Why does my tank look so beautiful after a water change?

[Miami Reef]

There’s a certain glow to it that I think most people here agree with. Does anyone know why? What causes that “dingy” look to a tank? Even though the tank looks clear, it looks even better after a water change.

 

[176327]

Because it’s clean.

 

[atul176]

Because it’s clean.

lol

 

[elorablue]

Because it’s clean.

C'mon man! There must be a much more complicated, confusing, in-depth, bad science, ocd, time consuming and advanced answer than that! LOL

 

[Miami Reef]

Because it’s clean.

Clean from what? Nitrates and phosphates? I want to know what causes it.

 

[PeterC99]

The water change has pulled out some of the bad stuff (NO3 & PO4) and replaced with the good stuff (trace elements, etc.).

 

[punchy7080]

I've noticed the same and seen many others comment as well. Would be very interested to know the reason behind it!

 

[176327]

C'mon man! There must be a much more complicated, confusing, in-depth, bad science, ocd, time consuming and advanced answer than that! LOL

I mean, we can get into the semantics of free floating particulate, tannins, spores, and other crap in our water.

but I’ll just say “because it’s clean”.

I totally know what you mean. I imagine everyone dose. I use UV and have stable parameters, my waters “clear” (well, I just started CD using vodka so it’s a little cloudy with Bactria at present) but after a water change it has that crystal quality… like ice without air in it.

Edit: I’m amazed at how many of you don’t know there’s literally stuff suspended in the water. Doesn’t matter how clean your tank is. Sand, rock, scales, molting, blah blah blah.

then you put in water, that’s literally as clean as possible (0 tds) and add some salt with elements in it. Elements aren’t particulate. Hell, phyto is going to change the “clarity” of the water.

someone said recently that this was a “scientific” hobby. Putting water into hobby test kits and using reagents isn’t science. It’s related, extremely loosely, to analytical chemistry. Which is a scientific discipline.

if we all had mass spectrometers instead of hobby grade test kits and refractometers… then I’d be more inclined to agree. Saying this is science is like saying flying a kite is aviation.

 

[elorablue]

I mean, we can get into the semantics of free floating particulate, tannins, spores, and other crap in our water.

but I’ll just say “because it’s clean”.

I totally know what you mean. I imagine everyone dose. I use UV and have stable parameters, my waters “clear” (well, I just started CD using vodka so it’s a little cloudy with Bactria at present) but after a water change it has that crystal quality… like ice without air in it.

Edit: I’m amazed at how many of you don’t know there’s literally stuff suspended in the water. Doesn’t matter how clean your tank is. Sand, rock, scales, molting, blah blah blah.

then you put in water, that’s literally as clean as possible (0 tds) and add some salt with elements in it. Elements aren’t particulate. Hell, phyto is going to change the “clarity” of the water.

someone said recently that this was a “scientific” hobby. Putting water into hobby test kits and using reagents isn’t science. It’s related, extremely loosely, to analytical chemistry. Which is a scientific discipline.

if we all had mass spectrometers instead of hobby grade test kits and refractometers… then I’d be more inclined to agree. Saying this is science is like saying flying a kite is aviation.

I thought your initial answer was perfect.

 

[Miami Reef]

I mean, we can get into the semantics of free floating particulate, tannins, spores, and other crap in our water.

but I’ll just say “because it’s clean”.

I totally know what you mean. I imagine everyone dose. I use UV and have stable parameters, my waters “clear” (well, I just started CD using vodka so it’s a little cloudy with Bactria at present) but after a water change it has that crystal quality… like ice without air in it.

Edit: I’m amazed at how many of you don’t know there’s literally stuff suspended in the water. Doesn’t matter how clean your tank is. Sand, rock, scales, molting, blah blah blah.

then you put in water, that’s literally as clean as possible (0 tds) and add some salt with elements in it. Elements aren’t particulate. Hell, phyto is going to change the “clarity” of the water.

someone said recently that this was a “scientific” hobby. Putting water into hobby test kits and using reagents isn’t science. It’s related, extremely loosely, to analytical chemistry. Which is a scientific discipline.

if we all had mass spectrometers instead of hobby grade test kits and refractometers… then I’d be more inclined to agree. Saying this is science is like saying flying a kite is aviation.

Are the TDS something that really small micron socks can’t filter out? I think you just convinced me to do water changes for life. If no water changes and dosing trace elements with vodka won’t give me that fresh look then I won’t do it.

