This might be a dumb question.

[Jacobsal91]

I know waterchanges are good and everything. But if water params are perfect and theres nothing wrong with anything in your tank, would water changes still be nessasary?

 

[christine2012]

I think Yes, because not only are you restoring new water, you are also restoring minerals and buffers and such.

 

[Joe5688]

But in a sw tank with ro/di water there aren't any minerals in the water right?

 

[christine2012]

But in a sw tank with ro/di water there aren't any minerals in the water right?

Good point. I am speaking in terms of freshwater. I didn't even notice it was in the sw category.

 

[Joe5688]

Yeah for fw you are correct

 

[Grizz]

There's minerals in the salt that coral/inverts will use so Yes you will need to change the water

 

[Jacobsal91]

Sorry i was speaking for sw, just thought that could be an interesting subject

 

[crister13]

+1. There are things in the salt that keep the levels correct, such as calcium.

 

[Schism]

I know waterchanges are good and everything. But if water params are perfect and theres nothing wrong with anything in your tank, would water changes still be nessasary?

Not a dumb question. Usually everyone eventually asks why water changes are so important.

Well many thinks occur in a reef tank or any salt tank for that matter. Water changes are a means to keep things stable, mimicking ocean conditions.

Heres a short list of what water changes do:

1) remove waste through siphoning
2) export of any nitrate, nitrite, ammonia
3) export of toxins this includes toxins from coral warfare
4) removes depleted water and replaces it with water enriched with calcium, alk, mag, and all other major, minor, and trace elements
5) removes excess CO2
6) introduces oxygen rich water
7) allows you to tune the water parameters easily

These are just some off the top of my head. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are not the only things being produced or used in a salt tank. Also nitrate is constantly being produced a some rate.

 

[Potato]

There's minerals in the salt that coral/inverts will use so Yes you will need to change the water

What if i add 5 gallons of fresh water to my tank weekly for evaporation, would regular water changes still be needed

 

[Schism]

What if i add 5 gallons of fresh water to my tank weekly for evaporation, would regular water changes still be needed

Yes.

Freshwater does none of the things listed above.