Eliminating Water Changes

[RW09903]

I have been performing a 10-15% water change on a weekly basis on my 120g tank. I recently added corals to the system to add color anf depth. As I researched about different corals, I came across several articles about setting up a aquarium that does not require water changes (only top offs). Is this possible?

[Djplus1]

I always hear about people doing this, but unless your using crazy amounts of additive$$$, I don't think it's worth it for tanks under 200 gallons or so, as its pretty easy to do a 20 gallon change.

[swimmatte]

IMHO, water changes are the MOST IMPORTANT portion of reef keeping.  I notice a huge difference between when I am vigilant with water changes to when I slack.

[pizzaguy]

I do a 50% change every 3 week's. My corals mean to much to me to take a chance and a big what if, with no water changes

[swimmatte]

I do a 50% change every 3 week's. My corals mean to much to me to take a chance and a big what if, with no water changes

 

+1 

 

I alternate 15% - 10% - 20% week by week, which gives me a similar schedule to you at 45% every 3 weeks.

[camelcruiser]

I had a completely healthy 120 reef without water changes for 2 years a lot of softies and lps with a good amount of sps. I had a refugium which helps but dosed with I think it was Kent's essential elements and a 2 part.

[Coral Hind]

IMHO, water changes are the MOST IMPORTANT portion of reef keeping.  I notice a huge difference between when I am vigilant with water changes to when I slack.

I totally agree. I have tried to keep reef tanks with limited or no water changes in the past and they stay alive but the growth and color was nothing like it was when I did monthly 20% water changes. I feel that fresh saltwater has a better balance of the full spectrum trace elements that you can not get from adding additives.

[AlanM]

I totally agree. I have tried to keep reef tanks with limited or no water changes in the past and they stay alive but the growth and color was nothing like it was when I did monthly 20% water changes. I feel that fresh saltwater has a better balance of the full spectrum trace elements that you can not get from adding additives.

Instant Ocean should make Reef Crystals with everything except NaCl, then. Seems like that would get you the traces since the salt stays in the water during topoff. Maybe they could put at least a little salt in to replace what gets skimmed out and replaced with topoff water.

[Coral Hind]

That would be a nice product for dosing between water changes. I still think you would want to do water changes though since it's not just about adding trace elements but removing pollutants like detritus, nitrate, phosphate, tannins, lignins, airborne household chemicals that settle into the tank, chemicals from your skin that enter the tank everytime your hand goes in, and so one.

 

I think that just because the parameters you are testing for are perfect to you on a weekly basis doesn't mean the tank chemistry is fine since there are so many things we don't or can't test for. What changed my opinion on going back to routine water changes for a reef tank was the livestock's positive response to the fresh saltwater.

[jaddc]

I have seen a few examples where people have not done water changes in a while (or ever). The tanks had varying degrees of success, it all depends on how you define success.

 

Here's my thought. To me it comes down to time. You may think that you are saving time by not changing the water, but I'd argue that it takes more effort to maintain a system with zero water changes. You constantly have to monitor levels and make changes accordingly. Testing. Dosing. Testing. Dosing. No time saved there. When you don't do water changes, you have to approach the water chemistry like a chemist. I used to do this. It worked, but I had to fiddle every day. 

 

Now I change 15 gallons every week for my 29g JBJ nanocube. It works out to 90% when you account for the rock and sand. It takes me 2 hours per week at most. But I don't test for anything (other than salinity and temp). I don't have a protein skimmer that needs to be cleaned. I have controlled algae growth even though I feed heavy. My coral growth is fantastic, especially for my SPS. My softies slowed down a bit, probably because the water is too clean. 

 

WC, IMHO, are the easiest way to go. And for all the fads that have come and gone, water changes are still the time tested best remedy. For those with larger tanks, my recommendation would be to do as large of a WC as possible every week. 

[smallreef]

I think it's also based on filtration... Like with Paul's tank, I'm not sure how often he changes his water, but he uses an under gravel filter, which obviously pulls out detritus being it floats to the bottom...but this is 'old' tech and we use slot of different things now...

Personally I LOVE my tank for the first few days after a water change...everything is soooo happy also having a good skimmer is a must, this can help in longer periods in between changes...I do one large monthly change...15g on my 50g tank...and sometimes I split it into 2 2 week changes...

[ohaverd]

I dunno...  To me if someone isnt willing to take 30 minutes ever other weekend to do a water change, they may be in the wrong hobby...

