water changes

[mark edwards]

hi
i currently do to 10% water changes every 2 weeks, i am currently thinking of setting up a sump tank. will i need to keep doing those water changes or can i space them out a little more
thanks

 

[bang guy]

My recommendation would be to continue the water changes. A sump isn't going to make that any different.

 

[jay0705]

Agreed. Water changes replace trace elements and remove wastes. A sump is a filtering aid. Now if u want to cut down on water changes u can do larger ones less frequently. Say 20% monthly

 

[mandy111]

Agreed. water changes are important. I would look at your numbers and decide from there. Nitrates and phos particularly. Just remember that a sump will increase your water volume altogether so you will now be having to do a slightly larger amount to change any way. Your 10% will be more water than your doing now.

 

[beaslbob]

hi
i currently do to 10% water changes every 2 weeks, i am currently thinking of setting up a sump tank. will i need to keep doing those water changes or can i space them out a little more
thanks

If you balance out the tank with macro algaes you can eliminate water changes.

Besides water changes limit but not prevent build ups and depletions of everything. Unless you have a unlimited source of perfect water (like near the ocean) and constantly flush out the tank with many water changes per day.

my .02

 

[flower]

hi
i currently do to 10% water changes every 2 weeks, i am currently thinking of setting up a sump tank. will i need to keep doing those water changes or can i space them out a little more
thanks

Hi,

It should be obvious by now...you will get a different answer with each person who comments. That's because we have all developed our own way that works for us. The best we can do is tell you what WE would do ourselves, and you get to pick what will work best for you.

On my 90g I always did a 3% water change once a month (30g)...because of my health, I now keep macros, and reluctantly seldom am able to do any water changes. I am able to do a few gallons a day, but that means to keep a tub of saltwater up and running... taking up space in my very small house. Fish only systems don't require near perfect parameters the way corals do. If you have a reef, you will want to stay on top of water changes, and test often. Fish really don't care about nitrates, and have a high tolerance. Inverts (which is what live in and on live rock), along with shrimp, snails, sea stars, and hermits (The CUC) needs the nitrates to not go above 40 (10 to 20 is fine for them, 40 is really pushing it to their limits)

Macro's will absorb the nitrates and such out of the system, but it isn't a magic bullet, and if you can do it...do those water changes, your tank will look so much better and stay so much healthier. When I rely solely on the macros...my tank looks like crap compared to when I kept corals and did regular water changes. A saltwater tank is a show piece (in my house anyway) it's the first thing people see when they walk through the front door.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

as flower said different answers from different people, when it comes to questions like this.

I've always been a proponent for lots of water changes. In my experience done correctly they only help a tank thrive.

way back years ago, in a 45g I had I did 5g a day, every day, the growth was incredible and the tank looked awesome.

On my 75 mixed reef I was doing 25% a week with a 90% once a month, again probably some of the most insane coral growth I have ever seen.

on my 125g I slowed down a lot on water changes trying to do about 25% once a month, thats when I started getting various minor algae problems in small amounts little GHA here, a spot of cyano there. coral growth was ok but definitely not as fast as with a more diligent water change ritual.

But you can't limit it to water changes alone, feeding bio-load, filtration all play an integral part of what maintenance is going to be required in any tank.

Disclaimer: I do want to note that the larger a water change is the more important it is to have the temp and specific gravity identical to the water coming out of the tank to avoid osmotic shock and other overstress factors to the life in our tanks. if you can't match it exactly you may do more harm than good. Risk to corals is minimal but fishes and invertebrates, especially sea stars may easily succumb to an improperly performed large water change.

 

[reefkeeperZ]

well if nothing else james you posts are enlightening......

 

[jay0705]

as flower said different answers from different people, when it comes to questions like this.

I've always been a proponent for lots of water changes. In my experience done correctly they only help a tank thrive.

way back years ago, in a 45g I had I did 5g a day, every day, the growth was incredible and the tank looked awesome.

