Water Changes ~ How Much & How Often

Antman · #1 03/03/2006, 11:03 AM

Hello all ,I am sure this has been brought up a million times But lets hear your meathods of Water Changes
How much water do you change and how often do you do it ?
Some say change less water more often and some go longer & change more water .

supernareg · #2 03/05/2006, 06:09 AM

i change about 15% every 2 weeks on a 30 gal with 10 gal sump and about 50% of a 12gal (aquapod with 4 SH and 1 royal gamma) every 2 weeks. been up and running for 6+ with beautiful corals and thriving fish. no problems.

DgenR8 · #3 03/05/2006, 09:35 AM

When I am on schedule, I change 20% of my system volume once a week.
I've slipped some recently, and it shows in my tank.......

Antman · #4 03/05/2006, 04:21 PM

I try to do 10 Gallons every 2 weeks ~ On a 54 gallon tank with a 10 Gallon sump.
Was thinking of trying 5 gallons every week

mrmustard · #5 03/05/2006, 09:49 PM

On my 72 bow i shoot for 10 gallons every 2 weeks. RO/DI.

BLUE OASIS · #6 03/07/2006, 10:52 AM

We have a 90gal and every Saturday we do a 20gal water change, test the water for (Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Cal, KH, PH, Mag & SG) as feed all our coral by hand. This process usually takes about 2 hours, but we are in a routine and the tank always looks great.

jiggy · #7 03/07/2006, 01:42 PM

water changes r taken alot more seriously than they need to be.. i dont think u need to change water as much as your reef ages and becomes more self sustaining.. if u can keep the params where they need to be, then why change the water once a week..

alot of guys have successful reefs that only do annual or bi annual water changes.. but their reefs have been up for awhile..

DgenR8 · #8 03/07/2006, 04:18 PM

IMO, the primary reason for changing water is to remove a portion of the waste that builds up in your system. Not waste really, but the byproduct of the decomposition of waste. I think that most hobbyists will probably agree.
There is another very good reason to perform water changes, as the animals in your system grow, they should be using up certain trace elements. You replace those elements with water changes.

bandedangel · #9 03/19/2006, 10:09 AM

doesn't matter the size of tank IMO 20% every two weeks

ZOKU · #10 03/19/2006, 10:14 AM

*nod* 20% seems to be a fairly good standard when it comes to water changes.

bandedangel · #11 03/19/2006, 10:18 AM

I shouldn't say too much, I'm a slacker on water changes, at times it seems like a month between LOL

PatMayo · #12 03/19/2006, 10:20 AM

I personall think 20% every two weeks is overkill. (Every circumstance is different, high bio load no skimmer etc. ) The rule of thumb is 15 to 20 % per month. I just happen to do mine on a weekly basis. 90 gallon tank plus 30 in the sump.

90 + 30 = 110

110 * 20% = 22 gallons / 4 weeks = 5.5 gallons.

I do this religiously and the tank looks like it. When I get corals added to the tank it will be less stress.

Some folks think it is ok to do the complete 20% at one setting and it probably is. I just find it easier to do smaller more frequent changes and I hope in the process that smaller changes in the water chemistry will be easier on my captive friends.

One more thing I just thought of as well. I blow the rocks off each time I change the water. It keeps the rock clean and debris free and takes a lot of the junk out of the tank. Lots of benefits.

I do have a question for the experts out there. Is blowing the rock off every week necessary or is that overkill on my part? or is it strictly a personal preference?

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Regards,

Pat

kyle102565 · #13 03/19/2006, 10:20 AM

my 65g with 15g sump gets a 10g water change every weekend. depending on future test results i'd like to do 5g weekly.

bandedangel · #14 03/19/2006, 10:25 AM

In all honesty there has been a time that 6 months has over lapped between changes. So I can agree with PatMayo

PatMayo · #15 03/19/2006, 10:29 AM

bandedangel,
Thats the danger to not having a routine and sticking with it. One day you look at your tank and your friends don't look too happy and you look at your log (assuming you have one, I do and recommend it.) and it's been 2 months since the last water change. Simple and quick is much better because you are more apt to keep up with the needed and required husbandry.

Regards,

Pat

Scuba Oz · #16 03/19/2006, 10:31 AM

20% weekly is what I try to adhere too, sometimes that slips to bi-weekly

bandedangel · #17 03/19/2006, 10:43 AM

thanks Pat, I know, but I never have had a problem? I do have a little more time on my hands as of late and have been changing every two weeks

amazingbobby · #18 03/19/2006, 04:24 PM

17.24% per week! You know, 5gal in a 29gal. My system is still new, and I may go to every two weeks if possible in the future.

wfrost · #19 03/19/2006, 04:47 PM

A couple of gallons a week in my 29 when I remember, Im not real precise, with the amount or my schedule.

Opiy · #20 03/19/2006, 04:51 PM

I change 10g on about 65g total system volume every week. I like to think I am taking some of the crud out of my system because I stir up the sandbed, take a powerhead and blow off the rock and get as much stirred up as possible then I change the water. I do have a very low bio load with 1 fish and 6 hermits 6 snails. Changing the water doesn't take that long anyway.

tinca · #21 03/19/2006, 06:34 PM

what is SH?

exacta123 · #22 03/19/2006, 07:19 PM

5-10% weekly IMO is pleny

Alaskan Reefer · #23 03/19/2006, 08:38 PM

10% every two weeks here. Once I get the tank more stocked (currently very light bioload and coral numbers), I'll be going to 10% every week.

pvtschultz · #24 03/19/2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PatMayo
I personall think 20% every two weeks is overkill. (Every circumstance is different, high bio load no skimmer etc. ) The rule of thumb is 15 to 20 % per month. I just happen to do mine on a weekly basis. 90 gallon tank plus 30 in the sump.

90 + 30 = 110

110 * 20% = 22 gallons / 4 weeks = 5.5 gallons.

I do this religiously and the tank looks like it. When I get corals added to the tank it will be less stress...

...One more thing I just thought of as well. I blow the rocks off each time I change the water. It keeps the rock clean and debris free and takes a lot of the junk out of the tank. Lots of benefits.

Diddo here. 90 gal tank + 10 gal sump + 10 gal fuge = 110 gal. I change 5 gallons weekly.

Quote:

I do have a question for the experts out there. Is blowing the rock off every week necessary or is that overkill on my part? or is it strictly a personal preference?

I blow off the rocks every other week or so. About once a month I clean out the sand bed with a syphon cleaner. Might not do that now that I have added nassaris snails to the sandbed.

dots · #25 03/19/2006, 08:45 PM

I have been on the schedule of 20g of my 75g a month. Remember, Unless you are subtracting the volume of live rock and sand etc. Your percentage calcs are off. I figure the 15g or so in the sump equates out.....so thats 26.6%. Yes it would probably be better to split it up and do it weekly, but here is my theory:

I test my alk/ca daily so I know right where it is and keep it in check with varied doses of 2-part based on the rate of consuption of the two. Water changes continually knock this out of whack and want to keep it as stable as possible. Once a month turmoil in the tank is enough.

I have a skimmer and live rock. Feed EVERY OTHER day and have a medium fish load. Run carbon 24/7.

Other than getting rid of excess phosphates,and nitrates(usually 0), I find this method easier to maintain.

Oh yeah, I live in an apartment and have to lug 5gal jugs and don't own an RO/DI unit. On changing weeks I go to the store twice to fill up for the change and for the tops offs afterward. Its enough for me once a month. But smaller, more often might be better as far as keeping pollution down, it varies on how highly stocked the tank is and how much you feed, and if a skimmer is used.