Water Changes, Are you successful with out them?

[ronmarsh99]

Hi guy want to get some input on water changes, If you do them and how often?, how many gallons? ,how old is your tank? , Size of your tank?
And I would also like to know if anyone is successful with out doing water changes? And if you are how old is your tank?
And input would be great.
Thanks.

 

[TORX]

29gallon NanoCube - 5 gallons per week - 7 months old
40gallon frag tank and sump - 5 gallons per week - 9 months old

My fresh water tank, back in the day, was running for a few years. Towards the end, all I did was top up for the last year before I tore it down. Water was crystal clear and fish were growing, plump and happy.

 

[ronmarsh99]

Thanks for the reply, I want to see if other people are getting away from doing water changes and having succes, reson why I want to see if I can get away from doing them is, it takes for ever to make the R/O water here and it just drives the wife nut when I'm taking the sink away to make it, I would still be adding R/O water but just on top ups with my auto top up unit.
I have a great clean up crew going right now, So I would just like to know if this could be done.  :-\

 

[xxmurrxx]

29g tank. 3G weekly or 5 bi-weekly if I miss a week.  Tank is just over a year old.

I'd definitely look into setting up your RO unit in a place where you'll be able to let it run without taking up your sink space.
I have mine near my laundry tub in the basement.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Tank is 9 years old, 125 gallon DT, I change 15 gallons about once a week.  Probably should do more. 

Unless you have fish only, I don't think you can get away without water changes unless you supplement everything in natural seawater. 

 

[teebone110]

It all depends on what your definition of success is and what you want to keep.

You can have a low level of success using tap water just for top offs.

With my sps dominant system, I strive for 10 percent water changes twice a month. My tank has been running for 5-10 years.

 

[harleymike]

10 percent once a week, is the plan.
But sometimes it goes longer because of work and family.

 

[Victoss]

55 mixed reef: 5 gal every other week
bio-cube 29 mixed: 5 gal every other week

So a tank is being done every week. Even if it is a fish only I would think you still need to do water changes every so often unless it is terribly understocked. You could try plumbing a tap somewhere in you house (laundry room) for the RODI unit. Here is mine in the laundry room, there is still a usable tap beside it for hot/cold and this one was put in specifically for the unit:

 

[pulpfiction1]

75 gallon ,20 percent monthly ,I would hate to think how high the nitrate would be after a length of  time without water changes

Sent from my HTC Incredible S

 

[yveterinarian]

Not sure if this product works or how much it is supposed to decrease water changes but Bill @IA just posted this:
http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=3803.0

Has anyone ever used it and does it indeed lessen the water changes?

 

[spyd]

I do 40G water changes every 2 weeks on my 180G tank. It has only been running for 5 months now. I used to do 15G water changes every 2 weeks on my 75G SPS tank. It was running for 2 years. I have heard of a few people that have successful tanks that have never performed a water change. I am not sure how they do it, but, I wouldn't suggest it at all.

Generally speaking, nano tanks (30G or less) should have weekly water changes of 10 - 20% performed on a weekly basis. Where larger tanks can be done bi-weekly (20%) to monthly (40%) tops. This is just a rule of thumb but it is extremely important, especially in small tanks, to perform water changes as often as possible to prevent any nitrate build-up.

 

[spyd]

Not sure if this product works or how much it is supposed to decrease water changes but Bill @IA just posted this:
http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=3803.0

Has anyone ever used it and does it indeed lessen the water changes?

I think this is a new product that just came out. It is pretty much the same as running bio-pellets except notes that it does not necessarily need to tumble like bio-pellets do. They claim less water changes because, like bio-pellets, they reduce nitrates and phosphates. So, naturally, less water changes could technically be accomplished when compared to a system not running pellets. I wouldn't personally take a chance and water changes are very good practice for a routine maintenance schedule.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

5-10 gallons weekly  nothing wrong with doin water changes weekely    ..itsnjust good husbandry to do that ..no need to buy chemicals and additdvee to cut back on that ..its only  15 mins per day. Take yur old water out when yur cleaning yur glass

 

[Giglio324]

I'd feel neglectful if I missed a week plus I see the difference after I do one water gets crystal clear. I feel like on a bigger tank you could miss a week and not see any terrible after math. On a little one like my 20 if i miss a week ill have algae by the next water change. Keeps corals happy no doubt about that

 

[Salty Cracker]

[quote author=yveterinarian link=topic=3806.msg33623#msg33623 date=1355831958]
Not sure if this product works or how much it is supposed to decrease water changes but Bill @IA just posted this:
http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?topic=3803.0

Has anyone ever used it and does it indeed lessen the water changes?

