water changes, or the lack thereof

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/20#post_3485686
Not really. Most of the bacteria is in the sand and rock...not the water. Changing out the water isn't going to ruin the biofilter. It *will* shock it, I'm sure.
On the other hand, I too think that "regular" 100% WC's are a bit drastic. Maybe once every couple of years, but every six months? Seems much, but whatever works for you, man.
The energy to do 100% 2Xs a year...no way, and he has a big tank too. I could never do it, I remember seeing his tank on here someplace... it was just beautiful. I never kept SPS corals, LPS and softies like a little "dirt"...LOL, so they were right up my alley.
By the time I got my nitrates down to 0 so I could even try SPS I completely changed over to potbelly seahorses and macroalgaes. I admit I need to do more water changes, but no way can I do 100% or 50%. I'm going to stay with the magic number of 30%.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
I think what reefkprZ does works with what Baeslbob wrote. I have seen the research on WC's percentages and the diminishing returns. It seemed the only way to combat it is to do a full 100% reset water change. I would think that once a year is enough, but hey to each his own. And if you got the salt why not.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
I used to to a 50% water change every two weeks. I did this for almost 2 years and got tired of having the garbage can in the kitchen. A while back ago I was reading on WC's and decided to try a 2% water change everyday. I have seen good results. Now it's a habbit and my skimmer seems very bored.
Now,..... If I broadcast feed, which I do every other week with DT I do a 10 gallon change the next day. I see no need if I spot feed the sun corals or Duncans and others but the 2% really helps.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
I wasn't suggesting frequent 100% water changes, just thinking about what a water change actually does from a waste stand point.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
My point is that instead of diluting the waste - you actually purposefully remove the major portions of waste build up.
Have you ever gravel vac'd a sandbed before? There is soooo much gunk that comes out of it. Have you ever taken a powerhead and deep cleaned your rocks before? There is SOOO much stuff that comes out of there. You need to remove whatever bits of solid waste there is at every water change - instead of just removing old water and replacing it with new.
Letting gunk accumulate in the sandbed and within the live rocks causes major nutrient issues in the future and can even cause old tank syndrome...
Even if you did do a 50% water change just once a year and still was able to remove all of this gunk - to me that would be better then frequent 1 or 2% water changes... But that's just my opinion.
I'm all for the ease of maintenance... and my methods aren't necessarily the "right" methods - they just work for me.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3485796
My point is that instead of diluting the waste - you actually purposefully remove the major portions of waste build up.
Have you ever gravel vac'd a sandbed before? There is soooo much gunk that comes out of it. Have you ever taken a powerhead and deep cleaned your rocks before? There is SOOO much stuff that comes out of there. You need to remove whatever bits of solid waste there is at every water change - instead of just removing old water and replacing it with new.
Letting gunk accumulate in the sandbed and within the live rocks causes major nutrient issues in the future and can even cause old tank syndrome...
Even if you did do a 50% water change just once a year and still was able to remove all of this gunk - to me that would be better then frequent 1 or 2% water changes... But that's just my opinion.
I'm all for the ease of maintenance... and my methods aren't necessarily the "right" methods - they just work for me.
Lol....Snake, if you knew my "methods" I would surely be banned from SWF.
Once every three months I powerhead sweep through my rock work along with a hefty water change. I then do my maintanance on my equitment.
I clean my glass on the inside once a week, if that, even with new lights. My parameters are better than perfect and as for vac'ing my substrate....... once every three months.
However, there is WAY more to my madness with this system than what I stated. WAY more.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3485805
Lol....Snake, if you knew my "methods" I would surely be banned from SWF.
Once every three months I powerhead sweep through my rock work along with a hefty water change. I then do my maintanance on my equitment.
I clean my glass on the inside once a week, if that, even with new lights. My parameters are better than perfect and as for vac'ing my substrate....... once every three months.
However, there is WAY more to my madness with this system than what I stated. WAY more.
Just out of curiosity why don't you clean the equipment prior to doing the water change? That way any gunk stirred up from moving around the equipment gets taken out.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I have to clean my skimmer cup every three days. I clean my skimmer body and throat weekly. I harvest my macroalgae every four days. I check the temp and salinity once a week... and I make sure my auto top off reservoir is filled up every five to seven days. I dose 2oz of randy's two part Ca and Alk every night. Other then that, I just feed the fish when I think about it and do a water change every six months... Easy - nothing to it.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3485826
I have to clean my skimmer cup every three days. I clean my skimmer body and throat weekly. I harvest my macroalgae every four days. I check the temp and salinity once a week... and I make sure my auto top off reservoir is filled up every five to seven days. I dose 2oz of randy's two part Ca and Alk every night. Other then that, I just feed the fish when I think about it and do a water change every six months... Easy - nothing to it.
As I stated, my skimmer is very bored. Haven't had to clean anything much. I'm not bragging, just stating a point.
I even feed differently, whole new outlook on ways I do things and my fish are happy and corals are growing.
Everyone has their own ways of doing things that work for them. After a summer of studying up on things, I now have mine.
If you have seen my set up, I haven't done anything to it for 3 months, other than the filter media and glass sometimes.
Nothing to it.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
this thread below covers how I do my waterchanges in case anyone was curious
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/292237/how-to-do-a-proper-water-change-by-reefkprz
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3485696
I think what reefkprZ does works with what Baeslbob wrote. I have seen the research on WC's percentages and the diminishing returns. It seemed the only way to combat it is to do a full 100% reset water change. I would think that once a year is enough, but hey to each his own. And if you got the salt why not.
I find that if I am not dosing anything like kalk or calcium the full resets are needed more often than just once a year. since my tank has gotten larger I have been forced to dose since doing a 100% water change on 150g (tank plus sump) is not an option right now. I do need to get a larger mixing container so I can do larger water changes.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3486818
I find that if I am not dosing anything like kalk or calcium the full resets are needed more often than just once a year. since my tank has gotten larger I have been forced to dose since doing a 100% water change on 150g (tank plus sump) is not an option right now. I do need to get a larger mixing container so I can do larger water changes.
What do you do with the fish, corals and inverts when you do the 100% resets?
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392423/water-changes-or-the-lack-thereof/40#post_3486821
What do you do with the fish, corals and inverts when you do the 100% resets?
corals stay put I just spray them down with saltwater in a spray bottle every couple minutes. I leave like an inch in the bottom for the inverts (so its really more like a 98%) fish stay in the one inch of water too unless they are too big then its a bucket untill there is enough water for them.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
yup, but no more than if I have them out of the tank for fragging them, and the exposure time is about the same.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
100% reset .thats just nuts imo. why ? all it does is stress everything. when you do a tank upgrade you should use at least 50% of the old water .its like traking someone from the north pole and putting them here at 110 degrees.no way are they comfortable. they will survive but they wont be happy. by the way i did a water change the other day .lol.my corals are blown up like crazy. so i am making another batch now.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
why? because it works for me and for some reason I have had the fastest growing frags to sell in the area for a several years now. if "all it does is stress everything" I would have to say that would not be the case.
my serpent stars all live through it and they are extremely sensitive to osmotic shock, if there was a serious shock factor they would show it. I match temp, specific gravity, and ph for the 100% changes. IF some one didnt then they could very well shock everything even kill stuff.
corals dont care if there water parameters change at all the only thing they care about is temp. fishes and inverts are far more sensitive and for some reason they all seem to survive my madness, even thrive in it.
but hey I've always kind of been an outside the box kind of person. I'll stick with it since it works so well for me, nuts or not.
 
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