I have a 90 gallon with 15 gal sump that has a skimmer and chaeto. I have had this tank is over 5 years. I don't feed much. I have a banana wrasse, two clownfish, a neon, and a yellow tang. I haven't done a water change for at least a year. Before that I did change about 10% 2 or 3 times a year but afterwards the corals always became stressed and often I would lose corals afterwards. I haven't done any water changes since my elegance died after the last one. I never performed the water changes myself, I had my fish guy who does monthly or bi-monthly water changes on my other tank which is a 125 fish-only without a sump. He mixes my RODO water right before the water change and sometimes the RODI water is cold so maybe that was the reason for the coral stress but I don't change water in that tank any more.
no water changes anyone?
- Thread starter Johnb123
- Start date
mhucasey
Acros & wieners, oh my!
Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: Hi all,I just did my monthly water change yesterday. Went out and collect 110 gallons of NSW, unfortunately the fish were not biting to well, only a couple of non editable fish, but still a lot of fun to catch, and what a wonderful day weather wise. This is probably one of the main reason I like doing water changes, but the main one, is all the benefits it gives to my little home for the family members who are aquatic. I want to ask everyone on this subject of water changes, if you believe water changes are not necessary, that is fine with me, but every time you add different elements to your water to bring up a certain element to NSW standards, are you not doing a water change? Or are you just changing the water. :fish1:
Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: Hi Pit, it sounds like the corals were stressed and died from the way the gentleman was mixing and adding the new salt water to your system. I don't need to make salt water as I have access to very clean NSW, but from what I've read on the subject, I believe you need to make the saltwater up 24 hrs. in advance, and make sure all the parameters of the new water are the same as you use in your system. I do like your tank though. :fish1:
Correlation is not causation. Water changes certainly may be a key contributor to success (and generally meet the commons sense test), but they also may not.
They do, Kent Marine has made an entire business out of selling supplements. The curious thing is that general acceptance of synthetic salt mixes outstrips that of synthetic trace element supplements.
Every tank has an expiration date. What that date is depends on a wide range of factors including husbandry, livestock choices and stocking levels. Though I do modest water changes as part of my regular maintenance, I can tell you from many years of experience they are not effective at keeping nutrient levels low. The 'dilution' effect only works in extreme cases. Nutrients are far better handled via other export mechanisms. I am also unconvinced that water changes do much for removing 'poisons', for the very same 'dilution' reason; and that trace element replenishment isn't better done via dosing. So, I do modest water changes because I have always done them, and based on the off chance that they are doing something beneficial.
CStrickland
New member
When I do my water changes, I vacuum out the detritus from the sand and sump and rocks, sometimes I clean my pumps and powerheads too. I think that's probably doing more for my tank than the water swap.
Green Chromis
New member
:fish1: Hi CStirckland, I do the same every month during my water changes I stir up the sand bed and change my carbon and GFO. I do believe the actual water change helps, but stirring up the sand and changing GFO and Carbon make a big difference to. :fish1:
outy
New member
I only get garbage in the tank when my DSB gets over 5 years old.
I'm there now and this year I did get light cyano which is when I did my yearly water change.
Little bit of hair algae now and then but its worth it to have a no maintenance tank.
I'm very successful for an LPS tank, I have lost some SPS that I have grown from small chips into 1 footers from my lazy reefkeeping. Know your limits is the key.
I dont add any supplements, its a con IMHO.
outy
New member
Wise words.
After 25 years of this, that is so true. Less Pauls tank lol
I am in need to tear down my 210 just to go through and stir the whole DSB and sell the overgrown corals.
Had this been a BB I could probably keep it going. But I balance the pros and cons and choose this way as I need that buffer for my lazy ways
Funny, but I feel the same way & I have asked this question many times. Some people actually place the corals in the very large tanks & let the corals deal with one another & not prune. Others I am sure are constantly pruning & priming corals, & perhaps wisely to do so to make money on coral frags rather than to lose some to rtn.
i don't do structural/periodical water changes. only when salinity should rise, i will do a NaCl corrrection.
last change was in jan2012 (2x200liter due to a test of mixing my own reefsalt )
i take control over all measureable parameters and it seems enough for most corals to flourish for a long strech of time.
i use a good alternating flow to keep detritus suspended to get it removed bij the powerfilter. My water is crystal clear without the use of activated carbon.
i use ozone and UV against parasites to
protect my fish.
after 10 years no stuctural WC i don't have any fear off OTS. the corals will warn you long before it to late.
imo OTS is long time of neglect and ingnoring the signes, or just balancing on the edge for long time until it's to late to handle.
when detoriation start you need knowledge how to control the processes. i don't think many have the knowledge to do so, because most don't bother reading into the matter (untill it's to late to matter anyhow)
There are a lot of urban legends going around so you need to select which apply to your situation.
for those interrested in my oppinion they should google my name.
crystal clear water (due to the use of powerfilters)
RobTheReefer
Moved Elsewhere
:fish1: Not convincing to me. I live near the ocean, and I own a boat. :fish1:
One more year without waterchanges .
I removed some large colonies and placed them in other tanks, because everything had reach the front window
a lot of frags were pulled out of the maintank.
I even started new fragtank (250x80x40cm) to keep up the pace of growth.
happy DSR reefer
I removed some large colonies and placed them in other tanks, because everything had reach the front window
a lot of frags were pulled out of the maintank.
I even started new fragtank (250x80x40cm) to keep up the pace of growth.
happy DSR reefer
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