I think this is a new product that just came out. It is pretty much the same as running bio-pellets except notes that it does not necessarily need to tumble like bio-pellets do. They claim less water changes because, like bio-pellets, they reduce nitrates and phosphates. So, naturally, less water changes could technically be accomplished when compared to a system not running pellets. I wouldn't personally take a chance and water changes are very good practice for a routine maintenance schedule.
[/quote]
THIS

Remember, that's a sales pitch on that product.  No matter what, the tank is using up trace elements, so without water changes your corals will suffer.  Gotta love products that tell you to start neglecting your tank.

As with any 'new' product, until the majority of reefers pick it up, it's just another gimick.  Who knows, it might end up being good, but I'll never take the word of those making a profit off it. 

 

[Duke]

They are doing a test of those new cube pellet things over at reefbuilders, its a good read and will be intersting to see what happens as they have some more time testing.. so far they havent removed any nitrates from their tank, but that havent increased either they are saying. it sucks kinda because you need to run an air pump to bubble these things.
http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/17/orca-nitra-guard-biocubes/

I do 15g bi-weekly changes and think im going to switch to weekly 10g changes, i run bio pellets and have no increases in either nitrates or phosphates so thats not the reason i do them, im doing then to replenish everything besides cal/alk/mag like most others have said.

 

[jroovers]

Lately due to business and other factors, I had been getting away from weekly water changes, and doing them more in the vicinity of twice monthly (about 10%).  I think it has been to the detriment of my tank.  I'm going to make an effort to do changes once per week religiously, call it a new years resolution if you will.

 

[Salty Cracker]

They are doing a test of those new cube pellet things over at reefbuilders, its a good read and will be intersting to see what happens as they have some more time testing.. so far they havent removed any nitrates from their tank, but that havent increased either they are saying. it sucks kinda because you need to run an air pump to bubble these things.
http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/17/orca-nitra-guard-biocubes/

It will be interesting to see the results.  I'll believe that before I believe the promises printed on the side of the bottle next to the price tag.  However saying you don't need to do water changes is detrimental to the hobby, IMHO. 

A well run tank shouldn't have nitrates to begin with, should it? 

 

[Poseidon]

They are doing a test of those new cube pellet things over at reefbuilders, its a good read and will be intersting to see what happens as they have some more time testing.. so far they havent removed any nitrates from their tank, but that havent increased either they are saying. it sucks kinda because you need to run an air pump to bubble these things.
http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/17/orca-nitra-guard-biocubes/

I do 15g bi-weekly changes and think im going to switch to weekly 10g changes, i run bio pellets and have no increases in either nitrates or phosphates so thats not the reason i do them, im doing then to replenish everything besides cal/alk/mag like most others have said.

do you dose?, or just rely on the water changes?

 

[Duke]

[quote author=Duke link=topic=3806.msg33647#msg33647 date=1355846349]
They are doing a test of those new cube pellet things over at reefbuilders, its a good read and will be intersting to see what happens as they have some more time testing.. so far they havent removed any nitrates from their tank, but that havent increased either they are saying. it sucks kinda because you need to run an air pump to bubble these things.
http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/17/orca-nitra-guard-biocubes/

I do 15g bi-weekly changes and think im going to switch to weekly 10g changes, i run bio pellets and have no increases in either nitrates or phosphates so thats not the reason i do them, im doing them to replenish everything besides cal/alk/mag like most others have said.

do you dose?, or just rely on the water changes?
[/quote]

i dose both cal and alk and i add mag as needed. I just mixed up a new batch with the bulk Royal Acquariums Soda Ash and everything was same as usual.