water changes

[Bozinator]

Do not have tank yet but have been reading and reading and reading and the more I read the more questions I have. My questions are (1) when topping off the tank you/I dont have salt in that water cause the salinity in the tank went up because the water evaporates and not the element? and (2) when i do a water change ( and from what I've read most of you are not doing it as much as you should LOL ) What % should I be doing and (3) that salinity should be at or near 1.027

 

[nereefpat]

1. correct. just add water. salt doesn't evaporate.

2. I usually suggest 10% weekly for a starting point. Some folks get by with much less.

3. If you have any invertebrates, specific gravity needs to be in the 1.025-1.028 range. In a fish only tank, it can be a few points lower.

 

[homer1475]

1. Correct water evaporates, salt remains. Just top off with plain RO/DI.

2. I do 10% a week religiously.

3. Typically a reef tank(corals inverts, not just fish and rock) is kept anywhere from 1.025 to 1.027, I shoot for 1.026. Fish can be kept as low as 1.019 like some LFS's do to cut the cost of salt.

 

[Zalick]

For water changes, 10% is a good target. On my smaller systems I did 20%. You'll hear some people say "I change my water 1x per year and look at my tank". This is true, tanks can be successfull without frequent water changes. However, water changes are beneficial and most will highgly recommend them. You won't find anyone who says water changes are bad for your tank.

I shoot for 1.026 as well +/- .001.

If you decide to go with a system with a sump, make sure to read up on all the redundancy/safety checks you should setup.

 

[CeresReef]

Bozinator,

What size tank do you have, and what are you planning on keeping in said tank?

 

[scooter31707]

1. I agree with all the others above ^^

2. I do 15-20%, biweekly.

3. With corals, I keep mines at 1.026

 

[Ron Reefman]

Water changes are a good thing to do, but if you have a stable tank that is mature (a year old or more) and are dosing Ca, alk and Mag, there is less need for water changes, IMHO. Some go long periods (as in months) without a water change and some don't do any. I have a 200g system and I do a 10-15% water change every month or so.

I haven't found salinity stability to be a huge issue. My goes from 1.024 to 1.029 over time and I've never had any issues I would tie to the change in salinity.

 

[dyazdani]

Agree with the above - only additional comment would be to invest in a nice refractometer for salinity measurements rather than the hydrometer (swingarm/float) type.

 

[Shwimy]

water change every week i dont dose so i get the nutrients with water changes

 

[Bozinator]

Thanks for the info, thinking 120 Gal with a sump will read as much as I can on sumps

Thanks for the info, thinking 120 Gal with a sump will read as much as I can on sumps

For water changes, 10% is a good target. On my smaller systems I did 20%. You'll hear some people say "I change my water 1x per year and look at my tank". This is true, tanks can be successfull without frequent water changes. However, water changes are beneficial and most will highgly recommend them. You won't find anyone who says water changes are bad for your tank.

I shoot for 1.026 as well +/- .001.

If you decide to go with a system with a sump, make sure to read up on all the redundancy/safety checks you should setup.

 

[Bozinator]

Don't have one as of yet just getting as much info, as far as I understand 120Gal is

Don't have one as of yet just getting as much info, as far as I understand 120Gal is

Bozinator,

What size tank do you have, and what are you planning on keeping in said tank?

 

[Bozinator]

Thanks Ron

Thanks Ron

and thanks for all the GREAT advise, tips and suggestions on "NEW TO THE HOBBY" just trying to figure which way to go. Ask 10 reefers a question and you get 8 different answers and all of them are correct, doesnt make it easy to sort out when just beginning

Water changes are a good thing to do, but if you have a stable tank that is mature (a year old or more) and are dosing Ca, alk and Mag, there is less need for water changes, IMHO. Some go long periods (as in months) without a water change and some don't do any. I have a 200g system and I do a 10-15% water change every month or so.

I haven't found salinity stability to be a huge issue. My goes from 1.024 to 1.029 over time and I've never had any issues I would tie to the change in salinity.