Any way to get away with not doing water changes?

[Aqualund]

Fair enough concession, I am trusting Fauna Marin on their claims for the type of trace elements their additives (balling 1,2,3) are providing. With that being said, they are:

Barium, Boron, Strontium, Cobalt, Zinc, Nickel, Chromium, Iron, Potassium, Iodine.

And then of course I do weekly additions of Amino Acids, and monthly add silicate.

 

[reefgeezer]

Fair enough concession, I am trusting Fauna Marin on their claims for the type of trace elements their additives (balling 1,2,3) are providing. With that being said, they are:

Barium, Boron, Strontium, Cobalt, Zinc, Nickel, Chromium, Iron, Potassium, Iodine.

And then of course I do weekly additions of Amino Acids, and monthly add silicate.

Thanks for the info. I've noticed that calcium reactors are a part of a great many successful systems. I wonder if that has more to do with trace element replenishment that the Fauna Marin? What media do you use in your reactor?

 

[Aqualund]

Well, before I found out that my earlier unsuccessful experiences with calcium reactors were due to poorly built solenoid valves, I got fed up and went to a straight balling method for a year or so (dosing Ca, Alk, and Mg separately), and it was decent. No real complaints but there were just too many variables for me to feel comfortable, and the gains werent as high as I wanted. It was also more expensive.

Now that I switched to a stable Ca reactor setup (High end burkert valve with ss fittings) and a Masterflex dosing pump, I can say it's much less stress and much better results. I went for about a year before dosing the trace elements and really there wasn't much difference before and after. It was more just a "I havent had to do anything, I should probably add something."

So with that being said, I think there are too many variables to say which is definitely better. But there has been success either way.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

glennf do you know Tanne? Are you on facebook?

 

[mr.feebles]

Just my .02. A tank is a closed system. Anything that goes in weather it is intentional or unintentional stays in the tank unless removed, excluding water and some other compounds like nitrogen gas, of course. Every time a speck of dust falls into the tank or you put your hand into it something is added. This leaves a bunch of leftovers and contaminates to buildup over time as water evaporates and is replaced. This process can only add to the stress that the animals have living in a glass box. Of course, the longer it goes on, the worst it gets. One of the best ways to reduce this stress is through water changes. There are a lot of variables that effect the quality of life of our animals. Changing the water is a simple and effective way to raise that quality.

just because something is in a tank doesn't mean it's necessarily able to react w/ anything.

many chemicals/elements can be rendered 'inert'/not soluble in water. once that happens, their physical presence makes no difference:

one simple example is phosphate. once it binds to calcium, or iron, it's still physically in the tank-but its ability to interact w/ anything is a different story

metals can be chelated, etc etc...



while my personal preference is large volume wc's done regulalrly, there are plenty of folks on the planet who keep thriving reef systems w/ no wc's. at all.there are plenty of threads and pics of those across the internets.

'there are 37 different ways to skin a cat'

 

[ddanis60]

I know the majority of the things said were a few months back now, but thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread on both sides of this long debated subject. Lots of good info for those of us still researching and learning. Beautiful Tanks Glenn and Tybota!

 

[pauls]

Waste of time

Waste of time

I don't do water changes and use tap water. I top off when needed thus water change

If you are growing for reselling or are a die hard coral head then .................... You have a lot of work ahead of you.

P.S. I do not have a sump and use a hang on back filter. A skimmer is a MUST !!!!

 

[mr.feebles]

I don't do water changes and use tap water. I top off when needed thus water change

If you are growing for reselling or are a die hard coral head then .................... You have a lot of work ahead of you.

P.S. I do not have a sump and use a hang on back filter. A skimmer is a MUST !!!!

a top off for evaporation and a water change are definitely NOT the same thing. not at all.

 

[glennf]

glennf do you know Tanne? Are you on facebook?

Of course i know tanne hof
We are buddies

From left to right:
Arjen tilstra, Tim Wijgerde, Glenn Fong, Tanne Hoff.
Just having dinner after a tour to see an operational large dymico system organised bij Tim Wijgerde.

 

[glennf]

glennf do you know Tanne? Are you on facebook?

Koyi wada (from japan), Tanne Hoff, Glenn Fong. Stopped at Pieter Suylekom's 6 meter reef during a whole day tour visiting tanne's, mine and pieters tank.

My facebookname is "Glenn Fong"

 

[glennf]

just because something is in a tank doesn't mean it's necessarily able to react w/ anything.

many chemicals/elements can be rendered 'inert'/not soluble in water. once that happens, their physical presence makes no difference:

one simple example is phosphate. once it binds to calcium, or iron, it's still physically in the tank-but its ability to interact w/ anything is a different story

metals can be chelated, etc etc...



while my personal preference is large volume wc's done regulalrly, there are plenty of folks on the planet who keep thriving reef systems w/ no wc's. at all.there are plenty of threads and pics of those across the internets.

'there are 37 different ways to skin a cat'

Exactly...

11 year no water changes

CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER.....

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

excellent!

excellent!

Nice group of friends, too

 

[glennf]

Nice group of friends, too

They sure are...

 

[outy]

Tank porn!

 

[ReefTeacher]

I have found the best effect from WC depends on technique. I have a sand bed deep enough for my wrasses to sleep at night. This is a detritus trap. If I do a WC from the water column, very little changes. If I do it by siphoning water through the sand, I get buckets of grey/brown water replaced by crystal clear water. The tank perks up immediately. I am sure there are other ways to do this export, but it is the export of the nutrients that is important not simply the WC. This is why I remain unconvinced that an expensive AWC system is of benefit if it only removes water from the column. Thoughts?

 

[jason2459]

I find the detritus in my system which is building up quite thick in my sump is of great benefit. I find all kinds of critters feast on it and call it home. I don't touch the sand bed in my tank or the detritus in the sump bottom.

 

[ReefTeacher]

I have heard others praise detritus as well, I sure it works in your system. I even had a DSB at one point....but my system responds well to periodic siphoning of detritus out of the sandbed. I have no shortage of pods. I started doing this a few years ago after listening to Copps at MACNA one year. Best advice I had gotten in years.

 

[jason2459]

It's all about choosing your own poison.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have heard others praise detritus as well, I sure it works in your system. I even had a DSB at one point....but my system responds well to periodic siphoning of detritus out of the sandbed. I have no shortage of pods. I started doing this a few years ago after listening to Copps at MACNA one year. Best advice I had gotten in years.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Or go barebottom

Not directly related to the Triton method- but it definitely helps reduce maintenance chores associated with eliminating the accumulation of detritus

 

[ReefTeacher]

I also tried barebottom for a few years. I hated the look, and wrasses like sand at night. I know a shallow sandbed is more work....but once you commit to a reef tank.....