Whats is the use of water changes when all paramaters are good?

[Paul B]

I also know a guy with a yellow tang 20 years old is not much bigger than ones you buy at stores... again, he feed his fish substitently.

Many, but not all fish will stay stunted in a tank. I also had a hippo tang for about 10 years. The first few years he was in a 40 gallon tank and was just fine, but stayed small. Then I transfered him to a 100 gallon tank and he grew a little more. But no where near the 10" he would have reached in the sea.
My last 10 year old copperband grew only about 4" in that time and my 29 year old fireclown is only about 3 or 4". In the sea they get three times that size. He spawns constantly so I know he is healthy.

Maybe it's the iron I dose.

 

[Goose199]

I’ve had my 125 gallon running for almost 3 years with no water changes, dosing 2 little fishes 2 part a, b, skimmer, carbon and phosguard. I may start to 10 gallon “water change” to get some fresh salt in I suppose?

 

[wphan]

For me it’s a little peace of mind. I do 50% ever 2 weeks. New water = clean water.

 

[Uncle99]

I’ve had my 125 gallon running for almost 3 years with no water changes, dosing 2 little fishes 2 part a, b, skimmer, carbon and phosguard. I may start to 10 gallon “water change” to get some fresh salt in I suppose?

Excellent....wow.....no WC in almost 3 years.
Can you show us what your DT looks like?

 

[Uncle99]

No WC the last 2.5 years - Tank - a little more than 4 years old

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Sincerely Lasse

wow......can you help me?

no water change in 2.5 years.....outstanding looking tank may I say.
Can you confirm that you are not adding any minor trace elements at all?
Am I doing a water change for absolutely no reason?

 

[HB AL]

I am confused about this thread.
For those not making regular water changes, are you indicating that you are NOT dosing any minor elements?

Some say they are not making any water changes but don’t indicate what they are doing to compensate, or, they have been successful in never changing water or ever adding back any of the minor elements.

I seen great tanks resulting from regular water changes and I have seen great tanks with no water changes but dosing the trace minor elements.

No water changes at all AND no dosing of minor elements does not make sense to me at all.
My system is definitely using up iodide, boron and potassium at a rate of 10% of CA uptake.

Is anyone willing to share a picture of their tank which has not had a water change in at least 1 year, is not being dosed through the same period, and contains a lot of corals.

This thread gives me the impression that some never change water and it’s actually not beneficial at all.

I dose Red Sea ABCD for elements and haven't done a water change in almost 3 years. If the ABCD was not doing anything then I would think corals atleast would be suffering to some degree.

 

[Lasse]

wow......can you help me?

no water change in 2.5 years.....outstanding looking tank may I say.
Can you confirm that you are not adding any minor trace elements at all?
Am I doing a water change for absolutely no reason?

Thank you

I run the Triton method and Core7 - I send in an ICP test every third month. I dose minor trace elements after what´s coming up in the ICP test. Beside this I dose iodine, strontium, vanadium, manganese and iron on a daily base. Sometimes phosphorous and nitrate. I do not do any regularly WC. When I start this aquarium more than 4 years ago - I did regularly WC the first 6 months - after that without WC for one year - I did a major WC for 2 and a half year because of high silicon concentrations. If I run into problems with anything in the ICP test that will need WC (a reset) - I would do that - but not on a regular base.

Sincerely Lasse