier in the group!

 

[Spare time]

How often do you do water changes?

I do maybe 10-15 gallons or so a year. on my 75 gallon. Usually its if I am cleaning the sump or something but not for the traditional purpose of water changes

 

[ReefGeezer]

I voted "weekly". That is my intent. Some months I do well. Some not. As the tank matures, it seems like skipping a week doesn't hurt... so I tell myself.

 

[bruno3047]

I do a 35 to 40% water change every six months in conjunction with a thorough sandbed cleaning. I dose Essential Elements to keep my traces up to snuff in my 125 mixed reef.

 

[Mjl714]

I change about 5% per week in four periodic every other day changes.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I change out 15 gallons once weekly on my 75 gallon, so roughly a 20% water change. Hasn't failed me on any of my previous tanks, this tank, or on the wife's fluval evo.

 

[tigre44]

I marked weekly. I think it it is especially important when you have sand or crushed coral bottom. I vacuum the bottom as much as I can.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

AWC, around 10 gallons every three days or 120/month

 

[blaxsun]

As little as humanely possible...

 

[Aquaman11]

I'm retired so weekly is no longer the chore it used to be when myy time was more limited. It actually helps me pay closer attention to anything going on in the tank.

 

[M Stein]

A couple of times a year.
I'll occasionally decided it's time for a water change and change a third of the water but usually that has a destabilizing effect on my alk levels.

 

[Jbell370]

AWC 5g per day between 6pm and 10pm.