[TankU]

I have been working with a salt water tank for a year now and still learn something about everyday. I try and do partial changes once a month, this would be 25% change. I have heard and read different things. Examples would be to do 5% every week or 10% every two weeks. Is there a best way? I have also been told that if you maintain your tank and keep everything in balance there is no need to make partial changes. I have just set up a system to allow me to maintain about 15 gallons all the time that matches the water in my tank. Is this over kill?
Thanks for any advice or comments.
TankU

[szwedo]

welcome to reefland!


I have a 75g tank and I change 15g every week. everthing in there seems to like it just fine.

[Reefland]

Hi TankU, Welcome to Reefland!

There are a lot of opions on water changes so let me see if I can add some rationale to my opinion.

I think performing more frequent, lower quantity water changes are more effective than larger, less frequent changes. Water changes help to replenish trace elements that most do not add on a regular basis. They also help to remove pollutants and to help with water clarity. Replacing these elements, removing the pollutants and increasing water clarity on a more frequent basis is more effective and better for your animals than doing it less frequently on a larger basis.

It's just like adding cacium supplements to your tank. You can add them daily to maintain a certain level of calcium in your tank, or you can add a larger amount of a less frequent basis which will raise the calcium for that short time, but long term is not effective.

[TankU]

Thanks szwedo. I will take this advice and put it to use. Is it necessary to vacuum the crush coral bottom that is in my tank with every change?

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by szwedo

welcome to reefland!


I have a 75g tank and I change 15g every week. everthing in there seems to like it just fine.

[TankU]

Thanks Scott Z. I guess it is like any kind of diet small portions over a period of time is better than large portions at random. I will put this practice to use. How often is it needed to vacuum the crush coral bottom in my tank?
Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Reefland

Hi TankU, Welcome to Reefland!

There are a lot of opions on water changes so let me see if I can add some rationale to my opinion.

I think performing more frequent, lower quantity water changes are more effective than larger, less frequent changes. Water changes help to replenish trace elements that most do not add on a regular basis. They also help to remove pollutants and to help with water clarity. Replacing these elements, removing the pollutants and increasing water clarity on a more frequent basis is more effective and better for your animals than doing it less frequently on a larger basis.

It's just like adding cacium supplements to your tank. You can add them daily to maintain a certain level of calcium in your tank, or you can add a larger amount of a less frequent basis which will raise the calcium for that short time, but long term is not effective.

[szwedo]

big apologies i meant every other week

[middlemark]

Originally Posted by TankU

How often is it needed to vacuum the crush coral bottom in my tank?

As often as possible - I'd do it with most every water change, at least in sections, just be sure to cover everywhere IMO.

I'd follow with Reefland's points - would agree completely. I've followed somewhat varying w/c policies in the past an am happiest with weekly changes, maybe skip a week every other month.

My sps tank that I baby gets regular 10-20% water changes weekly. It's only a 58g tank, so while that's still a lot of water, it's more than I'd be changing with a much larger tank. While from time to time I do skip a week, I've found my tank chemistry is normally more stable with more frequent water changes. Any over-addition that week of Ca, or Alk ... is slightly abated by the water change and closer to when my testing can note that I'm dosing heavy [testing every 2-3 weeks of late, I've been lazy].

My 40g softie tank and 60g tub both get slightly less waterchanges, 5-10% every ten days on average. As neither of them normally I suppliment Ca/Alk [low demand] - the water changes seem to take care of supplimentation for me.

I like using white buckets for my water changes. Just gauging the `yellowing' through a full bucket gives me a rough estimate of how my water is doing [a good clarity estimate]. Often my 58g's w/c volume will be determined by the first 5 gallon bucket's clarity when looking at the white bottom. If it's quite clear ... I normally call it good. If not, I'll make it a `two bucket' day ... not scientific, but just a make-do method of judging.

Of course, when siphoning the bottom, that bucket idea won't work [always opaque].

I will say though - my newly mixed water has normally been mixing for 3-4 days, at temperature and `dead on' with my refractometer. [or will adjust to suit each tank if they vary a bit] Given this - I feel comfortable with 20% water changes, though I might not recommend them to everyone [including myself maybe a year and a half ago, before I got my `mixing system' down]. Do keep in mind the accuracy of all instruments and `stability time' of the new water when deciding % of change.

Anyway - it's the morning and I ramble ... hope it made enough sense to help Ask more if not, happy to share what seems to work for me, right now.

[TankU]

Originally Posted by middlemark

As often as possible - I'd do it with most every water change, at least in sections, just be sure to cover everywhere IMO.

I'd follow with Reefland's points - would agree completely. I've followed somewhat varying w/c policies in the past an am happiest with weekly changes, maybe skip a week every other month.

My sps tank that I baby gets regular 10-20% water changes weekly. It's only a 58g tank, so while that's still a lot of water, it's more than I'd be changing with a much larger tank. While from time to time I do skip a week, I've found my tank chemistry is normally more stable with more frequent water changes. Any over-addition that week of Ca, or Alk ... is slightly abated by the water change and closer to when my testing can note that I'm dosing heavy [testing every 2-3 weeks of late, I've been lazy].

My 40g softie tank and 60g tub both get slightly less waterchanges, 5-10% every ten days on average. As neither of them normally I suppliment Ca/Alk [low demand] - the water changes seem to take care of supplimentation for me.

I like using white buckets for my water changes. Just gauging the `yellowing' through a full bucket gives me a rough estimate of how my water is doing [a good clarity estimate]. Often my 58g's w/c volume will be determined by the first 5 gallon bucket's clarity when looking at the white bottom. If it's quite clear ... I normally call it good. If not, I'll make it a `two bucket' day ... not scientific, but just a make-do method of judging.

Of course, when siphoning the bottom, that bucket idea won't work [always opaque].

I will say though - my newly mixed water has normally been mixing for 3-4 days, at temperature and `dead on' with my refractometer. [or will adjust to suit each tank if they vary a bit] Given this - I feel comfortable with 20% water changes, though I might not recommend them to everyone [including myself maybe a year and a half ago, before I got my `mixing system' down]. Do keep in mind the accuracy of all instruments and `stability time' of the new water when deciding % of change.

Anyway - it's the morning and I ramble ... hope it made enough sense to help Ask more if not, happy to share what seems to work for me, right now.

Thanks middlemark. I had been doing regular changes since starting my tank but no real set schedule. I may have gone 5 to 8 weeks with our change and seem to be doing ok. I have recently went to changing every two weeks and every thing seems to be happier or maybe I feel better about my tank (or both). I have recently set up a mixing system myself. Up to a couple of weeks ago it was hit and miss for me. Now with a power head, heater, thermometer, and a refractometer, my water changes are much more consistent and I feel more at ease making those changes. I was curious to how ofter to vacuum the bottom because I have heard some say never do it due to the bottom being a living filter. Some say just to skim the top portion of the crush coral. I to use a white bucket labeled for salt water only just to check for the clarity of my water.
Again thanks for the feed back for I am still new at this.
TankU