Water Changes - How Much and How Often?

[that Fish Guy]

I was wondering how often that you do Water Changes and how much you take out?

I am lost because I have heard people say at Frag Swaps that they have not done a Water Change in 6 Months, 8 Months, etc.

Others have told me Every Week they do a Water Change.

And I have heard 10%, 20%, 30% at a time etc.

One guy even said that he does a 100% Water Change every Week.

Everyone is all over the place on this topic.

Is there a Happy Medium? :fish1:

[SushiGirl]

Most people I know do 10 to 15% every 2 weeks.

[Curious George]

15% once a month

[Millticket]

I do 5% weekly. I like making it a weekly tradition so I don't get lazy and put it off (like I used to do with bi-weekly or monthly).

[i3oosted]

Should you still do a WC if all your levels/readings are acceptable?

[solitude127]

I think it depends on what other types of nutrient export you have as well. ie. protein skimmer, refugium, etc... For my 150 with a fuge, skimmer, biopellets, I change 30g every 2 weeks. For my 3g pico, I change 1g every week.

[zoafarm]

I have a 72gal, and do a 10% water every other week. So overall 20% per month.

[Dsotto]

It's going to depend on your setup and load. I have a 75g mixed reef with a pretty heavy fish load. No skimmer or fuge and do a 10 gallon change every other week. My nitrates stay between 0-5 and phosphates 0 but I change my filter sock weekly. Hope this helps.

[rsaha]

I do about 7 percent a week. I've done 10 percent a week for long stints as well but I find my tank gets a bit starved looking.

[rsaha]

Sorry - that's on a pretty lightly stocked 120.

[MuffsAbby]

I do 15% once a month on my DT, and 15% every 2 weeks on my QT.

[bellis31]

Should you still do a WC if all your levels/readings are acceptable?

Yes, neglecting to do water changes (unless you have another means of nutrient transport) will do nothing but cause you trouble.

I have 60g total water and change 5g a week..

[greg1786]

I do 10% every week on a 55gallon with skimmer and hob fuge. my tank is a moderately stocked mixed reef but I feed heavily. I find that if I get lazy and miss a week the tank just looks "dingy" lol. My gf tells me its my imagination that the tank always looks spotless but I disagree, perhaps a bit of ocd ;-). My brother on the other hand has a 75gallon reef with a pretty heavy bioload that includes a tang and a huge brain coral with no skimmer, no sump, nothing but a GIGANTIC. hob power filter and he changes about 20% of water whenever he feels like it which I've literally seen him go four months and more without doing one, just tops off and doses to keep levels in check and sometimes I feel like his tank is cleaner than my own !! For the life of me I don't get it, if I went that long I feel like my tank would crash lol. Fwiw his system is about 5 years old and with the exception of a two week power outtage killing most of his livestock a while back , his system has never had a major issue ....some ppl have all the luck


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[rtparty]

I shoot for 30% a month. Sometimes I do 50% a month. IME when I see people get lazy and go 6+ months, it catches up eventually. Some call it old tank syndrome but I call it lazy reefer syndrome.

[reefgeezer]

Ten gallons per week. I must admit missing a week every once in a while.

[sminker]

When my son was born two I did two water changes over a one year period. He is almost three and I've only done a total of 7 water changes since March of 2010. I have a 180 with very large SPS colonies and a total of 210 gallons. 50 gallons on each change.

[Mussin]

I have a 90G and a 30g sump. I usually do a 26% water change (24G) every 2 months or so, everything is thriving.


Jeremy