On my 75 mixed reef I was doing 25% a week with a 90% once a month, again probably some of the most insane coral growth I have ever seen.

on my 125g I slowed down a lot on water changes trying to do about 25% once a month, thats when I started getting various minor algae problems in small amounts little GHA here, a spot of cyano there. coral growth was ok but definitely not as fast as with a more diligent water change ritual.

But you can't limit it to water changes alone, feeding bio-load, filtration all play an integral part of what maintenance is going to be required in any tank.

Disclaimer: I do want to note that the larger a water change is the more important it is to have the temp and specific gravity identical to the water coming out of the tank to avoid osmotic shock and other overstress factors to the life in our tanks. if you can't match it exactly you may do more harm than good. Risk to corals is minimal but fishes and invertebrates, especially sea stars may easily succumb to an improperly performed large water change.

You know your stuff lol I do smallet frequent water changes for that reason. I keep it at room temp. Sg is the same or a touch lower .

 

[reefkeeperZ]

You know your stuff lol

Thanks, I've been doing this for a week or three lol.

 

[jay0705]

Ha ha agreed.

 

[BanditMan15]

What about when starting out in new tank? I'm on week three going to 4? What about water, easier to go to Los and get pre-made 1.023 water in 5 gal? Or what's the best ways?

 

[reefkeeperZ]

in new tank I do what ever water changes it takes to keep my ammonia 0.5 or lower since higher amounts can inhibit the growth of various nitrifying bacteria.

as for water I only trust my own RO/di water. and since I run my reefs at 1.027-1.028 prefab mixed does me no good. so I can't help with that answer.

 

[flower]

What about when starting out in new tank? I'm on week three going to 4? What about water, easier to go to Los and get pre-made 1.023 water in 5 gal? Or what's the best ways?

Hi,

If you are getting pre-mixed because you don't have an RO system, and just want to get it fill ASAP, get the exact SG you want in the tank. If you do have an RO system but don't want to take all that time waiting for it to drip (my RO unit takes almost all day to fill a 3g holding tank) Then get the highest SG pre-mixed you can get, and add a little RO water of your own to bring it to the SG level you want, that would be cheaper.

For a new tank:
The cheapest method if you don't have your own RO unit, is to go to Walmart and pay 37 cents a gallon for RO water (all grocery refill stations are reverse osmosis units) and mix your own salt right in the tank until you reach the SG level you want (1/2 cup of salt mix per gallon). Paying $1.00 per gallon may sound cheap, but it really is an outrageous price to pay for water. with fish tanks, it takes a lot of water to get it going, and keep it going over time.

You can also fill a plastic tub, and add Walmart water and your own salt mix... it's still cheaper then buying pre-mixed saltwater from the pet store.

You need RO water for top offs and water changes, so believe me when I say it's best to get your own RO unit. With your own unit, you not only have RO for your fish tank, but you have your own bottled water for drinking. I purchased a bubbler( dispenser) it has hot and cold, so I can even make tea or instant oatmeal, just add a little of my water into the cup or bowl. A 3g jug is all I needed, so I have drinking water nice and cold at the touch of a button.

 

[pegasus]

I agree with flower that for the long haul, an RO unit is the way to go. No more running out to get more water when you realize you've run out, or need to make an emergency water change. I would like to point out that there is a slight difference between RO water, and RO/DI water. While RO water is fantastic for human consumption, it's not the purest water to use in your saltwater tank. RO water will always have (albeit low) levels of TDS (total dissolved solids). While the RO membrane removes most of the nasties, it doesn't get all of it. That's where DI comes into play. DI resin polishes the water to complete purity, which is what you want to use in your tank. A tank becomes polluted quick enough without jump-starting it with less-than-pure water.

You can have the best of both worlds with RO/DI: RO water with most impurities removed, while retaining traces of minerals that are beneficial to humans... and... de-ionized water, the purest water possible for your tank.

 

[BanditMan15]

Hi,

If you are getting pre-mixed because you don't have an RO system, and just want to get it fill ASAP, get the exact SG you want in the tank. If you do have an RO system but don't want to take all that time waiting for it to drip (my RO unit takes almost all day to fill a 3g holding tank) Then get the highest SG pre-mixed you can get, and add a little RO water of your own to bring it to the SG level you want, that would be cheaper.

