Weekly or biweekly water changes?

zheka757 · 10/21/2019, 11:04 AM

I'm debating on how often should I do water change. My 10% is 50gallons, few beutifull tanks I have seeing in person the owners would do weekly 10% water changes. I being doing 10% every other week. Should I change to every week for the sake of better coral growth.
Now that I'm putting more corals in and I'm actually getting consumption of alk, mag, and cal. But with weekly water changes I might be ok with out dosing.

I dont know what to do. What's better change water every week and not dose? Or chan grrr e water every other week and dose?

huff747 · 10/21/2019, 11:28 AM

Personal opinion but have you considered smaller daily automated changes? If they work with the location of your mixing station and tank I'm a big fan, although my 10% is less than 20 gallons

Daddyrawg · 10/21/2019, 11:42 AM

you have a 500 gallon tank?

Daddi0 · 10/21/2019, 11:45 AM

In my 180 gallon system I do daily 5 gallon water changes. I believe smaller water changes more often help keep the level of trace and major elements more stable. My system seems very happy and I dont really feel the need to run all kinds of parameter tests.
Cheers! Mark

zheka757 · 10/21/2019, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daddyrawg

you have a 500 gallon tank?

500 gallons total volume, 400 gallon tank

zheka757 · 10/21/2019, 11:51 AM

Yeah I completely forgot about small daily water change option. But I also heard a mixed opinions on it also.

mcgyvr · 10/21/2019, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zheka757

But I also heard a mixed opinions on it also.

You will get mixed/for/against...opinions on each and every option..
2% daily..
10% weekly..
20% biweekly..
20% monthly..
blah..blah..

Cost/available time to spend/resistance to dosing,etc... are all the variables that only you can quantify to determine whats best for you..
Beyond that its just opinions of whats best/acceptable those that are answering..

No way in heck would I want to change nor do I think its necessary to change 50 gallons of water a week.. My $0.02

zheka757 · 10/21/2019, 03:21 PM

I'm more thinking about what's best for the tank and not me. It's just that when I got to see these nice tanks and knowing they got there by doing 10% weekly water changes. I get inspired to follow same.

Oldreeferman · 10/21/2019, 04:19 PM

What you have exactly growing in the tank would probably be the main factor to consider, IE: all SPS or a mixed reef.
Your end expectations & time, or all automation come into play also if $$$$ is no issue.

Crooked Reef · 10/21/2019, 05:04 PM

If money isn’t an issue and you have the room, I would set up an auto water change system and change a bit a day. You are making saltwater when the reservoir is low and don’t have to haul anything.

nigeldcat · 10/22/2019, 10:11 PM

I try to do weekly 10% on my 150G. 10% per week has worked well for me as current tank has been going for 9 years now. If I miss a week, which happens due to travel, I notice slight change in parameters and will see algae balance get out of whack.

I find weekly is good, as I do some form of maintenance every week i.e. some variation of clean a return pump, clean my MP40's, change carbon, change GFO, clean GFO pump, swap out/recycle Purigen, clean skimmer pump, etc. If I do a little every week I am done in less than a couple of hours. If I miss a week I pay for it the next week as I need to spend more time catching up. Missing a week is not bad, missing more than a couple of weeks is really noticeable and takes a few weeks to get tank and parameters back to normal.

I have two 20G Brutes on dollys that work perfect for a ~10% change. One mixes saltwater for the week and the other I use to drain tank. Allows me to easily move from laundry room to tank with no mess as water is well below lip of Brute and weight is manageable. Also my DI storage is only about 25G so this also limits me.

I am not sure there is a perfect answer as your tank will tell what is working and what is not and you just have to adjust accordingly. Keep a log and adjust.

Oldreeferman · 10/23/2019, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

You will get mixed/for/against...opinions on each and every option..
2% daily..
10% weekly..
20% biweekly..
20% monthly..
blah..blah..

Cost/available time to spend/resistance to dosing,etc... are all the variables that only you can quantify to determine whats best for you..
Beyond that its just opinions of whats best/acceptable those that are answering..

No way in heck would I want to change nor do I think its necessary to change 50 gallons of water a week.. My $0.02

Id have to say that you pretty much covered all the basics involved in your answer, i agree there are so many alternatives with a tank small or huge. It ends up a personal venture due to tank parameters & stock in the tank and how much your personal time is really worth to ones self. A large tank is a much more time consuming box of water then a small one unless its all automated, no way around that once coral growth takes over...................Ends up more like a public aquarium.

whiterushen · 10/24/2019, 06:28 PM

I do 10 to 15% Weekly water changes in both my nano tanks---a 24g LPS and a 20g SPS

on the spot · 10/24/2019, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zheka757

...when I got to see these nice tanks and knowing they got there by doing 10% weekly water changes. I get inspired to follow same.

If water change was the only variable to have or not have a nice tank, then sure.

Best practice is an illusion. Keep your tank stable. Stable nutrients. Stable supplements. Anything you have to fix big will likely bite you hard.

