The no water change revolution!

[reeftigergal]

I have an old standard 90 gallon tank from over 20 odd years back but I stripped away the old silicone and re-applied with new silicone about 1.5 years ago. I've been doing a 15 gallon water change every weekend but may consider doing daily 1 gallon water changes as per Randy Holmes-Farley method. But not before I get myself a dual Reef Filler pump though ...

Way back I used to get involved in all the Bio Balls, vodka dosing etc. but now strictly only water changes & routine maintenance. That's it and nothing else ... on odd days I may acquire new corals . Need to re-arrange corals that's been sitting on the sand bed ... looks like litter and ugly messy too!

What is a dual Reef Filler pump? Can u explain this and how it works?
I have too many big tanks for all these water changes and anything would make it easier would be awesome. Thanks

 

[reeftigergal]

I don't do water changes in my 200 gallon system with limited exceptions. For instance if I want to change 5 gallons in one of my 20 gallon QT tanks I take 5 out of the display system to replace the changed water in the QT and then put 5 fresh gallons into the display system. I dose baking soda solution and vinegar daily along with calcium and Reef Sea coral colors weekly.

I've never used baking soda or vinegar to dose before. I do however, use peroxide when needed.
Can U explain why to use baking soda and vinegar, and how much of each and often for my please? The why's and how to's so to speak?
Thanks

 

[nashorn]

Here are some pics of my tank if anyone wants to have a look.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29137633@N04/shares/c7MwQY

 

[Squamosa]

Dutch synthetic reefing method

Indeed, I started off researching GlennF's method many years ago and adopted it for a few years when I set up my bigger tank, I even went so far as to fill it with ASW I created from scratch, starting with RO/DI water and adding in individual compounds separately according to a protocol, it worked very well.

 

[Squamosa]

That was old school stuff before the equipment reactors, etc helped you out.

Never truer words spoken!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What is a dual Reef Filler pump? Can u explain this and how it works?
I have too many big tanks for all these water changes and anything would make it easier would be awesome. Thanks

I think they may no longer be sold under that brand, but it was a diaphragm type of pump that had two heads that could pump water through two sets of tubing simultaneously. Different method, but similar effect to a dual head peristaltic pump. One pumps water into the tank and one takes it out at the same rate and at the same time.

They had controllable max flow rates of a few gallons to 30 gallons per day.

So water changes were done many times per day, slowly and automatically on a timer. All I did was make a batch of salt water once a month.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've never used baking soda or vinegar to dose before. I do however, use peroxide when needed.
Can U explain why to use baking soda and vinegar, and how much of each and often for my please? The why's and how to's so to speak?
Thanks

Baking soda is an alkalinity supplement, like a commercial buffer.

Vinegar is a good source of organic carbon to drive bacterial growth in a reef tank. The bacteria consume nutrients and can, in turn, be good for filter feeders.

 

[mtraylor]

I'm very interested in how this works out for u, so I will be following along in order to procrastinate through your trials and errors until, u get it just right. Then I will do the same thing. Seriously!
Thanks.

Well I have been doing this for over 10 years and I have no ill effects. Corals and tank are thriving with no issues. When you get to big aquariums, you run into a crossed road where you have to go one of each way. STart performing huge water changes to keep water clean, etc and replenish nutrients etc by hand or with huge water mixing chambers.

---or---

Stop doing water changes and get top of the line/over rated reactors/filtration to clean the water and replenish nutrients etc. I chose the later due to my setup. There are more than one way to reef and none of them per say is the correct way. Its only what works for your ecosystem.

If I see an issue in aquarium then of course I do a water change, but those are far and few between. Not needed in my system for anything but emergency.

 

[Murica]

I am set to go Triton as well. Just have to get some things in order!

I already don't do water changes...oops! :/

Same here! My "getting things in order" means collect more of the rare indigenous green backs [emoji385][emoji385][emoji385][emoji385]

 

[Murica]

Been doing it for years. I do not perform water changes in my 255 for the heck of it. My calcium reactor and dosing take care of adding nutrients, etc back to the aquarium. The tank evaporates about 5 gallons/day, so its always getting new water from that and the depletion from skimming. I have to put a cup or so of salt in the sump every now and then to keep the salinity stable. Water changes are needed some times, but over rated. Never had an issue. That was old school stuff before the equipment reactors, etc helped you out. Enjoy.

Five gallons a day!? I had to put my glass lids back on because I was evaporating around one gallon a day and my house was like stepping into the Amazon.

 

[VJV]

I totally get the scientific reasoning behind the "no water change" Triton, and it makes perfect sense. If the aim is to remove nutrients from the water unless you do really large WC (50% +) you are really not doing anything, and if it is to add Trace elements you are doing it totally blind, not knowing what to add not how much.

