Complete water change?

[The Reefmonster]

How many have done a complete water change, and if you do one does your tank go through another cycle?

[Lunchbucket]

why would you want to do a complete water change? why would it be needed??

Lunchbucket

[The Reefmonster]

Just a question I have been wondering about, no real reason or need for it right now, but if I decided to need to do it in the future for some unknown reason, I would just like to know the answer to the question!

[aquaria_rn]

unfortunately I had to do one back in 2003, we had a black out that lasted 26hrs. I had a 55gallon reef and man was that some mess. I had to work and didn't have a back-up system IE: battery operated air pumps or make-up water ready. Well, to make a very,very long story short. I lost about 80% of my live stock and the ones that made it-- didn't make it through the cycle process. So if it ain't broke don't fix it!:bum:

[djmuzzi]

Anthony I think (him or Eric) is a big fan of 90% water changes for his nano. To answer your question, it does not cycle your tank again. The bacteria is established in your rock and sand.

[Scoobaman17]

how about this. I'm switching my 75 gallon tank over to a 240 gallon. What water differences need to be done there or can I just set up the 240 and aclimate the fish, clams and corals to it?

[tekknoschtev]

The main reason (that I have read) to do a 'complete' water change is to replenish trace elements that occurr in the salt we use. Obviously, this could get pricey if you do a bi-weekly water change on a 150gal tank.

Scoobaman17, You'd be good off to match as many parameters before the move as possible (pH, temp, alk, etc) and I think acclimating them would be a smart idea. I'm doing research on this because we're moving from a 40 to a 150 this summer. I'm crazy scared about it.

[Scoobaman17]

I feel ya, I'm switching my 75 with the 240. the 240 is going exactly where the 75 is. My plan is to move the 75 to the garage and set up the 240 and then match things up as best as possible. My main concern is the clams and corals. I dont want to lose my clams if anything.

[Maxxumless]

Originally posted by reefjunkie30241
How many have done a complete water change, and if you do one does your tank go through another cycle?

I have only done it once; but some would argue it was not actually a real 100 percent water change. What I did was perform a regular 25% water change then a doubling of water capacity. I simply filled three 55g trashcans with newly mixed sw and matched the main tanks salinity, pH and temp and slowly over a day add those three trash cans to the water volume of my main tank simply by gravity feeding water from main tank, to container, to container, to container to refugium. It was ¼ inch tubing I think and I let it flow that way for two days then dumped the three trash cans. In essence it was more of a dilution than a change, but it worked – there was no cycle and I am confident had I waited a day or two I could have done it again with little ill effect.

[tekknoschtev]

You got me there in terms of complications. Our 40 was our first reef tank, and it only has softies and LPS and other fish. We also are setting up the 150 in a different spot, so we dont have to worry about that. Just set up several tubs for drip acclimation, and start 8-10 drip lines.

[icliao]

I combine my 150GL and 300GL into a new big tank and the cycle did not happen again. Everything is just normal with all the new water.

[djmuzzi]

I agree. Match the water perameters as close as possible. I even interchanged some of the new water with old in the existing and new tank. Things worked fine. Keep in mind you will prob see som diatom blooms and and miner green (not hair) algae when you introduce new rock. This is not an amonia cycle though so don't be worried. It will disappear.

[jamba]

My tank crashed (Kh was way too high) so I did a 90% water change everyday for about 4 days. Everything was fine (except lost some snails that could not cope with the high Kh).

Now i test Kh.

Greg

[Rikko]

When I clean my nano I probably change a good 70% of the water at a time (that's what'll fit in a bucket). The BTAs don't even close up anymore when exposed to air for the minute or so that it takes.