Are water changes a must?

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by Inf3cted, May 21, 2009.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2008
    Messages:
    5,958
    Location:
    Chesterfield, VA
    i would like to see your 18 year old tank, its very rare to see a tank that old.


    but personally i dont see how you could have never done a water change if its that old unless its never been moved or never had a miss hap where leaking occured with the filtration. or never had to add salt back to the tank from 18 years of salt creep, never had to siphon out something in your tanks life like cyano.
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. infamous

    infamous Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Messages:
    741
    Partial water changes will

    Restore Ionic Balance (most important)
    Restore Major and Minor Minerals and Trace elements
    Restore Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Strontium and Iodine
    Improve Water Clarity
    Reduce Decaying Organics and Excess nutrients
    Reduce Toxic chemicals (Nitrates, Ammonia)
    Provide more oxygen and a cleaner environment for all the life in your tank

    There are plenty more reasons
     
  4. Iraf

    Iraf Snowflake Eel

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2008
    Messages:
    2,389
    Location:
    Tulsa, Ok
    talk to Tangster, if memory serves me correctly he didnt do water changes on his 180g either and it was an old tank
     
  5. infamous

    infamous Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Messages:
    741
    I'm having a hard time believing this 18 year old water story.

    I want to see some pictures of this amazing tank that doesnt need water changes.

    What is your pH like during the day and night?

    your ionic balance must be non existent. I dont know how you can manipulate water chemistry to never do water changes.
     
  6. Optimist

    Optimist Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2009
    Messages:
    429
    The water is 18+, not the tank. The tank was a 20 long when I was 10 until I was about 18. The I bought my 150 and it was up until this year (10 years later) when I blew it out from installing over-flow holes. It is still the same exact water, same exact sand and same exact rock. The 150 water was divided into the 55g sump (now DT) and the other 55g sump... no water was replaced.
    I pulled cyano ONCE off my flower pot because I was unfamiliar with it's lighting requirements and put it at the top of the rock. I didn't siphon water though, I pulled it off with my hands.
    I haven't bought salt in years! I actually had to put more water in the tank to compensate for magnesium raising my salinity PPT.
    Like I said, it wasn't to knock your ways of doing. I have my tank and I have had to keep frags of what was growing in my 150 because it wouldn't fit in my 55.
    Stay posted and I will show you how my frags grow into colonies w/o water changes.
    Also, the RODI usually has carbon filtering which strips the water to make it "pure" and free of minerals... so the "adding minerals" theory isn't valid. Its a contradiction to say it in one sentence and say the opposite in the next. Just say "the belief is..." NOT your actually scientific testing.
     
  7. Optimist

    Optimist Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2009
    Messages:
    429

    LOL.... here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Told you this was going to start something!!!

    I have my tank. I know it's parameters. You can do what you believe. I know what works for me. I don't throw water down the drain to make a gallon of water for my tank... sorry. My pH is ALWAYS 8.3. Once I caught it at 8.2... if you feel froggy, send a scientist to my house and I will let him set-up a lab in my room and give you all the conformation you need.
     
  8. Click Here!

  9. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2008
    Messages:
    5,958
    Location:
    Chesterfield, VA
    yes rodi strip the water down to pure h2o, but the salt mix replaces all those minerals and elements, im sure the salt mixes have advanced considerably since your time away.

    btw i would say your water ten years old, because technically only 13% is actually 18 years old.

    so you never check your salinity? i would be worried since youve had 10 years of salt creep


    edit: thanks for the pics when you get them up
     
  10. infamous

    infamous Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Messages:
    741

    Please refrain from avoiding the profanity censor by using acronyms. Additionally, let's be careful in the way that we speak with other 3Reefers. Thank you. I understand that this could be a joke but it didn't look like it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 21, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  11. Optimist

    Optimist Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2009
    Messages:
    429
    I know. I was referring to just adding water... not the actual "water change" because I don't do water changes.

    Correct, the theory was about taking my tank water out.. but you are correct in saying the majority is 10 yoa.

    I check it. I was referring to the salinity climbing from magnesium substitutes. Mag will make your salinity rise slowly because it is a salt. I have minimal salt creep btw. I only see it where I had my hands in the tank and water ran down the glass... the salt builds up a spot like the size of a quarter on the bottom frame.
    I will double check my tank to verify that....
    yup... no creep.
    Dunno what to say. It is not my intention to sway your belief. I am looking at my tank and I see it in front of my face. I realy don't know what you are looking for by challenging what I KNOW is right in front of me??? Alot of people don't do water changes... I am one.
     
  12. Optimist

    Optimist Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2009
    Messages:
    429
    lol... I'm not on meds infamous. I have never done a drug and I don't drink anymore. I did in my college days though.. lol.

    Funny comment... +1