water changes

[ilovetrains]

how much?
how often?

We have been up and running just over a week with a few fish to look at on the live rock. Our water tests so far have been very good, will get another one late this week when go to LFS for lights.

Question is, water changes. How much and how often should we look to do this? We have been losing about 1/2 gallon every other day to evaporation, maybe a little more. I have been adding tap water with chlorine conditioner and salt (just like I filled the tank with.)

Is this OK?

 

[papagimp]

10%-15% of tank volume, once a week.

Tap water is a no-no. Some will argue, but it's your tank and your tap water. Good luck using it. Did you let the tank cycle before adding the fish? Also, if you can get RO/DIwater instead of tap, the chlorine conditioner won't be needed. Also, don't top off with saltwater at all, use freshwater (ro prefferably) When you have evaportation, the salt does not evaporate and you'll just raise the Specific gravity doing it taht way. Check and keep it in normal specifications.

 

[barbra]

When you top off with salt water you are increasing the total salinity of the tank. Only water evaporates, salt does not. Top off with fresh water only. And the tap water? I'll let somebody else take up that crusade.....

Water changes are a matter of personality as much as anything it seems, everybody has their own schedule for their own reasons. I do about 10% every week. Some never do water changes.

 

[barbra]

papagimp beat me by a click

 

[taillonjohn]

1) never use salt water for top offs, it will increase the specific gravity of your tank
2) better not to use tap water (unless you want fish only)
3) amount ofwater changes are often debated. I prefer small weekly changes, instead of large monthly changes

suggestion: do lotsa reading thru this forumn, lotsa great help on here, but before you buy or do anything else, pls wait till others pipe up on here, as you have already made big mistakes(no tap water, no salt water for top-off, and you mentioned you already have fish in the tank? sounds like your tank has not even started to cycle yet)

anyone else to help?

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741063#post9741063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by papagimp
10%-15% of tank volume, once a week.

Tap water is a no-no. Some will argue, but it's your tank and your tap water. Good luck using it. Did you let the tank cycle before adding the fish? Also, if you can get RO/DIwater instead of tap, the chlorine conditioner won't be needed. Also, don't top off with saltwater at all, use freshwater (ro prefferably) When you have evaportation, the salt does not evaporate and you'll just raise the Specific gravity doing it taht way. Check and keep it in normal specifications.

The specific gravity has not gone up (check at least once per day) In fact, it has gotten lower and have added more salt over the past few days.

10% would be 15 gallons, which is more than I want to haul back and forth to the LFS every week. Hmm, maybe I will have to look harder at a home RO/DI system.

 

[barbra]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741127#post9741127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ilovetrains
The specific gravity has not gone up (check at least once per day) In fact, it has gotten lower and have added more salt over the past few days.

Clearly something needs to be recalibrated because you are describing a physically impossible scenario.

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741091#post9741091 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by taillonjohn
1) never use salt water for top offs, it will increase the specific gravity of your tank
2) better not to use tap water (unless you want fish only)
3) amount ofwater changes are often debated. I prefer small weekly changes, instead of large monthly changes

suggestion: do lotsa reading thru this forumn, lotsa great help on here, but before you buy or do anything else, pls wait till others pipe up on here, as you have already made big mistakes(no tap water, no salt water for top-off, and you mentioned you already have fish in the tank? sounds like your tank has not even started to cycle yet)

anyone else to help?

I can't really figure out the cycle thing. According to LFS after the live rock and sand and a few days we were done, go ahead and start adding fish, slowly.

I know our water tests have looked good.

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741140#post9741140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by barbra
Clearly something needs to be recalibrated because you are describing a physically impossible scenario.

I was kinda curious about this. We have one of the MarineLand hydrometers, and the water test at LFS came back spot on.

I am not talking about a lot of salt, maybe 3-4 cups over the past week and a half.

 

[papagimp]

They will look good until the cycle starts. Just FYI though, I'm not trying to badmouth your local store, but alot of LFS are not the best places to get information. They are not in the hobby to fun like we are, they are in the business to make money. big difference there. Besides, you starting to add livestock early and everything dying during the cycle will only make them more money when you go buy more fish. Go ahead and ask them whatever but before making final purchases, double check the info with several sources. Like here on reefcentral for a definate one, and then some other sources just to be sure. Live rock and sand helps reduce the cycle, but that will depend on the quality of the rock and sand, how well it's already seeded, and howmuch die off is going to occur after it goes in your tank.

Your tank is 150g right? Just making sure you got your math right .

