CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Just trying to get a feel for how often you guys do waterchanges. Also how much do you do, as in percentage or gallons per tank size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Tank changes or water changes? If it is tank changing... As little as possible. It is a real pain to switch tanks... If water changes. I try to do 5-10 gal every 1-2 weeks. Sometimes more often, sometimes longer in between. This is for the 75g tank. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180Brandy Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 If you mean water changes,we do a garbage can size I think its 38 gal.... Once a week my tank is a 180 gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriswaters Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I do a tank change only when I can afford the biggest and the best....HAHAHAHA! As for water changes, I do 10% change every Sunday...Once a month I do a 20%. BTW...half of my fish and corals HATE water changes. Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I change 25% of the water in my tank every 2 months. Plus, I add make up water when people buy stuff or I ship corals out. So it really is like doing a small water change a couple of times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef-fisher Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 5 gal every week, when Im not busy, every 2 weeks when I am busy. I have a 34 gal,, and do not add anything else. I plan on hooking up a kalk reactor so I can go longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 nice....thank you all so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilmca Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 25 to 30 gallons per week on the current tank. Before that I was probably doing a 30 gallon water change per month on the 200 gallon tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 100ml every 9.6 minutes or 4 gallons a day each and every day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef-fisher Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Do tell. Is this automated? 100ml every 9.6 minutes or 4 gallons a day each and every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 5 to 10 gallons a week on a 40 gallon system. And as for Madmikes set up we should all have 500 dollars worth of pumps:eek: It would make things alot easier(laugh) Mike you need to do a little write up on that and let everyone know what you have. Also get some pics of the set up and post them up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason7504 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 4-5 gallons a week on my 34g 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadReefer Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 It seems I'm the only one that changes tanks more often than water. Not really though. I change tanks too much. I have made major changes in tanks about once every 3-6 months, but I really want a big tank that I can leave running for a long time. I do water changes only if I see something looking like it is not happy. I havent' done a water change for about three months and that was only because I setup new tanks and moved. Before that it was several months without water changes as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blown65 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Usually once a month. I'm too lazy, Reefboy comes and takes care of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 100ml every 9.6 minutes or 4 gallons a day each and every day. I assume the LiterMeter III? How big is your water change reservoir? Were does the waist water go? what do you use to pump the water out of the tank? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thank you all for your input. I am trying to find the least stressfull maintanance routine I could perform to avoid causing additional or unnessessary issues with corals and fish. I have noticed that my corals ALWAYS seem to show their displeasure with water changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmike Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Yes, I use 2 litermeter III pumps, one to pump in from a 160 gallon reservoir (I picked that size because that is about how much a full bucket of salt makes) and one to pump out of the sump and to a sink. I have a garage sump and utility sink so it is pretty easy. Just make up water about every 1&1/2 months and pour a bucket of salt in. I have a latching relay set up with solenoid on my RO/DI unit so I turn it on when my reservoir is empty and it turns itself off when it is full. This tank has by far been the easiest to maintain (over 400gallons in total) out of the many tanks I have had. If I ever get some time I'll post up some pics of the setup that spans 2 floors and a subfloor of my 3 story townhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 dang. Guess I got some work to do to catch up with madmike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikep503 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Your supposed to change the water? (whistle) I am horrible about it. At the same time I really do not see negative results. I have corals that grow like mad and very happy fish. I have probably honestly changed only 20 gallons in my 80 gallon tank in the last two years. This reminds me.... maybe it's time for another 5 gallons DOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Your supposed to change the water? (whistle) I am horrible about it. At the same time I really do not see negative results. I have corals that grow like mad and very happy fish. I have probably honestly changed only 20 gallons in my 80 gallon tank in the last two years. This reminds me.... maybe it's time for another 5 gallons DOH! Now that sounds like me. Too funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I am on the 30 gallon (40%) water change every 3 months. I seem to have very good luck with very little water changes. I used to do 10% a week, but things look much healthier now that i have gotten lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 I am starting to think that this is the way to go. More and more I am reading that people who do fewer water changes have happy growing corals and fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I have run the gambit on the subject. A few years back I was doing two 30g water changes a week, the tank was a 65g. I worked by a research institute that had free water, was maybe two minutes out of the way. When I moved up here I started doing weekly 20g water changes on my 65g. Then I got to the point where the tank had matured, the refugium was kicking, I got my first good protein skimmer, switched foods, increased flow and got the pattern right. Now I do a water change every few months or so. On my hospital tank I was doing a 5g water change, twice a day. But that was a hospital tank with no biofiltration. On my seahorse tank I have done three water changes in a year. Two of them were within days of each other. I had a flat worm outbreak and had to repeat the dose of flat worm exit. Other then the need for flatworm exit I wouldn't have changed the water, don't plan on it. Oh, no skimmer, on that one either. Just lots and lots of macro and a very low bioload. As far as negative effects from water changes, I don't see much of them to be honest. If you temp and pH match the water, and the new water is good, IMO there is not a way to change to much at once. JMO JME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thank you very much for that write up Pledosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriswaters Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Okay...I guess I must be honest. I do a 10% change pretty faithfully on Sundays. The honest part....I hate Water changes. I do a small amount because it does upset most everyone...with the exception of the clowns, in the tank. I would like to cut them down...maybe I will do 10% every two weeks for a while.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.