fowlr water change schedule
- Thread starter saltyESQ
- Start date
NM, I found a thread. Good read.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=898931&perpage=25&pagenumber=4
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=898931&perpage=25&pagenumber=4
saltyESQ
New member
check the thread.
People think I am crazy, but I heavily dose sugar (about 7 tablespoons) and have never had any negative effects. The one thing that is required is a good skimmer.
before sugar dosing I had a problem with my skimmer and it was almost non functional and I didn't know it. I never tested for nitrates and when I decided to finally test, my nitrates after cutting the tests in half 2 or 3 times came in at 550ppm. Within a week and half of sugar dosing I brought it down to 20ppm
People think I am crazy, but I heavily dose sugar (about 7 tablespoons) and have never had any negative effects. The one thing that is required is a good skimmer.
before sugar dosing I had a problem with my skimmer and it was almost non functional and I didn't know it. I never tested for nitrates and when I decided to finally test, my nitrates after cutting the tests in half 2 or 3 times came in at 550ppm. Within a week and half of sugar dosing I brought it down to 20ppm
I would change water more often than every year to 6 months. I know you are just setting this tank up, but frequency of water changes should depend to some extent on water quality parameters. however, even with good test results over the long term, I'd do some kind of water change at least every month or so because there may be quality parameters that you don't have a kit for, where a water change would be beneficial.
Is there a reason it is very inconvenient to do modest monthly water changes of 20-40 gallons?
Is there a reason it is very inconvenient to do modest monthly water changes of 20-40 gallons?
snommisbor
Premium Member
Plus when doing water changes you are adding other important nutrients with a water change.
reeferaddiction
New member
water changes will also help keep ph, kh in range as well as export phosphates that build up from food and fish waste. i vote for smaller regular water changes. jmo
limitdown
New member
I was changing 50g out of my 240g system once a month before I got my Schuran denitrator. I've been running Zero ppm of nitrates for the past 6mths, but I've still been changing out 50g once a month.
It seems that my fish are much happier and more lively after I change the water. As others have mentioned, there are probably toxins in the water that we can't test for.
A buddy of mine who also runs a denitrator changes 25% of his water every 3 months, so maybe I'll consider extending my changes out to once everything 1.5, then 2mths.
If your nitrates are low, in the 20ppm range, then my vote would be for larger changes less frequently.
It seems that my fish are much happier and more lively after I change the water. As others have mentioned, there are probably toxins in the water that we can't test for.
A buddy of mine who also runs a denitrator changes 25% of his water every 3 months, so maybe I'll consider extending my changes out to once everything 1.5, then 2mths.
If your nitrates are low, in the 20ppm range, then my vote would be for larger changes less frequently.
SaltyESQ, I agree water changes are a PITA. I do them regularly because I can tell my tanks don't look as good and fish are not as happy if I don't. There are ways you can make water changes easier - talk to some of the good LFS or ask around on the forums for ways to save labor. Or hire someone to do it for you. You've invested way too much into your tank to lose fish to stress or disease because of too infrequent water changes.
