water changes..etc.

[Feddish]

I have just a few basic questions. One is how often do you do water changes? I have been told so many different things, from weekly to 3 months in the reef tank, very confused. I have a 75 gal with over 150 lbs of live rock 80 lbs live sand mixed with crused coral for texture. 2 fluval 305, one on each end of the tank, a hot Magnum, two powerheads, a prizum protien skimmer, MS8 760 watt light, with 2 MH 250 watt, 4 true atinic 65 watt floresent bulbs and 4 led lights. Since I added the halide everything has just blossomed out. Fish I have 1 black and white clown, 2 Maroon clowns, 1 clown gobie, a mandarin, watchman gobie, 2 blue chromis, 2 firefish, a royal grammie, a hippo tang, 2 yellow tail damsels, 3 strip damsel, a six line wrasse, inverts and corals - tons of hermits crabs, 2 big snails-one large zebra and one that looks like a lepord, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, purple lobster. corals - frogspawn, leathrs, green star polyps, sponges, yellow star polyps, lots of zoos, but all brwon in color - popping up evrywhere, I even have one on the back of a hermit crab, I forget the name of this one it looks like a blueish star ployp 3. Lots of different types of feather dusters and finding more all the time, 1 annenomie, 4 types of mushrooms - 2 different red, one green and one umbrella. another one i forgot the name of round rock with floresent green tenticles that have a sunflower type end on them. I would like to add some color to the tank with more zoos and corals, what are good choices especially for the corals. The tank is about 2 months old, some of this came from a 12 gal nano tank that I completely over loaded. How often should I add trace elements? Eventually I want to go to a sump filtration, but money talks. Please someone help me add color to the tank.
Thanks
Diane

[greg97527]

first of all with a 75 gallon tank you have a "major" bio load with all those fish. 5% water change atleast once a month i recommend. i do a 5% every 2 month because i have a 35 gallon refugium. it is definately a touchy subject. everyone will say different things so basically use your judgement. If the water does'nt look perfect or your tests are not ideal or you just feel like maybe its time then go for it. I would say no more than twice a month max because you do remove iodine, calcium and other nutrients needed.

[cweber]

I have a 10 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. I do about 10% weekly. I use reef crystals salt, and dose kent liquid calcium. I personally dont think you need to dose trace elements as that is one of the purposes of doing a water change. With the larger fish load, i would say 10-15% weekly or biweekly.
My $.02 :)

[Iconz]

First of all, you have a very nice tank, especially to not have a sump.

I would agree... With that bioload, you could definitly use a more frequent water chante schedule. 10 - 15% Bi-weekly would probably do you fine.

I would also get some sort of sand-sifter to help keep the deterius off of your sand bed. A starfish or goby would do you well... The star being the lightest addition to the bioload.

Also, are you fairly handy with DIY stuff? If so, a sump/fuge may not be as costly as you think.

-JD

A low-cost investment to your current tank would be a HOTB fuge with some macro algae in it. An aqua-clear 100 or 150 would work really well. You just have to find a way to tune down the flow through it. This will help quite a bit with your nutrient control.

[Feddish]

Thank- you so much for the info, I am very glad that I asked.
Diane

[Feddish]

now about adding color through the corals, polyps, and other things that would not put any more bioload on the tank.
Diane

[JustDavidP]

Corals, polyps and other things do, in fact, add to bioload. They exrete waste just like a fish does.

Dave

[greg97527]

agreed, although he could add some xenia or a gorgonian without raising the load to much, just dont get things like anemones.

[JustDavidP]

True... Xenia is a nutrient loving pig-coral. They can live in sewers and thrive off of nutrient.

[Iconz]

And grow like weeds... Corals do excrete some, but (correct me if i'm wrong guys) not as much as fish.

[jojo22]

Some corals will (and do) create more waste than fish.

[eldiente]

I forget the name of this one it looks like a blueish star ployp 3.

I believe she already has some pom pom xenia, at least it looks like it in the pics, I don't think they are woods polyps.

To give it some nice color, I would say some sun corals, I don't know about the bioload, and they are not photosynthetic, but they are very yellow/orange.

I use one of the hand on the back refugium on my small tank and I love it, it made a huge improvement.

Also as far as trace additives, that can depend on what you are feeding, if it is only flake food, then it is a good idea. If it is frozen food, then once the fish eat the food (Brine shrimp, mysis, krill, or whatever) they release iodine and other trace additives into the water. I'm not a marine biologist, but this is what I have read a few times. I feed only frozen food, and I still add trace suplements when I remember (3-4 times a year).

[eldiente]

Some corals will (and do) create more waste than fish.

Which corals are those? do you have any examples besided anemones? I would think it would have to be those that tend to eat food particles and are not purely photosynthetic.

[jojo22]

All corals need food as well as light, larger mushrooms would create more waste than most fish. But once again all corals NEED food.