I used NSW for the water change. I did about 60%. The tank looks so amazing right now.

@straysheep Whats your take on this? Will filter socks help at all?

 

[Sunny in Miami]

That's what I notice in my tank too. It looks sooo clear every time I do water changes.. it's blinding.

 

[dedragon]

Are the TDS something that really small micron socks can’t filter out? I think you just convinced me to do water changes for life. If no water changes and dosing trace elements with vodka won’t give me that fresh look then I won’t do it.

I used NSW for the water change. I did about 60%. The tank looks so amazing right now.

@straysheep Whats your take on this? Will filter socks help at all?

Lol if its floating particulates then yes the mechanical filtration will help, or just throw in some activated carbon. If the corals and stuff look better after water changes, you need to increase your water change routine

 

[mindme]

There’s a certain glow to it that I think most people here agree with. Does anyone know why? What causes that “dingy” look to a tank? Even though the tank looks clear, it looks even better after a water change.

It means your parameters are closer to being correct.

If you can find a way to do that without the water change, then there won't be much difference. I just did my first ever water change(20%) on my 180g tank which is about 9 months old this past weekend, and the coral look about the same.

The only reason I did the water change is because I was starting to get a little cyano here and there, so I dosed some chemiclean. It only took about 24 hours to die off, even though it was slightly under-dosed(I needed 20 scoops, I had about 18 scoops left from previous use on other tanks). But I figured I better take care of it sooner rather than later.

I dose everything and have a refugium to remove nitrates/phosphates. And I don't want to give the image that it's been easy and all smooth sailing. It's been very much trial and error. I grossly underestimated how quickly I would need to dose things, even with it being a take mostly filled with frags. I started having trouble with corals about 6 months ago I guess. Surviving, but not thriving for most of them, and some of them like my Monti's were turning brown.

I had a mail in water test done and found that many trace elements were 0. I suspected this already, but wanted to confirm. I dosed the trace elements and the corals went from brown back to color in less than a week for the most part. Some of the coral I thought had died have come back and gained their color slowly.

That was months ago, and since I managed to get it dialed in(at least short term, another mail in test is due even though I'm not seeing issues right now). So when I did the water change, I didn't see a difference because the elements were already there, and my phosphates and nitrates are already lower.

No doubt I would have had more growth over the past year doing water changes, but I really want to get it to where I don't need to do them longer term. Or at least I want to minimize them. Water changes are not only time consuming, but still kind of expensive. On my 29g anemone tank, water changes still make since. Grab a 5 gallon bucket, take out 5 gallons, put 5 gallons back in. 40 gallons every 2 weeks, or 20 gallons every week adds up. Salt cost is the obvious, but then there is the water cost as well, because 40 gallons of RODI water is more than 40 gallons of total water usage. And which am I more likely to do? A dosing pump that does it for me, or a water change I have to do manually?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

if there's no science behind it, then maybe its just phycological, in other words, pride. Water change takes time and effort and its tedious, I feel proud of myself once I'm done.

 

[Miami Reef]

It means your parameters are closer to being correct.

If you can find a way to do that without the water change, then there won't be much difference. I just did my first ever water change(20%) on my 180g tank which is about 9 months old this past weekend, and the coral look about the same.

The only reason I did the water change is because I was starting to get a little cyano here and there, so I dosed some chemiclean. It only took about 24 hours to die off, even though it was slightly under-dosed(I needed 20 scoops, I had about 18 scoops left from previous use on other tanks). But I figured I better take care of it sooner rather than later.

I dose everything and have a refugium to remove nitrates/phosphates. And I don't want to give the image that it's been easy and all smooth sailing. It's been very much trial and error. I grossly underestimated how quickly I would need to dose things, even with it being a take mostly filled with frags. I started having trouble with corals about 6 months ago I guess. Surviving, but not thriving for most of them, and some of them like my Monti's were turning brown.

I had a mail in water test done and found that many trace elements were 0. I suspected this already, but wanted to confirm. I dosed the trace elements and the corals went from brown back to color in less than a week for the most part. Some of the coral I thought had died have come back and gained their color slowly.

That was months ago, and since I managed to get it dialed in(at least short term, another mail in test is due even though I'm not seeing issues right now). So when I did the water change, I didn't see a difference because the elements were already there, and my phosphates and nitrates are already lower.