I agree with barbara's comment, adding more saltwater and the SG going down instead is impossible. Are you using a cheap swing arm hydrometer? They can be fairly inaccurate, a refractometer is a better option. Also, 15 gallons is only 3 buckets, not that bad really. I carry 40g (8 buckets) to and from my LFS every week, in a tiny 2 door kia at that. If ya wanna nice tank, ya gotta make some concessions somewhere. But if you can find a good home ro/di unit, than I'd go that route.

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741206#post9741206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by papagimp
They will look good until the cycle starts. Just FYI though, I'm not trying to badmouth your local store, but alot of LFS are not the best places to get information. They are not in the hobby to fun like we are, they are in the business to make money. big difference there. Besides, you starting to add livestock early and everything dying during the cycle will only make them more money when you go buy more fish. Go ahead and ask them whatever but before making final purchases, double check the info with several sources. Like here on reefcentral for a definate one, and then some other sources just to be sure. Live rock and sand helps reduce the cycle, but that will depend on the quality of the rock and sand, how well it's already seeded, and howmuch die off is going to occur after it goes in your tank.

Your tank is 150g right? Just making sure you got your math right .

I agree with barbara's comment, adding more saltwater and the SG going down instead is impossible. Are you using a cheap swing arm hydrometer? They can be fairly inaccurate, a refractometer is a better option. Also, 15 gallons is only 3 buckets, not that bad really. I carry 40g (8 buckets) to and from my LFS every week, in a tiny 2 door kia at that. If ya wanna nice tank, ya gotta make some concessions somewhere. But if you can find a good home ro/di unit, than I'd go that route.

yep 150, but my math skills ain't real good, so good to check.:bum:

It is the swing arm style, takes a few raps with the knuckle to get the bubbles off the arm. LFS said they were more accurate than a refractometer because needed no calibration.

I have used 2-3 LFS BTW - just trying to make sure was getting similar information (for the most part they are similar, differ more in brands etc.)

 

[ljosh]

I would trade my hydrometer for a refractometer any day

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9741259#post9741259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ilovetrains
LFS said they were more accurate than a refractometer because needed no calibration.

That just proved my point on LFS . Hdyrometers may not require "calibration" exactlly, but if you don't check there calibration you won't know what SG you are actually getting. It may say 1.023 or whatever, but in all likelhood, it's wrong.

A refractometer needs calibrating but it's a much more accurate piece of equipment. If you can find somebody with one of these, have them check your hydrometer for ya, see what your actually getting. And since you "know" it's going to be somewhat off, Just be sure to be consistant with your readings. If you aim for 1.023, try your hardest to keep it there. The stability will help even if the level is not optimal.

 

[ilovetrains]

I am going to take my hydrometer to two stores this weekend and see how it compares to their equipment. Salt level has been stable for past 3 days.

 

[NightShade00013]

I am going to put in about 3 cents here.

First this is a new system if I am correct, ok figuring this and the fact that salt doesn't evaporate we need to look at the fact that if water splashes or sprays onto a surface and the water evaproates leaving the salt residue behind the salinity will still go down. A LFS in town uses a type of spray bar on their tanks and quite a bit of salt can be seen in some places.

I do not have a tank yet but have been reading some things for almost a year and even though a hydrometer may not be perfect the one I picked up the other day is certified as being calibrated. This may or may not be 100% accurate but should do the job most of the time. Though supplementing your measurements with a friends equpiment is always a good thing no matter what. Equipment does fail or can give false readings.

Final thought, are you taking water for readings directly from the surface water or from below the water? Most tests should be taken at a depth of at least 6 inches below the surface to prevent any false readings.

 

[snuggle2me]

I know that having a new tank is exciting and hard to resist the urge to start adding livestock right away. My tank also cycled in just a matter of days, due to having great lr from my local lfs. But you need to slow way down. Even if your water test great. Do the lfs know how old your tank is when they are selling you the fish? Whats probably going to happen next is after a couple more weeks is the algae bloom. This is going to make your tank look awful. Almost all new tanks will get this. I also started off with tap water. Big Mistake. now i do wc with ro/di water and top off with ro/di water too. My tank is 2 months old and i almost have the algae problem under control. I am lucky because i have honest lfs's in my area and they have never pushed sales on me and one even told me i needed to wait and they wouldnt sell me any fish until they believed my tank was ready. For that i am thankful for. My advise i guess is that take it slow until you know your tanks stages and do alot of reading while you are waiting for it to mature. Trust me, the less you have in your tank of fish the easier it will be for you to get threw the new tank algae symdrome. Good lucky with your new tank and enjoy the little things.. I see something new everyday just from the lr i have. Its growing the coolest things.

 

[Lpabsolute]

Many people vary on Water changes. I personally do about a 20-25% once a month and have never had a prob.