water changes

[cubsfan7667]

ok i am wonderign about water changes.

How much water do you take out and ho often??
I heard 20% and someone else said 50% i have a 40 gal breeder with 15 gal sump. And i heard i do it every 2 weeks.

Also do i put the new water in giant bucket and add the salt there or do i put the water in the tank then add the salt to the tank???

I have a 13gal bucket type thing so should i put the water on there then add the right amount of salt??

give me ur opinoins and everything you know on water changed would help very much ty
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[bertoni]

I wouldn't do more than 20% in one shot except in emergencies. 10-20% every other weeks seems to be fine for more people. I did 20% once a month, and that seemed fine, too.

Always add the salt to the water, but never add salt to a tank. You should be fine with putting the RO/DI water into a bucket, and then adding the salt.

[cubsfan7667]

ok thnxs for the feedback

[one clownfish]

Originally Posted by bertoni

I wouldn't do more than 20% in one shot except in emergencies. 10-20% every other weeks seems to be fine for more people. I did 20% once a month, and that seemed fine, too.

Always add the salt to the water, but never add salt to a tank. You should be fine with putting the RO/DI water into a bucket, and then adding the salt.

^1 just make sure the water is the same temp. as the DT

[mmedeiros2]

Make sure the ph is also the same.

[Shane Hoffman]

Originally Posted by cubsfan7667

ok i am wonderign about water changes.

How much water do you take out and ho often??Either 10% every 2 weeks or 20% once a month
I heard 20% and someone else said 50% i have a 40 gal breeder with 15 gal sump. And i heard i do it every 2 weeks.

Also do i put the new water in giant bucket and add the salt there or do i put the water in the tank then add the salt to the tank??? Mix your water and salt in a bucket outside of the aquarium. It is imperative that you fill the bucket with water then add the correct amount of salt to match the water in the bucket. If you add water to salt when you first add the water there is so much salt for the small amount of water it causes saturation issuesI have a 13gal bucket type thing so should i put the water on there then add the right amount of salt?? Yes

give me ur opinoins and everything you know on water changed would help very much ty
0

IMO water changes are by far the most important thing to be religious about. It is also the most laborious so it is often neglected. You will read posts where people say they have these amazing aquariums and never change water. Success in this hobby isnt measured in months or even a couple years. It is nature in motion in your aquarium. Nature doesnt happen fast. Water changes are a scientifically proven method to successfully maintain an aquarium long term. Do every thing you can to insure the water being added is the same temp and salinity as the display tank.

[mstwell]

Whatever water change routine you decide on (10% once a week, 20% every two weeks, 40% less often, etc) set yourself a schedule and stick to it. It will save you a lot of problems down the road. Great water quality and careful observation cannot be replaced by fancy equipment and neglect.

[DC_40gallon]

I have a 40 breeder and I do a 5-10 gallon weekly with ro/di water and red sea coral pro salt.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I change 1% daily, automatically and slowly (takes about 1 h total spread over 4 x 15 minute periods each day, even while I'm sleeping ). No need to do anything manually (aside from making a batch of new water once a month or so) or match anything in the new water to the tank.

[julie180]

Just make sure the temp and sg of the change out water match that of your tank.

[tommyb]

I do about 10% about every 2 weeks.

[pudelt32]

I've always been told regardless of the volume of the tank always do a 20% water change every 2 weeks. This can obviously vary based on your own personal feelings about water changes but I've gone as long as 6 wks with out doing a water change and saw no change in any coral whatsoever. Just like everyone else has said it personal preference but regular water changes do eliminate a lot of potential problems IMO.

[john32]

Originally Posted by Shane Hoffman

IMO so it is often You will read posts where people say they have these amazing aquariums and never change water. Success in this hobby isnt measured in months or even a couple years. It is nature in motion in your aquarium. .

My LFS is one of those amazing mixed reefs that never change water and his has been up and running great for over 5 years. At what point would we have to say his method is successful? I have been questioning his method for a year now but his success speaks volumes. I have watched his corals and fish grow for the last couple of years and have never seen any problems with his tank.

[Larah]

I do 20% every two weeks, temp, salinity & Ph are the same as the DT and I haven't had any problems.. So far ;-)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My LFS is one of those amazing mixed reefs that never change water and his has been up and running great for over 5 years.

I don't know if that is just a dispaly tank or a sales tank, but many LFS tanks get a lot of water changes as a consequence of new organisms coming in and old ones going out with associated tank water in the bag.

[john32]

No its just a display tank nothing is sold out of it. It has been setup like this for 5 years.

[tspors]

They key is consistancy. Pick the % and the timeline and stick with it. The tank will acclimate to what you do, just be consistant don;t change. Several comments above all say the same.