Water changes.

[Great Lakes]

I have seen some remarks made on water changes. It aroused some curiosity on just how often some do it.

My musings and practice on water changes may seem troublesome to some, but work for me.

I have not done any water changes for over a year!! This may seem a bit radical, but I think frequent water changes are a carry over habit that freshwater fanatics bring to the marine hobby.

Water changes are done for two reasons in the aquatic world. Removing dissolved organic matter, and reintroducing consumed minerals.
In a properly running marine aquarium, you have a skimmer to remove the dissolved organic matter, not to mention crabs, snails, and other critters. And you should be testing and dosing the beneficial elements at least weekly.

Top off water for evap is the only water I feel needs to be introduced back to your system.

I have good coral growth and happy fish. Why would I decide to arbitrarily change the water if all is well?

If you are doing water changes to fix a chemistry problem or to struggle with "cleanliness", IMO, you need to take a long look at your equipment and/or bio load.

Well, that is my take anyway....

GL

 

[Stryker]

So where do your nitrates go?

 

[silver]

And how do you get the poop out???

 

[Great Lakes]

Your biological filtration will take cae of the nitrates. I have one tank that I grow macroalgae in and that helps.

As far as waste is concerned, I have a good cleanup crew and I do vacuum occasionally. But I just vacuum into the prefilter with a little floss. I don't remove water to do it.

GL

 

[Stryker]

wow your reefers have it easy

 

[ade]

Whats a water change?

Isn't that something that the alchemists in the middle ages tried to do?

 

[ostrow]

GL! YOU DID IT!!! You came out of the closet! Been waiting for that post from you for over a year when you whispered it to me in a PM and something about "wrath" and "flames" B) B)

Now ya gotta post in the FW area to let those folks hear about your similar policy in FW tanks!!!

One thing ... a water change with fresh saltwater added can replace trace elements far more cheaply and effectively than many additives, most of which are snake oils anyway if you keep up with RH-F. So for Magnesium, Strontium, etc, etc a water change every few months can be a good thing and be more cost effective than the Kent and other bottles of liquid do-nothing.

 

[RamJet]

GL, you are the King! I have been wanting to get my set up to that point. Just have not had them kind of marbles. I do my water changes every 1.5 to 2 months now even though it all tests ok. Force of habit and fear, I am pretty sure I have gotten it dialed down to not having to do the changes in both my 75 and my nano. I have just been toping off the nano daily and it has been a month and a half since my last water change and it still tests out ok. I find my self testing the nano every other day now, the longer it goes the more nerves I get.
I just filled up my RO water bottles to do a water change in the reef, but I am going to hold out and see how long it can go.
Oh, just an update on the reef. I have added frogspon, hammer coral, mushrooms, long tentical anemene, and another feather duster to my duster garden. I will post new photos when I get some time.

 

[Fuzzy]

i have a 30 gal so i do one every month, can i do them less?

 

[wonder371]

i ran a 30 gal with doing water changes about once every 4-5 months. I ran it that way for 2.5 years with no deaths in the tank. I feel in order for the no water change to work you have to apply a ammonia and nitrate reducer occasionally. Now in my 36 gal. I do water changes about every 2-3 months with a 30% change. When water evaporates i use my newly purchased R.O. System to top it off.

 

[Great Lakes]

Ostrow, I understand where you are coming from with the trace elements. However, experts can't even seem to agree on the content and quality of trace elements in salt mix.

I suspect I have a biological capable of handling larger than normal loads also. It comes freom the way my wife feeds. You would cringe guys...

I also don't use RO/DI water for top offs. But I have the benefit of one of the worlds largest freshwater lakes for my city supply. Pretty good water.

And Joel, the last time I told them it had been a year since my last tropical water change, they labeled me a heretic and told me I was only allowed in the marine and general chat areas.

GL

 

[ostrow]

heretic you are! You are using Lake Michigan (or is it Superior) water in your marine tanks? So, just how much cyano and hair algae do you have in those tanks??? I, too, get my water from a large freshwater lake. And the city pumps more phosphate into that than you can imagine! Do you go straight form the tap or do you filter it somehow?

But I'm witcha on the water changes.

 

[Great Lakes]

Lake Huron. I will be getting a RO system when I make the move down south in a few weeks though. I will be on a weel, and that area is known for its high nitrites. Not too mention I would have no idea what I would have in the water in the middle of farmland!

And yeah, I did get the occasional cyano outbreak. It has lessoned with the addition of the macro algae to the other tanks in the loop though.


GL

 

[ostrow]

Moving finally! Where too? Not Arizona, presumably! Are you shedding tanks/supplies or taking it all???

 

[Great Lakes]

Gonna try to take it all. But I might have to get rid of a few things. If I do, I will let you know as I will be in Southern Michigan only a few hours from you. About an hour south of Lansing.

GL