Minimal Water Changes

[JHOV2324]

How many mechanical filtration devices (ex. RO/DI, Protein Skimmer, UV Light, Reactors, dosing, Filters...etc.) and (so to say) natural filtration methods (ex. Liverock, Deep Sand Bed, Refugium, filterfeeders, etc..) can be or should be used so that minimal water changes are needed?

I know this probably sounds like a lazy persons question (it is) but I'm sure many people would like to run good systems with the least amount of maintanence neccesary.

As for Reactors and dosing....What exactly is recommended, or is it a personal preference into what goes into reactors and what is dosed?

I would like information based on experience and knowledge...so its something i cant

:google: :type: :scratchch

 

[deelucky]

man i dont believ that you can keep water change to a minimum.i say that because there is still maintainance work to be done,and i find it easier to do water change then to add a bunch of things that i will have to be cleaning out every week to keep everything fresh.i believe we all hate WC cuase i know i do but in my newbie days i found it harder to clean out my fluval than to do a WC.so i would say skip the idea and do your WC,there is no amount of anything that will prevent you from trying to keep your water as perfect as possible.D

 

[JHOV2324]

Honestly I dont do water changes...:shhh: but because I dont I thought It would be better for my tank to add things to help out...I use my livestock as reference, nothing is dying, corals are growing, fish r eating, inverts are molting getting bigger...then i just say i'm good...
i know i know:fishhit:

 

[deelucky]

lmao J in the few late night trade meets you never appeared that lazy but then again your driving.look you have to face the facts bro you gotta do it sooner or later.i believe that WC is the biggest pain in the @$$ in this hobby.here is what i do: when it comes time to do WC i knock it out then i prepare everything for my next WC being that i have everything out,the wife is pissed cause of all the buckets in the kitchen and the floor is all wet so that the next time WC comes up its easier for me.i was doing 10% everyweek and its been two weeks since my last WC and i feel like my tank is polluted.i guess you have to do what works for you.

 

[ellebelle]

I like having a smaller tank b/c it makes water changes easy. I do water changes 2x per week, a little less than 10% each. It takes me five minutes to change 2.5g of water.

 

[JHOV2324]

well I know how water changes are important and eventually i'll do them...but i really wanted to know what else can help? what keeps water params. stable...

 

[deelucky]

wc......stop being lazy bro,there is no way around it,or hire someone to do for you.

 

[JHOV2324]

:letitallo :bagfish:

 

[deelucky]

:letitallo :bagfish:

:argue: :lol2:

 

[jhale]

you must answer some questions before I give you any advice.

how big is the tank and sump, what's the bio load in the tank.
just how lazy are you, and how much money are you willing to spend?

 

[JHOV2324]

:lol2: Very Lazy.... 37 Gal.. 15 gal. sump.

45Lbs. LR....35lbs.. LS

Maroon Clown
Firefish
Dispar
Chromis
Watchman Goby

5 shrimps
8 snails
bunch of Hermits
Emerald Crab

LPS
Leathers
zoos

 

[lfsmarineguy]

here's the common misconception with water changes: They are used to remove nutrients that build up in the system. This is a true statement however it is only part of it. Water changes while removing the bad are the best way to keep the good stuff in. Corals and fish need the trace elements that get used up so rapidly in our tanks and without water changes they deplete and end up depriving our livestock. So, you can add all the filtration you want but you will never obsolete the water change.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

you must answer some questions before I give you any advice.

how big is the tank and sump, what's the bio load in the tank.
just how lazy are you, and how much money are you willing to spend?

J i wouldnt bother if its what we discussed :lol2:.... JHOV = one lazy arse mofo..... and cheap 2 :lol2:

 

[Tonyscoots84]

jhov if you have decent skimming i would say as long as you do at least a 5 - 10 gallon water change once a month you should be ok... but thats my view... there is many different opinions on this... while more water changes are better if you do at least one during the month is better then none...

 

[JHOV2324]

Oh I forgot to add that I dose Trace Elements....so maybe thats why my tank has been thriving without water changes...

 

[Tonyscoots84]

i wouldnt scream that out loud jhov... no one is gonna be proud ...

 

[fritz]

Salt is cheaper than trace elements.

It's all a matter of what kind of reef you want to keep. Other than sps, I like a reef with lps, zoas and macro alage. Yes I said macro algae. If you want to do a zoanthid/mushroom/macro reef (very natural by the way) you need very little in the way of equipment or maintenance. In fact you can be SERIOUSLY lazy.

 

[Bob 1000]

Denitrifier is the answer I haven't done a water change in 3 months.:skull:

 

[Paul B]

JHOV2324, You can get away with water changes because your tank is not that old and the animals you are keeping are very forgiving about water quality. The problem with filtration, as was said, is that with skimming, charcoal, etc you are removing most metal trace elements and iodine. I know you dose but there is no way to tell how much is being removed as opposed to how much you are dosing. Also the trace elements you are adding are probably lacking many of the elements in the original salt. Seawater has over 75 elements in it, way over.
Bob, three months without a water change is fine. I only change water about 4 or 5 times a year and my reef is 36 years old. But at some point you will have to change it. The animals will suffer eventually and it is a very slow process so you will probably not notice it.
Paul

 

[Bob 1000]

Wow that was very informative.Thank you. 36 years:bigeyes: ... That's older than me. I do plan on doing some water changes. I'm aware of the long term effects and trace element issues.But my system has been running for 2yrs and I've always done water changes at least once a month before the denitrifier solely for trace elements. For that reason I go through test kits like RO.:wink1: Thank you and may your reef keep going strong for years to come..