Who Doesn't Do Water Changes
- Thread starter pitmindi
- Start date
sanababit
Active member
My skimmer is between a piece of junk and a little better then a cyclone skimmer, lol, it skims but not that good, to tell you the truth i only use it to aereate the water and bring more Oxygen, that is it, i use an algae scrubber for filtration, maybe he can try that and foget about doing water changes
sana
outy
New member
I said it once ill say it again.
There is no such thing as a tank with no water changes, ONLY the time before you HAVE to do one.
Its not fun when you HAVE to.
there has been one or two proffesional tanks on here that I have seen that have done 10 years without a water change, theres only so long you can go before the waters chemistry gets all out of whack. these I believe were Italian tanks larger then 1000 gallons with natural substrate AND then to top it off come to find out they were being fed with natural seawater so they really dont even count
There is no such thing as a tank with no water changes, ONLY the time before you HAVE to do one.
Its not fun when you HAVE to.
there has been one or two proffesional tanks on here that I have seen that have done 10 years without a water change, theres only so long you can go before the waters chemistry gets all out of whack. these I believe were Italian tanks larger then 1000 gallons with natural substrate AND then to top it off come to find out they were being fed with natural seawater so they really dont even count
sruiz
Reef'R
pitmindi : read my signature "dont forget your water change"
Let me answer your question:
Everyone here or 99 % of people with livestock do water changes, the other 1% just had their tank crash and have no livestock left.
lol
not to be rude but "I tried it once...and that was enough for me!" YOu might be satisfied with the way it looks and readings you are getting but I think you might be more sucesful if you do regular water changes.
Do yourself a favor and fill up 5 gallon bucket with your water then compare it to a 5 gallon bucket of fresh water.
Then you decide which one you will put back in your tank.. Green/ brown or Clear Crisp Water ? its not rocket science
Let me answer your question:
Everyone here or 99 % of people with livestock do water changes, the other 1% just had their tank crash and have no livestock left.
lol
not to be rude but "I tried it once...and that was enough for me!" YOu might be satisfied with the way it looks and readings you are getting but I think you might be more sucesful if you do regular water changes.
Do yourself a favor and fill up 5 gallon bucket with your water then compare it to a 5 gallon bucket of fresh water.
Then you decide which one you will put back in your tank.. Green/ brown or Clear Crisp Water ? its not rocket science
Last edited:
sslak
New member
For how long? You joined RC in 2009, is that when the tank started? I don't consider that long term success, or proof that your 4 water changes per year is sustainable. Not only that, he's talking about NO water changes...none.
It's widely accepted that bigger systems offer better stability, you wouldn't get away with that if you had a 14g BioCube. As you said, it does depend on the system but water changes are inevitable.
Jason S
New member
I do not water changes because I have to... I do them so I do not get to a point where I do HAVE to. It is simply the easiest part of preventative maintenance that I can do to ensure the health of the animals I am obligated to care for. I have been reef keeping for 13 years, and I have seen alot, and made many mistakes. A tank crash is not something I want to go through again, so I will do everything I can to ensure it does not happen.
Stating "everything looks great" is not a valid excuse to not perform them. Everything "looked great" in my tank before it crashed 9 years ago. In fact, everything appeared to be thriving. After the crash, I had a massive battle with Hair algae. This crash was purely due to my neglegent maintenance routine... or lack there of. I am not saying you WILL fail, but why on earth would you take that chance???
Besides, my corals thank me for it.
Stating "everything looks great" is not a valid excuse to not perform them. Everything "looked great" in my tank before it crashed 9 years ago. In fact, everything appeared to be thriving. After the crash, I had a massive battle with Hair algae. This crash was purely due to my neglegent maintenance routine... or lack there of. I am not saying you WILL fail, but why on earth would you take that chance???
Besides, my corals thank me for it.
There's way too much patronizing here for my particular taste. I don't understand all these opinions, without mentioning a single fact. Why don't we just read (or read again) what the Master said?.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
In my experience. I have a 100G with 3 fishes: one Yellow Tang, One tomato and one mean SOB yellowtail, also one peppermint and 40 in snails, red and blue legs. And a few purple mushrooms. I love them all.
