Water changes?

[Truepercula109]

Hey guys, i have a 110g right now with probably like 100 actual gallons with the rocks and the sand, i have it rigged up so i can do water changes with ease, I recently have put a stop to using the Ocean salt water that i found at my lfs because i tested a lot of them and the water varied a lot with every "shipment" of new water so i started making my own water with my RO/DI system and a new salt mix i found called H20 salt, now my question is, i have been doing 20-25 gallon changes a week, so a total of 80 to the entire 100 gallons a month? is there any downside to this? so far i have noticed everything has become supper stable, salinity, ph, phosphates and nitrates are always very very low, i have almost no bad algae grow, anything bad in the long run with so many water changes?

 

[killarsox]

Nope, Keep it up!

 

[ctenophors rule]

actualy, it is my philosophy that water changes are mearly a solution to a problem.

you switched to synthetic salts because it would be more stable.

so, if you can maintain water quality with out water changes, then your tank will obviously be even more stable.

water changes remove pelagic bacterium, other plankters that can help estabish new colonies once they land, or can be a beneficial live food to corals, and other suspension feeders.

while the down side may not have a steep slope, water changes still detract from the level plain of stability we all strive for in our aquariums.

(sorry for the messy post, kind of rushed)

 

[jamesbm1001]

I share your philosophy with reguards to water changes, or rather the lack there of. It started as a desire to reduce fluctuations as well as reduce maintanance, but now I have moral issues with water changes. I'm not taking a shot at anyone but it seems that with how much discussion there is about perserving natural reef's and conserving electricity by getting the most efficient pumps around, there is little thought given to water conservation. I'm not saying that electrical efficiency isn't important, but fresh water is a very limited resource. I've been searching the boards for quite some time to see if anyone has had/implemented the same thought as me, reduce/eliminate water changes, and if possible condense tank evaporation for reuse. Just a though.

 

[ctenophors rule]

i dont do any water changes in my tank, and i had used syran wrap a while ago when my alpheus first died, and my goby was acting up, cut my top off in 3/4ths!

GOOD freshwater may be a very limited resource, but after we use it, it just goes back into the hydrologic cycle, so i dont worry too much about my freshwater usage.( still turn water off when brushing or showering, though.

 

[tank41]

Hello. IMO that seems like alot of water every week. Unless you can afford it keep it up. Thats 20-25% weekly. I allways went on the theory of that much monthly. Maybe im doing something wrong but I have approximately 80 gallons of water and change about 4 gallons a week. With the price of salt that could get a bit spendy for me but what in this hobby is cheap anyways Have a good one.

 

[username in use]

I have a 29t, with a total system volume just over 50 gallons, and only do a 5 gallon change every 3 weeks or so. I used to do 5 gallons every week and then 10 gallons once a month, but since switching to less changes, I have very noticable improvements of the overall look of the corals and fish. Everything expands more, colors are rich, and the water is always bang on clear, with almost no swings in parameters. My PH fix was running the airline for the skimmmer outside, where it gets fresh ocean breezes to draw air instead of stuffy house air. Anyways, I am all for less changes, but monitor your tank when starting it so you can feel out what your schedule is, after all, all tanks are different.

 

[macclellan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15103233#post15103233 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jamesbm1001
I'm not saying that electrical efficiency isn't important, but fresh water is a very limited resource. I've been searching the boards for quite some time to see if anyone has had/implemented the same thought as me, reduce/eliminate water changes, and if possible condense tank evaporation for reuse. Just a though.

The importance of water conservation varies by region. It is definitely a big deal in Cali...not so much here. Regardless, in the big scheme of things, there are much easier places to reduce water consumption in your life than your tank, IMHO, and frequent partial water changes contribute to tank health, IME. Don't play golf or water lawn so much if at all, use a dishwasher instead of handwashing, etc. Also, think of the front end - Rainwater capture is cheap and easy, and low tds, so helps extend RO/DI unit's life.

 

[louisvilleboy]

macclellan are you saying you use rain water

 

[username in use]

Ive heard of a couple of people who use rain water with great success. I havent done it personaly as I dont have a way of collecting it now, but it makes sense. Its basicaly distilled water that falls from the sky free of charge. Clean up your roof and run your gutters into a collection bin, than just run it through some filter floss and carbon and you should be good to go. worth a shot.

 

[macclellan]

It isn't too hard to design systems that automatically purge the first X gallons each rain to get rid of dust and such before filling the reservoir. A buddy of mine designed a system for an entire school in a dry region when we were in Peace Corps.