Water change ??

[Green Marine]

Hello all havent posted in a while...

I was wondering if it is ok to consider refilling your tank a water change?? I beleive it is because of the area that I live in but my tank seems to evaporate very quickly and I find my self refilling it 2 or more times a week....it is a 35 gallon and each time I refill it Im probably putting about 3-5% water loss back in.

Now apparently it is fine for now because my tank had gone like this for almost 3 months now, and my tank life looks healthier than ever. I just didnt know if this was disaster in the long run. Any one? Thanks

[John Hamilton]

I'm not sure if you can over do it, but if you have had success for three months, keep on keeping on.

BTW, I live at Huffmeisterer and Spring Cypress.

[Sushiman]

not truely a water change, you're just topping off. total desolved solids /wastes, etc, are not only still there, they are slowly increasing. Continue with your top-offs (consider a DIY drip unit /Kalkwasser) but maintain a regular H2O change as well.

[BubbaWPB]

I agree with Sushiman, you need to do changes. Trace minerals will continue to build up over time, and although you have been successful for three months, they will become toxic at some point in the future...

[Green Marine]

good stuff thanks guys

Oh really John..Yeah your like 5 minutes away...Im over on 2920. Right across the street from Ultimate Fish. Where do you get your livstock from?

[John Hamilton]

Man I really miss read that one, for some reason I read it to mean you were doing massive water changes. I am continually topping mine off, but I use fresh RO water not salt, and it goes into my sump.
I usually get my fish from Aquarium world or the one on Jones near 290, I forget it's name. I will look into Ultimate Fish when I get a chance, maybe tomorrow.

[art_of_war]

Hello all havent posted in a while...

I was wondering if it is ok to consider refilling your tank a water change?? I beleive it is because of the area that I live in but my tank seems to evaporate very quickly and I find my self refilling it 2 or more times a week....it is a 35 gallon and each time I refill it Im probably putting about 3-5% water loss back in.

Now apparently it is fine for now because my tank had gone like this for almost 3 months now, and my tank life looks healthier than ever. I just didnt know if this was disaster in the long run. Any one? Thanks

I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say, "refill your tank". Are you referring to fresh water topping off?

[art_of_war]

Okay...I just read some of the other responses. No...topping off isn't like water changes. By performing water changes, you'll be removing/dilluting suspended solids and nitrates and replacing them with fresh saltwater. Topping off is just typical of daily tank maintenance.

[leebca]

One goal of doing water changes is to remove/reduce the nutrients/wastes/pollutants in the system. Adding back evaporated water doesn't constitute a water change. That is because evaporated water doesn't take anything away with it -- just the water evaporates.

Continue making routine water changes. Your marine life is getting used to the pollution that is building up, so start with small water changes frequently, before you attempt a large (over 15%) water change.

If you don't do the water change the pollutants will continue to build until the system most likely will crash.