No doubt I would have had more growth over the past year doing water changes, but I really want to get it to where I don't need to do them longer term. Or at least I want to minimize them. Water changes are not only time consuming, but still kind of expensive. On my 29g anemone tank, water changes still make since. Grab a 5 gallon bucket, take out 5 gallons, put 5 gallons back in. 40 gallons every 2 weeks, or 20 gallons every week adds up. Salt cost is the obvious, but then there is the water cost as well, because 40 gallons of RODI water is more than 40 gallons of total water usage. And which am I more likely to do? A dosing pump that does it for me, or a water change I have to do manually?

Awesome response. Can I ask what brand of trace elements you use?

 

[mindme]

Awesome response. Can I ask what brand of trace elements you use?

This is what I'm doing, buy it all from BRS.

 

[176327]

Are the TDS something that really small micron socks can’t filter out? I think you just convinced me to do water changes for life. If no water changes and dosing trace elements with vodka won’t give me that fresh look then I won’t do it.

I used NSW for the water change. I did about 60%. The tank looks so amazing right now.

@straysheep Whats your take on this? Will filter socks help at all?

that’s a huge change. Filter socks won’t keep up with that.

I’m a fan of socks, my current system uses filter floss. It’s just that getting eveverything to pass through the overflow and not circulate in the tank (to a degree) isn’t possible, and particulate is constantly getting released and suspended.

 

[176327]

It means your parameters are closer to being correct.

If you can find a way to do that without the water change, then there won't be much difference. I just did my first ever water change(20%) on my 180g tank which is about 9 months old this past weekend, and the coral look about the same.

The only reason I did the water change is because I was starting to get a little cyano here and there, so I dosed some chemiclean. It only took about 24 hours to die off, even though it was slightly under-dosed(I needed 20 scoops, I had about 18 scoops left from previous use on other tanks). But I figured I better take care of it sooner rather than later.

I dose everything and have a refugium to remove nitrates/phosphates. And I don't want to give the image that it's been easy and all smooth sailing. It's been very much trial and error. I grossly underestimated how quickly I would need to dose things, even with it being a take mostly filled with frags. I started having trouble with corals about 6 months ago I guess. Surviving, but not thriving for most of them, and some of them like my Monti's were turning brown.

I had a mail in water test done and found that many trace elements were 0. I suspected this already, but wanted to confirm. I dosed the trace elements and the corals went from brown back to color in less than a week for the most part. Some of the coral I thought had died have come back and gained their color slowly.

That was months ago, and since I managed to get it dialed in(at least short term, another mail in test is due even though I'm not seeing issues right now). So when I did the water change, I didn't see a difference because the elements were already there, and my phosphates and nitrates are already lower.

No doubt I would have had more growth over the past year doing water changes, but I really want to get it to where I don't need to do them longer term. Or at least I want to minimize them. Water changes are not only time consuming, but still kind of expensive. On my 29g anemone tank, water changes still make since. Grab a 5 gallon bucket, take out 5 gallons, put 5 gallons back in. 40 gallons every 2 weeks, or 20 gallons every week adds up. Salt cost is the obvious, but then there is the water cost as well, because 40 gallons of RODI water is more than 40 gallons of total water usage. And which am I more likely to do? A dosing pump that does it for me, or a water change I have to do manually?

If you’re a big baller, or have a small tank (you don’t) auto water changes are a thing. I’ve even seen continuous water changes using a dosing pump. I think I saw than from TG showing off a friends tank or something.

 

[176327]

This is what I'm doing, buy it all from BRS.

I genuinely think BRS is the best source for tollhouse reef recipes. I follow there method as well, but have lower demands so I use the redsea trace colors stuff and I dose one by polyp labs.

I don’t like the “one” product much as there’s very little you can do to customize, titrate, or mess with the chemistry of the does. just the amount.

I’m only working with like twenty gallons, so my weekly water changes meet my needs. 6g for me is like 30+ %. I don’t actually know my displaced water volume.

 

[MartinM]

I used to notice this, until I started using a two part that contains trace elects (C-balance) and started using seachem Seagel (carbon+aluminum oxide to absorb phosphates) that I changed weekly. Now I don’t really notice a chance before/after my monthly 50% water change. All anecdotal, of course. The hobby is rife with ‘anecdotals’, because the hardware to test everything is not available at the hobbyist level.