So I'm running a 180 with dump and reef octupus skinner my tank has been going over a year and I would consider stable. I have a very small bio load(which I want to change but just waiting to upgrade more equipment first. But my question is would my tank be better with say a 10gal water change weekly or a 40 gal change every month? Just curious.thanks
one big water changw or many small ones?
- Thread starter bcrueter
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RO/DI is the way to go along with the most efficient WC setup you can come up with. The easier to do WC's the more willing you'll be to keep them up. My setup allows me to do my WCs in less than 5 minutes if I do nothing more than change water.
Yea that was one smart thing I did I added a ball valve on my plumming so simple waterchanges I put buckets under it turn the valve and add water as the sump level drops. Once a month I do it the old way to clean the sand. My next step is to add an rodi with a mixing station to automaticly add water as I take it out. I ran all my plumbing into its own "fish room" so space is not an issue
Edit:
Thanks o really didn't think of it that way
Edit:
Thanks o really didn't think of it that way
I have 9 tanks, I do a 10-15% water change weekly. It depends on the bio-load and how much I feed. If anything looks off I do a 20% to take out more pollution/nasties! Having a RO/DI makes like a lot easier and a hose that goes the length of the house. When you are ready to buy a RO/DI, Bulk Reef has a great one, add the oil pressure gage and the inline TDS meter. Watch for a group buy or for someone selling theirs, it will pay for itself in a short time.
Holley
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the bacteria is on the rocks and sand, not much in the water column.
Weekly smaller changes are better.
Here's why-
The math says that a single large water change is better than many smaller ones.
This is because there is a dilution ratio involved. You end up changing some of the newer water along with old when doing multiple changes.
However, more frequent changes help keep the ion balance more stable (the ions are all of the minerals and gases dissolved in the water).
This is far more important for your livestock than the math advantage (no dilution) from a single large change, IMO.
Also:
As for bacteria, they are everywhere, on substrates and in the water column as well. There are more of the nitrifying type on the substrates, because that is where they thrive best.
That said, any lost from a water change is of minimal consequence, as they rapidly multiply.
Here's why-
The math says that a single large water change is better than many smaller ones.
This is because there is a dilution ratio involved. You end up changing some of the newer water along with old when doing multiple changes.
However, more frequent changes help keep the ion balance more stable (the ions are all of the minerals and gases dissolved in the water).
This is far more important for your livestock than the math advantage (no dilution) from a single large change, IMO.
Also:
As for bacteria, they are everywhere, on substrates and in the water column as well. There are more of the nitrifying type on the substrates, because that is where they thrive best.
That said, any lost from a water change is of minimal consequence, as they rapidly multiply.
Vote for smaller, more frequent water changes. Stability is almost more important that hitting "perfect" numbers on parameter tests and trace element levels.
Lots of critters & corals do OK in somewhat lower-than-recommended trace elements/parameters or higher than recommended nitrates/phosphates (within reason)... it's the sudden swings that induce stress and throw things out of kilter.
EDIT: Huh... parallel lines of thought.
Lots of critters & corals do OK in somewhat lower-than-recommended trace elements/parameters or higher than recommended nitrates/phosphates (within reason)... it's the sudden swings that induce stress and throw things out of kilter.
EDIT: Huh... parallel lines of thought.
seth the wine guy
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I'm an advocate of stability. Nearly all living creatures do better in a stable environment. I have an automated WC system that replaces 30g a week on a 200g twv system. Every 3 hours about a half gallon is pumped out of the tank and a half gallon of new SW is pumped in.
Take something you can measure/monitor in the tank as an example. PH- The ideal PH we strive for is 8.4. Is it better to occasionally spike the system from it's normal PH of let's say 8.1 to 8.4 since that's the ideal PH or keep it a constant 8.1?
I say keep it a constant 8.1
While 8.4 may be an ideal level, it's only ideal if it's maintained.
Same applies for everything on your tank. Lighting, specific gravity, temperature, PO4 levels, etc. While each one of these things have "ideal" set points, it's better to keep any given one steady at a less than ideal set point than to spike it up and down trying to achieve perfection.
Large water changes can throw so many harmonic balances in the tank out of whack quickly. While this may not keep you from having a successful reef tank, success is a relative term. Some people's tanks are able to keep difficult creatures THRIVING when others can either not keep them at all. So many variables can contribute to this but the more things you can keep consistent in the tank, the better off the tank will be in the long run.
Edit: Dang people, I can't get my response typed out before you guys echo it.
Take something you can measure/monitor in the tank as an example. PH- The ideal PH we strive for is 8.4. Is it better to occasionally spike the system from it's normal PH of let's say 8.1 to 8.4 since that's the ideal PH or keep it a constant 8.1?
I say keep it a constant 8.1
While 8.4 may be an ideal level, it's only ideal if it's maintained.
Same applies for everything on your tank. Lighting, specific gravity, temperature, PO4 levels, etc. While each one of these things have "ideal" set points, it's better to keep any given one steady at a less than ideal set point than to spike it up and down trying to achieve perfection.
Large water changes can throw so many harmonic balances in the tank out of whack quickly. While this may not keep you from having a successful reef tank, success is a relative term. Some people's tanks are able to keep difficult creatures THRIVING when others can either not keep them at all. So many variables can contribute to this but the more things you can keep consistent in the tank, the better off the tank will be in the long run.
Edit: Dang people, I can't get my response typed out before you guys echo it.
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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.
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.
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