So these are basically an unnecessary chore... however, I DO water changes anyway [emoji4]. Why? Because I always need to vacuum the sandbed, or the sump or detritus from the refugium so at the end of the day, I need to take water out.


Just my two cents

 

[Sherman]

I had no water change for 13 months after reading Glenn method.
I do triton test every 3 months.
I using DSR iron and self made vinegar sugar solution for PO4 and NO3 control.
Dose calcium, kh and mg base on weekly salifert test.
Dose K,Iodine,Sr and other elements base on triton result and monthly salifert test.
So far no big issue for 13 months

 

[joeyhatch11]

5 months no water changes here. I have 220 with custom 80x12x12 sump. Running a rather large refugium with just chaeto. Have my doser set up dosing alk,cal,mag and NoPoX. The 220 has only been setup for a year now as of December 13th but looks like its been setup for 3 years because its doing SO well. Coral growth has been insane since I got the nitrates and phosphates low. I go though 20g of rodi a week through evap and dose KZ Coral System 4 part every Saturday to replenish the element that a water change would typically do. All-in all its obvious that water changes arent a "must" if level are controlled and monitored. For those of use with larger tanks its often more affordable to not do them due to the overall gallons/cost ratio to do them. I dont run anything fancy on my 220. Just a simply SCA-302 skimmer, some marine pure media bricks in the sump, CPR tumbler with carbon and my refugium. I think sometimes simplicity is key.

 

[Murica]

5 months no water changes here. I have 220 with custom 80x12x12 sump. Running a rather large refugium with just chaeto. Have my doser set up dosing alk,cal,mag and NoPoX. The 220 has only been setup for a year now as of December 13th but looks like its been setup for 3 years because its doing SO well. Coral growth has been insane since I got the nitrates and phosphates low. I go though 20g of rodi a week through evap and dose KZ Coral System 4 part every Saturday to replenish the element that a water change would typically do. All-in all its obvious that water changes arent a "must" if level are controlled and monitored. For those of use with larger tanks its often more affordable to not do them due to the overall gallons/cost ratio to do them. I dont run anything fancy on my 220. Just a simply SCA-302 skimmer, some marine pure media bricks in the sump, CPR tumbler with carbon and my refugium. I think sometimes simplicity is key.

Great story! is that the triton four part? If not, what is it?

 

[joeyhatch11]

Great story! is that the triton four part? If not, what is it?

Its a KZ product like the Triton 4 part. But for me because of them only needing to be dosed once a week it's a lot more affordable than the triton method where it has to be dose daily. 500ml bottles cost $95 and last me 4.5 months at 30ml a week dosed. So even at $300 a year its cheaper than buying all that salt and running my RODI system.

 

[Kzguns]

On my last reef tank, 100g with 20g sump after the first year or so I stopped doing water changes. I didn’t have and really demanding corals but I manually dosed to keep everything where it should be. Surprisingly things got better in my tank. I was using RoDi etc so it wasn’t due to bad water and I was topping off with the same. I didn’t run filter socks and the water was very clear. I think once you get it matured say after a year you can slow down. Now if you have really demanding corals that might change things.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

What is a dual Reef Filler pump? Can u explain this and how it works?
I have too many big tanks for all these water changes and anything would make it easier would be awesome. Thanks

Hey reeftigergal ... I see that Randy Holmes Farley have answered your question about the dual Reef Filler pump?

 

[Murica]

Its a KZ product like the Triton 4 part. But for me because of them only needing to be dosed once a week it's a lot more affordable than the triton method where it has to be dose daily. 500ml bottles cost $95 and last me 4.5 months at 30ml a week dosed. So even at $300 a year its cheaper than buying all that salt and running my RODI system.

Thanks, that looks like a great product! I'll probably start off using that and after a year or so I'll see where my nutrients stand and start dosing specific nutrients then.

 

[Evee]

Just a pointer, if you use baking soda instead of buffer/alkalinity, it'll save you lots of money. I had no interest in using kalk before but once I found out how easy it is, I can't wait to start using it. I'm going to drip it into my sump because my ato is a float valve attached to my house water. I, fortunately have very clean water and don't need to use rodi

I do it in ato whit a flot valve i have been doing this for about a year no problems, just good results

 

[FlyinBryan]

I use kalk on all my tanks in ato reservoir. Works awesome! I use carbon/gfo and everything else. I just personally plan to continue to do water changes. I this new method as a fad that I’m not going to risk my corals on. We as a hobby risk loosing some great vendors as a result of this. Who have been loyal to the hobby for years. And strongly support macna for years. JMO.