what is needed to limit water change to 1/mo?

[lazarus]

i am preparing to upgrade from my 29 g to 100 g and will have very limited access to it as it will be in a wall unit. i also realize i dont have the discipline to keep up my weekly changes. what has worked for you all in terms of nitrate mgmt that would allow me to keep to this schedule?
pls dont tell me to get another hobby, i think there are others looking for the same opportunity!
you guys rule so thx in advance!

 

[lazarus]

i know this is an issue for others and i have heard of some nitrate reduction device that gave mixed results on a previous post...does anybody have recent experience with one they can share?

 

[sufunk]

If you have small bioload, good clean up crew and good skimmer with alot of live rock, you might be able to get away with only one large change a month.

 

[lion_crazz]

Don't overstock the tank, feed properly, make sure there is great flow, and a huge amount of live rock. A nice sized clean up crew would help as well.
Even then, I can't guarantee you will be okay at once per month. I know you don't want to hear it, but that is this hobby for you.

 

[ktsdad]

This is another hotly debated subject.
I don't think there is any hard set rule, to many variables.
I prefer to do 10% weekly, that works well for my tank setup and schedule.
I have read about others that do 25% monthly and have good luck with their systems.
I wouldn't go any longer than monthly, but again that is just my way of doing things.
I am sure you will be alright. Just keep an eye on your nitrAte levels between water changes.
A good sand bed will help with keeping nitrates down as well as adding some Xenia.
Good Luck!

 

[lazarus]

i like the idea of small bioload, it has the additional benefit of having happy campers. what do you think of those formulas....x inches of fish per gallon. Accurate? can you remind me what is x? thanks

 

[lion_crazz]

All of those are inaccurate to some degree. They do not take into account the bioload the fish puts on the tank, the fish's width, how much the fish eats and excretes, etc. Just make a list of possible fish you would like and work from there.

 

[lazarus]

ok...look for my list later...thx

 

[phixer]

Hi Ian
Well for fresh H20 the rule used to be 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. For saltwater its much different because of the way salt water fish respire. Freshwater fish never drink and excrete copious amounts of diluted urine to counteract the effects of osmosis.
Marine fish drink continuously and excrete only small amounts of concentrated urine in order to counteract the dehydration effects of the saltwater. Constant ingestion of seawater makes marine fish more susceptible to water pollutants so low levels of toxic waste can have far-reaching consequences for marine fish.
This is why its equally important as to the species of fish you would like to keep. Some fish are messy eaters while others are cleaner. For example it may be possible to keep many more clowns then larger fish like Lionfish or Groupers, or even sharks someday.
Sorry for the long winded post.

 

[silleemee]

I got this from "The water Zoo"
Stocking levels
Cold water 1” of fish per gallon (2.5cm per 4.5 litres)
Tropical 1” of fish per gallon (2.5cm per 4.5 litres) in the first three months, 2” of fish per gallon (5cm per 4.5 litres) after the aquarium has been established for at least six months.
Pond 10” of fish per 100 gallons (25cm per 45 litres)
Marine fish only 1” of fish per 4 gallons (2.5cm per 18 litres) in the first six months, increasing to a maximum of 1” of fish per 2 gallons (5cm per 9 litres) after six months.
Reef aquarium 1” of fish per 4 gallons (2.5cm per 18 litres)
PLEASE NOTE stocking levels are for guidance only. Larger fish produce far more waste than smaller fish. Therefore, when keeping large fish stocking densities should be far lower.

 

[dogstar]

Originally Posted by LAZARUS
what has worked for you all in terms of nitrate mgmt that would allow me to keep to this schedule?
:
Yes, a small bio-load is always good for keeping levels down, also a deep sand bed , refugium with macros and testing for depleated additives and larger water changes when you do them.

 

[cgrant]

Originally Posted by LAZARUS
i am preparing to upgrade from my 29 g to 100 g and will have very limited access to it as it will be in a wall unit. i also realize i dont have the discipline to keep up my weekly changes. what has worked for you all in terms of nitrate mgmt that would allow me to keep to this schedule?
pls dont tell me to get another hobby, i think there are others looking for the same opportunity!
you guys rule so thx in advance!

Sulfer Denitrifier will do the trick, But you should look into what is causing the nitrates.
They are like ~$300.00, cheaper to just maint the tank!

 

[coachklm]

what about a BB tank by getting your water chemistry in check and water flow to keep particles suspended in the water column people have been very succesful with yearly water changes.
its tedious and very difficult.
and with the addition of any new item into the tank your levels will fluctuate once again and start from the beginning.