HTH

MondoBongo · 10/28/2019, 06:52 AM

my advice when people ask this question, is experiment, and find what works for you.

with my tank, if i'm not doing weekly changes, things tend to get dirty. but a lot of other people don't have that issue. it will also depend on what other means of nutrient export you're using, and how you're supplementing the other things (cal/alk/mag/etc) that get depleted during water changes.

early on in a tank's life, i usually like to be pretty regular with my changes. once a week. as it goes on, keep up with your testing and see where you start getting diminishing returns. as far as the volume, in a system that large i might be inclined to start around 5% a week, then adjust accordingly from there.

hkgar · 10/28/2019, 01:23 PM

A couple points
1. Rocks, coral and sand some some of that water. On my 180 with with a 30 gallon sump I have calculated my actual total volume at 125.
2. I have set my system, controlled by Apex, to change out 3.5 gallons per day for six days. IMHO the only way to do it. I mix up a large batch on saturday.

10/21/2019, 11:04 AM	#1
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	Weekly or biweekly water changes? I'm debating on how often should I do water change. My 10% is 50gallons, few beutifull tanks I have seeing in person the owners would do weekly 10% water changes. I being doing 10% every other week. Should I change to every week for the sake of better coral growth. Now that I'm putting more corals in and I'm actually getting consumption of alk, mag, and cal. But with weekly water changes I might be ok with out dosing. I dont know what to do. What's better change water every week and not dose? Or chan grrr e water every other week and dose?

10/21/2019, 11:45 AM	#4
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	In my 180 gallon system I do daily 5 gallon water changes. I believe smaller water changes more often help keep the level of trace and major elements more stable. My system seems very happy and I dont really feel the need to run all kinds of parameter tests. Cheers! Mark __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

10/21/2019, 04:19 PM	#9
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	What you have exactly growing in the tank would probably be the main factor to consider, IE: all SPS or a mixed reef. Your end expectations & time, or all automation come into play also if $$$$ is no issue. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank

10/21/2019, 05:04 PM	#10
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	If money isn’t an issue and you have the room, I would set up an auto water change system and change a bit a day. You are making saltwater when the reservoir is low and don’t have to haul anything. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

10/22/2019, 10:11 PM	#11
nigeldcat Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 73	I try to do weekly 10% on my 150G. 10% per week has worked well for me as current tank has been going for 9 years now. If I miss a week, which happens due to travel, I notice slight change in parameters and will see algae balance get out of whack. I find weekly is good, as I do some form of maintenance every week i.e. some variation of clean a return pump, clean my MP40's, change carbon, change GFO, clean GFO pump, swap out/recycle Purigen, clean skimmer pump, etc. If I do a little every week I am done in less than a couple of hours. If I miss a week I pay for it the next week as I need to spend more time catching up. Missing a week is not bad, missing more than a couple of weeks is really noticeable and takes a few weeks to get tank and parameters back to normal. I have two 20G Brutes on dollys that work perfect for a ~10% change. One mixes saltwater for the week and the other I use to drain tank. Allows me to easily move from laundry room to tank with no mess as water is well below lip of Brute and weight is manageable. Also my DI storage is only about 25G so this also limits me. I am not sure there is a perfect answer as your tank will tell what is working and what is not and you just have to adjust accordingly. Keep a log and adjust. __________________ Current Tank: 150G (72"x18"x28") Fish with Live Rock and a few Softies Apex AquaController - Maxspect Razors Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon FOWLR

10/21/2019, 11:28 AM	#2
huff747 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Glen Carbon IL Posts: 90	Personal opinion but have you considered smaller daily automated changes? If they work with the location of your mixing station and tank I'm a big fan, although my 10% is less than 20 gallons

10/21/2019, 11:42 AM	#3
Daddyrawg Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 814	you have a 500 gallon tank?

10/21/2019, 11:51 AM	#6
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	Yeah I completely forgot about small daily water change option. But I also heard a mixed opinions on it also.

10/21/2019, 03:21 PM	#8
zheka757 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Port Florida Posts: 283	I'm more thinking about what's best for the tank and not me. It's just that when I got to see these nice tanks and knowing they got there by doing 10% weekly water changes. I get inspired to follow same.

10/24/2019, 06:28 PM	#13
whiterushen Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 61	I do 10 to 15% Weekly I do 10 to 15% Weekly water changes in both my nano tanks---a 24g LPS and a 20g SPS

10/28/2019, 06:52 AM	#15
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	my advice when people ask this question, is experiment, and find what works for you. with my tank, if i'm not doing weekly changes, things tend to get dirty. but a lot of other people don't have that issue. it will also depend on what other means of nutrient export you're using, and how you're supplementing the other things (cal/alk/mag/etc) that get depleted during water changes. early on in a tank's life, i usually like to be pretty regular with my changes. once a week. as it goes on, keep up with your testing and see where you start getting diminishing returns. as far as the volume, in a system that large i might be inclined to start around 5% a week, then adjust accordingly from there. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

10/28/2019, 01:23 PM	#16
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	A couple points 1. Rocks, coral and sand some some of that water. On my 180 with with a 30 gallon sump I have calculated my actual total volume at 125. 2. I have set my system, controlled by Apex, to change out 3.5 gallons per day for six days. IMHO the only way to do it. I mix up a large batch on saturday. __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels