Water changes a must??
Posted 05-21-2009 at 10:56 AM by Optimist
I have to add my argued opinion here...
I never say anything because I know people swear by it, like religion, and it always starts wars, just like religion.
I have never, repeat never done a water change ever. I have added water to replace evaporated water using tap but my water has been checked and is pretty damn close to distilled water.
I have been doing this since I was 10. I watched my father struggle with his tanks and try his damnedest to get certain things out. Constantly changing water and ripping apart rock work and disturbing the tank. I have grown SPS very hardily with adding strontium, magnesium and calcium. I have never added DTs and I am a firm believer in letting the ecosystem balance itself... stop moving stuff and stirring everything up! If you keep flipping all that fresh water in your tank you keep throwing off your cycle and pouring the chemicals in there and burning your coral. I used to test every other day and went through kits like crazy. I have brought my water to other people to check and I was getting tired of hearing "it's fine, what's the problem?". I say I have no problem, just never changed my water and wondering why everyone does?
Now I do believe in RODI systems if you have crappy water... I just don't need one in my area. You can very well top off with Tap and I have been doing so for my whole aquarium experience.
People change their water because it's what they've been taught to do and have incorporated. There are studies showing how it adds this and that and keeps you from getting this or that or fueling algeas and phosphate/ nitrate. If this is totally the case, WHY CAN MY TANK BRING DEAD CORALS BACK? and why can I support other people's dying corals? My tank picks up the bio-load and some how magically brings the dying coral back full vibrant. I am not trying to be a smarta$$. I am just showing that it is very well possible to maintain a tank with out doing water changes... not knocking those who don't mind spending the extra money to make or buy water, salt, RO canisters... who make a gallon and waste 5 down the drain (you should use it for laundry btw). Water is scarce enough, why waste it? I will continue to keep my 18+ year old water and keep groing LPS, SPS and bringing other peoples coral back to health just to prove, atleast to me, it is not a NEED. People believe everything they hear in the news and let big words steer their ideas and beliefs just because it sounds smart. What ever happened to those who believed in the plenum design?? That kinda went out and was found a waste too wasn't it? My tank is healthy and has been doing fine. I have never had a crash or unsuspecting issue in the 18 years of doing this. My friend does his water changes religiously and funny... he's got some undetectable issue. He lost 3 Acro and others don't look so hot. Guess who is going to bring them back???? ... AGAIN!
The theory is if you over feed, it isn't all eaten and your fish poop more.
One, you shouldn't feed so much... and if you do, then maybe you should be pulling out water with all that food you just wasted to help control something.
Two, if you feed normally and watch what can be consumed in minutes... what ever your fish eats and is digested will be picked up and further broken down by your "poop-eaters".
Back to the theory, If you over feed you get more poop eater because the food is there to support it's population (much like bristle worms)... supply and demand. When you cut back your over feeding, the food supply goes down and can't support those "poop-eaters".
LET YOUR ECOSYSTEM BALANCE ITSELF!
Eventually it will balance for the way your habits are (feeding and chemicals). If you get algae, there is a creature in the balance of every ecosystem that eats that (emeralds, sea hares...)! Too much poop... someone eats that too! Make every purchase a critical part of your ecosystem!
I cannot say enough that I have never done a water change and I support alot of organisms. There are those who do it their way and there is me who believes my way. I know my way works because of my journey and experiences. I don't knock those who do it their way because that is their religion/ belief/ system... it's their tank to do it their way. (So, for those of you... please take no offense to my way)
SET-UP A TANK AND TRY IT... YOU'LL BE SURPRISED!!!! Let the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate and such go up... watch it eventually stabilize.
My tank has no signs of any of these.
Twice I've had TRACEABLE phosphate from an over feed and it went right back down.
I have an old Powder blue tang whose made it years from tank swaps and other dominant fish. I have a flower pot that I was told only live a year if you are a professional... I must have that exception because mine lived 3 years, looked like it died from placing it too high and has been back now for two years with 4 heads and thriving!
Try it and see... you don't have to do it on your DT. Make a little 55 with frags from your DT and take some of your sand, water and rock... make your own little nano out of the 55 and give it to your son or daughter. NEVER change the water! Just replace the evaporated.