For a new tank:
The cheapest method if you don't have your own RO unit, is to go to Walmart and pay 37 cents a gallon for RO water (all grocery refill stations are reverse osmosis units) and mix your own salt right in the tank until you reach the SG level you want (1/2 cup of salt mix per gallon). Paying $1.00 per gallon may sound cheap, but it really is an outrageous price to pay for water. with fish tanks, it takes a lot of water to get it going, and keep it going over time.

You can also fill a plastic tub, and add Walmart water and your own salt mix... it's still cheaper then buying pre-mixed saltwater from the pet store.

You need RO water for top offs and water changes, so believe me when I say it's best to get your own RO unit. With your own unit, you not only have RO for your fish tank, but you have your own bottled water for drinking. I purchased a bubbler( dispenser) it has hot and cold, so I can even make tea or instant oatmeal, just add a little of my water into the cup or bowl. A 3g jug is all I needed, so I have drinking water nice and cold at the touch of a button.

You said that it takes like a day to fill a 3 gal tank up rt? How does and RO system work? Put water in it and then turn on and is a drip system or something?

 

[lmforbis]

It hooks up either directly to your plumbing or a faucet. It depends on the system. I have an inexpensive system that makes about 2 gallons an hour. The water flows through several filters. Usually a sediment filter, a carbon filter, a RO filter and a deionizing resin. There are other stages that can be added on as well depending on your water quality.

 

[flower]

You said that it takes like a day to fill a 3 gal tank up rt? How does and RO system work? Put water in it and then turn on and is a drip system or something?

LOL...only half a day, I can fill it, drain it and it will refill after about 8 hours, then I get bored with it and leave a 5g jug connected, as it fills up, I pour it into my 37g plastic can (marked fish only).

I use Culligan water, I get charged 39.99 a month. They service the unit and replace all the filters, so I really don't have to mess with it. I do have a TDS meter and the system has a faucet with a light on it, if the light turns red, the TDS is above 10, and I can call them (it has never happened in the 10 years I have had it). I have a 3g jug I fill and put on my bubbler/dispenser for drinking water, and I use the little faucet for cooking or attach a hose to drain it into my jug.

Tap water drips very slow through 5 filters, then I have a little 3g holding tank under the kitchen sink, once filled the drip stops and the RO just sits in the holding tank until I use it. The small faucet on the kitchen sink is in a space where a soap dispenser used to be, I can get RO water from the faucet, or I run a flexible hose from it to my jug.

The original cast for installation was near $200.00 (actually about the price to buy my own unit) and like I said, I pay $39.99 a month, but that means I don't have to mess with it, and if anything goes wrong, THEY have to fix it, or replace it. They swap out my filters, and if my TDS is too high all I have to do is call them. Last test read 4, it isn't 0, but it's 100% better then tap water, or hauling jugs of water for my tanks from Walmart.

 

[mandy111]

I have an RODI that can push out 52 gallons in about 16hrs. The biggest thing is the waste water is huge. We normally have the waste water going straight down the drain, we did a little experiment the other week, and collected the waste water while filling a barrel with RODI.
The ratio was unbelievable. for every 1 litre of good RODI water we saw approx 2.5 litres go down the drain,
I have a friend that is on a different water supply to us and his waste is about half. So I know it varies, but wow we were shocked at the shit that it must filter out. So I personally wouldn't run a tank without one.

 

[BanditMan15]

I have an RODI that can push out 52 gallons in about 16hrs. The biggest thing is the waste water is huge. We normally have the waste water going straight down the drain, we did a little experiment the other week, and collected the waste water while filling a barrel with RODI.
The ratio was unbelievable. for every 1 litre of good RODI water we saw approx 2.5 litres go down the drain,
I have a friend that is on a different water supply to us and his waste is about half. So I know it varies, but wow we were shocked at the shit that it must filter out. So I personally wouldn't run a tank without one.

Holy cow !! This is defiantly something I want to look into doing. I really need to read up on RO Di units this gets me a starting point at least thanks guys!!