one big water changw or many small ones?

[enderg60]

see graphs

 

[bcrueter]

Wow o have learned a lot from this thanks for all the advice. It's just fun to see all the good aguments for both options

Edit: If most of the bacteria is not in the water...which seems logical why do we do water changes? I mean we could just dose to add elements back into water and save the hassle( I'm just rasing thought I would never do this)

 

[saltbubbles]

mysterybox;827016 wrote: There are 2 schools of thought here.

Up until last January,2012, the previous 6 or so years I followed the smaller water change.

January, 2012 and currently, I have used the larger weekly water change that Joe (Sailfish) recommended to me years ago.

You remove so much more nutrients, and your parems are always stable (as long as your makeup salt/salinity/ph all matches)! So in 7 days, they are not going to deviate that much since you are adding Alk and Calcium daily.

My inhabitants have never looked better, and my growth has never been at such a fast & high level.




Seth and others:

I agree with all of you if you don't have your replacement water perfectly matched!

I find that as long as I use a calibrated refractormeter to 35, and use Salinity....I'm matched.

As you know I don't know much but I agree with you. I do a 15 gal water change usually weekly or 20 biweekly (when lazy). I try to keep up with the water tests and it's worked for me even though I'm clueless. I strongly believe that with all other mistakes I can make by having a better water quality my fishes and coral have a fighting chance

 

[rdnelson]

bcrueter;827061 wrote: Wow o have learned a lot from this thanks for all the advice. It's just fun to see all the good aguments for both options

Edit: If most of the bacteria is not in the water...which seems logical why do we do water changes? I mean we could just dose to add elements back into water and save the hassle( I'm just rasing thought I would never do this)

Water changes export the bad stuff such as nitrate.

 

[ichthyoid]

bcrueter;827061 wrote: Wow o have learned a lot from this thanks for all the advice. It's just fun to see all the good aguments for both options

Edit: If most of the bacteria is not in the water...which seems logical why do we do water changes? I mean we could just dose to add elements back into water and save the hassle( I'm just rasing thought I would never do this)

In addition to nutrient export, mentioned by Rich, water changes help keep the ion balance in check.

Much easier to do this way, and you can do without the other 15 test kits required also

 

[grouper therapy]

On my 300 gallon system I did 50 gallons a week.

 

[johniii]

I do 15 gallons weekly on 80 gallons. Almost 20 percent. Its just where my float stops on my brute.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[mcphock]

I do a weekly 20% on all my tanks.... salt and fresh

 

[kirkwood]

EnderG60;827020 wrote: see graphs

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php</a>[/QUOTE]

I stand corrected. That definitely isn't "simple math". LOL