Looking to go bigger. Please share your maintenance on 180g+ tanks

majaxx · 03/11/2020, 09:04 PM

I've had a 125g.

20g water changes once a month were good enough for my tank.

If I'm going up to a 180g reef. I know every tank is different. But. What are some differences I should expect going bigger between 180-220g

Equipment I understand. But daily/weekly/monthly maintanence schedules I would like to get dome feedback.

Anyone do small water changes?

bullitr · 03/12/2020, 02:15 PM

I had years without a water change on 600+ water volume heavy fish and sps reef no issues

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lionfish300 · 03/13/2020, 09:29 PM

40 gallons every two weeks on a 400 gallons system

Duality · 03/15/2020, 07:03 AM

I had a 300g that I never did water changes on. But expect to go through more ro/di water.
Best thing about larger water volume is how stable your parameters are. It may take more dosing to get your parameters up but there you are less likely to see any big spikes and drops with more water volume. I just used an over sized cal reactor on my 300.

saf1 · 03/26/2020, 07:55 PM

Can't speak specifically but you are not doing a massive upgrade. Depending on the amount of substrate if you use it or rocks it may all wash out in the end. Power heads, skimmer, return pumps, all would be cleaned more or less around the same. Frequency depends on what you are buying / using. I think I clean my return and skimmer pumps (all Neptune Cor 15's or 20's) maybe once every 2 months.

Power heads will vary. I use a Gyre XF250 and it has to be cleaned once a month. I have 2 x 1" Sea Swirls and they do not need to be cleaned

. Water changes are when I remember or the tank tells me it is time. Maybe 20 gallons a month. Sometimes I skip.

Really just depends.

tom obrecht · 03/28/2020, 05:19 PM

Going up the sizes you mentioned won’t really affect you much. Equipment you use now should transfer easily unless you maxed things out on the 125. You can always add needed things down the road such as lighting, skimmer ect but adding 60-100 gallons isn’t a huge upgrade. If you jumped to say 500+ gallons would be more involved.

paul17 · 04/05/2020, 04:19 PM

all I can say is 180 gal aquariums are the best size

ycnibrc · 04/05/2020, 04:30 PM

I dont do wc on my 600g system. All i did everyday is cleaning the acrylic panel. Everything is automate.

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hilltopreef · 04/06/2020, 08:04 PM

I do 25 gallons per month on my 180. My tank has been up for a couple of years so it’s pretty stable. Have a kalk stirrer run on a peristaltic pump at night that makes up most of evaporation. Also dose BRS two part along with magnesium. Lighting is three AI hydra 26 HD’s. Recently added two AI Nero’s on opposite ends. I use a Current Eflux dc Pump for my return.

polywise · 04/12/2020, 07:36 AM

mjaxx, This is what I did for my reefs

2003-2009 280reef
2009-2018 300DD

1. try to keep hands out of tank

2. daily feed fish to keep them happy, take time to look at everything in the
tank to enjoy what you have.

3. 1x week
monitor skimmer flow, reactor drip rate sg/kh/alk
change 50 gallons/week on 600 gallon system
every 4-5 +-days clean glass with magnet or razor scraper

4. 2x month
check DI resin, clean old school deltec AP1004 skimmer

5. bi monthly
fill MTC pro cal CARX, check CO2 tank and get filled when necessary.
check accuracy of temp probe

6. change MH bulbs every 9 month, recalibrate PH probes in tank and CARX

7. sell frags mostly during fall/winter months to help offset costs of food,
salt, media, test kits, bulbs

8. keep spare identical pump (for quick change over), & some heaters incase
something fails.

five.five-six · 04/12/2020, 09:52 AM

I have a 32 gal brute with a float valve connected to my RO/DI, it's where I get my ATO water

Once a month or so, I dump 4.4 kilos of IO in it with a powerhead and heaters.
I have another 32 gal brute I fill with tank water and discard.
I use a 30' 1" hose to pump the new salt water into my 225

easy peasy

foreverreef · 04/20/2020, 02:52 PM

I don't so water changes on my system it is about 1280g-ish total with 1000g display. I too off everyday 1.5g in winter and about 2.5 g in summer. The biggest thing for me each month is keeping up with the dosing liquid containers. I does A LOT. so be prepared for that increase. But I do not get huge swings in my tank at all. Very stable. To me the bigger the better

drs2140 · 04/23/2020, 09:18 PM

30 gallon weekly on 500 gallons. My buddy’s only words of advice before I went pulled the trigger on a big tank “Big tank Big problems” lol

03/11/2020, 09:04 PM	#1
majaxx Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 74	Looking to go bigger. Please share your maintenance on 180g+ tanks I've had a 125g. 20g water changes once a month were good enough for my tank. If I'm going up to a 180g reef. I know every tank is different. But. What are some differences I should expect going bigger between 180-220g Equipment I understand. But daily/weekly/monthly maintanence schedules I would like to get dome feedback. Anyone do small water changes?

