Question about the "Berlin Method" and water chang

[Abemas]

I was reading the article on this method of tanking care of your tank (on this site) and I saw that they still recommend you do 25% water changes once a month...isn't this sort of going against the "natural" aspect of the method since the LR is doing most of the work anyways? Also, I was under the impression that you just needed to add new freshwater to make up for evaporation with SW tanks. Am I way off here?

 

[JPloman]

Well... the reason you need to do the water changes is because the water will become toxic. In nature there are tides that constantly moves the water from one part of the ocean to another. You do not get this in your tank.

I basically use this method but I do 25% water changes once a week. This is because I have been fighting cyno and can not risk not having the water changes.

Yes, you need to add freshwater to make up for evaporation.

 

[RMPD109]

The water changes also help to replenish depleted trace elemnts that are needed in the setup. Most freshly mixed SW will have all the elements needed to support the tank without dosing.

 

[midiman]

Most freshly mixed SW will have all the elements needed to support the tank without dosing.

I assume these elements are present in the salt mix, since most of us seem to use RO/DI water.

Also, nitrates may not be 100% removed by LR and/or macroalgae, so water changes will be necessary to remove them.

 

[Abemas]

So is 25% a month the rule of thumb here? Even for larger tanks?

 

[tmcpeek]

I have a 225 FOWLR with 30 gallon sump and 40 gallon refugium. I change out 30 gallons every 2 weeks. So I am at 20 % monthly. Seems to work well for me but all tanks are different so YMMV

 

[Abemas]

Wow thats a lot of water to change out! That sounds like a real pain in the butt. Is there an easy way to go about that big of a water change?

 

[Clown Monarch]

My 125 has been running for 9-10 months. I've done 3 small (15-20 gallon) water changes in that time. The only time the tank doesn't look it's healthiest is after a water change.

I may never change water again.

 

[boardsurfer]

8O

 

[Phyl]

I change out 20g every 2w or there abouts so just under 20% every 2w. We have it down to a science. We fill a garbage can with water, salt, power head and heater. Wait 24-48hrs, use said powerhead to move the water out of the tank and into my sink and then use the same power head to move the water out of my garbage can into the tank. Once a month we use a shop vac to clean out the sump while we're changing out water. It takes about 20m, if that.

 

[Abemas]

Sounds like a great way to do it....sure beats pouring bucket after bucket I am sure!

 

[midiman]

How did you figure out how much water to dump the first time (to make 20 gal) since you dump it directly down the sink? Just curious.

 

[Abemas]

My guess is he probably measured the amount of water the powerhead could move in 1 minute and then just multiplied the time until he reached the 20g mark. So if the powerhead pumps a gallon a minute...pump it for 20 mintues. I would think that would work if the powerhead has a constant rate.

 

[seaham358]

The water changes also help to replenish depleted trace elemnts that are needed in the setup. Most freshly mixed SW will have all the elements needed to support the tank without dosing.

This is the reason......... "Toxic water" not sure where this person is getting there info. Nitrate levels can run high and this is another reason to do water changes.
in my 125 reef I some times go 2-3 months without water changes as long as my water parameters are good. In my 55 fowlr I do them about every month to keep my NO3 in check.
Water changes are a PIA but IMO are needed for a healthy tank.

 

[Phyl]

The first time I did a water change (she, btw) I drummed it off into 5g water jugs that I bought at the LFS for carting water. When I had changed out 4 of them I knew that I had pulled out 20g. Once we were down to the 20g mark I put a piece of tape at the back of the tank. Now when we're changing water I bring it down to the tape line and then fill it back up. Once the pump is shut off you have to make sure to pull it from the tank or it will continue to run via siphon.

 

[midiman]

is shut off you have to make sure to pull it from the tank or it will continue to run via siphon.

Put a siphon break (a small hole at the water line) on your return pipe and this won't happen.

 

[Phyl]

Put a siphon break (a small hole at the water line) on your return pipe and this won't happen

Not really practical. The pump is in the tank with no hose on the inlet and the hose for the output is used both for moving water into the tank as well as out of the garbage can (same hose, different port). This isn't an unmanned operation (like an overflow, for example) and I'm very well tuned into the process so the pump comes out as soon as I'm done. It has never posed a problem for *me*, I merely mention it so that somebody else who's trying this for the first time doesn't get caught off guard by it.