I never say anything because I know people swear by it, like religion, and it always starts wars, just like religion.
I have never, repeat never done a water change ever. I have added water to replace evaporated water using tap but my water has been checked and is pretty damn close to distilled water.
I have been doing this since I was 10. I watched my father struggle with his tanks and try his damnedest to get certain things out. Constantly changing water and ripping apart rock work and disturbing the tank. I have grown SPS very hardily with adding strontium, magnesium and calcium. I have never added DTs and I am a firm believer in letting the ecosystem balance itself... stop moving stuff and stirring everything up! If you keep flipping all that fresh water in your tank you keep throwing off your cycle and pouring the chemicals in there and burning your coral. I used to test every other day and went through kits like crazy. I have brought my water to other people to check and I was getting tired of hearing "it's fine, what's the problem?". I say I have no problem, just never changed my water and wondering why everyone does?
Now I do believe in RODI systems if you have crappy water... I just don't need one in my area. You can very well top off with Tap and I have been doing so for my whole aquarium experience.
People change their water because it's what they've been taught to do and have incorporated. There are studies showing how it adds this and that and keeps you from getting this or that or fueling algeas and phosphate/ nitrate. If this is totally the case, WHY CAN MY TANK BRING DEAD CORALS BACK? and why can I support other people's dying corals? My tank picks up the bio-load and some how magically brings the dying coral back full vibrant. I am not trying to be a smarta$$. I am just showing that it is very well possible to maintain a tank with out doing water changes... not knocking those who don't mind spending the extra money to make or buy water, salt, RO canisters... who make a gallon and waste 5 down the drain (you should use it for laundry btw). Water is scarce enough, why waste it? I will continue to keep my 18+ year old water and keep groing LPS, SPS and bringing other peoples coral back to health just to prove, atleast to me, it is not a NEED. People believe everything they hear in the news and let big words steer their ideas and beliefs just because it sounds smart. What ever happened to those who believed in the plenum design?? That kinda went out and was found a waste too wasn't it? My tank is healthy and has been doing fine. I have never had a crash or unsuspecting issue in the 18 years of doing this. My friend does his water changes religiously and funny... he's got some undetectable issue. He lost 3 Acro and others don't look so hot. Guess who is going to bring them back???? ... AGAIN!
The theory is if you over feed, it isn't all eaten and your fish poop more.
One, you shouldn't feed so much... and if you do, then maybe you should be pulling out water with all that food you just wasted to help control something.
Two, if you feed normally and watch what can be consumed in minutes... what ever your fish eats and is digested will be picked up and further broken down by your "poop-eaters".
Back to the theory, If you over feed you get more poop eater because the food is there to support it's population (much like bristle worms)... supply and demand. When you cut back your over feeding, the food supply goes down and can't support those "poop-eaters".
LET YOUR ECOSYSTEM BALANCE ITSELF!
Eventually it will balance for the way your habits are (feeding and chemicals). If you get algae, there is a creature in the balance of every ecosystem that eats that (emeralds, sea hares...)! Too much poop... someone eats that too! Make every purchase a critical part of your ecosystem!
I cannot say enough that I have never done a water change and I support alot of organisms. There are those who do it their way and there is me who believes my way. I know my way works because of my journey and experiences. I don't knock those who do it their way because that is their religion/ belief/ system... it's their tank to do it their way. (So, for those of you... please take no offense to my way)
SET-UP A TANK AND TRY IT... YOU'LL BE SURPRISED!!!! Let the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate and such go up... watch it eventually stabilize.
My tank has no signs of any of these.
Twice I've had TRACEABLE phosphate from an over feed and it went right back down.
I have an old Powder blue tang whose made it years from tank swaps and other dominant fish. I have a flower pot that I was told only live a year if you are a professional... I must have that exception because mine lived 3 years, looked like it died from placing it too high and has been back now for two years with 4 heads and thriving!
Try it and see... you don't have to do it on your DT. Make a little 55 with frags from your DT and take some of your sand, water and rock... make your own little nano out of the 55 and give it to your son or daughter. NEVER change the water! Just replace the evaporated.
