Water Changes

kmoze2001

kmoze2001

Member
I wonder if doing regular water changes might be solving problems that don't exist?
OK, I get that the solution to pollution is dilution, but so far as I can tell, we have no pollution. All tests have consistently been undetectable levels for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. We have no algae problems or any other issues that I can tell.
Is a water change "just because" in this scenario just a waste of time?
 
mkroher

mkroher

Member
There are trace elements that need replenishing. Don't ask me what though.
Having super-duper-clean test results may allow you to go longer between water changes. Nothing will eliminate the chore though. Each tank is different, so your schedule will be different than mine.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
YUP...each tank is different....I do w/c's every other week on all tanks
There is a guy on this site....beaslbob....who NEVER does waterchanges....seems to work for him
I would not be that brave though
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

+1
I do water changes once a month. When it gets around that time the coral looks not as happy, it could just be time to change the carbon...I do that when I do the WC.

Anyway I have a friend with a 27 year old reef tank loaded with coral, and he has never done a water change to date.
I am not that brave either.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I do a change at least once a month. I have two friends that have well established tanks and they do not do water changes. They use tap water for topoff water too. Their tanks don’t look as clean as I would like but their corals grow like crazy and they never seem to lose fish and inverts. Not sure how they are able to do it. And I am not promoting that you don't do water changes.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by kmoze2001
http:///forum/post/3243350
I wonder if doing regular water changes might be solving problems that don't exist?
OK, I get that the solution to pollution is dilution, but so far as I can tell, we have no pollution. All tests have consistently been undetectable levels for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. We have no algae problems or any other issues that I can tell.
Is a water change "just because" in this scenario just a waste of time?
Yes.
Just my opinion but the solution to polution is to recycle the polution into something useful or to not polute to begin with.
While water changes can limit build ups they will not prevent the build ups. What happens is the tank winds up where:
(just before water change)=(water change values)+(change between water changes)/(fraction of water change)
So if a 10% water change is being done the tank will have 10 times the change between water changes plus whatever is in the replacement water.
To me what is important is to recycle the nutrients into fish food and buffer or replace things that are being consumed. That way you limit the change and possibly eliminate the change. At that point water changes can only degrade that tank.
see my previous thread:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...d.php?t=369985
my .02
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Wow I found your link very interesting!
Last time I saw galloping elephants, they were pink and I was high!!

JK folks ... no drug use here!
 
kmoze2001

kmoze2001

Member
Well, I'm consistently surprised that we don't have high nitrates, as I am fairly sure we're over-feeding, that said we have 50lbs of liverock, 100 micron filtration as it feeds into a wet/dry bioball chamber, and never really even got a cycle so it seems the ammonia-nitrite engine is doing a good job. Course the goby and tang may be compensating for the over feeding as between them and the CUC food doesn't stick around on the sand too long. We'll likely never get much deep sand action as he keeps it moving.
May change some out this weekend just for grins, would be mortified to come down some morning and find everyone dead.
 
darwin

darwin

Member
So.... is it recomended to change 10-20% of the tank volume or water volume?cause a 125 with sand and say 100lbs of rock does not have 125 gallons of water in it.... so which one is it cause theirs a big difference?
 
jerth6932

jerth6932

Active Member
So.... is it recomended to change 10-20% of the tank volume or water volume?cause a 125 with sand and say 100lbs of rock does not have 125 gallons of water in it.... so which one is it cause theirs a big difference?
Water volume not tank........ my 24 is only 17g after sand, lr and equiptment........... so to do a 50% water change at 12g would be truley be a 70%er. So water volume.
 
reefkprz

reefkprz

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darwin http:///forum/thread/374993/water-changes#post_3391904
So.... is it recomended to change 10-20% of the tank volume or water volume?cause a 125 with sand and say 100lbs of rock does not have 125 gallons of water in it.... so which one is it cause theirs a big difference?
you dug up an old thread here is one that is just as old (or older) and may answer your questions if you care to peruse it.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/292237/how-to-do-a-proper-water-change-by-reefkprz
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top