Water Changes

I have always done water changes and I always used to think they were necessary until finding out how many people dont do water changes here. I am just curious what and how often are you dosing if you dont do water changes?

 

I try to change out 10% twice a month.....

Kim

 

I fluctuate, sometimes I do 10% a week, sometimes I get busy/lazy and do it more like 10% every 2 weeks.

 

Yeah im just trying to find out what people dose in their tanks if they do not do water changes. Im sure Calcium and Magnesium but is there anything else?

 

Even with water changes, most reef tanks need to have alkalinty (buffer), and calcium dosed. Not all need much for magnesium, depends on the setup.

Kim

 

To be more than quite honest, I do not believe they are necessary provided you tend to your supplements.

I ran my tank for years without changing the water, I always used Purigen, Chemi Clean and Rowa-phos, kent’s essential elements and my calcium reactor.

But as time progressed and my reef was stable and “done” I sort of got bored so I now do water changes so that I am still doing something to my tank. Until I start a new tank that is ;-)

 

I would completely disagree on water changes being necessary. There are many items that build up that we can not test for and some that might be depleted that we can not test for. Many tanks that I know of that do not do water changes have problems with new additions to the tank even though all the normal test kits say things are fine.

Now I am not saying you can't keep a tank without doing a water change, a lot of it will depend on what critters you are keeping and the stocking level of your tank, but I would not suggest it.

Kim

 

I think most people do water changes... it's just a question of how often... I do them once every 3-4 months.


I dose Ca, Alk daily (.3 ml per gallon every day) and Mg about one every 1-2 months.