Successful Reef Without Water Changes?

[Ryan S]

I would guess that most people do water changes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. However, many have beautiful tanks and never do water changes (or very rarely, like once a year). What would you need to avoid the need for regular water changes? Equipment / Products to be dosed regularly, etc?

[trockafella]

Move to australia and just run a pump from the reef to your tank. You'll be fine.

 

 

[Almon]

Don't feed the tank or it's inhabitants.

[Jan]

Ahhh, great question. About 3 weeks ago I was in Clayton NC. My niece graduated from NC State. Yay, Angie!!! On the way to NC State I saw a sign that said .....Reef. What? Reef? in Clayton NC? I asked my husband to turn the car around so I could read the sign. "Reef Keepers" is what the sign said. I had to go back after graduation. I made it back 30 min before closing and OMG!!! Bill Gately, the owner shows me around the store, which by the way was pristine and filled with rare huge gorgeous livestock. He's got a 1700 gallon reef that hasn't had a water change in 7 years. 7 years?? yep, 7 years! How? He skims about 20 gallons of water a day from that reef and that's all he does. I'm sure he tops off too. There's also a 1000 gallon pond with huge (12" or more) fish swimming around in it. I'll write a review in another thread. I started to think about this. There are several people who don't do water changes for many many years and have success and really nice tanks. PaulB, Rob has a friend like this and then there's Roozens. You may not like the way Roozens keeps their tanks but there's a lot of life in there. I guess with the right livestock making the perfect eco system and the right filtration, such as heavy skimming, one can pull it off. I've been playing with the idea to add another skimmer. First I'm trying an algae scrubber.

 

I was in awe of the size of the livestock in this 1700 gallon reef. 7" fat and healthy Heniochus. There were non photosynthetic corals in the tank and the largest most gorgeous clams I've ever seen. The biggest one was a least 18" across. the tank was packed! Beter than any aquarium I've seen. I can go on and on. I'll post pics later....how does the ocean maintain so well? It's a big pond, isn't it? all it gets is fresh water from rain, nutrients from the inhabitants, as well as the live rock.

Edited May 30, 2012 by Jan

[Chad]

Most of the standard stuff usually talked about (nitrates, phosphates, kH, calcium, mg) is pretty easily handled. IMO, the biggest concern long-term for no water changes is build-up of trace elements. Let's face it, comparing our miniscule volumes of water and processes to the ocean are like dividing a number by zero... it's just not doable because long-term equalibriums will come into play.

 

However, if we have a method to add trace elements and we have a method of removing contaminants and trace elements, it can be done. The way that I have seen it work successfully is by adding stuff (e.g., food - which actually has a lot of the "trace" stuff in it, balling method or similar) and removing stuff (skimmate, macro algae, ATS, etc.).

 

Some of the really large tanks (like the indoor tanks at inland aquatics, for example) keep fantastic corals and life without water changes.

 

Contraversial topic in the hobby

[jaddc]

From a water chemistry perspective, the bigger and more established the system, the less the need to do a water change.

 

If one has efficient means of export of the waste, and the trace element needs are satisfied by food choice, then I can see how one wouldn't need a water change.

 

In the end, it becomes a survive versus thrive argument.

[Jan]

It's been done. I say ask the people that have been successful with it. I'm sure they'd love to talk about it. How many years did it take marine aquarists to figure out that live rock is a huge part of filtration in this hobby? Sometimes technology is our own worst enemy. Sometimes when we go back to the basics and keep things simple we can find all the answers.

[Jan]

Why survive versus thrive? Why not survive and thrive?

 

From a water chemistry perspective, the bigger and more established the system, the less the need to do a water change.

 

If one has efficient means of export of the waste, and the trace element needs are satisfied by food choice, then I can see how one wouldn't need a water change.

 

In the end, it becomes a survive versus thrive argument.

[Steve G]

I change about 14 gallons every two months or so in a 75 gallon tank.

 

My tank has been up almost seven years and is stuffed with live rock (display and sump) and a deep sand bed. I don't feed very much even though I have 8 fish (3 chromis viridis, 2 ocellaris, 1 flame angel, 1 watchman, 1 mandarin dragonet).

 

I do have some issues with valonia and had an aiptasia outbreak (since controlled). Also, I don't tend to keep delicate inverts other than an anemone that's doing fine.

 

This schedule has worked for me. My main reason for not changing the water more frequently is space. My "fishroom" is my son's bathroom, so I can't keep tubs set up in there for more than two days every other month.

 

If you want to be TOTM, have a bare bottom, limit the LR in your display, have any problems, or your system is new, do more frequent water changes.

[jaddc]

Why survive versus thrive? Why not survive and thrive?

 

 

 

When one is thrivin' then it is survivin'

[Der ABT]

if he is taking out 20g of skimmate a day...thats 20g of water change a day....

pretty sure there is still salt in skimmate but i could be wrong

 

just not doing a water change like we commonly think of one....just saying...if you have to add salt then your doing some form of a water change.

[trockafella]

if he is taking out 20g of skimmate a day...thats 20g of water change a day....

pretty sure there is still salt in skimmate but i could be wrong

 

just not doing a water change like we commonly think of one....just saying...if you have to add salt then your doing some form of a water change.

 

 

Great Point. That would 7,300 gals a year.

[jaddc]

Oh great point! But that would suggest that the salinity goes down over time since the top off is fresh water.

