Poll: Water Change Frequency?

[Slarti]

I said once a week but have to admit I have slipped into every 2 weeks often, time just catches up! Do 10% every change and if I do miss the weekly I will at least change my sock.

 

[ourcoralreef]

I balance out and stabilize my tanks with plant life (marine-macro algae) and use the Randy holmes-Farley diy 2 part system.

and don't do water changes. Just top off for evaporation

How long have you had your tank

 

[Shigshwa]

I go for as long as I can without, I use the Aquaforest balling method, and export with biopellets, GFO, and a skimmer. Once ICP tells me that heavy metals are too high or some other trace element has gone too high, I do a large water change, around 70 percent, to reset the water. I don't really see any kind of long term shock to the tank, so long as my new water's macro elements are the same.

 

[AdamNC]

I’m following the Red Sea Program slightly modified. I use BRS for the big 3 but I do a 10% wc a week with Red Sea blue bucket. Minor elements and carbon dosing is Red Sea.

 

[BlennyKravitz]

2% daily with Genesis, which also takes care of top-off.

Yes. I love mine. 1 gallon every 12 hours.

 

[Jenz]

20% weekly
Still relatively new tank ie 9mo and hoping to manage an SPS or two or a clam. Am hoping it assists in managing waste removal but as using Red Sea Coral Pro am moping to find it manages the trace elements for managing the invertebrates without the need to consider dosing which would make my life and system a lot more difficult IMO.
Also am not convinced how efficient my rear sump skimmer is so again safe guarding with additional waste removal.
Not sure if way to go but ATM seems to be achievable and hopefully working

 

[Bruce Burnett]

For those of you who never do water changes or do them once or twice a year.... HOW? Please explain, I would love to know how this is possible. Always assumed water changes were essential.

300 gallon system been up for 4 years. I pull out about 5 gallons twice a year to get some detritus sucked out and have to make up for what the skimmer pulls out all other water is just top off from evaporation. I tried bio pellets, GFO, sulfur denitrator and pulled them all off asmy nitrates and phosphates were always zero. All I used not is skimmer, ATS and sometimes a little Rox carbon. The ATS has only been running 2 months still have zero nitrates and phosphates, I feed the tank frequently, but coral colors are so much better.

 

[Orm Embar]

Softy/LPS tank, where I change roughly 2.5% of the tank water every week (was roughly 10% a month, but broke it down into smaller, more frequent amounts). I find more frequent, smaller changes to be easier and less frustrating.

When I was doing 4 gallon changes on a 43 gallon system, I'd go through making the fresh saltwater (or have a premixed bucket), turn the pumps off, siphon out some water which tended to be a little messy, add water back in with a pump and tubing, and then put stuff away. Now, I have a small plastic pitcher where I take a pitcher's worth (or 2) out of the tank while not needing to turn anything off, take 1-2 pitchers from the SW bucket and pour it back in, and that's it. I like that I don't have to mess with tubing and siphoning.

I will still probably siphon a bit, such as when I need to get some Valonia growth out of the display, but overall I like the pitcher technique more.

I should add that my water changes are largely about adding Mg and trace elements and (theoretically) removing untestable compounds that might otherwise build up. My nitrates/phosphates are excellent with macroalgae that I prune, and I add kalk to maintain Ca/alk.

 

[Coralfuture]

I have 2 roughly 300gal systems one sps/lps which I do weekly water changes 20%. I don't often test parameters and I don't dose much of anything everything is growing and looking good so that's that tank. The 2nd tank is full of softies/lps in it and is wildly stocked with fish....I do bi-weekly-once every three week water changes on this 20% (the kenya tree is the tell if I need to do water changes sooner or later)
There are the QT tanks that rarely get water changes but I never turn off
There is the 28g cube which is an anemone tank and that gets weekly-bi weekly water changes
There is a 14g cube in the corner that hasn't had a water change in 6mo

I run the gambit on water changes and have an addiction.

 

[charlesk]

I change out 10% weekly. Usually on Sundays. I make my saltwater saturday night and let it mix ti'll sunday morning. Change out my filter socks, clean my overflow pre-filter. Once a month to 6 weeks I clean my return pump and skimmer pump on tank day.

I do exactly the same routine. In addition, I use a power head to blow debris off the rocks for the skimmer to pick up, then I do the water change.

 

[Kenny719]

My 125 gallon been running for 2yrs and had never had a water change by hand really I do Vodka dosing and just let the skimmer fill a 5gallon jug of skimmate and water and let the water evaporate. Then I just top it off with Fresh water and keep a eye on salt level. I just feed 1x daily around 5pm.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I do exactly the same routine. In addition, I use a power head to blow debris off the rocks for the skimmer to pick up, then I do the water change.

I use a hose to siphon water out of the tank, and i'll run the end of the hose across the rock to suck up debris. Do you find it easier to blow it off first?

 

[Jim Heenan]

Every 2 week @ 25%.

 

[beaslbob]

How long have you had your tank

FW 9-10 years. Marine 5-6 years

 

[Arif]

I have approximately 600 gallons total on 1 system. I do a water 75g water change every 3-4 weeks. Every tanks is different, I try to keep my system from being too dependant on me to survive. I does cal alk and mag. A few occasions I tried to see how long I can prolong a water change, I went 6 weeks before I started seeing minor issues occurring. Most likely it would've gotten bad. I keep a mixed reef and run hc gfo. My sps are the first to show me there is an issue. I have a friend that keeps a 120g tank that does approximately 20 percent water changes. His tankle is doing amazing but for some reason crashes once or twice a year

 

[ourcoralreef]

FW 9-10 years. Marine 5-6 years

Not questioning your method just looking for a pattern
This specific tank how long has it been running

 

[ourcoralreef]

I have approximately 600 gallons total on 1 system. I do a water 75g water change every 3-4 weeks. Every tanks is different, I try to keep my system from being too dependant on me to survive. I does cal alk and mag. A few occasions I tried to see how long I can prolong a water change, I went 6 weeks before I started seeing minor issues occurring. Most likely it would've gotten bad. I keep a mixed reef and run hc gfo. My sps are the first to show me there is an issue. I have a friend that keeps a 120g tank that does approximately 20 percent water changes. His tankle is doing amazing but for some reason crashes once or twice a year

just speculating
i see a pattern with the crashes on tanks that don’t get water changes

 

[Bruce Burnett]

just speculating
i see a pattern with the crashes on tanks that don’t get water changes

Well not sure where you are getting the pattern or what you call a crash but my current tank is 4 years old. Ask @Paul B how often he does water changes

 

[EleMental]

About 20% twice a year. [emoji1]

 

[beaslbob]

Not questioning your method just looking for a pattern
This specific tank how long has it been running

I have not done a water change since the early '80's on any of the tanks I ran. But that was several different tanks as I moved around in the air force. Usually lasted 4 years or so. all FW were planted, the marine were FO where I just let the algae grow. In the last decade I have ran marine/reef tanks with refugiums and macro algaes. The wife currently has a 90g running for a few years with live rock and a small amount of chaeto in the refugium/sump. It's been running with no water changes also and has a variety of fish and corals.

my .02