Water changes. . . . What is your method?

[vetteguy53081]

As we all know, one of the requirements for owning a reef aquarium is the need for maintenance including water changes, at least for most of us.
Some of us simply siphon the water while many also utilize automatic water change units and some simply replenish lost water from Evaporation.

How often do you perform water changes and by what means?
What is your frequency of water changes?

I do a 2-3 gallon water change every other day and my reasoning is to keep phos and nitrate in check while maintaining traces and elements. It was a method used by a few aquarist friends in the industry and I've seen a huge difference with both fish and coral health

 

[tzabor10]

Love this post! I credit most of my success to weekly water changes. I have Remote refugiums on both my tanks. First turn off the ATO. The supply line from the sump simply comes out of the refugium and into a 5 gallon bucket. Then roll my brute 20 gallon over and start a siphon in. A little tape mark on the sump keeps the volume constant. Replacing 12% weekly on my 120 g and 20% on my 75 g.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I change 1% daily by automatic water change.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

As we all know, one of the requirements for owning a reef aquarium is the need for maintenance including water changes, at least for most of us.
Some of us simply siphon the water while many also utilize automatic water change units and some simply replenish lost water from Evaporation.

How often do you perform water changes and by what means?
What is your frequency of water changes?

I do a 2-3 gallon water change every other day and my reasoning is to keep phos and nitrate in check while maintaining traces and elements. It was a method used by a few aquarist friends in the industry and I've seen a huge difference with both fish and coral health

What size tank do you have ? I like the sound of this method, a lot! I have a 90 gallon tank, with approximately 75 to 80 actual volume. I change 20 gallons every other weekend, and would love the idea of lessening that. I siphon it out, then manually, with 5 gallon buckets, add it back in. takes about 30 minutes over all.

 

[ColorMeGone]

3 cups a day on my 8.3 gallon nano with 7 gal. of water in it. (this is one reason I luv my small tank. Ease of maintenance.)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I would have two buckets, one that is filled with the new water going into the tank, the other being an empty bucket, which is where the old tank water would go. I would siphon out 4-5g of water and replace it with the new water. It wouldn't take long at all while doing this.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What size tank do you have ? I like the sound of this method, a lot! I have a 90 gallon tank, with approximately 75 to 80 actual volume. I change 20 gallons every other weekend, and would love the idea of lessening that. I siphon it out, then manually, with 5 gallon buckets, add it back in. takes about 30 minutes over all.

Current tank is 400g with a 90g sump. My 2-3 gallon water changes takes 10 minutes average as I have a mixing station and I do it while watching the news which I do anyway, so no time wasted and as you stated, yes it does reduce need to do one big change periodically

 

[KyleW22]

Right now I siphon out of the tank into a bucket to measure and then pump the new water in from the mobile brute can. That said, I’m debating marking the sump and just pumping the old water directly to the drain and new water directly from the mixing station. As far as frequency I’m only doing 10% changes once a month because of low nitrates.

 

[RichReef]

I have a basement sump so there are advantages.

At the top of the water level of my first sump sump I have a 3/8 bulkhead with a tube that reduces to 1/4 inch and runs into the lid of a Brute trash can which fills the can slowly. Then I have an overflow on the Brute that runs into the pump section of my sump. So the can fills and empties back into the system at a slow rate. There is a shut off valve for the feed and the overflow of the can. I turn these off and the can is isolated from the system.

Inside the can I keep a MAG 18 pump that recirculates (stirs) the water in the can. It is also plumbed to empty the can into my home sewer pipe. So I turn a few valves and the can empties out.

Above the can is my RO reservoir. I can turn a valve and refill the can with RO.

So I turn a few valves and the can empties. I refill with RO. Add salt and let stir for a day. Turn a few more valves and it's plumbed right back into the system. The water change is slow, a gravity trickle through 1/4 inch RO line.

I also add most of my dosing into the can so there are no drastic changes.

You can check it out on my build thread if interested.

 

[Waters]

I change about 3% daily using AWC and then usually do a manual end of the week water change to clean the substrate and surfaces.

 

[X-37B]

After may years of weekly I do 5% a month aross 3 systems, 170, 50, 35. Once a month is only about 15g's that I do in a Brute can.
Set the can up next to system add salt bring to temp adjust sg. It takes less than an hour from start to finish and I'm slow, lol.
On my 15g nano cube, 10g's total, I do 10% every 2 weeks so 1g.
This system only uses floss and carbon for export.

 

[56longroof]

Current tank is 400g with a 90g sump. My 2-3 gallon water changes takes 10 minutes average as I have a mixing station and I do it while watching the news which I do anyway, so no time wasted and as you stated, yes it does reduce need to do one big change periodically

I've been considering starting daily water changes. How much impact does it have on reducing nitrates/phosphates over a larger weekly water change?

 

[Garf]

1% daily, manually. Jug in, jug out.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I do about 20% water changes on my tanks. I still do it the old fashioned way - I siphon water out, then I carry over a 5 gallon bucket of new salt water, then use a pitcher to refill the tank, one pitcher at a time. Its faster than it sounds, it only takes 10-15 minutes per tank.

 

[X-37B]

I've been considering starting daily water changes. How much impact does it have on reducing nitrates/phosphates over a larger weekly water change?

That percent daily is not going to effect po4 or no3, imo.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been considering starting daily water changes. How much impact does it have on reducing nitrates/phosphates over a larger weekly water change?

Over a year im, literally steady at 17 nitrates and .8 phosphates. Previously was at 48 nitrates and .14 phosphates and corals are flourishing and no cyano or even

That percent daily is not going to effect po4 or no3, imo.

Its more about keeping it stables. You would have to do significant to change numbers but for me was over time.... took several months

 

[vetteguy53081]

1% daily, manually. Jug in, jug out.

This is keeping it simple

 

[X-37B]

Over a year im, literally steady at 17 nitrates and .8 phosphates. Previously was at 48 nitrates and .14 phosphates and corals are flourishing and no cyano or even

Its more about keeping it stables. You would have to do significant to change numbers but for me was over time.... took several months

Is that .08 or .8 po4. For me anything over .3 po4 and corals start to brown.
Currently at <5 no3 via a sulfer reactor and .06 po4 via 2 skimmers and a small amount of gfo when needed.
Heavy in/out.
No3 <5
Po4 <.1
I have since moved no3 to <10
and po4 at <.15 with no observed differences

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've been considering starting daily water changes. How much impact does it have on reducing nitrates/phosphates over a larger weekly water change?

Nearly the same. 1% daily for 30 days is the same as one 26% change, and it can be improved up to nearly 30% if you add it downstream of where you take it out in a sump situation.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is that .08 or .8 po4. For me anything over .3 po4 and corals start to brown.
Currently at <5 no3 via a sulfer reactor and .06 po4 via 2 skimmers and a small amount of gfo when needed.
Heavy in/out.
No3 <5
Po4 <.1
I have since moved no3 to <10
and po4 at <.15 with no observed differences

.08