03/12/2020, 02:15 PM	#2
bullitr broke but happy Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: stevenson ranch, ca Posts: 14,053	I had years without a water change on 600+ water volume heavy fish and sps reef no issues Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Lawrence SFVR member 435 gallon display in wall see through no more hyposalinity... Current Tank Info: 96x36x29 inwall

03/26/2020, 07:55 PM	#5
saf1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 2,259	Can't speak specifically but you are not doing a massive upgrade. Depending on the amount of substrate if you use it or rocks it may all wash out in the end. Power heads, skimmer, return pumps, all would be cleaned more or less around the same. Frequency depends on what you are buying / using. I think I clean my return and skimmer pumps (all Neptune Cor 15's or 20's) maybe once every 2 months. Power heads will vary. I use a Gyre XF250 and it has to be cleaned once a month. I have 2 x 1" Sea Swirls and they do not need to be cleaned . Water changes are when I remember or the tank tells me it is time. Maybe 20 gallons a month. Sometimes I skip. Really just depends. __________________ -saf1 Current Tank Info: 210 gallon mixed reef

03/28/2020, 05:19 PM	#6
tom obrecht Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: WI Posts: 3,014	Going up the sizes you mentioned won’t really affect you much. Equipment you use now should transfer easily unless you maxed things out on the 125. You can always add needed things down the road such as lighting, skimmer ect but adding 60-100 gallons isn’t a huge upgrade. If you jumped to say 500+ gallons would be more involved. __________________ Reef keeping is where Murphy's Law and your bank account collide!! TOTM May 2006

04/05/2020, 04:19 PM	#7
paul17 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: rohnert park ca.94928 Posts: 293	all I can say is 180 gal aquariums are the best size __________________ consumed Current Tank Info: cad light 100 gallon

03/13/2020, 09:29 PM	#3
lionfish300 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico Posts: 795	40 gallons every two weeks on a 400 gallons system

03/15/2020, 07:03 AM	#4
Duality Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 385	I had a 300g that I never did water changes on. But expect to go through more ro/di water. Best thing about larger water volume is how stable your parameters are. It may take more dosing to get your parameters up but there you are less likely to see any big spikes and drops with more water volume. I just used an over sized cal reactor on my 300.

04/05/2020, 04:30 PM	#8
ycnibrc STAG HORN DOMINATE REEF Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Irvine, California Posts: 3,348	I dont do wc on my 600g system. All i did everyday is cleaning the acrylic panel. Everything is automate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ SDR STAGHORN DOMINATE REEF Feature Reef of November 2019 GHL TOTM FEB 2020 ABC corals Current Tank Info: 360g Peninsula sps

04/06/2020, 08:04 PM	#9
hilltopreef Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: SW Georgia Posts: 18	I do 25 gallons per month on my 180. My tank has been up for a couple of years so it’s pretty stable. Have a kalk stirrer run on a peristaltic pump at night that makes up most of evaporation. Also dose BRS two part along with magnesium. Lighting is three AI hydra 26 HD’s. Recently added two AI Nero’s on opposite ends. I use a Current Eflux dc Pump for my return.

04/12/2020, 07:36 AM	#10
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	mjaxx, This is what I did for my reefs 2003-2009 280reef 2009-2018 300DD 1. try to keep hands out of tank 2. daily feed fish to keep them happy, take time to look at everything in the tank to enjoy what you have. 3. 1x week monitor skimmer flow, reactor drip rate sg/kh/alk change 50 gallons/week on 600 gallon system every 4-5 +-days clean glass with magnet or razor scraper 4. 2x month check DI resin, clean old school deltec AP1004 skimmer 5. bi monthly fill MTC pro cal CARX, check CO2 tank and get filled when necessary. check accuracy of temp probe 6. change MH bulbs every 9 month, recalibrate PH probes in tank and CARX 7. sell frags mostly during fall/winter months to help offset costs of food, salt, media, test kits, bulbs 8. keep spare identical pump (for quick change over), & some heaters incase something fails. __________________ Jim C.

04/12/2020, 09:52 AM	#11
five.five-six Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Corona Posts: 7,827 Blog Entries: 6	I have a 32 gal brute with a float valve connected to my RO/DI, it's where I get my ATO water Once a month or so, I dump 4.4 kilos of IO in it with a powerhead and heaters. I have another 32 gal brute I fill with tank water and discard. I use a 30' 1" hose to pump the new salt water into my 225 easy peasy __________________ Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: SCMAS Member 225 peninsula euroreef RS180 Apex 400W X 3 20k radiums / Spectra mixed SPS

04/20/2020, 02:52 PM	#12
foreverreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Underwater Posts: 309	I don't so water changes on my system it is about 1280g-ish total with 1000g display. I too off everyday 1.5g in winter and about 2.5 g in summer. The biggest thing for me each month is keeping up with the dosing liquid containers. I does A LOT. so be prepared for that increase. But I do not get huge swings in my tank at all. Very stable. To me the bigger the better __________________ Hi my name is Ken, and i'm a reef addict... my wife told me size mattered...I'm not sure 1000+gallons of salt water is what she meant! Current Tank Info: 1000g display LEDs. Refugium and a few other goodeis

04/23/2020, 09:18 PM	#13
drs2140 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 51	30 gallon weekly on 500 gallons. My buddy’s only words of advice before I went pulled the trigger on a big tank “Big tank Big problems” lol