Water changes…the more, the merrier (within reason)

In a recent meandering conversation I had with my freshwater-pond-keeping brother-in-law, the question of water change volume and frequency was raised—specifically whether it’s stressful to the livestock if you perform them too frequently or change out too much water at once. My take on the question is that when it comes to water changes, the more, the merrier (within reason). With that said, I do need to qualify this position with a few important caveats:

The parameters must match. With our beloved reef organisms hailing from one of the most stable environments on earth, it’s critical to avoid subjecting them to precipitous fluctuations in water parameters. Frequent water changes won’t be a source of stress if you’re always careful to match the temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity, etc. of your replacement water to that of your display tank. MORE