Water changes, do you love them or hate them?

[Laith]

AWC 133ml 150 times a day.

 

[FSP]

If I had the time and access to clean ocean water, I'd do as much as I could daily

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I just filled my brute 32g and will b doing in tomw. Using new AF reef salt. Not bad. I use pumps and hoses
And change from sump. Just have to roll the can. While playing the role of Quasimodo, yes master!

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I just filled my brute 32g and will b doing in tomw. Using new AF reef salt. Not bad. I use pumps and hoses
And change from sump. Just have to roll the can. While playing the role of Quasimodo, yes master!

 

[Tamberav]

I hate them, I am busy. I want a basement set up where I just turn nozzles/valves and things happen.

 

[FSP]

I hate them, I am busy. I want a basement set up where I just turn nozzles/valves and things happen.

One of the coolest fish houses I ever saw had water storage on the second story. No pumps, water simply drained from the aquariums with a valve and fell from the sky with another valve. Heaven

 

[Tamberav]

One of the coolest fish houses I ever saw had water storage on the second story. No pumps, water simply drained from the aquariums with a valve and fell from the sky with another valve. Heaven

Honestly that is a great idea.

 

[exnisstech]

I love them so much I do small ones manually every day.

 

[Garf]

I love them so much I do small ones manually every day.

Same here. Take 1.5% out via a big jug, daily. Don’t have a top off either so just drip in the replacement saltwater with an appropriate dose of RODI. That’s my only export, dose kalk with 2 part on hand. No skimmer, just an odd aeration method, but it works.

 

[Koh23]

I'm not used to develop romantic relationship with my tools, so... Really no feelings on water changes....

Its just a tool, if used correctly, great thing. If used wrongly, well.... Wrong is wrong....

I do them, from time to time, but, again, i dont do water changes in way that i have romantic feelings, i simply use tool to maintain or repair something in my tank.....

 

[Lavey29]

I won't say I like doing water changes but I like the results after because the tank really responds. I have pushed mine back to every 3 weeks now and seems to be a good balance with the tank ecosystem. The only thing I'm bummed about is the coraline die off above the water change line.

 

[kevgib67]

I do a 12.5 % every Sunday with a deep clean the last Sunday of the month. Mine is only 32g so not a long process but could do without lugging my bucket up from the basement. I sit and marvel at how much happier and better everything looks after. I had to use Reef Flux for bryopsis last spring. I experienced a little anxiety the two Sundays I didn’t do water changes.

 

[exnisstech]

Same here. Take 1.5% out via a big jug, daily. Don’t have a top off either so just drip in the replacement saltwater with an appropriate dose of RODI. That’s my only export, dose kalk with 2 part on hand. No skimmer, just an odd aeration method, but it works.

Very similar indeed. My cube doesn't have a skimmer and I change 1 gallon a day and dose a small amount of 2 part manually. My other system about 200g total I have kalk dripping with a brs dosing pump on a cheap digital timer and dose 30ml of 2 part mostly because I haven't felt like messing with the timer to increase the kalk dosage. This one has a skimmer but it doesn't really pull a lot. I do 4g daily changes on that one. It's a breeze because the sump is in the basement next to my mixing station. Even when I did larger less frequent changes I didn't mind them. There really isn't too many things about working on the tank that I dont enjoy in some form or I probably wouldn't have the tanks. Not much point having a hobby that forces you to do things you hate doing. That's what jobs are for

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I'm fascinated how reef rules for procedure works

If we posted this recommended action in 2005 any forum would ban us for heresy

You can't rinse a sandbed, duh, you'll kill the tank. With tap water? We'll ban you, your kids, and your grandkids for the mere inclination/ any site would

Give it a decade or so and any reef rule might be found completely false

Up next: the claim that reef cycles get stuck

I need a mere six more years on that one. If seneye will lower their price to 49.99 we'll have that rule rescinded in 6 mos

I’m on the verge of taking the official stance that reef tanks don’t even need filtration. Just water movement, light, gas exchange, and replacement of sequestered ions.

 

[exnisstech]

I’m on the verge of taking the official stance that reef tanks don’t even need filtration. Just water movement, light, gas exchange, and replacement of sequestered ions.

I tried that route and ended up with a fuge full of detritus. It was so bad I had to pull the chaeto and toss it then clean the sump and add new chaeto. And I never clean my sump. So filter socks for me.

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

I have not done a water change on my aquarium, (215 gallon), since I started it 3 months ago....have plenty of fish and several corals that are already looking spectacular....I am dosing All For Reef for a week now and my alkalinity is spot on now, and also assume all trace elements are in line as well....
Having said that, I have read extensively on the concept of not doing water changes vs. those that simply fall in line and do them because "that is what is expected of them"...all the aquarium keepers that argue against them seem to have really thought it through and can legitimize why not to with well thought out and researched points. Those that do water changes never explain exactly why, just that they do them. Simply put, once you have your salt water mixed and in the aquarium, managing water quality is really all there is to it, from dosing elements to nutrient export (carbon dosing and skimming) to maintaining basic water parameters. My next step is to get the Apex A3 and Trident and set up a system of dosing using the Balling Method. Tried the GHL controller and it was useless, bad readings and couldn't get it to sync with iPhone app, as they essentially have built their controllers to work with Microsoft computers.
To each his own, but that's my 10 cents.

 

[Murica]

Absolutely hate them lol

 

[Garf]

Those that do water changes never explain exactly why,

Not quite true, if you look at post #49

 

[Khalilkaram]

i love doing water change i never missed it once in the last 3 years
i feel the corals like and even the fish do too
its good change to remove the build up detritus and get close look to the tank
now a days its a bit harder since having big corals on the way

 

[ReefRondo]

AWC with a Neptune DOS on all 3 of my systems. Love it! Replenishing trace elements is my main reason along with dilution of any nasties or toxins in the tank. Since changing to an AWC system my tanks look great 24/7 instead of looking just that little bit better after a large manual change.