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Unread 01/24/2012, 12:07 PM   #24
TropTrea
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: SE Suburbia Wisconsin
Posts: 2,910
Water changes are something that is extremly debatable as to what is adequate and what is excessive. The thing about large water changes is that they do create sudden changes in the enviroment of the corals which can cause tehem to have to constantly readjust.

I never tell people to change more than 10% of the water at once unless they have runn into some catrosphy that has made there water extremly foul. Yes I had experienced catrosphy years ago when somene dumped a full can of fish food in a tank . Having been in the business I also heard of many other nightmares like a drunk dumping his beer in the tank to make the fish happy. But generaly that does usualy happen.

Ones filteration system is probably even more important than water changes as well as what there dosing practices are. With a perfect dosing system and perfect filteration system theoreticly there should be no need for water changes. However in very few if any home aquariums is this possible. I like to think Im aproaching this as I do have a large 60 gallon refugium as well as good sized Protein Skimmer.

With adequate filteration you can get away with 5% monthly water changes but you realy cannot get away them completly. If your filteration is below ideal than the frequency of water changes should be increased. Doing 5% weekly changes is probably what the average set up needs. But under no circimustances would I be doining more than 10% on on a regular bases. And unless there was a specific temporary issue would I consider doing them more frequently that every third day.

Dosing as I said is also anoither big issue. Yes Calcium, Magnesium, and KH in the water does get used by the corals as well as multiple trace elements. The major elements do decrease in there sturation at various rates depending on which and haw many corals you have in your tank. In most cases simple water changes will not keep up the consumption of these elements and compounds so dosing is required. There are also trace elements that are much harder to judge since there levels may be close to undetectable yet they are important.

Is it possible to run a tank without adequete dosing and filteration? Probaly if its not over stocked and you do very frequent water changes. Looking at a 120 gallon tank doing 10% water changes every 3rd day means your changing out 12 gallons 120 times in one year using 1,440 gallons of salt water, or 10 pails of salt mix costing an average of $500 a year. A good Protein skimmer and dosing slighly can reduce this to less than 1/3 or $166 a year. For what you save in two years you can get a very good protein skimmer and realy reduce your work load. If you add a good sized refugium which are less expensive than protein skimmers you can probably reduce that salt usage in half again. This is not to mention the time you also save for yourself.


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Dennis B.

Current Tank Info: Main tank 120 Gallon, 432 Watts T-5's plus 30 Watts of LED's, Frag 40 Gallon tank 234 Watts T-5's, 3 Frag tanks all 40 Gallon with LED lighting between 60 and 84 Watts. All LEDs are DIY Oh and then there is fresh water tanks 270 gallons
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