Water changes. . . . What is your method?

[Koty]

I Do a 0.07% WC which is actually 280 ml of the Balling three part. No water change for over 4 years. IMO in many cases water change is not really necessary unless you have a specifically delicate corals. We all agree WC is inefficient for supplementing trace elements or any other depleted element or compound. Also WC is inefficient in getting rid of phosphate and Nitrate.
I prefer to use every trusted test and regularly supply trace elements most of which having short half lives in our tanks. I also use all export methods as extensively as I can. I have a very heavy bio-load (LPS,LPS, Soft corals and more) : Hardly any space for new corals and many of them are already fighting. Also quite a few fish that are fed a lot.

 

[Koty]

View attachment 4192390

 

[VintageReefer]

I don’t do water changes at all

I replenish evap manually twice a week with tap water. I have a home filtration system that uses a sediment filter and a large carbon filter.

 

[World Citizen]

If you listen to divers they say water temperature can change in a second up or downwards. It seems corals and fish regularly change/swim from 1 current in another and experience rapid temp and water quality differences.

I am not sure how to understand that all, but I see my waterchanges as events.

I feel like having this kind of event could trigger other events and behaviours in the tank. I don't want to claim anything here but for me the waterchange is as much an event as it is just refreshing.

My waterchanges are ruff. I don't mind changing water where the salinity is 1ppt off and the temp 2 degrees for example. I cut about 35% every other week.

It's no advice but just something I feel about it.

 

[Paul B]

For most of the life of my tank I used NSW that I collected in the Long Island Sound or the Atlantic.
The last time I did that my tank turned into a produce farm due to the nitrogen in the water here from all the farms and golf courses.

Now I am forced to use ASW and I mix it in a 40 gallon tub, then remove 40 gallons of tank water and pump it in with a very powerful sump pump that does it in about 2 minutes.

I do this about 3 or 4 times a year.

 

[seeky007]

For those of you who have auto-water changes could you elaborate on how you accomplish those?

My challenge is needing to turn off the return pumps as there is very little water available for the return chamber. Dosing pumps would be too slow.

I use a ghl maxi doser i have it set to do two 3ltr water changes one after the other every day. i have the fresh salt water going in to the return chamber roght next to the return pum and the waste line where the the tank drains back into the sump.

 

[Kapachuka3]

Personally, I have my tank connected to a big pipe which is connected to the ocean, it cycles about 100 gallons of water everyday, corals and fish seem to like it even though flow is kinda high due to it, so i do not do water changes, never had a problem

 

[XMASTER]

I have a 40gallon breeder mixed reef with canister filter and small skimmer and don't do water changes. I dose Cal, Mag, Alk and phosphate.

 

[Buckerberg]

Onve a month, 50L(13gal)water change on my Reefer 170, mix it in a brute trash can let it sit overnight and use a siphon to fill 2 25L container.

Fill it back up usong a sump pump and a hose

Not a lot of work and only once a month is the sweet spot for me

 

[AUSXMD]

I do a 15ish% weekly on my 230, but Ive neglected it because I just had my knees replaced. ATO is taking care of it for another 2 weeks. Have a big fuge and skimmer. Things seem to be ok.

 

[OU812Reefing]

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

I do 2.5 gallons a week and 1 10 gallon change once a month definitely helps to keep the tank happy

 

[reely989]

For those of you who have auto-water changes could you elaborate on how you accomplish those?

My challenge is needing to turn off the return pumps as there is very little water available for the return chamber. Dosing pumps would be too slow.

I use a dual head stenner pump. I just pull from the sump and add back to the same chamber. I have it running on a kasa smart timer for about half an hour a day. I think mine is 175 gallons per day if run continuously but I've never really measured it. I'm not too concerned with it being exact.

 

[Kapachuka3]

Personally, I have my tank connected to a big pipe which is connected to the ocean, it cycles about 100 gallons of water everyday, corals and fish seem to like it even though flow is kinda high due to it, so i do not do water changes, never had a problem

Did yall think i was serious?

 

[CHSUB]

Did yall think i was serious?

I was just about to ask…I have a friend who did just what you described. He lives in the Fl. keys, however he closed down the tank many years ago.

 

[Hishman]

Did yall think i was serious?

I wouldn’t find it odd at all for someone to have a very large tank recirculating 100gal a day if they had access to unlimited seawater.

 

[56longroof]

Did yall think i was serious?

No but that would be a dream set up.

 

[56longroof]

Those of you doing daily water changes. Do you still need to dose trace elements or calcium/alk?

 

[larrysaltisfun]

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

How large is the tank that you’re changing 2 to 3 gallons per day?

 

[n2585722]

Those of you doing daily water changes. Do you still need to dose trace elements or calcium/alk?

I dose All For Reef. I also dose a KH buffer dynamically dependent on my alkalinity readings which are done 4 times a day.

 

[MPCReefer]

Those of you doing daily water changes. Do you still need to dose trace elements or calcium/alk?

Running Moonshiners so dose according to Oceamo tests.