Water changes

[norton503]

I have water from an established 30gallon reef tank. Can I use the water for water changes in another 50 gallon I have . I already moved the live rock over from the 30 to the 50. Or should I just dump the water and mix new water ??

Thank you .

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[dt204]

You are wanting to do water changes with old water?
Or you are starting a new tank and transferring everything from an existing tank?

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[norton503]

You are wanting to do water changes with old water?
Or you are starting a new tank and transferring everything from an existing tank?

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Yes . Sorry the 50g is 2 weeks old so I am curious if I should reuse the water or if it's safer to just mix new water for water changes

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[outy]

mix new, when ever I make large changes I always use new water

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I have water from an established 30gallon reef tank. Can I use the water for water changes in another 50 gallon I have . I already moved the live rock over from the 30 to the 50. Or should I just dump the water and mix new water ??

Thank you .

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I'd use the existing water with the new.
Mechanically filter it with floss or whatever.
Putting existing coral into 100% new water could be a shock to them.
The old water will have some nutrients for the corals & the change in elements will be less.

 

[mcgyvr]

What do you think the benefit of the "old water" is?

But yes avoiding a parameter swing if you are moving corals can be important and thats one way to mitigate that..

You already moved the rock over and the vast majority of beneficial bacteria is clinging to the surfaces of the rock,etc.. and very little is free floating in the water..

So if the reason is not about maintaining similar parameters then there is little to no reason to use it..

 

[outy]

Putting existing coral into 100% new water could be a shock to them.
.

In almost 30 years of this, putting coral into new water is almost always loved by the corals, even with a sharp nitrate difference.

If temp is close and salinity, which is the elephant in the room and should be obvious, then they will only thrive.

Had a tank set up over a decade, and threw everything in 100% all new water from an old tank, and had my first spawning event.

 

[mcgyvr]

In almost 30 years of this, putting coral into new water is almost always loved by the corals, even with a sharp nitrate difference.

Its the potential alkalinity difference here that can be problematic.. I'm sure thats what twinfallz was referring to mostly..
A coral is not going to be happy going from an alk of 7 to an alk of 14 (fresh reef crystals,etc..)

But yes for the most part If you try to maintain levels equal to or close to your new saltwater then going into "new" water will likely always be "better" and certainly no worse..

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Norton is also asking if its safe to use the water from his existing tank.

Of course it is if everything was ok.
Adding it to the 50gal will be like doing a large water change.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Its the potential alkalinity difference here that can be problematic.. I'm sure thats what twinfallz was referring to mostly..
..

Alk, cal, mag, potassium & traces. But also organic & inorganic nutrient levels.
Established & sensitive corals getting a 100% water change is one thing. Going into a virgin system as well is another.

 

[Lsufan]

I would mix new water for the water changes. If u use water from another aquarium for water changes then that defeats the purpose of a water change.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I would mix new water for the water changes. If u use water from another aquarium for water changes then that defeats the purpose of a water change.

Is he wanting to use the old water for water changes, or, does he want to use the old water with new water to fill up a new tank ???

I'm not sure, but no, no point using old water for regular water changes

 

[norton503]

I was planning on using the water to start my new tank , but as things went I ended up setting the new tank up ahead of taking the old one down. So now I have 20 gallons of old but good water. I am now cycling my new tank ( kinda ) with new water. I say kinda because it's been 2 weeks and it seems to be doing really well already.

But is there any benefit to keeping the water and using as I do water changes ? Or can I do a huge water change right now to use it ? Or could it do more harm now than good ?

I just hate to waste and if it would benefit my tank than awesome

Thank you everyone ! I love how much help we get from here .


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[norton503]

Clown ,2 damsel's and a cleaner shrimp. A hand full of crabs , 3 or 4 snails and 1 substrate snail ( that I finally saw today so he made the trip too ).

Corals are just some mixed mushrooms a frog's spawn and some polyps.

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[Scrubber_steve]

I was planning on using the water to start my new tank , but as things went I ended up setting the new tank up ahead of taking the old one down. So now I have 20 gallons of old but good water. I am now cycling my new tank ( kinda ) with new water. I say kinda because it's been 2 weeks and it seems to be doing really well already.

But is there any benefit to keeping the water and using as I do water changes ? Or can I do a huge water change right now to use it ? Or could it do more harm now than good ?

I just hate to waste and if it would benefit my tank than awesome

Thank you everyone ! I love how much help we get from here .


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If you were cycling new fresh live rock where organisms were dying off & polluting the water, the old tank water would be good for changes, in that case.

 

[Lsufan]

That is how I took the op, both tanks are already setup so he would essentially be doing a water change with the old water. U don’t really want to do a water change while the tank is cycling unless the ammonia or nitrite get extremely high. If they are extremely high then it wouldn’t hurt to use that water for the water change. I dought that is the case being u transferred your liverock, so I would more then likely just throw out the old water.