water change question

[jthomas0385]

I plan on doing one 10% water change a week. My tank is 75 gallons so do I change 7 gallons (10% of 75) of 10% of the amount of water that I was able to get into the take (about 55 gallons of water).Might be a weird question, but it crossed my mind. Thanks

 

[aquaknight]

It might be easier for you to plan around how you are going to do the changes rather then trying to pin down some arbitrary number. For example, before I bought my Brute trashcan, I just did everything by 5s, because I'd just make water in a 5gal bucket. Take 5gals of water out of the tank. Add 5 fresh gallons back in. Now that I have my 44gal Brute, my 125 recieves about a 24 gal change, my 55gal gets about 9gals and my 25gal gets 9'ish as well.
Or like if you only have a 6gal water jug and get your water from the LFS, just do a 6gal water change every 5 days.

 

[lion_crazz]

I had to read it a few times to understand what you were saying.
Do 10% of the total volume, which is 7 gallons.

 

[jthomas0385]

alright, thanks you. Sorry if the question was a little confusing. I have always done 20% every two weeks of the total volume. I'm going to start doing 10% every week though. Thanks again.

 

[lion_crazz]

Yep, I do 10% every week and it seems like it is a lot better than 20% every two weeks. It just helps you stay on top of things better.

 

[meowzer]

So for a 54 gallon you could do a 5g water change, and that will be sufficient???

 

[srfisher17]

If you plan on doing 10% a week; anything close to 10 % is close enough. I like the way AquaKnight put it; the exact amount can depend on how you plan on doing it. IME; the easier water changers are, the more likely they are to get done.
As to the question above: 5 gal per week in a 54 gal would be great, this is about 40% monthly.; anything that exceeds 20% a month is good.

 

[robertmathern]

honestly I wandered this myself. But I figured you can go wrong if you do a bigger water change. So I do 5 gal water changes to my 55 gal. But do you guys think I should add the water in the sump. My sump is 2 10gal wet drys that I gutted and made a sump/refugeium. So thats 70 gallons of water maybe I should step up to 10 gallons a week.

I wander if it would help onmy huge diatom bloom I have going on. But the sanails and hermits seem to love it not to mention the shrimps. Sorry to hyjack the thread

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2870992
honestly I wandered this myself. But I figured you can go wrong if you do a bigger water change. So I do 5 gal water changes to my 55 gal. But do you guys think I should add the water in the sump. My sump is 2 10gal wet drys that I gutted and made a sump/refugeium. So thats 70 gallons of water maybe I should step up to 10 gallons a week.

I wander if it would help onmy huge diatom bloom I have going on. But the sanails and hermits seem to love it not to mention the shrimps. Sorry to hyjack the thread
First, I'd try to find what is causing your diatom problem. Check your water (source water, too..if not RO/DI) for phosphates & silicates, both can contribute to diatom problems and are easy to remove. Very high nitrates may be a factor as well.

 

[robertmathern]

I thought it was because the tank has just finished cycleing and would go away in time. But I will look into it.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2871986
I thought it was because the tank has just finished cycleing and would go away in time. But I will look into it.
You're right; I didn't notice that it was a newly cycled tank. Diatoms are a natural occurrence in a new tank and should disappear in time.

 

[robertmathern]

I hope so looks like crap. And I probably should have said it ws a newly cycled tank. oh a found a cool little snail with a jet black shell today. He must have been in my rocks

now I have to buy shells for him. The ones for my cuc I think is to big for him to move into.

 

[subielover]

FYI-snails don't change shells, that would be hermit crabs

 

[robertmathern]

oh did not know that. Got a bunch of shells a few bulbs a 2 chromis and 1 false perk clown today. But I have hermits so not a big deal. And they are some cool looking shells. Also got another amonia test kit. Hope fully this will get better. Water is fine. But skimmer not really doing much. I mean it is skimming but after 3 days only about a 1/2'' of skimate and its wet skimet at that. But I dont think there is much of a bio load so maybe thats why. We will see if there if any improvement. My skimmer is a Aquac urchin. The same as the remora but an in sump version. Maybe I need a better skimmer.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2874051
oh did not know that. Got a bunch of shells a few bulbs a 2 chromis and 1 false perk clown today. But I have hermits so not a big deal. And they are some cool looking shells. Also got another amonia test kit. Hope fully this will get better. Water is fine. But skimmer not really doing much. I mean it is skimming but after 3 days only about a 1/2'' of skimate and its wet skimet at that. But I dont think there is much of a bio load so maybe thats why. We will see if there if any improvement. My skimmer is a Aquac urchin. The same as the remora but an in sump version. Maybe I need a better skimmer.
Skimmers all take a while to break in. IME, Aqua-C makes great stuff and they have great tech help if you need it.