I know everybody has their own way on how they maintain there tanks but my question is if the Tank has good parameters and the tank has needed supliments added is it still necessary to do water changes? I’m just asking a question not asking if I should do this
In theory if you tested for every element that exists in the ocean or is necessary for marine life and added them and remove as they move out of natural levels, then no.
If someone has stated that corals are made up of Calcium and carbonates, this is wrong. Many stony coral’s skeletons are mostly made up of calcium, carbonates, and magnesium, but their bodies are comprised of many other elements including phosphates, potassium, molybdenum, boron, iron, iodine, nitrogen, strontium, carbon, and many other elements and compounds.
You cannot test accurately for everything.
You can avoid water changes for a long time, but here is where it comes to bite you in the … in the long run. They say to do everything slowly with a marine aquarium. If your Calcium snuck down to 300ppm and you want it at 420ppm you are not supposed to yank it back up really quickly. Now let us say one of your animals was slowly using up iodine and you haven’t done a water change in 5 months. All of a sudden some things that used to grow have slowed or began to show a recession. You do a water change to try to help and even though it was only 25% you doubled the concentration of one of the elements in your tank.
If you look around at the tanks you admire you’ll find that 99% of them have routine, consistent, water changes.
So what is a good amount to change and how often? I have heard 10%,25% and with what frequency?
[quote=“mortyn02, post:3, topic:5672”]
So what is a good amount to change and how often? I have heard 10%,25% and with what frequency? [/quote]
I do 10% every two weeks. But, this can vary from tank to tank depending on its bio load.
I do about 10% every 2 weeks. sometimes i get lazy and go 3 weeks. I have a lowish bioload.
[quote=“Downbeach, post:4, topic:5672”]
vary from tank to tank depending on its bio load.[/quote]
If you want to run an “ultra low nutrient” tank and grow little to nothing on the glass, while keeping a ton of fish, it will be more. If you want to stick to leather corals and other softies that don’t mind higher nutrients, few super hardy fish, and you don’t mind algae on the glass, you can wait a bit longer between water changes.
What works for one tank could very well not work for another even if they seem identical.
I would recommend starting with either 10% weekly or 25% every couple of weeks. If things seem super healthy you can try backing down a bit in quantity or duration. If it doesn’t seem to be working you can increase a bit or consider some equipment upgrades.
As usual Jon, you have given very good advice. Totally agree!!!
Thanks John.