Water changes, RODI, and many other reef keeping behavior is over-rated....

[JLAudio]

Ok,

So I have been in this hobby for over 10-years and I am not starting this thread to troll, but rather to speculate that a lot of the behavior of reef-keepers is the product of gossip and information, most-likely endorsed by individuals making $$$. I have had a very succesfull SPS coral tank and I treated them better than my significant other and great mixed reefs, I barely touched.

I truly believe the success in a reef/salt water tank relies on a few key principles:

1) The maturity of the water/eco-system to accomplish the nitrogen cycle and a good skimmer/bio-load ratio
2) Some means to dilute the final stage of this process (i.e. refugium, phosphate reactor, etc.). If their is no phosphates/nitrates, or need for the nutrients from salt, why throw away the water???? The bacteria is recycling this water in a natural manner.
3) Supplementation: IF NEEDED!!!! Much like human nutrition, people are shoved around by marketing companies to buy nutrients/Vitamins they may not even need.
4) THIS IS NOT EMPIRICALLY PROVEN, BUT AN OBSERVATION: I have started three reef tanks with straight-up NYC TAP WATER!!!. I did switch to RODI for changes in 2 of them, but with no visible benefit. I currently have a FOWLR with anemones and a cpl softies...all TAP.

Overall...I feel that letting your tank mature, dosing what needs to be replenished and analyzing if the cheap resources are working for you is the best route to go, unless evidence guides you in another direction. I would ask for a scientific study on any random fact that is stated that benefits another's wallet (i.e. more water changes, RODI, etc.)

In closing, much respect for all my fellow reefers, but lets use our personal observations and empirical data to depict our actions, not profit seeking companies with the intent of adjusting our behavior to benefit their profit building entity.

 

[Donewiththisplace]

Very well put!


Marketing and advertising make big promises and back up those promises with visions of beautiful reef set ups...but no one ever really questions the necessity of the things were being tricked into buying and doing.


As stated, the whole Tap vs. RODI argument has proponents that will swear one way or the other...but in the end, beautiful reef tanks have been created with both waters.


I'm sure the same argument exists for all other aspects of reefing...


...which test kit is better the $10 API or the $50 Salifert?
...LED's or T5's or MH's?


On and on this list could go...but in the end I guess you have to go with whats working and stay away from the speculation and the hype.

 

[BioMan]

Just throwing this out there, but, I would love to see a tank thats lighting is from being near a window getting direct sunlight with perhaps a mirror over the tank tilted to direct the sunlight downward as well....

 

[Donewiththisplace]

Totally true..one of the first things your told is to keep the tank out of direct sunlight or else your gonna get algae. Who hasn't heard this...?


But if the tank is established enough to handle the negative effects of direct sunlight shouldn't it combat its own problems?? Of course it may need some help..temperature may become an issue, but for the most part it should work itself out.

 

[marrone]

Using RO/DI vs tap water depends upon where you live. In the NYC area the water is actually very good, but in areas outside the water can have high levels of contaminants in it, not to mention some places use well water, which can have high levels of cal or alk and other things in it too. Also, depending upon the time of the year, and the level of water, drought and such, the state does put things into the water. Now in very small amounts these things mayn't be harmful but they can accumulate in a closed system.

There are a lot of places that have open tops tank, which let light into tanks, I think Dr Mac has it over his clam tanks at this place. In your home this could cause a problem with heat, as the sun is pretty strong and your tank is probably not large enough to be able to offset the heat from the sun. In that case it wouldn't matter how established your tank is, as it probably couldn't handle the high temperature, unless you would some how be able to offset it with a chiller or something else. Similar with the grow of algae on the glass and in the tank, you would need something that would be able to handle it, which could be inverts, fish or away to keep nutrients down, which in turn would keep algae growth down.

 

[Sharkbait420]

NYC water is fine, at least brooklyn. I used to top off my water using the hose.

 

[MWoodhill]

well, ro/di or not is quite just a personal effect


but water change needs serious debate. for my best knowledge, at the initial stage of a setup or at an outbreak of algae, water change always makes things worse. cyano's, dino's, whatever nuisance algae thrives with regular water change. And if you use Algae X, its instruction clearly tells no water change during treatment

 

[dubs]

and this why renegade styles is the best way i dont use no set routine and i def dont used no magics in a bottle dont follow anyone else method just my own i do water change from 3 weeks to 3 months and i only used the essetial 3 cal mag alk outside of this some the crap i see people suggest or do to have ok tank i just dont get but hey everyone have there way of reefing .. not saying my tank is better than anyone else but i think my beast speak for it self around here

 

[greg 45]

Ro/di city water
all depends on what comes out of you tap water
after doing some regular water changes hair algae went wild
back tracked notes / nothing in system changed feedings ect
checked make up salt phosphate were high over 40 ppm
checked ro/di that's where issue started / cartridges exhausted
o tds now means nothing to me still need to check final make up water
after talking to someone in water management it seems at different time of the year they treat differently
these are my own facts and findings
now I check make up water often