How often do you?

[Jarred1]

How often do you perform a water change on your tank? Also how much do you change at a time? Do you skim or do any other new fancy things for the tank to keep the water stable? Please include if it is a LPS, SPS, or soft coral dominated tank.

For example:
I change two gallons of water about every month. Both tanks are 20 gallons and house mostly soft corals with a few LPS.

[jimsflies]

Might be also good to have members list the size of tank and whether they skim or dose....just a thought.

I'd answer the question, but I am total slacker these days and don't want to be a role model with my schedule.

[schminksbro]

Whatever size tank you have I advocate changing 2.5% weekly (in nanos divide that up daily). Frequent small water changes are better that infrequent large changes. Every tank is different and one needs to observe their own tank and act according to what they see. Water changes in my view are a inefficient method of nutrient export but they do replenish trace elements which is good. I believe the weekly changes will lead to more consistent availability of these elements. Large percentage water changes can be destabilizing to a reef tank.

[jimsflies]

When I was being diligent I listened to Schminksbro and my tank never looked better.

[rmalone]

Once per month but it really should be every 2wks. 180g w/100g sump, total volume of about 200g. ATB medium cone skimmer, mb7 and vodka, still use gfo (because I don't shoot for undetectable nitrates). Dosing 2 part with a bubble magus doser. Feed the fish like crazy and usually test between .2ppm and 5ppm nitrates (using lamotte), depending on how diligent I am with the vodka. I don't even bother testing phosphates as I don't want to buy a meter and ALL of the "kits" are garbage. I also don't test ph because it's a transient reading that will lead you unto ruin if you try to micro-manage it with dosing.

I agree that water changes are a very inefficient method of removing nutrients. Not to mention that water changes suck, and as such, you wont need a very good excuse to put the job off for another day. So, if water changes are the main means by which you export nutrients, you will likely end up with a high nutrient tank. ]

In my, and only my opinion, there are a few items that are "cost of doing business" items. 1. a good effective skimmer (doesn't have to cost a million dollars), it just needs to be effective. 2. ATO, you simply don't have time to manually dump ro water into the tank, when the tank should have ro added, No ATO, means less stability, period. Don't even bother arguing this one with me. 3. If your into sps either dosing pumps or a calc reactor, for the same reasons as the ATO, if it's a PITA you'll blow it off sooner or later. Lack of stability leads to a drastic rise in tank issues, particularly with sps.

I find it amusing how many people try to save money on hard goods and then buy $100 frags and lament when they just don't perform.

[bluwc]

Well for what it's worth, I used to change water once a week. With summer, it just got too time consuming so it's now about every other week in both tanks

In my 30g cube w 20g sump/fuge I have chaeto in there and an in sump Reef Octopus 160. i have been recently dosing for Alk because it's been pretty low and when I do water changes, it's 5gallons/just over 10%.

In my 60g, I just run a cheap HOB skimmer and an emporer 400 for carbon. It's not the best set up but it works for now. When I break that tank down, I'll probably start over with a bigger tank and sump. I also change the water about everyother week. 10% or about 5 gallons also.

[MyNemesis]

120 gallon display tank, 50 gallon breeder sump, 25 gallon frag tank. 130 gallons total water volume. I change 24% of the water every couple weeks.

[MizTanks]

I've slacked off big time...haven't done a wc in going on 2 months...I dose 2 part daily and trace elements 1x bi-weekly...I was doing the 20% every other week but it seemed to be more then what my tank could handle. Today my corals have never looked better and my pictures prove this to be true :) what's most exciting is that all my zoa's are totally thriving with rapid polyp growth (or what I like to call rapid) I have a 26g bowfront with a 3g hob fuge..nano skimmer and just recently acquired an ro/di unit so I'm up for a wc soon.

[steve&mari]

Big Steve

Change 5-10 gallons weekly 90% of the time there's them times it waits a extra week then I do 10gallons. We have a 65 gallon 36x18x24 with 20 gallon sump with reef octopus skimmer rated for150 gallon tank with phosphate reactor w/ gfo,chemi pure in filter sock n purigen running in a fluval 4 plus in sump with liverock n macro. Filter sock changed weekly dose seachem reef fusion 1&2 ,MB7,tech m,strontion,bio fuel n lugols. Got no issues with any numbers n stays very stable. Heater,ato n pumps ran off reefkeeper lite temps 78-79 even with the heatwave.Run 6x39 watt aquaticlife fixture Mp 20 n mj 1200 mod in tank for flow w eBay 800gph behind rock low. Round 80-90lbs total rock zoas palys Acans are dominant with 6-8 chalices n 2-3 favias 2 sun corals reg n black n 6-7 sps to top it. Colors pop n everything's growing but a favia n a trumpet other trumpets growing like mad humm dont get them 2. 5 fish a rainbow nem a blood shrimp n clean up crew. Well prob more info then ya wanted LOL

Big Steve

[rmalone]

See, now there is another issue, Miz is growing mostly zoos, completely different situation than my largely sps and nem tank. Not all tanks need the same approach. Zoos really grow slow in my tank, I am high enough nutrient to keep them going but by no means do they kick arse. I run my tank first and foremost for sps, with nems being a distant second. My lps and those pesky zoos can live with what they get. Some of this discussion is really about what you want to do with your tank. A 180g with nothing but colt coral and shrooms could probably get by on yearly water changes, assuming the reefer was sensible about feeding.