A couple of years ago I went through a nasty divorce, lots of personal problems, illness and whatnot. WC were after last in the list of things to do. The tank went months without WC. The skimmer was working. Feeding was sporadic (couple of times a week) and no dosing anything. Half of the lights (VHO) were gone.
I didn't lose a fish. The mushrooms were growing and everything was just getting by. Nobody died. No algae (no super powerful lights) blooms, no red slime, nothing.
I just restarted the tank because I couldn't get the nitrates to go down and I wanted to add more livestock and the tank look nicer.
When I recovered I emptied the tank. bleached the rocks, got rid of the sand. Bought new LR, a MH fixture and a GFO reactor. Fixed the skimmer and i'm dosing ca, alk and mg.
Coralline is thriving and everything looks good (maybe the lights) but without a WC in 2 years the tank was just OK.
What I don't like is people here with "your join date is XXXX" (you know RC is not the center of the universe), "I'll buy your tank in craiglist" and all these reactions to people that are only exposing here their experiences without WC.
Summary: if you are not helping, you are a PIA.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
In my experience. I have a 100G with 3 fishes: one Yellow Tang, One tomato and one mean SOB yellowtail, also one peppermint and 40 in snails, red and blue legs. And a few purple mushrooms. I love them all.
A couple of years ago I went through a nasty divorce, lots of personal problems, illness and whatnot. WC were after last in the list of things to do. The tank went months without WC. The skimmer was working. Feeding was sporadic (couple of times a week) and no dosing anything. Half of the lights (VHO) were gone.
I didn't lose a fish. The mushrooms were growing and everything was just getting by. Nobody died. No algae (no super powerful lights) blooms, no red slime, nothing.
I just restarted the tank because I couldn't get the nitrates to go down and I wanted to add more livestock and the tank look nicer.
When I recovered I emptied the tank. bleached the rocks, got rid of the sand. Bought new LR, a MH fixture and a GFO reactor. Fixed the skimmer and i'm dosing ca, alk and mg.
Coralline is thriving and everything looks good (maybe the lights) but without a WC in 2 years the tank was just OK.
What I don't like is people here with "your join date is XXXX" (you know RC is not the center of the universe), "I'll buy your tank in craiglist" and all these reactions to people that are only exposing here their experiences without WC.
Summary: if you are not helping, you are a PIA.
Jason S
New member
Hardiel... I am not trying to be patronizing at all, but this is from the conclusion in the article you linked:
"Water changes are a good way to help control certain processes that serve to drive reef aquarium water away from its starting purity. Some things build up in certain situations (organics, certain metals, sodium, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, etc.), and some things become depleted (calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, strontium, silica, etc.). Water changes can serve to help correct these imbalances, and in some cases may be the best way to deal with them. Water changes of 15-30% per month (whether carried out once a month, daily or continuously) have been shown in the graphs above to be useful in moderating the drift of these different seawater components from starting levels. For most reef aquaria, I recommend such changes as good aquarium husbandry. In general, the more the better, if carried out appropriately, and if the new salt water is of appropriate quality."
I will state it again... Water changes are the single most important, and easiest form of preventative maintenance. In some systems you can be fine for a very long time, but the rule of thumb is that you will not be fine forever without them. Stating that everything looks fine is not an arguement to not perform water changes.
You are correct... join date is not an argument to how much you know... I just found out about reefcentral in January of this year, but have been doing this for 13 years.
"Water changes are a good way to help control certain processes that serve to drive reef aquarium water away from its starting purity. Some things build up in certain situations (organics, certain metals, sodium, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, etc.), and some things become depleted (calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, strontium, silica, etc.). Water changes can serve to help correct these imbalances, and in some cases may be the best way to deal with them. Water changes of 15-30% per month (whether carried out once a month, daily or continuously) have been shown in the graphs above to be useful in moderating the drift of these different seawater components from starting levels. For most reef aquaria, I recommend such changes as good aquarium husbandry. In general, the more the better, if carried out appropriately, and if the new salt water is of appropriate quality."
I will state it again... Water changes are the single most important, and easiest form of preventative maintenance. In some systems you can be fine for a very long time, but the rule of thumb is that you will not be fine forever without them. Stating that everything looks fine is not an arguement to not perform water changes.
