Tank Maintenance

[happyvac]

I looked around and, as far as I can see, I can't find a good set of guidelines for maintenance.
How often should you test water (in a 40g, for instance) and for what? How often should you change water, and how much? How long must water sit before it can be added? What equipment is needed for the whole maintenance process?
Thanks for the help

 

[fedukeford]

i cant answer all you ?'s but ill just tell you what i do
55 gallon reef-
check amm. trate,trite,salt, PH weekly, change 7 gallons weekly, clean from glass 2x a day, clean filter and heate once a month, for water changes i let the water stir (with powerhead) for 24 hours +

 

[rlmabry]

Each tank is different. Smaller water changes more often is better the a large water change once a month. I would start with 10% water change twice a month then see how your tank reacts. I test my water once a week just to make sure something is not wrong. Whatelse do you need to know

 

[happyvac]

All right guys, thanks. Feduke when you say you clean the glass do you mean with a mag-float or something?

 

[fedukeford]

i use mag float 2x daily, and i use a unused razer once or twice a week

 

[happyvac]

Razor like shaving? Weird.
So what I should do is have a day-old 4g bucket of warm, circulated saltwater when I do my bi-weekly water-change?

 

[fedukeford]

no, not like shaveing, im not exactly sure what they are used for?? i just get them from my dad, mabey for like cutting paper or sumthi?

 

[happyvac]

Um...what does it look like?

 

[mrsdorothy]

Just go to the section in the store that sells razor blades/shaving equipment and pick up a pack of single edge razor blades.

 

[az]

you really should only do you changes or cleanup of the glass as needed. Vacumming or moving around your substrate is not needed and can case more problems then it is worth. So standard tests on a time frame and just paying attention to what you see going on in your tank can tell you faster then most test results but can back them up on what your seeing.
On your water a good kold steral filter set up for your area will give you advantages over DI/RO water. for they are good to have. But they also take out all the bad stuff and all the good stuff as well. with a good $$ figure attached to them and most of them have waste water. Were the kold steral system is less cost takes out all the bad stuff and leaves the good trace element in and has water on demand. Just remember to Aureate the water very well before putting in into your tank. Salt water holds less Oxegen then standard water.

 

[blue oasis]

Good morning,
We have a 90gal tank and every Saturday we spend 2 hours working on it. We do a 20 gal water change and we check to make sure that all our equipment is working. We then hand feed (turkey baster) all our coral and test out water for the following:
Ammonia
Nitrate
Nitrite
Cal
PH
KH
Mag
SG - just bought a refractometer.
We test the water every Wed & Sat and the temp is always between 78.4 - 80.
During the week we are replacing the tank with DI/RO water becase of evaporation to make sure we are on are mark we placed on our sump.
N & G