Why do you have a protein skimmer?

[csouth1994]

How do you guys do your water changes? Mine takes a long time to do and it's a hassle

 

[bribo12]

Siphon hose into 5 gallon buckets. Then pump the premade bucket back into the tank. Takes about 10 minutes total

 

[csouth1994]

What if you don't have the space?

 

[bribo12]

For 5 gallon buckets?

 

[csouth1994]

Oh wait never mind. I thought you were talking about per making water into big barrels

 

[bribo12]

No my tank is small so I just use 5 gallon buckets. But yeah for a 75 you'd probably want those brute trash cans

 

[csouth1994]

How much should I take out of my tank each week realistically to get my nitrates low so I can have corals?

 

[bribo12]

I'd try and do at least 25% or 20 gallons

 

[nelix10]

My 15 gal WC takes half hour max! I have never heard anyone say a WC was to big!

 

[csouth1994]

That's a lot of money spent on salt too. Time really isn't the issue, it's just the amount of money for salt

 

[mr_X]

Corals are expensive. Well, the nice ones are anyway. This is not a cheap hobby. You will have to replace trace elements that are used up by the corals. This can be done with water changes. So, they help in multiple ways. Another way is dosing the elements. this is also expensive.
i would stop trying to figure how to do less work, and start trying to figure how to make the work you are doing easier.
My tank is close to a sink. I use a 10' hose and pump the water out of the tank into the sink, then I reverse the hose and pump, pumping the water from my drum to the tank.
You can put your drum on wheels if that helps.

 

[lstimpy]

It's so easy to overstock, you have to think of the ultimate size the fish will end up. I have 8 small fish (2-3 inches now, 3-4 in the future) in my 65, and I'm fully stocked. I need a bigger tank already.

 

[csouth1994]

Yeah it's become an addiction like no other!

 

[lstimpy]

I've got it bad.

 

[Jmkb02]

Water changes can be a pain yes, but so worth it when you know the benefits. It will help your entire tank in almost every aspect. Takes out the bad, puts in the good, to be vague. I run an old school eshops overflow with an aqua lifter to pull the air out, and run an extended hose out to my sink. As I pump new water in, it flows the old water out. I do siphon sand every once in a while and obviously this won't work for that but if you look at your setup, make it work for you.

On a side note, having a tank on "your own budget" is something you will have to figure out. My 220 gallon system has around 3500 invested into it there is def room for improvement and upgrades. It's a very very expensive hobby that takes a long time to establish into these beautiful reefs you see pictures of.