[smallreef]

Lol true...and with how many things we can automate now its really one of the few chores to this hobby..

and even most of the water change can be automated with pumps and such..I still do a lot the 'old fashioned' way with a suction hose and buckets but its a small tank, lol

[paul b]

My tank is very old, my corals are old and grow nicely, virtually all of my paired fish are spawning, I never had a crash, don't quarantine, some of my fish are almost 20 years old, I own no test kits and I change about 20% of the water maybe five times a year.

I have about 25 fish in a 100 gallon tank.  No problems.

I think you need to change water, just not as much as most people do.  I also notice no changes after I change water, good or bad.

I also feel that if your tank looks better after a water change, and you just changed it a week or two ago, your tank may be on the verge of crashing.  Just my opinion of course.

I think there are more important things to be concerned about than water changes.

[londonloco]

I try to change 20% on all my fw tanks weekly, takes me 2 hours tops.  When I miss a week, I can tell.  I will be changing 10% weekly on my new 60g reef. 

[countryboy]

IMHO, water changes are the MOST IMPORTANT portion of reef keeping.  I notice a huge difference between when I am vigilant with water changes to when I slack.

I agree 100%

[countryboy]

I change 20% weekly on my reef and 25% by weekly on my fowlr

[YHSublime]

I had to search to find this, but maybe it will answer your question.

[RW09903]

I had to search to find this, but maybe it will answer your question.

Thanks for the link, This was more or less the discussion I wanted to start. I feel that there is more than one method in creating a well established system. Whether you decide to take a more natural method with refugium mud... less water changes,,etc... OR use dosing pumps/skimmers/reactors (high tech equipment), it is still possible to create a stable ecosystem how ever you choose.

 

With that said, I will continue to perform a 10-15% water change on a weekly basis. I just wanted to know if others are sucessful in creatin a ecosystem which allows nature to do the work for them.

[firecrackerbob]

Ive been in the aquarium hobby for my whole life (though not as long as PauB), and can say that there is no one simple answer.  it depends on your system, how heavily stocked your tank is, what kind of filtration you use, ect, etc....

BUT, I would say this in general- if you want to do a top of the line SPS tank you probably should be doing some regular water changes.  Like at least a 50% once a month.  If you want to do a Softie/LPS tank(depending on your exact corals), you are probably better off doing fewer water changes.

 

as for me, I have two young kids and a million other responsibilities.  I  am currently running a softie\LPS tank and dont do water changes.  my corals look great and are growing like weeds...

 

just depends on how you want to look at it...

[gmerek2]

I have a 3 year old 125g. I have only 6 fish and have to do water changes or nitrates get out of wack. Working on a refugium to cut back. WC arent fun but I look at it as insurance. if something gets out of wack that Im unaware of it will help dilute and replace. I had a dumb dumb moment and put a metal screw clamp in my ATO. Rusted like heck and I didnt find it until I had to refill the thing. Glad I did a 20% WC that week. Anything from cat %$#* in the sump to kids dumping stuff in can happen.

[Origami]

I tried not changing water for about 6 months within the last couple of years and saw problems with my SPS coloration and growth, and in some cases some tissue recession. (This wasn't an experiment. I just got really busy in other areas and didn't do what had worked for me in the past.) Things rebounded after a few weeks of accelerated water changes.

[paul b]

 I notice a huge difference between when I am vigilant with water changes to when I slack.

 

I didn't even notice when I went bald.  I think my wife told me.

 

 I had a dumb dumb moment and put a metal screw clamp in my ATO. Rusted like heck and I didnt find it until I had to refill the thing.

 

 

Here are some floats on my surface skimmer.  I think I have enough metal in my tank to build a 1955 Oldsmobile.  Maybe the convertible, not the coupe.

I see no problem with stainless steel or even iron.  There is plenty of iron in salt water.  Some people even dose it.

If you dive, you will see more corals growing on a steel ship wreck than on the surrounding rocks.  I wonder why?

But what do I know, I am just a retired electrician with a fish tank

 

[AlanM]

Have you ever been on a dive to see a shipwreck to see if the critters specifically don't like to live on the copper/brass parts of the ship as opposed to the steel parts?  Once I started learning how bad copper and zinc are for marine invertebrates I keep trying to watch for it on nature shows.

[gmerek2]

ah cool must be why I didnt lose anything.