Water changes Frequency

Ben FL · Dec 9, 2020

Hi,

I would like to know what is your water changes frequency.

For now and since 5 years I do a 15% water change every 3 weeks and it works well, but I know some people makes a water change every week, and other guys make every 2 months ...

What do you recommend and why ?

Thanks a lot,
Regards
Ben FL

homer1475 · Dec 9, 2020

I've found for me and my tank(85G total water volume), once a week 10G WC is very beneficial.

Every tank, and every reefer is different. What works for me, may not work for you.

Viking_Reefing · Dec 9, 2020

I no have a AWC system set up that daily changes 1% of the total tank volume.

herurich · Dec 9, 2020

I do waterchange weekly about 20% because my tank only about 22 gal.

HB AL · Dec 9, 2020

I haven’t done a water change in over 4.5 years. The fish and corals don’t seem to mind.

Willbiker · Dec 22, 2020

HB AL said:
I haven’t done a water change in over 4.5 years. The fish and corals don’t seem to mind.

Looks great. What do you dose?

Key-tie · Dec 22, 2020

MichaelE said:
I no have a AWC system set up that daily changes 1% of the total tank volume.

I believe that this is one of the best ways.
Stability is key in any closed system...
In my opinion, it is better to change 1% or 2% much more frequently, than to do a large volume change in a long time period.
Just my opinion.
And if what anyone is personally doing works, than by all means do it.
The more i learn in this "hobby" which truly isnt a hobby...the more i realize there are massive amounts we dont know.

Snoopy 67 · Dec 22, 2020

I used to be monthly but that was a longer day than I wanted.
Then bi-weekly, now weekly & I can be done in an hour.

josephxsxn · Dec 22, 2020

Never tested or supplemented this 40gal tank for over 2 years. Tested it this year and alk was 6 somthing. Change about 50% of the water weekly. Last 2 months I started boosting it with kalk because I started fragging sps into it and not just soft/lps.

Here is a photo of it before I took the LPS (litho plate, favia, goni, lobo, etc) out and into my display and made it a home for frags, softies and an RBTA. Also a photo of it today with RBTA..

SaltISlife · Dec 22, 2020

I used to do water changes every 4 weeks then 3 then 2. Id have to do 50% everything was being depleted too wuuckly with 100+ corals.. and i mean stuff you cant test for. It was getting too expensive with a 135g tsnk.

So i started dosing idodine. And 3 of kents marine products with everything salt has.. and now i havent done a water change in 2-3 months.

William Mumford · Dec 22, 2020

Every week because I always end up seeing something I just have to siphon out.

HB AL · Dec 26, 2020

Willbiker said:
Looks great. What do you dose?

I dose Red Sea ABCD for trace and other elements once a month.

PeterC99 · Dec 26, 2020

Weekly water changes. Yes you can shortcut but I’ve learned from the masters in this hobby - cheato and frequent water changes.

Have lots of SPS.

jeffrey750750 · Dec 26, 2020

Once a month for me seems to work, no sps so I think I'm good

Midrats · Dec 26, 2020

Julian Sprung has 10% monthly printed on his salt bags. That's saying something considering the guy sells salt.

Speaker · Dec 26, 2020

Once a week 5gal wc on my 37gal. The weekly water change keeps my nitrate at 2ppm and phosphate around 0.06ppm. Going to do auto water changes set to do 2-3gal a day on my 200gal.

pseudorand · Dec 26, 2020

TL;DR : budget for a weekly 20% when planning $ for salt and time.

Lots of factors, of course. Nutrient export (both siphoning solid waste / algae / cyano, as well as dissolved phosphate). Mineral replacement. But it's a tried and true method of solving lots of different reef problems. If your tank is looking good, then don't do them. But if you have algae, poor looking corals or various other problems and you aren't doing weekly water changes, you should try that first. It's like rebooting your computer before calling tech support.

I went from bi-weekly to weekly and things really starting looking good. That made me lazy and I went to monthly. GHA quickly got out of control, so I'm now going back to weekly to keep up with it.

I still hope to get more, bigger corals that leave no place for the GHA to grow and out-compete it for nutrients, but getting those corals a good start will take weeklys for a while I suspect.