Who Doesn't Do Water Changes

[The Reef Expert]

"A local pet store here is pushing a product called aqua bella. It alledgedly guarantees no water changes for 1year. Its a series of bacteria additions from what I'm told. I won't try it as I love doing water changes. Everything just seems so much healthier." "No water change systems" are freshwater setups my friend. Even then nutrients have to be constantly monitored.

 

[tastydog]

FWIW:

I do a 10-15% water changes once a week on my 90gal and it always looks great. I am now using Salinity and like it. I may change back to reef crystals but probably not. Salinity is keeping my iodine levels where I want them without additives too.

Using tap water: If you do some research on this, and I mean in books at the library, not online, you will find that over time NO MATTER WHAT YOUR TDS IS, if it not 0 the tank WILL build up toxins. It may take years, or it may take months. IT WILL HAPPEN. If you have been running for 5 years, great, maybe it will take 7. IT WILL HAPPEN. It is basic chemistry. A protein skimmer will not fix this. It will just prolong the inevitable.

Why change water? Again, some research in the library will tell you the main reasons for water changes are that a good salt replaces trace elements and you export nutrients. If you can keep you water trace elements stable with water changes why use additives? Only use additives as a last resort when water cycling is not enough to replace what the corals are taking away. Then as things progress further that is not even enough and you need to start looking at calcium reactors and the like.

Like everyone has already said, sure you can use tap water and not do water changes. In the end IT WILL FAIL PERIOD. So, I imagine after 5 pages of responses this will get lost in the mix, but I had some spare time to waste

As someone else stated too, SOMETHING will survive, maybe just not what you want!


Good luck.

Brandon

 

[Paul B]

If you examine where various corals we keep are actually collected, you might be amazed at how nasty the water is where mushrooms, and many of the zooanthids come from.
On the contrary, the SPS corals are most often found in pristine waters with much more flow.

Not to

This is true, in my 40+ years of diving I have seen these animals all over the world in varying envirnments.
SPS corals do predominate in the cleanest waters especially the South Pacific where there is very little human activity.
You can grow many soft corals anywhere. Here in NY where much of my diving is we have plenty of soft corals that are not photosynthetic.
My system is mostly LPS, because I just like them better but I do have three SPS which are growing fine. SPS, LPS and soft corals usually do not belong together because of the chemicals they exude and when you house all three together in close quarters, none of them do as well as they would alone.
There was a time when my reef was all SPS so I know they will live there.
I also think my practice of adding bacteria and water from the sea lessens my need for as many water changes.

 

[sslak]

I thought I was doing pretty good with a 5 year old pair of clowns. Haha...I'll consider myself experienced in another decade or two.

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

+1 Andy LMAO WC are a must I don't care what they tell u! RO/DI is also a critical piece of the puzzle. Tap water is filled with a bunch of nasty stuff u don't want in ur tank. If u can't properly care for these beautiful animals I don't think this hobby is for u. Maybe a few more years in freshwater unless u'll take the plunge n get the necessities?

 

[Garage1217]

I would not be so arrogant saltwateradict. There are drastically different methodologies to reef keeping and many are very successful. The people like myself that do not perform water changes of any size "just adding salt from wet skimming" generally do not do so out of laziness, it is methodology in which we keep out ecosystem stable & healthy. Some are just doing the wrong thing with the wrong equipment & idea, but countless reefers have found how to keep a gorgeous tank, with super healthy sps, lps & softies without the need for large volume changes. This is not hearsay, it is an absolute fact.

 

[hardiel]

Well you would also be an arrogant saltwateradict if you read the first page of this thread and then jump to the last one just to say your own preconceptions missing all the debate in between. Actually, this has a name. It's called Confirmation bias.

So, I decided to write a template that answers any question in this forum. Whatever problem you may have, nitrates, salinity, phosphates, alk, ph, red slime:

You really should find the source of the XXXXXX problem instead of adding chemicals to the system. The XXXXXXX are coming from somewhere. First, we need your system specs. Tank size, type of filtration, lights, other equipment, lbs of live rock, live sand, livestock, any chemicals that you dose with, etc. Also, what are all you readings...especially the one for XXXXXX. Often when people have XXXXXX problems, they are over-feeding their tanks. How much and how often do you feed? Adding chemicals to the tank to clear up XXXXXXX will not fix the problem that is causing high XXXXX. Once you stop the chemicals, the problem will resume and it's never really a good idea to add all kinds of 'extra' chemicals to your tank. They can often cause other problems. The best way to initially lower XXXXX...WATER CHANGES. You need to do several large water changes to drop XXXXXX and then fix whatever is causing you to have high XXXXX. "

Copy, paste and repeat as needed.

