Good WaterChange Schedule w/o Any Equipment
- Thread starter TimaT
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
saltcreep1025
Aquarium Advice FINatic
how big is the tank?
erichm20
Aquarium Advice FINatic
20% a week would definitely do the job but might be overkill unless you have a big bio load or a lot of sps. I think 10% per week is a good rule of thumb but as stated it depends on the setup.
That's like 80% per month! Are you sure? if one follows your advise they will need $900 a yr just for the saltmix
saltcreep1025
Aquarium Advice FINatic
And that is why with a big tank you need more filtration than just water changes...
carey
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a 6 foot tank and the amount of skimmate I get in a week is pretty astounding. If you wanted to bypass the skimmer as you said above then yeah, I would go with 20% weekly to be sure. The skimmer can help immensely with water changes as it gets out alot of organic stuff. I keep a lightly stocked mixed reef in my 125g and do about 60% water change every few weeks. This keeps the parameters in check but not perfect. ANd again, I only have a half dozen fish right now. It also depends on the corals you keep, I have very easy ones so they are not gobbling up the elements as quick as SPS or a montipora cap might. In my opinion it really depends on what you are keeping.
As for the expense, I go through say 200g of water a month at least, and thats just with water changes and not top offs. I have my own ro/di and mix my own I/O salt so that helps alot.
As for the expense, I go through say 200g of water a month at least, and thats just with water changes and not top offs. I have my own ro/di and mix my own I/O salt so that helps alot.
Ingy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's a basic run down on the feeding process.
You're going to add protiens to the tank, including nitrogen and phosphors, in the form of food. You'll add a certain amount weekly.
The fish and bacteria will convert that to different forms of protiens, but still protiens. Phosphates and nitrates will be end form and could be measured in a weekly addition amount measured in ppm depending on the bioload and feeding habits.
You are proposing on doing a weekly water change of 10 or 20% weekly. That means you'll remove 10 to 20 % of the weekly addition of nitrates and phosphates. Or more simply stated, you'll be leaving 80-90 % of the weekly addition of nitrates and phosphates in the tank. What is your plan for the huge amount of left over protiens you'll leave in the tank? FYI algae LOVE protiens. Cyano especially.
If you don't do something other than water changes, your nitrate and phosphate levels would slowly increase until the 10 to 20% removed is equal to the amount added weekly and would probably be in the 80-100 pmm range. At least, that is whaty mine go to until I added a sump, skimmer and cheato ball. Now its 0.
You're going to add protiens to the tank, including nitrogen and phosphors, in the form of food. You'll add a certain amount weekly.
The fish and bacteria will convert that to different forms of protiens, but still protiens. Phosphates and nitrates will be end form and could be measured in a weekly addition amount measured in ppm depending on the bioload and feeding habits.
You are proposing on doing a weekly water change of 10 or 20% weekly. That means you'll remove 10 to 20 % of the weekly addition of nitrates and phosphates. Or more simply stated, you'll be leaving 80-90 % of the weekly addition of nitrates and phosphates in the tank. What is your plan for the huge amount of left over protiens you'll leave in the tank? FYI algae LOVE protiens. Cyano especially.
If you don't do something other than water changes, your nitrate and phosphate levels would slowly increase until the 10 to 20% removed is equal to the amount added weekly and would probably be in the 80-100 pmm range. At least, that is whaty mine go to until I added a sump, skimmer and cheato ball. Now its 0.
Similar threads
