New Here and questions about water change!

[shawn100]

Hi everyone,
I have been very impressed so far by the available knowledge and willingness to help everyone on this forum. I go to other forums for various things and find it to be a little discouraging sometimes with the imature responses some people receive. This place seems to not be like that, at least so far!
I just purchased a 100 gallon from a forum member here and I have had a blast so far setting it back up after the move. This is my first SWA so I have a lot to learn very quickly. Which leads to my questions...Will the more frequent I do water changes the better clarity I will receive (of course all other things being considered) and is the 10-20% of the tank what the tank is rated at or the actual amount of water that is in it considering the displacement of the water from all the rock and corals? Would the water in the sump be considered as well in figuring out your percentage? When I fill my tank back up can I add it to the sump instead of the display tank? I'm probably looking a little to deep into the actual amount, I know, but I am fixated on getting my water and tank very clean. After the move, a lot of debris got stirred up and is now flowing in the tank. I guess my next and final question would be, what are some of the major things to look at if my goal is to make the tank as clean as possible(and I'm talking, water, glass, equipment, etc.) without being detrimental to the balance of the tank?
Thanks in advance for answering any of my questions and I look forward to talking to everyone and eventually being able to contribute some knowledge myself. Take Care!

 

[diadema]

Calculate the water volume with tank volume minus approximate displacement of rock plus approximate volume of sump.
Then just pick a round number that fits in your 10-20% range. I do 10 gallons because it's a nice round number... Yes - you can add this water to the sump. In fact it's preferable to do this - gives the water a chance to mix before it's thrown into the tank.
As far as the things to check for for perfect water - ammonia, nitrites (both should be zero)
nitrates (should be kept as low as you can - water changes hep this)
calcium (for coral growth - 400 is ideal, over 350 is fine)
dkh/alk (again for coral growth over 8 dkh is fine)
There are a ton of other things you "can" test for but these are the basics.

 

[reefnut]

Welcome to swf.com shawn100, I hope you continue to enjoy your time here. is the 10-20% of the tank what the tank is rated at or the actual amount of water that is in it considering the displacement of the water from all the rock and corals?
Opinions very but I have always just went on the total tank volume. The difference is minimal IMO.
Would the water in the sump be considered as well in figuring out your percentage?
Yes,
When I fill my tank back up can I add it to the sump instead of the display tank?
For water changes or for the initial fill?? Either way you can but it may or may not be easier than just adding it to the display.
what are some of the major things to look at if my goal is to make the tank as clean as possible(and I'm talking, water, glass, equipment, etc.) without being detrimental to the balance of the tank?
Well I'm not sure exactly what you mean but you can run mechanical filters during the fill up to remove debris that gets stirred up.