Should I do a water change?

[cgr]

About four months ago I changed from CC to DSB. I have only done one water change(25%) since then. My tank is crystal clear and my fish are doing very well. I have very llittle if any algea growth, as a matter of fact, most of the algea exept for coralline has gone away. Unfortunatly, some of my inverts have also gone with it. Should I do a water change or let things be?
120 Gal FOWLR
1 Yellow tang
1 Blue tang
1 Sailfin tang
3 chromis
1 cleaner wrass
1 tomato clown
1 sleeper gobie
1 scooter blenny
1 bicolor blenny
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 coral banded shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
1 sandsifter star
5 emerald crabs, snails, blue and scarlet leg hermits
Wet/Dry filter w bioballs
5+” DSB
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, PH 8.2, Salinity 1.024

 

[the claw]

Contoversial subject at best. Even though your water conditions look pretty good, I think I would get in a routine of doing a water change. Some do one every day, aome every week, some once a month. I think smaller more frequent isbetter. IMO one of the other important reasons to do water changes is for the replacement of trace elements. I think that they are depleted, and if not replaced, certain invertabrates will just "disappear". Other than adding supplements, water changes will help with this problem if you are using any of Today's "great" salt mixes.

 

[cgr]

I am on my way to do a water change. Luckly, where I live I buy the salt water ready to go from lfs. It is delivered by truck from the ocean and put through several filters, including RO.

 

[the claw]

I think its great you are doing a water change. I have never used real saltwater before, so don't know how it will work, but you lost me on the RO filter thing. I would assume that if they ran ocean water through a RO, it would then be similiar to Distilled water. I thought RO water was free of all substances. "pure water"

 

[cgr]

You are right !! They run it through filters but not RO. Some of the places here also run it through ultraviolet light. I pay .60 per gallon which is not bad and much less of a hassle.

 

[fishy88]

thats alot for a gallon.

 

[lesleybird]

Originally posted by CGR
You are right !! They run it through filters but not RO. Some of the places here also run it through ultraviolet light. I pay .60 per gallon which is not bad and much less of a hassle.
Hi, 60 cents a gallon is cheap.......Here in Houston I have two fish stores within 6 miles of me that sell ready made reverse osmosis salt water for one dollar a gallon. I buy about 30 gallons a month because I replace 15 gallons of water every two weeks on my little forty gallon tank and it is too much hassel to mix it myself. Lesley

 

[stumpdog]

Do either of you know the breakdown of buying the salt and mixing it yourself per gallon? I was just wondering.
Jeremy

 

[beaslbob]

Lesley:
gee i used to know a nurse in houston.
Why don't you just replace the water that evaporates. I been doing that for years.

 

[jenni1979]

Why don't you just replace the water that evaporates. I been doing that for years.
Hi beaslbob. You definitely have a different outlook on things. Most people do water changes and it is advisable by everyone that I know. At least 20% a month, as well as top offs. Can you tell me where you learned about this hobby? If I could get out of things the cheap way, that would be wonderful, but unfortunately it doesn't work for most of us.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Jenni1979
Hi beaslbob. You definitely have a different outlook on things. Most people do water changes and it is advisable by everyone that I know. At least 20% a month, as well as top offs. Can you tell me where you learned about this hobby? If I could get out of things the cheap way, that would be wonderful, but unfortunately it doesn't work for most of us.
Jen this is based upon my experience since the late 70's. 10 with salt all with fresh. When I stopped doing water changes and just replacing water which evaporates, the tanks settled down and the plants and fish flourished. This is not the cheap way or lazy way, I started out by doing regular water changes. It is the way which i use to produce stable, balanced tanks.