No Water Change's
- Thread starter Biotopes
- Start date
Raja Ampat
New member
I have had good results with tanks that size, only changing 20% of the water once or twice a year. I only had one fish in each, and didn't put the fish in untill 4-6 months after setting up the tank. I kept caulerpa in these tanks, and they were teeming with copepods, amphipods, and mini brittle stars.
HurricaneSystem
Member
I wouldn't even bother. If you want a reef, why would you not want to do any maintenance to the set up?
turboreef318
New member
I agree. I actually enjoy the maintenance aspects of reefkeeping. The effort makes me appreciate the end result of having a tank I can be proud of.
animalkingdom
New member
Biotopes
New member
I am planning on adding macro algae, so I think the filtration provided by it, the liverock, the 10 G filter with no cartridge, and a mangrove I might be adding should be plenty of filtration to keep ammonia etc down Thanks! I think I will try it with some cheaper fish though, as I don't want to kill an expensive one!
You will need constant water changes and that will vary on the amount and type of marine life you have in your tank.
Salinity, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are not the only things you should be concerned about.
Things like magnesium and alkalinity are also very important.
If you don't do water changes, you aren't replenishing whats being used in the saltwater. Eventually you run out and your tank crashes. Many starting reefers will be successful for a few months and then when the marine life consumes all the nutrients in the water, everything starves, suffers from changes in water parmeters and dies and you have a snowball effect.
The only way to go without water changes is to dose what is used by the marine life in your tank. However, that can only be accomplished by reefers who keep a daily log of their numbers and can calculate what is needed to be dosed into the system. Over dosing is what causes many reef tanks to crash as well. If you aren't going to do daily or weekly tests, then water changes are your way to go.
Are water changes required:
No, if you can dose the used nutrients back in.
Yes, if you don't plan to dose.
Salinity, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are not the only things you should be concerned about.
Things like magnesium and alkalinity are also very important.
If you don't do water changes, you aren't replenishing whats being used in the saltwater. Eventually you run out and your tank crashes. Many starting reefers will be successful for a few months and then when the marine life consumes all the nutrients in the water, everything starves, suffers from changes in water parmeters and dies and you have a snowball effect.
The only way to go without water changes is to dose what is used by the marine life in your tank. However, that can only be accomplished by reefers who keep a daily log of their numbers and can calculate what is needed to be dosed into the system. Over dosing is what causes many reef tanks to crash as well. If you aren't going to do daily or weekly tests, then water changes are your way to go.
Are water changes required:
No, if you can dose the used nutrients back in.
Yes, if you don't plan to dose.
dan-in-gr
New member
Yes, go ahead and do no water changes. Most likely it will fail.
Chemicals in the water will be depleted and the tank will not thrive the way it should.
Imagine you on a water and bread only diet, yes you can live but it will not be a great life, why punish the tank inhabitants.
Chemicals in the water will be depleted and the tank will not thrive the way it should.
Imagine you on a water and bread only diet, yes you can live but it will not be a great life, why punish the tank inhabitants.
Reefin' Dude
New member
if you are adding anything new to the tank on a regular basis, then trying to keep a system going without doing water changes is going to be impossible. food, supplements, whatever constitutes an increase in mass, if the only thing leaving is water. this system will tend towards eutrophication by definition.
G~
G~
SavingOurSeas
New member
The Word Is The Water
The Word Is The Water
I highly enjoy enquiring minds that have questions leading to conversations such as this one.
What a great question!
However, usually it is a unrealized formality of a whipping post fiesta, with this "fact" and that "fact" mostly presented in a highly condescending manner. Yet, this is only my opinion and it is probably a biased one.
I would love to delve deeply into the broad science of the actualities of why or why not.
I could literally talk with someone about the many facets of water parameters all night long!
Then again, that's just a personal abnormality, others would probably like to get on with reefing already.
Do forgive if I come off a bit rude this evening. :fish2:
The Word Is The Water
I highly enjoy enquiring minds that have questions leading to conversations such as this one.
What a great question!
However, usually it is a unrealized formality of a whipping post fiesta, with this "fact" and that "fact" mostly presented in a highly condescending manner. Yet, this is only my opinion and it is probably a biased one.
I would love to delve deeply into the broad science of the actualities of why or why not.
I could literally talk with someone about the many facets of water parameters all night long!
Then again, that's just a personal abnormality, others would probably like to get on with reefing already.
Do forgive if I come off a bit rude this evening. :fish2:
SavingOurSeas
New member
David, have you kept any sort of log to show the more intricate results other than "everything is flourishing?"
If so, such would be fantastic to share with others.
If not, would you be interested in starting?
If so, such would be fantastic to share with others.
If not, would you be interested in starting?
DavidinGA
Active member
I really haven't too much and especially not lately as our daughter was just born and now I really have very little time lol.
I can say:
never have had algae issues
No po4 issues
never had any Nitrate issues
Fish are not apparently under stress
Corals appear very healthy
2 photon32's reefbreeder led's
I supplement - iodide, essential elements and reef fuel. ATO kalkwasser at half rate solution.
Dosing 2 part alk and cal
Gfo in reactor
Running cheato in fuge.
SRO3000INT skimmer
2 jebao wp40 wavemakers
200lbs ish marcorock
150lb oolite sand
You might be surprised at the number of people who do very sparse water changes, especially on larger systems...
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As you've already concluded, for a small tank it doesn't even make sense to contemplate no water changes.
To give you my advice for your future, unless you plan on having an expensive/complicated setup, just try to come up with an easy routine to do water changes than try to fight it. I tried to fight it and gave up.
To give you my advice for your future, unless you plan on having an expensive/complicated setup, just try to come up with an easy routine to do water changes than try to fight it. I tried to fight it and gave up.
jinks
New member
You know this seems to come up a lot. The question of how to not do them or the miracle tank saying they never do them and look how amazing this is. Are they really that hard or time consuming? Do dog owners spend this much thought over how to not pick up the poop? Not trying to rant on anyone just makes me laugh.
