I know this is a no no. But I regularly check all parameters and everything stays well within tolerances. In 8 months, I have only added distilled water to keep salinity within range and all seems well. I have a few soft corals, leathers, mushrooms, frogspawn and recently added some nice zoanthids. My concern is that they seem to be loosing color, and the frogspawn has completely retracted into itself. Everything else seems to be fine and living well. So, what are the downfalls of not doing regular water changes. Thanks in advance for any help.
8 months w/ no water changes.
- Thread starter LOWTYD
- Start date
bjohanson1234
.........
The alk and calcium can drop. You arent replenishing the micro nutrients like idine and strontium that are getting used up by your corals.
Weekly or bi weekly waterchanges help keep those levels stable.
Weekly or bi weekly waterchanges help keep those levels stable.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
+1 BJ....I, myself, don't do many water changes, BUT my tank is FOWLR, so watching the calc and alk is not as essnetial. It's not a good practice, I admit, but again, it's not a reef :)
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I do a 50% change on my 29G every 4 to 6 weeks. Cal and alk will be the first chems to drop. Corals and especially coralline will suck cal and alk (carbonates) out of the water. Water changes will replenish trace minerals and they are very important. You should do a 50% right away but make sure (with a 50% change) that salinity, temp and Ph match precisely. Read this:
Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Reef Nutz
Reefing newb
All your trace elements are being depleted. The water changes are not an issue if you can keep params all in order. What do you feed the tank? The corals and such? You can add, buy, trace elements to add to the tank.
Now, can you give us the numbers you have for your parameters?
PH
CAL
ALK
Temp
Phos
Trates
Trites
Ammo
Now, can you give us the numbers you have for your parameters?
PH
CAL
ALK
Temp
Phos
Trates
Trites
Ammo
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Bifferwine
I am a girl
+1 everyone. Water changes not only take out the bad stuff, but they also replenish the good stuff that your corals and fish are using up -- the salt mixes will have these essential elements.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
Another serious issue with never doing water changes is that toxic, heavy metals can build up over time. Remember that minerals do not evaporate with the water. Water changes will remove heavy metals. Heavy metals come from, food, the air, equipment and other sources. There is no easy way for hobbyists to test for these minerals but it is probably the cause of many mysterious fish and invert deaths. READ THIS:
Part 1: Is it Really in the Water? A Critical Reexamination of Toxic Metals in Reef Tanks by Richard Harker
http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/Showarticle.php?articleID=12
http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/Showarticle.php?articleID=13
Although the article doesn't really prove beyond doubt that heavy metals are a problem. I ain't taking chances.
Part 1: Is it Really in the Water? A Critical Reexamination of Toxic Metals in Reef Tanks by Richard Harker
http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/Showarticle.php?articleID=12
http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/Showarticle.php?articleID=13
Although the article doesn't really prove beyond doubt that heavy metals are a problem. I ain't taking chances.
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Ok. This is what I have.
PH - 7.8
CAL - 500-520
ALK - ?
Temp - 80-82
Phos. - <.25
Nitrates - 0-5ppm
Nitrite - 0 -.5
KH - 8
Ammonia - ?
I've had several freshwater tanks, but this is the first Saltwater, so I surely must be missing something. I kept testing every other week or so, but only needed to add for salinity. I suspect the trace minerals are being depleted over time like some of you have mentioned. I'm willing to do whatever it takes for the corals to be bright and vibrant. I run a CPR skimmer and just switched to Chemie pur in my filter canister two weeks ago. My frogspawn has completely dissapeared since I change to chemi-pur. Thanks again for the help.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Start doing water changes. You should be doing 10% to 20% of your tank's volume once a week or every two weeks. You should be using RODI water, not tap water.
I know better than to use tap water. Any issue using distilled instead of RO water? Also used Instant Ocean "reef crystals" yesterday for my first water change of 10%. I'm supplementing some Instant ocean Brine shrimp? Along with Spectrum Thera "A" and Omega one Marine flakes twice a day.
little_fish
Reef pro
Distilled is just fine, and that is a fine brand of salt to use.
Also, brine has no almost no nutritional value, its basically just candy for your fish. Also the flaked foods arent very healthy either, they also tend to lead to poorer water quality. I switch to using a variety of different frozen foods, like mysids, clams, shrimp, etc. Petco/petsmart is a great place to get different frozen food blends. Also be sure you are feeding algae sheets if you have any herbivorous fish. Variety is the spice of life and key to good nutrition.
Also, brine has no almost no nutritional value, its basically just candy for your fish. Also the flaked foods arent very healthy either, they also tend to lead to poorer water quality. I switch to using a variety of different frozen foods, like mysids, clams, shrimp, etc. Petco/petsmart is a great place to get different frozen food blends. Also be sure you are feeding algae sheets if you have any herbivorous fish. Variety is the spice of life and key to good nutrition.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Nope, distilled is fine. How many fish do you have, and what kinds? It sounds like you may be overfeeding.
Here is a list of stock in the tank:
1 - Maroon clown
1 - Royal Gramma
1 - red pistol W/ 1 - yellow watchman goby.
1 - Cleaner shrimp
1 - Coral banded shrimp
6 or 7 blueleg hermits
2 turbo snails
1 or 2 brittle starfish. Super small 50 cent piece size. They were a bonus in some live rock I bought.
1 small leather coral
1 good size bunch of mushroom coral
Zoanthids small colonies some pink and yellow some purple/ green
50 lbs live rock.
I think thats it.....
I'll post some pics soon.
1 - Maroon clown
1 - Royal Gramma
1 - red pistol W/ 1 - yellow watchman goby.
1 - Cleaner shrimp
1 - Coral banded shrimp
6 or 7 blueleg hermits
2 turbo snails
1 or 2 brittle starfish. Super small 50 cent piece size. They were a bonus in some live rock I bought.
1 small leather coral
1 good size bunch of mushroom coral
Zoanthids small colonies some pink and yellow some purple/ green
50 lbs live rock.
I think thats it.....
I'll post some pics soon.
little_fish
Reef pro
That sounds like a good fish list, what do you have for lighting?
bjohanson1234
.........
If you decide to add suppliments to get your trace elements back up, I recommend to get test kits for each and every one you add. Usually it is easier and more economical to do water changes.
For the first 6 months I only had a 50/ 50 Actinic/10k Fluorescent. Now that I have added the corals I have upgraded to 1 Marineland reef capable LED. Man what a difference!! Looks like a new tank. And everything has become much more "alive " since the LED. Before the LED's, the mushrooms and leathers had become very lethargic. Now they open up and absorb as much as possible. Really happy with the light.
