Water Changes???????????

[RayRay28576]

What exactly are water changes for?

[BarkingCrab]

Hi:

I'm new at this too, but my understanding is to remove waste material (nitrate) and add back materials like calcium, etc. Of course, in some reef setups folks dose to maintain calcium, etc, but you'll find that info here if you do some reading.

-Chris

[ab5ebdxer]

They export waste and replace many elements in the water that are depleted by organisms and skimmers.

[thrlride]

As water evaporates it leaves behind all the trace elements in the water. Over time those elements get to dangerous levels that are hazardous to your fish and corals. Water changes removes these elements.

[albinooscar]

Originally posted by thrlride
As water evaporates it leaves behind all the trace elements in the water. Over time those elements get to dangerous levels that are hazardous to your fish and corals. Water changes removes these elements.

If you keep your water topped-off the trace elements do not get to dangerous levels, rather they get depleted thus the reason for dosing, unless your talking about fish waste and nitrates which really aren't referred to as trace elements. Some of the trace elements are used by the life in the tank also.

#1 reason is for water changes is to export unwanted nutrients and nitrates.

Just my opinion.

Ron

[RayRay28576]

Would it be possible for me to keep anemones or corals if I have 220 watts power compact lights on a 20gl aquarium, do a 10% water change each week, and have a canister filter that does up to a 75 gl aquarium? The reason I ask is because I really dont want to use my protein skimmer because it puts alot of bubbles in my water, so will it be possible with the things I named and not the protein skimmer?

[RayRay28576]

BUMP!

[Fenix]

You dont need a skimmer if you dont have any corals or anemomes. If you do plan on getting coarls put the skimmer on and take the canister off. The canister is just producing nitrates because it sucks stuff up and it just rots away relesing lots of bad stuff.

Your skimmer puts out a lot of bubbles because you havint got it adjusted right, some skimmers work better after they have been running for a while, plus bubbles in your tank wont hurt anything.

[ozadars]

Water changes are one of the best way to lower your nitrate levels in large quantities in a short time. Weekly, monthly or any other regular water changes are most of the time to lower the nitrate levels and also to add some trace elements thats in your salt.

You can keep corals in a 20gal tank with 220Ws of PC lighting. You can also keep a buble tip anemone but anemones are not very hardy animals and not well suited for new setup so If i were you I would wait till the tank gets mature enough.

I dont really prefer canister filters, you can probably find lots of discussions about them if you will search the forum.

If you can keep your parametres good enough to keep anemones and corals, you dont have to put a ps. I dont have one in my 20gal tank and I have both corals, anemones and a clam. Having a low bioload is probably the key to keep the parametres good which means you shouldnt put more than a few fish to the tank.

[RayRay28576]

My tank has been set up for almost a year now but its just been a fowlr. So its mature enough to keep corals and anomones in it right?

[ozadars]

Probably yes but not only your tank but also you should be ready to have anemones and corals too. You can start with mushrooms, zoanthids, polyps and some easy to keep soft & lps corals first but you need to read a lot before purchasing an anemone.

[OCDP]

Hello..

As you already know.. water changes are very important.. and NEED to be done on a regular basis. It's all about nutrient exchange. Take out some of the bad, and put some good back in.. picture it that way.... it's good to do!

If your wanting corals and an anemone, plug the skimmer in guaranteed. You don't have to turn off your canister filter... but you should definitely remove any foam pads or biological media inside of it and use it for flow and carbon use only!!! You don't want any media besides carbon or a phosphate remover in there really.. and definitely no foam pads.. this will help your nitrate build up.

Now.. if you have never taken care of corals before... then I wouldn't even think about an anemone yet... you are not ready, unless of course you have done your research.. they are definitely not critters that can be purchased and tossed into the tank just like that... they need to be studied first.. so you know what to expect from it and you know how to handle certain situations.

Like mentioned... start off easy with your corals.. trust me, you don't want to rush into corals you can't keep!! I did this and lost 2 of them... what a waste of money! Save yourself the frustration and start off EASY... zoanthids are beautiful, and easy to keep.. as well as shrooms, etc, etc, etc... just stick to easy ones.

And just because your tank has been up almost a year does NOT mean it's ready for an anemone or corals. Check your paramaters first before adding anything... that means your testing, ammonia, nitritre, nitrate, pH, SG, CA, ALK. If they are all in check.. then your ready for corals.. I still would hold off on the anemone.. until you have done the research!

So I hope I helped answer some questions here... it's just that research and patience is what you need when dealing with corals and anemones.. you don't want to learn the hard way lol.. wasted money and efforts!

[Moisted]

I agree with not rushing things, this is a hobby of patience, since it deals with living beings. But my reason for not rushing things isn't the waste of money and effort, that would be extremely selfish of me; it's the damage I would make to a living species, especially one as delicate as corals and anemones. There arent too many of them around, relatively speaking.

Anemones are not that much more difficult than corals, I don't do anything extra to my LTA than I do with my corals. You just have to make sure you have the minimum requirements for keeping them (light, water flow, etc.). And that you know what they need to survive.

[OCDP]

I think that is true.. but I think anemones should be treated with special care.. if they were so easy to keep everyone would have one. Anemones need pristine, stable water conditons. The slightest change in paramaters can stress an anemone to it's death. I think you can never be too careful in this hobby.

I agree, it was in some ways selfish of me to say that you shouldn't get them because you will lose money and effort... this is all true.. and I don't think you would buy a coral without knowing that they have to be cared for. That's a given... it's having your tank prepared FIRST before adding them... if your tank is not prepared.. then be ready to spend a lot of time and effort on your tank in keeping it alive. This is why I say it is effort wasted that shouldn't be in the first place.

[RayRay28576]

Thanks for all the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!