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Water Changes

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by ScubaMan, Feb 14, 2013.

  1. Feb 14, 2013 #1
    ScubaMan

    ScubaMan

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    Background: I have had a 29 gallon SW biocube for 4 or 5 years and still have. We do regular water changes, as this tank does not have any real filtration other than the live rock, bag of carbon, bag of purigen, and filter material. No majors issues there. Fairly new to me, I now also have a 120 gallon set up with a 55 gallon sump. Sump has skimmer, fuge with deep sand bed, a reactor with GFO carbon mix and a pair of socks on the drains. Display tank has about 120 lbs of live rock, sand, two fish and about 1/2 dozen frags. I am manually dosing via the BRS 2 part system. I do not have to dose much at all as parameters seem good and remain steady. I have to top off almost 2 gallons a day with RODI water due to evaporation. So now, finally my question about the 120 gallon: How often should I do a water change and what percentage? Will this change as my load increases? Should I only change it when my parameter start to deteriorate? Should I change water often to keep the remaining supplements in the system? Thoughts.
     
  2. Feb 14, 2013 #2
    blackx-runner Cedar Rapids, IA

    blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

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    I'd set a maintenance schedule that works for you and stick with it. Definitely do not wait until the parameters start to deteriorate, it will be a bigger struggle to get them back under control after that point. Weekly, or bi weekly schedules are usually recommended, but they aren't for everyone. Good skimmer and filtration and a light bioload you can probably be fine with 10% -15% every couple weeks. If you get a heavy bioload and the nitrates and phosphates begin to rise you may have to up the water change schedule to keep everything happy.
    Figure out what works best for you and your tank, and stick with it. Reefing is not an exact science. There is more than one way to have a successful reef.
     
  3. Feb 14, 2013 #3
    Fultsreef

    Fultsreef Inactive User

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    i am new to all of this(been in saltwater for about a year now) so take what i have to say about my 120 water change regimen for what it is worth....but it works for me i guess. maybe someone with more experience will have better suggestions. anyway i started out doing 12 gallons water changes every 2 weeks with my tank...i felt like that was just not enough and my water paramters seemed to back up my thinking so i increased my water changes gradually to about 24 gallons every two weeks. after two water changes ( a month) i noticed significant positive changes to my paramters and everything has seemed to stabilize and maintain since then. so every two weeks like clockwork i change out 24 gallons. roughly 20% every two weeks...so maybe 12 gallons every week would be sufficient as well. with just a good quality salt and a strict water change regimen you should be able to maintain calcium, magnesium etc levels without having to supplement with additives...a good quality salt has all of those goodies in it and by 1 to 2 weeks those elements are depleted and it is time for a water change. the heavier your bio-load the more impact it will have on your water quality...so a excellent quality protein skimmer (rated for almost twice the size of your tank volume), and maybe a phosban reactor and media reactor will help also to help maintain water quality if your bio-load is large. my opinionis if you were successful with your 29 cube then a 120 should be easier to maintain.
     
  4. Feb 14, 2013 #4
    Fultsreef

    Fultsreef Inactive User

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    Blackx-runner beat me to my response, i took to long typing up my novel i guess. lol.
     
  5. Feb 14, 2013 #5
    ScubaMan

    ScubaMan

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    Thank you for your help Blackx-runner and Fultsreef. Since my sump adds at least 25 more gallons and maybe even pushing 30 gallons, I am going to start with a weekly 15 gallon change. I have a large 50 gallon barrel for my RODI water, but I need to go out and get another one for mixing water. I have lots and lots of 5 gallon buckets. So mixing and handling 5 gallon buckets may be easier on a weekly basis. When I get larger barrel, then I may go to every other week Thanks again for the responses.
     
  6. Feb 14, 2013 #6
    Fultsreef

    Fultsreef Inactive User

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    You're welcome...sounds like you and I have almost the same setup when it comes to water changes and overall tank volume. I use two 44 gallon Rubbermaid cans for holding and agitating my RODI.I mix my saltwater up in a 29 gallon Rubbermaid tote. I put a pump inside and a heater in and put the lid on the tote and let it sit for the day to mix well and get up to the proper temperature. If a tote like that is something of interest to you then a future FYI would be to not that about 1 inch from the top of the molded handles is approximately 25 gallons. This visual reference point makes it easy for me to mix up the 20 gallons I need to do a water change in my 120 and have 5 gallons left over to do a water change in my 30 gallon quarantine tank. The tote may be something to consider since it is actually decent in the price department.
     

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