no more water changes

[scotties82]

was reading tank of the month and he said that he hasn't done a water change in 3years 8months. I have heard of this before but never did any research on it.

just looking for thoughts and comments on the subject. or has anyone attempted this?

[Zalman]

I personally havent. but have talked to people who have. you just need solid nutrient export and add whatever trace elements corals remove from the water.

i would also think you would need to add more salt once in awhile due to creep and whatever amounts your skimmer pulls out.

[Reefir]

was reading tank of the month and he said that he hasn't done a water change in 3years 8months. I have heard of this before but never did any research on it.

just looking for thoughts and comments on the subject. or has anyone attempted this?

thats crazy talk Scott , what are you thinking .haha..I have heard of this nonsense . I have gone six to 8 weeks with no issues but I definatly say nutrient export is a big factor . I like doing a wc just to add the trace elements back in but have always wondered how long I could actually go without a change . I have never wanted to gamble but give it a try , what have you got to lose ?... skim heavy my friend , change carbon often , and grow some cheato . and dose to keep ionic balance.test sg also . I am sure i missed some strong points but u get the idea ... when do u start ? a few weeks ago ? if u do it let me know progress .

[scotties82]

just tossing the idea around. It makes me to nervous unless I knew someone personally who has done it. I know it sounds crazy but it must work. Thanks ryan for the advice I am already leaning me towards no. i havent started it but I am on three week right now and I never wait that long

[scotties82]

It could work with that beast of a skimmer I bought from u haha

[thor109]

I researched this and discussed it a year ago. If you are dosing and checking all the levels in your tank why do water changes? Well it not so much replacing what you know is missing its more about removing the unknown. I mean what's in you food that you add every day. What's on your hands every time you put them on tank. There are a lot of unknowns and the only way to control them is by adding pure Di water.

[scotties82]

Very well said thor. Thanks for the advice

[SteelerMike]

I'm defintely a newb, but I have a friend who has a 220g tank with a 125g basement sump. He has had the tank for 13 years and it is awesome. He gave me some water to get my tank started and he laughed that it forced him to do his first water change in over a year!

[Pallobi]

I saw and read the whole TOTM feature... Bare bottom, doses manually only once every couple of weeks, uses ceramic rings and bio balls... No reactors at all, no dosing pumps... But employs manual testing to go with the manual dosing which again, is not done anywhere near daily...

Did anyone see the size of the clam in there? A friend and I thought that it could honestly be helping to act as a bio filter at that size...

Anyways, I too like to minimize, but this cat takes it to a whole new level... They definitely deserve some props for their efforts and accomplishments... Not sure I'm ready or will ever be, to not at least change maybe 10 gallons here and there... I have decided personally to not do too many water changes at all, but a little once a month... Water changes often, even if only 5 gallons a week, give me Dino problems... But I stop changing water, and they burn themselves off...

Anyhow, don't think I can, or would feel safe about doing away with them all together, and I have a pretty good sized and efficient skimmer for my water volume...

A great job by the TOTM winner... The last system featured is one of the most incredible zoa displays you will ever see as well ;)

:beer:

[BubbaBoBobBrain]

I read that algae turf scrubbers, if big enough, can reduce and even eliminate the need for water changes. I read that once your get the scrubber established enough that the algae that grows on the mesh will actually leach trace elements and amino acids into the tank and will help keep the corals happy and healthy. Not sure to the extent of how factual this is but I read it on another forum dedicated to scrubbers. I am thinking about trying an algae turf scrubber but I don't think I will leave out the water changes. At least not yet, lol.

[Reefir]

I just read the thread and the zoanthid one also , man that water change speech is crazy . kind of makes u think ...hmmm

[Chriskid]

It could work with that beast of a skimmer I bought from u haha

ive gone 6months, however bigskimmer yes, trace yes,and i feed alot. i seem to have good export with good flow.

[thor109]

I've never detected nitrate nitrite or ammonia. Do I do water changes, yes. Again its not about removing things you know about, its about preventing things you don't know about from building up. If you have high levels of anything you are in emergency mode and are doing water changes to prevent loss of life in your tank. If your tank is healthy and balanced you will have zero nitrates nitrites and ammonia. Some do water changes weekly to maintain cal alk and mag relaying on their salt mix to keep things balanced. Others like me dose and do less frequent water changes just to make sure impurities are removed.

