Quote:
Originally Posted by
reefkprZ http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/100#post_3468919
I prefer regular frequent 50% water changes whenever possible. and for some reason my corals always grow insanely fast. maybe its only anecdotal evidence but I feel the looks of my tanks and the growth of my corals are worth the salt. it saves me a lot of $ in dosing and other maintainence.
if you think 50% waterchanges are over kill wait until you hear about my feeding rituals on a full out established reef tank. generally I feed 5-7 times a day. various foods in small amounts. I dont know how people go feeding only every couple days. but these are habits I have gained after a long time reefing, researching, and observing.
food and parameters on a reef are stable and plentiful in our tanks we seem to try and make them sterile. I want my corals to be feeding all day as well as my fishes just like in the ocean. I also want the chemical balance to remain as near the original parameters as possible. since I cant dose "everything" except with salt, my water changes are my dosing, they are also my most efficient means of nutrient export. as well as a way to remove the chemicals of coral warfare and shed nematocyst from other corals and anemone.
In my experience there is nothing to compare to keeping your parameters as stable as possible, with a 50% waterchange on a regular basis, the tank virtually gets a reset at every water change keeping everything maxed. I'm not talking a 50% every 3-5 months that would actually be a huge upset to a system. I am talking monthly changes where the major parameters dont have time to shift far away from the original.
For one fish and some coral you feed that amount???? Marked in red is why you have that morning bloom, and why you have hair algae and the unbelivable amount of cyanobacteria...I also have accidently dumped my cup of skim in my tank and it did not harm at all. You are over feeding, I have heard of some people doing that kind of feeding for non-photosynthetic corals but they also do DAILY water changes.
Man it been long. How you been?