[Integral9]

I personally have done both weekly and monthly and less frequently water changes on tanks ranging from 9g to 135. However, I wouldn't say I am trying to run a tank au natural w/out water changes, but in a way I am. I am just trying to keep my tank clean, healthy and do as little maintenance on it as possible because I hate lugging water around and doing a 20% water change on a 135 w/ about 150g of water volume is not only time consuming but it's expensive and a PITA for me as I have to make water in 5g buckets and I need about 6 of them. I also want a tank full of life so that I can be successful with fish like mandarins and butterflies that will typically only eat pods and other critters that typically don't survive w/out some kind of refugium. I also like zoanthids and they seem to do exceptionally well in tanks that aren't overly sterile or nutrient free.

 

To that end I try to keep my filtration as natural as possible. I have a fuge w/ what you might call an "algae scrubber", but it's really just a piece of egg crate that I am letting the cheato grow all over, standing up vertically, and in the path of the inflow into my fuge. When I pull the algae out of my fuge (about every other week), i mostly only remove the stuff behind the egg crate. I also employ what might be considered heavy skimming w/ a skimmer rated for a "heavily stocked 150g" in my 135. Some people might say this isn't natural, but I don't see a difference in what a protein skimmer does and the waves crashing. I also run a carbon reactor, as there is always the need to remove other toxins that get into the tank from the air, dust and bugs that get into the tank (daddgum stink bugs... I hate em!). OK, that is not natural. Oh well. Also, I built screens w/ clear nylong 1/4" mesh from BRS to go over the top of my tank to help keep them daddgum stink bugs out. I really hate those things. Sometimes a water change or two is required to reset things and then I do them. I'd say that on average, I am currently doing a water change in my 135 about every 3-4 months. If you've read my finger algae post, you might be inclined to think that is my problem. It is not. I'll update that thread in a moment.

 

All of that said. Steve G is correct. The best looking any of my aquariums has ever been is when I was doing weekly 5 gallon water changes on my 30g. My avatar pic is from that tank. However, for me, achieving homeostasis is the ultimate and most rewarding goal of any aquarium. Also, the larger the aquarium the more stable it is, but I am not sure if that makes it any easier to achieve homeostasis. (sorry for the long post, hope it was worth the read)

[extreme_tooth_decay]

When I had my "big" reef system, I rarely did any water changes, and didn't run a skimmer for a long time.

 

My system was "thriving".

 

I attribute it to a very large (40BR) fuge, full from bottom to top with macro, that I harvested frequently.

 

The few times I measured my nitrites and even nitrates, they were close to 0, if measurable at all.

 

Not everyone has room for it, but it worked like a charm for me.

 

Here is a pic of the fuge, and separate (55G) sump (pic taken when I was running a skimmer).

 

Edited May 30, 2012 by extreme_tooth_decay

[Incredible Corals]

At home I'm doing 15-20 gallons WC a week and the total water volume in the tank is around 200 gallons after you take out all the rock between the sump, display and fuge. It's very tempting to spread out the water changes or stop all together but the tank is thriving and would be a lot to risk if the tank and livestock isn't happy without the water changes. It costs about $10-$15 a week to do a water change and I just chalk that up to the cost of having a beautiful aquarium at home. In smaller tanks the cost is much less so you are only spending a few hundred a year in water changes. IMO it

[surf&turf]

I change 15 gallons a week in a ninety gallon system.

[flooddc]

I think it's do able if you have a large enough aquarium system. Consider that there is no water change in the ocean. rain and river water act like a ATO water.I used to do a 10% change every 2 weeks. But ever since I built a 70G sump/refuge, I change once every 2 months. My brother's 200G FOWLR tanks haven't had any water change since he set it up 4 years ago.

[Steve G]

One major caveat to those people who think they can get by with no water changes. You have to be ready with the *capacity* to change water on a moment's notice, in case anything bad happens (external pollutants, a large stinky creature dies, corals start a chemical war, ammonia spike, etc.)

 

Changing tank water is like dental flossing. It's a tedious chore. Some people can get by doing less of it, but it can only help to keep it up regularly and you'll always be nagged to do it more. And bad things can happen if you let it go.

 

Steve

[Packman@90]

I do not do water changes on my 72 gallon bowfront. I run a Algae turf scrubber (ATS) and an auto top off. I was having a terrable time with my tank until I switched to my ATS and do water changes once in two years. I love this system and would be out of the hobby with out it.

[paul b]

There are several people who don't do water changes for many many years and have success and really nice tanks. PaulB,

 

I do some water changes, I change about 20% 5 or 6 times a year.

[onux20]

Quote from RC's tank of the month for this month. Small excerpt, you have to read the entire thing to get a good picture of how/why he is successful.

 

I try to keep my system simplistic. I last changed the water in my aquarium 3 years and 8 months ago. At that time, it was basically as I was setting my current aquarium up in September 2008. Since then I just add freshwater by pouring it into the aquarium. Every two weeks I use a calcium chloride additive to supplement calcium depletion. I also add magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, and sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda). These additives keep my calcium, alkalinity, and my magnesium at proper levels. Occasionally, I will add Lugols. I also add live marine phytoplankton at times.

 

Water Parameters:

Salinity: 1.026 (refractometer)

Temperature: 25 - 27

[firecrackerbob]

I generally do water changes on a quarterly basis. When I do, its about a 40% change to about a 120g system. I have a 55display, a 20 sump, and a 45 fuge plumbed together. when its time, I drain the fuge and refill it from my fresh make up tank. I have been running this way for about 2 years. now that I have kids running around, I really dont have time for water changes. keep in mind though that I only have two small fish in the display and feed lightly.

I think there are MANY sucesfull ways to run in this hobby. you just have to find what fits your personality. I dont have a lot of time these days to devote to daily maintinence, so I have low bioload.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I think there are MANY sucesfull ways to run in this hobby. you just have to find what fits your personality.

 

Well said sir!