You are correct... join date is not an argument to how much you know... I just found out about reefcentral in January of this year, but have been doing this for 13 years.
sslak
New member
I didn't say RC should be the center of the universe. I said 1 year of reefkeeping does not prove long term sustainability of a particular husbandry method. I wasn't trying to patronize anyone.
You also just said you "restarted the tank" because the nitrates wouldn't go down, but follow it up by saying water changes aren't needed. I don't understand.
I am not saying skipping water changes will cause a horrific crash 100% of the time, but I do know that performing water changes is easy, and can only benefit your aquarium, so there is no valid reason not to do regular changes.
You also just said you "restarted the tank" because the nitrates wouldn't go down, but follow it up by saying water changes aren't needed. I don't understand.
I am not saying skipping water changes will cause a horrific crash 100% of the time, but I do know that performing water changes is easy, and can only benefit your aquarium, so there is no valid reason not to do regular changes.
sanababit
Active member
Saltyveins
New member
I do WC once a week, it keeps my cal, alk, mag, and nitrates all in check and make my corals and fish happy at the same time. To me doing a WC once a week is way easier than dosing everything else several times a week. Yes I am new to RC, but not to reef keeping. 
outy
New member
Hey Paul Hows it going, long time no see.
when ever I think my tank is getting old I always think about yours lol im now 1/3 of the way there lol
The more knowledge i "understand" about this hobby the longer I have gone without water changes, I think 4 years was enough this time and I know I wont be repeating this episode. I didnt do it on purpose and now I have the time to devote to my maintenance.
for those that are talking tank crashing thats absurd, you will just see a slow decline in your tanks health when it needs love, you will have mystery deaths of your less then hardy inhabitants though and algea and bacteria blooms yes your buddy cyano
reefvilla
New member
I think a lot of people do something One way and then to them, that is the only way it will work. I have been in the saltwater game since 2000 and have went through many skimmers, some very high priced. Done many, many, Many water changes and basically played follow the leader for my first 5-6 years.
After many years of learning and "tinkering", I now have my own way of doing things and it doesn't include a skimmer and I only do a 10% water change per month in my 120g. I never have a problem with algae and my corals/fish thrive.
There are so many variables in this hobby that no two systems are identical and no one can say "THIS" is the way it has to work. Listen, read and learn as much as you can and you will succeed with saltwater.
After many years of learning and "tinkering", I now have my own way of doing things and it doesn't include a skimmer and I only do a 10% water change per month in my 120g. I never have a problem with algae and my corals/fish thrive.
There are so many variables in this hobby that no two systems are identical and no one can say "THIS" is the way it has to work. Listen, read and learn as much as you can and you will succeed with saltwater.
robs.mark
Premium Member
I have personally always done water changes, 10-15% every week, and sometimes i do a little more (last night i was feeling giddy so i did a 35% change!) before i do the wc i scrape the glass with a razor and suck up the algae from that with a syphon. I always notice the following day that my corals look more vibrant, and i feel better in myself knowing that all those important trace minerals have been replaced! I top up with RO water (0-6 tds) and run a skimmer, phosban reactor, and grow macro in my sump. I have a medium stocked 110g system.
Imo for the money we put into our reefs and for the sake of our corals why risk it?! It takes me half an hour to scrape, wc, empty collection cup and top up ro res. I have always used filtered NSW (from indian ocean) costs me $10 a week. Thats cheaper than adding buffers all the time (i still dose cal and mag, though a lot less than i would ne doing if it wernt for the wc's).
This is a hobby, hobbies take up some of your time regardless, and if you wish to be successful long term, i personally dont think there is any substitute for this simple maintenance method.
Imo for the money we put into our reefs and for the sake of our corals why risk it?! It takes me half an hour to scrape, wc, empty collection cup and top up ro res. I have always used filtered NSW (from indian ocean) costs me $10 a week. Thats cheaper than adding buffers all the time (i still dose cal and mag, though a lot less than i would ne doing if it wernt for the wc's).
This is a hobby, hobbies take up some of your time regardless, and if you wish to be successful long term, i personally dont think there is any substitute for this simple maintenance method.
The_Codfather
Have frag will travel
There is a member on here Paul B who maybe does WC's 2x or 3 a year and his tank is spotless mind you the guy has been in the hobby for 50 years
The_Codfather
Have frag will travel
lol..didn't see you there Paul
