water changes ....a week or not a week, with link on reef water changes myth

nobody · 06-02-2006, 04:26 PM

well i always changed my water every Friday on my old fish only tank............but the more i read here most of you guys do NOT do it weekly..............i always though weekly was the rule............is it different with reef tanks or does it depend on your set up............how do i know how ofter...........is there a good safe rule of thumb..read this link it was interesting about reef water changes

http://www.reefs.org/library/article...htbill_wc.html

pastina · 06-02-2006, 06:46 PM

i have been thinking about this too
seems like everyone is hell bent on cleaning and cleaning to the point of being almost fanatic about it
i was one of these people, until last month when i got lazy in my weekly cleaning chores, i noticed my corals grew in that time and looked ten times better than they did before.
i resumed my weekly water changes and things went back to looking 90% good.
so thats it, im starting a new test, starting last week i am only going to clean my tanks once a month, ill try only a 10% water change and see what happends, then the following month ill do 20%..id like to alternate between 10 and 20 percent monthly and see how things go.
ill let you know how my lil test goes at the end of the month

VWD · 06-02-2006, 06:46 PM

You can do it weekly, Just smaller amounts then if You do it bi weekly or monthly

VWD · 06-02-2006, 06:48 PM

The more stable and mature a tank get the longer tyou can go between water changes, I don't think doing your water changes of 20% every other week or 10 % weekly will cause them to look worst. on my 90 I do 40 to 45 every other week, Things are great.

wharyat · 06-02-2006, 06:50 PM

I do weekly 25% WC's.

I've also started to feed a lot more (1.5 cubes of blender mush a week up from 0 to .5 cubes) within the past month; and noticed huge (although anecdotal) improvements in coral color and growth.

Dragon Moray Eels · 06-02-2006, 06:59 PM

Much to read over in that artickle but I can say that on the percentage of water changes from one reef tank to another, can differ somewhat in what percentage of water changes one would do.

For as well, you can have two people with the same size reef tank and one person has need to do larger water changes then the other and one the reasons in this is the more fish one have the more food one will add to their tanks.

This subject as any other subject in the hobby will always be reached at a difference of opinion, for just as well, we all do something differ from the other person. I not mean thatone does a water change that the other not, but rather some if us take the hobby more seriously then the other.

Just like on my eel tanks, I do a 30-32 gals water change weekly and to top it off the eel tank have a light bio load. Then why do I do such a large weekly water change then? The tanks water volume is 240 gals.

Most people perform a water change every two weeks and a good many once a month.

Quote:

The actual nominal water volume varies greatly from tank to tank

And its just not because of water volume either for its to do with bio load more so then water volume or as the saying goes, on both.
But as the saying is, it varies from tank to tank.

The main huge idea of maintaining a reef tank is too have all the janitors that be needed to help keep your tank clean. One wants to place their hands in their reef tanks as little as possible.

I wish to add to this thread (Not meaning to high jack it) But I may have some rather bad news soon, I know that I will have a longer delay in starting my reef tanks, I just not right now know how long a delay.

For in another two months I was to start finally stocking both the 180 and 240 reef tanks as well in some short time before that buy that digital camcorder. I will know more to how long of a possibly delay next Friday after I see my doctor.

For it`s not what I be having done, but rather it is the cost of it that will cause me a longer delay on my reef tanks.

Buddy

PS. I not know what is wrong, but I never seem to be getting any email on others who post a response.

wharyat · 06-02-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragon Moray Eels

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Little Luey · 06-02-2006, 07:09 PM

IMO it depends on how much you feed your tank, how many fish and coral you have, coral usage of calcium and esential elements, if you run a skimmer, skim wet or dry,......
you get the point? it really is hard to have a rule on how many days because every tank is different and we are different, but weekly is a good start, I do it every saturday and it has become a rutine for me.