/irony mode off
/end rant

 

[WildOceansAZ]

I've NEVER done a water change on any of my tanks and the coraline is booming, the algae is always low, fish always healthy and I've pretty much sworn against water changes because I've only seen people failing to do it properly. But that's just me, and it's just worked for me.

 

[dwculp]

I've NEVER done a water change on any of my tanks and the coraline is booming, the algae is always low, fish always healthy and I've pretty much sworn against water changes because I've only seen people failing to do it properly. But that's just me, and it's just worked for me.

For how long? Do you use a skimmer?

 

[dwculp]

I am a big proponent of water changes, though I have to admit, I have not always done them on a regular basis. For example, have a 29 gallon in my classroom. I would call it a FOWLR but thats not really the case, it does have a lot in invert life in the form of worms, copepods etc... along with snails, micro-hermits and a leather coral. Anyways, I got REALLY busy and ignored water changes on it since December, I did a 10 gallon change a few weeks ago. So thats around 7-8 months with no water change and no skimmer. I didnt lose anything but you can tell a dramatic difference in the tank after the water change.

 

[teesquare]

I've NEVER done a water change on any of my tanks and the coraline is booming, the algae is always low, fish always healthy and I've pretty much sworn against water changes because I've only seen people failing to do it properly. But that's just me, and it's just worked for me.

DO you keep fish tanks or reef tanks? Can you define what you consider "proper water changes"?

Not picking on you - just asking......

 

[dwculp]

One thing about not doing water changes - I have seen tanks of people who dont do water changes and they look good and the owners are happy. The thing is, they could look BETTER with regular water changes but it is hard to convince the owners of that.

 

[sslak]

I've NEVER done a water change on any of my tanks and the coraline is booming, the algae is always low, fish always healthy and I've pretty much sworn against water changes because I've only seen people failing to do it properly. But that's just me, and it's just worked for me.

What kinds of corals do you keep, do you skim, what do you dose, and how many years have these tanks been running using this method?

 

[khaosinc]

I don't do them on any regualr occation by between mucking around, spilling stuff everywhere and occationally adding more tanks, I am kinda cheating.

 

[sanababit]

I dont do water changes in my tank, i used too a LOOOONNG time ago, i stopped because the tank is always at 0 nitrates, so why bother, the tank is 3 years old and full of sps, 15 fish on a 90 gal, 3 of them tangs......look out the tang police

Sana

 

[outy]

I dont do water changes in my tank, i used too a LOOOONNG time ago, i stopped because the tank is always at 0 nitrates, so why bother, the tank is 3 years old and full of sps, 15 fish on a 90 gal, 3 of them tangs......look out the tang police

Sana

well at 3 years was when mine took a slow turn south and I wish I had started with clean water at that point. I made it to 4 years without loss but really 3 years was the sweet spot for me.

its time for you to do it out of general purpose lol you got your moneys worth :bounce3:

 

[sanababit]

well at 3 years was when mine took a slow turn south and I wish I had started with clean water at that point. I made it to 4 years without loss but really 3 years was the sweet spot for me.

its time for you to do it out of general purpose lol you got your moneys worth :bounce3:

MMMMMM, NO, LOL

Can YOU really guarantee me on writing that YOU take responsability for damages that making water changes will never kill my tank, didn't think so, lol

Sana

 

[flatout4fish]

Vacuum sand?

Vacuum sand?

For those that are currently doing water changes, do you ever vacuum your sand. I currently do monthly 25% water changes with RO/DI water. Running skimmer and Refugium, wet/dry over LR but no reactors (yet). I feed my 8 fish sparingly and Corals are all SPS and 3 LPS and 1 Rose Anem. all in 180 gal tank and approx 50 gal sump. My nitrates were creeping up (~25) someone told me I needed to vacuum my sand bed. I did and my nitrates are down in the low teens and still dropping. No cyno or HA at all.
Was this the correct action to take? Should I continue to vacuum the sand or was I lucky to not have crashed the tank?

 

[outy]

MMMMMM, NO, LOL

Can YOU really guarantee me on writing that YOU take responsability for damages that making water changes will never kill my tank, didn't think so, lol

Sana

we all know water changes wont kill coral, there are those that change water and those that will, you may not know it's time until its to late.

 

[syedjilani]

No true, never say you are going to fail at something, i dont do water changes and have a tank going on now for 3 years, albeit i started like everyone else, doing my weekly/montly waterchanges i stopped to experiment and see any effects of not doing them, this experiment has been going for about 2 years now, i've done 1-2 water changes since but that is because i had a leak and lost water, but that is it, so i can say you can have a succesful tank without waterchanges, BTW, my not doing waterchanges doesn't mean i am lazy, it means that there are other methods of maintaining a tank, and i intend of finding them all:lmao:

sana

I wish I could do the same..... Can you please post your Full tank Shots... are you keeping Reef or fish only tank?....