Water changes too frequent

[Anonymous]

I do a weekly 10%-20% WCs..is that too much for my 20gal? I have a somewhat hefty bioload too...

And how does IO compare to Tropic Marin and Reefcrystals??

any experiences from you fellow reefers on the matter is appreciated..Im currently using IO and have for over 2 yrs...I was considering TM...(im waiting on that salt study)

 

[wyw]

I've never heard of too many water changes. If I remember correctly, there are some lucky people on this board that have warm ocean water in their back yard they pump into their tank to do do daily water changes. Now are your water changes a waste of money? That is a different question only you can answer by looking at your water quality.

 

[Anonymous]

when i started the reef thing it was a common opinion that water changes should be minimized.

i disagree with the philosophy after i tried to go without water changes for an extensive amoutn of time.

i think frequent is great so long as it isn't erratic.

 

[Anonymous]

My measurements of salt @ 1.025

IO
CA-260
Alk 8 DKH
Mag 800

Oceanic
CA-550
Alk 7.7 DKH
Mag 1650

Tropic Marin (just switched to this)
CA-390
Alk 9.6 DKH
Mag 1200
_________________
Honda S800

 

[Ben1]

The only salt I have had a problem with was oceanic. As far as IO goes it may be low in some CA/ALK/MAG levels but they can be adjusted before you do the water change. I used TM with out noticing a difference. IO is just cheaper. Since PetSmart opened up near me and they match their own internet price on the IO bucket I'm back with IO.

 

[Anonymous]

Once a week 10% seems about right to me.

 

[Ben1]

I guess to answer the question, my 20 agl is BB and I just change 25% ever week or two. B/C is it so easy. The 150 gets 20% once a month.

 

[Unarce]

The only salt I have had a problem with was oceanic

Now, that's the second I've read that here. I've been using Oceanic for probably about 8 months now. What kind of problems did you run into, Ben.

 

[Anonymous]

I supp with Kalkwasser...anytime ive measured my Ca parameters (without using kalk) it seemed to be around 450ppm...hmm, i may have to double check that now...

 

[Ben1]

Now, that's the second I've read that here. I've been using Oceanic for probably about 8 months now. What kind of problems did you run into, Ben.

It had phoasphate in it after mixing. Didn't check it untill after I had some algae issues and couldnt find where it was coming from. Even if it was one bad batch. Can't believe I am up this early but dont want to miss fedex and my new superman M. Danae!

 

[Anonymous]

I do no water changes so for my system that would be too much.

I also rely on a large refugium full of macros.

that also means the brand of salt is not important also. After all I have only use 1/2 50g bag of salt in two years. Tha that is not a great input to the system.

I do filter my water through a calcium carbonate source (oyster shells) to keep calcium and alk at 400ppm and 2 meg/l though.

 

[Anonymous]

I do no water changes so for my system that would be too much.

I also rely on a large refugium full of macros.

that also means the brand of salt is not important also. After all I have only use 1/2 50g bag of salt in two years. Tha that is not a great input to the system.

I do filter my water through a calcium carbonate source (oyster shells) to keep calcium and alk at 400ppm and 2 meg/l though.

Well you knew this was coming. :roll: :lol:

I do mine every 2 weeks. ~10%

~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

I do no water changes so for my system that would be too much.

I also rely on a large refugium full of macros.

that also means the brand of salt is not important also. After all I have only use 1/2 50g bag of salt in two years. Tha that is not a great input to the system.

I do filter my water through a calcium carbonate source (oyster shells) to keep calcium and alk at 400ppm and 2 meg/l though.

Yeah and ive seen your tank :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

The frequency of water change is a compromise between time, money and the need for nutrient export.

If you can't tell the difference between the water you just drain from the tank, and the water ready for the tank that you just made up, there you are doing too freqent water change.

There is no harm for doing too frequent water change if you doing it right. However, for most people, there is a consequence if you don't do it enough.

 

[Unarce]

It had phoasphate in it after mixing.

Really!?! It eludes me how I've been able to avoid these algae issues. Perhaps I'm due. I have a sand bed; a monthly WC schedule; skimmerless :? There's got to be more to these hair algae or cyano events than just phosphates. Especially considering the hell that Rob_Reef_Keeper is going through.

dont want to miss fedex and my new superman M. Danae!

Sweet! I remember how I felt when I brought home my Superman Monti. Did you just win that on ebay this Tuesday. If not, what's the lineage? It's amazing how the danae tag has stuck, when it doesn't look like the species.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello! New here to the boards....saw this interesting link, figured I'd drop in my .02

I do a 15% every 2 weeks. I have a crushed coral base of around 2", so I incorporate my water changes with a light vacuuming. I use my vacuum, and slowly without stirring up too much at all, go around and stick the vacuum in about an inch.
I backfill with water that i run through a process much better than RO...it is a UV/ozone sterilizer with a 1 micron solid carbon filter chamber. This leaves some of the trace minerals in as opposed to RO wich depletes minerals. I am starting with well water, so chlorine isnt an issue either.
This is when I adjust any needed supplements, adjust salinity and pH etc..
I also use instant ocean and have for years. Has a good all around element inclusion, although I don;'t have any hard corals as of yet, just softies. I would research further if I was going to put in hard, because I have heard you have to supplement IO if you go in that direction.
You have to do water changes. Think of it like an airplane ride...the air is filtered, yes, but it isnt fresh. It is recycled over and over, and eventually no amoutnt of filtration will clean al of the unwanted particles out.
By doing water changes, you are adding fresh water, with a fesh dose of trace elements to the mix, and removing unwanted elements.

 

[Anonymous]

"Think of it like an airplane ride...the air is filtered, yes, but it isnt fresh"

That's actually...not true. ...but good post anyway.
~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

But isn't all water/air/mineral are recycled at some point in the past :?

Every atom in my body is recycled.

 

[Fastmarc]

IMO, I don't think you can do too many water changes. It all depends on your pocket.
I do 10% (NSW) every 2 weeks on a 50 gal.

 

[Anonymous]

lol...ok, good point, I should have specified more, my bad...recycled by the means of what we can replicate. Since we can't replicate all of the probably millions or more processes in which Mother nature/mother earth recycle all of the elements and biology and everything else you can think of, we are stuck with man made filtration in a closed system that simply, no matter how well we think it works (refugiums, sumps, mechanical filters) is no match for all of the processes major and minor that things go through in real life.
For instance the ocean...rain runoff from the land, the rainwater that gets filtered through how many layers of different sediments, the bio filtration of the reefs, the creatures in the ocean of millions of species that "filter" the water, etc etc...we simply can't replicate all of this.
That's what I meant