[MizTanks]

See, now there is another issue, Miz is growing mostly zoos, completely different situation than my largely sps and nem tank. Not all tanks need the same approach. Zoos really grow slow in my tank, I am high enough nutrient to keep them going but by no means do they kick arse. I run my tank first and foremost for sps, with nems being a distant second. My lps and those pesky zoos can live with what they get. Some of this discussion is really about what you want to do with your tank. A 180g with nothing but colt coral and shrooms could probably get by on yearly water changes, assuming the reefer was sensible about feeding.

NOT mostly zoa's~I failed to mention that my tank is a mixed reef with lps being dominant~I have managed to keep 2 acros growing well with great colors~I've got a little bit of everything in my tank :tongue_out:

[Tom@HaslettMI]

I aim for ~5% each week. I voted twice a month though... since that is more realistically what I can accomplish with two young kids. My tank is a mixed reef with a total gross volume of ~90 gallons (see tank thread link in my signature for more details).

Tom

[marc49127]

My tank is a 210 gallon with a 70 gallon sump. I skim and top off with kalkwasser and am running biopellets. The tank is sps dominant with very few lps and angelfish food (zoas) lol. I do weekly water changes of 25 gallons and my tank is coming along very nicely!

[larryandlaura]

We change 10% bi weekly!

[CableGuy]

About once every month or two or when I feel like it.

Tank looks great and I've been on this schedule for about a year now.:fish2:

[Jarred1]

This is great stuff everyone!

[whitetiger61]

I have 2 tanks.. a 2.5 gal pico..acan dominated and i change 16 ozs of water 2 times a week on that one..hob filter modded to keep cheato in it..

35 gal hex is a mixed reef with hob overflow with a 10 sump..about 42 gallons total water volumn..i change 4 gallons on this tank every week.dose mb7 on this tank and it has a prism hob skimmer on it.

Rick

[dlhirst]

I have two tanks, both from Red Sea with their built in skimmers. NOT the greatest of skimmers it seems, from the lack of production out of them.

I change 5 gal every week at home (66 gal tank) and 5 gal probably 3 times a month at my office (34 gal).

I usually just run the skimmer for a day or two after the WC but I don't have a lot of fish in either - and I don't feed them every day.

[binford4000]

Whatever size tank you have I advocate changing 2.5% weekly (in nanos divide that up daily). Frequent small water changes are better that infrequent large changes. Every tank is different and one needs to observe their own tank and act according to what they see. Water changes in my view are a inefficient method of nutrient export but they do replenish trace elements which is good. I believe the weekly changes will lead to more consistent availability of these elements. Large percentage water changes can be destabilizing to a reef tank.

This is great advice.I change 1.5% daily with the assistance of my Apex.I just add fresh mix water once a week(30 gallons) 150 display,75 gallon sump and fuge and 40 gallon frag tank conected to the same system. Slow and easy always works best

[MizTanks]

My tanks been doing so good now I'm afraid to change my water-it's been 2 months-not like me at all but it's working-so maybe when I do change it soon I should only do a small like 3-5gs?

[XSiVE]

120g display 55g sump 10g frag tank, I do a 25 gallon change once every three to four weeks. I run my skimmer 20 hours a day, no dosing of anything but cal/alk, algae turf scrubber lit 18 hours a day.

[MizTanks]

I change 5g's exactly every 4wks on my 26g. Total water volume of tank unknown. I dose ESV 2part 7.5ml daily. I also dose 2.5ml of Essential Elements with every water change.

[binford4000]

we change ten percent weekly on both system.Both have skimmers and use two part.The larger system also has a sulfur nitrate reactor. I had both systems on a daily small percentage water change but it just started to fell like all I was doing was working on the tanks and makeing water endlessly.I preffer haveing a fish tank maintnace day better and things seem to like it better that way also.Water changes are fundamently the best way to replenish much needed trace elaments IMO :oldman:

[Heidi]

Once a week or every other week. It just kinda depends on what's going on in the rest of my life. I always get at least 2 in a month is seems.

Heidi

[Bsnile23]

5 gallons every Friday on jbj 28 nano. I do not use a skimmer and have mostly zoas with 1 acan and 1 chalice. Also a hammer coral.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[Tom Toro]

240gallon (total volume 400gal), lots of tangs, lots of feeding,Biopellets,

Every 10-12 days about 50gal water changes (could use more)

135gallon (total volume 180g),sps,vodka dose,B7,3tangs,4sm fish,daily feedings,

Every 7-10days 25g water changes.

[Pro X]

Sumped 75G w/total water volume of 66G. Continuous system exchanges 60ml 4 minutes every other hour 20 hours a day. Osmolator keeps up with top off duties. Fed 4 times a day. ATS in the works.

Sumped 30G Hex w/total water volume of 17G. 2G weekly water change every Sun when I clean ATS screen. Fed way too often w/ATS lit 18hrs/day. Reef Fanatic ATO.(soon to be Osmolate'd) Working on a continuous system run off ALC Module.

[waucedah_joe]

I run a turf scrubber for filtration and do not do regular water changes, ever. The only fresh saltwater I add to my tank is to replace the 3-4 gallons I remove while syphoning detrius from the bottom of the sump, maybe every 6-8 weeks.

[Tropical Buff]

I do 10% water change every other week but still working on the details of my routine dosing iodine and reff essentials weekly