[shecter]

I've gone 4 months with no water chnages before. I didn't notice any ill effects but I have a pretty light bioload. My corals were all looking nice still. Id prefer to do the water changes though. I out pellet food in my tank every day and feed my reef lobster scallops a couple times a week. All that has to go somewhere. And I know I wouldn't want to live in it. :-)

[Reefir]

I've gone 4 months with no water chnages before. I didn't notice any ill effects but I have a pretty light bioload. My corals were all looking nice still. Id prefer to do the water changes though. I out pellet food in my tank every day and feed my reef lobster scallops a couple times a week. All that has to go somewhere. And I know I wouldn't want to live in it. :-)

hence the bis arse skimmer ...

[Chriskid]

hence the bis arse skimmer ...

lol:)

[monty]

6 months no issues --- used to do 20 gal/week

[Chriskid]

6 months no issues --- used to do 20 gal/week

if your righting to me then ya. i started dosing strontium, then potassium.. but didnt really see much when i did do a change.....


however dont stop what your doing bc of what im saying, my system seems to alow it... in all reefkeeping there is a fine line we sometimes walk:)
i also have a etss 800+ twin tower downdraft skimmer(1100gph pump pushin it) love it by the way:)

[monty]

i meant that i haven't done one is six months

[Chriskid]

i meant that i haven't done one is six months

ow cool sorry i misunderstood stood. what do you add,,str,trace,ext?

[spjames]

I've gone 4 or 5 months without a water change and no skimmer - just using my ATS - with no issues. Now I'm interested in the new AUS designs and am thinking about diy-ing one to replace the ATS but need to see more results from the early adoptors first before pulling the trigger.

[Chriskid]

I've gone 4 or 5 months without a water change and no skimmer - just using my ATS - with no issues. Now I'm interested in the new AUS designs and am thinking about diy-ing one to replace the ATS but need to see more results from the early adoptors first before pulling the trigger.

what kind of animals do you keep?

[spjames]

fish, zoas, lps, sps...

zoas grow like weeds...lps/sps usually take about a month to settle in then start to grow. Of the stoney frags, the ones I've had the longest (sunset monti, jedi mind trick and meteor shower) have not surprisingly shown the best growth. My flower petal cap is also starting to take off.

[gmate]

Algae Scrubber.

[Chriskid]

fish, zoas, lps, sps...

zoas grow like weeds...lps/sps usually take about a month to settle in then start to grow. Of the stoney frags, the ones I've had the longest (sunset monti, jedi mind trick and meteor shower) have not surprisingly shown the best growth. My flower petal cap is also starting to take off.

thats cool , ive seen and done no waterchanges with succsess, but never without a skimmer, i would be interested to see:)

[swannyson7]

I've gone 6+ months before with no ill effects. However, after completing a water change after going so long without, growth seemed to explode afterwards.

[Reefir]

I've gone 6+ months before with no ill effects. However, after completing a water change after going so long without, growth seemed to explode afterwards.

I have noticed the same thing , no ill effects if i let it ride for a while but the coral really pop after a change . I am going to wait to change my water for a bit , see how long I can go before i see any changes . I will keep dosing activated carbon , skimming and nopox and dosing two part and reef energy . and keep running cheato and macro algea . I am just being lazy but id rather call it a science experiment .:fun4:thanks scotty for givin me the incentive :dance: its ur fault if it dosent work out for the better ....:p

[Chriskid]

I have noticed the same thing , no ill effects if i let it ride for a while but the coral really pop after a change . I am going to wait to change my water for a bit , see how long I can go before i see any changes . I will keep dosing activated carbon , skimming and nopox and dosing two part and reef energy . and keep running cheato and macro algea . I am just being lazy but id rather call it a science experiment .:fun4:thanks scotty for givin me the incentive :dance: its ur fault if it dosent work out for the better ....:p

then you can save money from salt,and get a new toy:)

[swannyson7]

thanks scotty for givin me the incentive :dance: its ur fault if it dosent work out for the better ....:p
Swannyson7... A limited liability company

[Reefir]

Swannyson7... A limited liability company

haha:beer:damn it ....well i can still point fingers ...just jokin . my reef , my loss . thats why i try not to try new things , if it aint broke dont fix it . it sounds cool buy I have had good luck thus far and wayyy to much cash invested. not into gambling either .I will setup a tank I have hangin around with an oversize skimmer and see what happens . I will make a tread when I get it going , it wont be fancy but i will be a nutrient export machine , stay tuned for my no water change project . NWCP thread .

[mtc1966]

stay tuned reefirs going to refill the empty spot in his basement.

[Reefir]

stay tuned reefirs going to refill the empty spot in his basement.

haha :wave:, i feel like i am missing something down there . ur prob right . it will be a stepping stone for my new clam and chalice farm . dont tell my wife . any ideas on how to hide it all . and the electric bill.

[mtc1966]

haha :wave:, i feel like i am missing something down there . ur prob right . it will be a stepping stone for my new clam and chalice farm . dont tell my wife . any ideas on how to hide it all . and the electric bill.

false wall

[Useful_Idiot]

haha :wave:, i feel like i am missing something down there . ur prob right . it will be a stepping stone for my new clam and chalice farm . dont tell my wife . any ideas on how to hide it all . and the electric bill.

Sweet you're gonna set up the basement again. Isn't there a enclosed trailer in the driveway? She doesn't go in there I bet. Switch your electric bill to your email instead of snail mail. Let me know if you need a hand with the build, and I'll donate a frag of my yellow eyed blue chalice.

[billryan]

Reefir,
Excuse my ignorance, but what is reef energy? Also, I go months between water changes, then I'll only change about 10 percent. A larger water change seems to cause problems. I read once about an aquarist that did a 1 g water change every other day in his 180, the tank flourished.

[scotties82]

Its a two part dose for your corals when using nopox

[billryan]

2part as in calcium and alkalinity? I use the Randy Holmes recipes to make my own. I've used Bionic In the past. Never dosed nopox.

[scotties82]

No I think it replaces the amino acids and vitamens that nopox takes out. Nopox is for phosphates

[billryan]

Thank you for your response. Phosphates are at 0 so I'm all set, knock on wood.

[Reefir]

No I think it replaces the amino acids and vitamens that nopox takes out. Nopox is for phosphates

thats it ! its supposed to be coral steroids , i use it but dont see much benefit . :hmm5:

[frankyrivera]

I use it too and don't see any benefit as a matter a fact my bottles finished and I swear I've gotten better color from fish poop alone. But it turns your water a cool lime green when u first dose lol. It looks like you're pouring anti freeze in your tank scary really???

[my2girls]

No I think it replaces the amino acids and vitamens that nopox takes out. Nopox is for phosphates

Nopox a blend of carbon sources designed to reduce nitrate and phosphate. Reef Energy is a 2 part food for ALL corals (NPS, LPS, SPS, Zoas, shrooms, etc.) consisting of vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and protein flocks.

Don't be lazy- do regular water changes. Just sayin' :)

[55coolgalreef]

I'm trying this as well .. gone two months so far with no ill effects

[mtc1966]

with all my back issues this is now my approach as well. doing more of a fish then coral tank now so I think its not as big a deal.

[TCR3627]

was reading tank of the month and he said that he hasn't done a water change in 3years 8months. I have heard of this before but never did any research on it.

just looking for thoughts and comments on the subject. or has anyone attempted this?

it is possible. i had a 300 gal sps tank fill with acros growing out of the tank and about 30 fish,clams and some softies for 8 years never one water change..you just have to replace your trace elements.:spin1:

[Tweaked]

Link to your tank?

Also, how could you dose all those trace elements? Seems a bit much just not to do a wc every now and then with balanced parts of trace already ready already lol.

[Chrisjbarry]

Ive been doing minimal water changes for a while now. Like one every couple months even then its only like 5 gallons on a 105 gallon tank. New tank Im going to work towards 0 water changes and dose amino acids daily and keep feeding a lot. I'm using bio pellets to help keep everything in check.

[Pallobi]

Potassium, iodine/iodide, all the other stuff we don't test for usually?

These things need replenishing too...

I believe half of what I see, and very little of what I hear... Just cause someone says it, doesn't mean they follow that through, or they are not making it up... Clearly 99% are honest, but the others, well who knows... I know on my old 75g, I had montis and specifically a Cali tort that would start to look like crap after I tried to do this for a while. All the while I dosed and kept up my "big 3". Once I did a good water change, the color loss and tissue and PE was back to normal and 100%...

Seems silly to not do at least a little here and there unless your health prevents you.

I would love to see pics, but even then, there is no way to know for certain if it's really the case... I wouldn't take this approach, nor would I recommend it.

To anyone else, good luck

[Pallobi]

Sorry DP

[tyler91913]

I've gone 4 or 5 months without a water change and no skimmer - just using my ATS - with no issues. Now I'm interested in the new AUS designs and am thinking about diy-ing one to replace the ATS but need to see more results from the early adoptors first before pulling the trigger.

What does AUS stand for?

[Tweaked]

Ats is an algae turf scrubber

[tyler91913]

Yep, but I was asking about AUS...

[Tweaked]

Oh, maybe he's referring the the new upflow scrubbers called UAS?

[tyler91913]

Maybe. I've actually got one of Santa Monica's hog models coming to me, which I am looking forward to trying. I had a DIY scrubber on my 90 in 2011 but it gave me problems (stemming from my lack of handymanness).