Water change discussion

[bleedingthought]

I have an automatic water change system. Every day, automatically, I change three gallons of water.

People spend way to much time worrying about having all sorts of different filtration methods and addatives. Well here's a method for you. The ZooKeeper method. Change a lot of water and watch your reef thrive.

How big of a system is this?

 

[ZooKeeper1]

The system is 88 gallons together. It's a high demand stony reef. Only thing I add is calcium chloride, baking soda, and occasionally magnesium. No carbon, no P remover. No other addatives at all.

 

[bleedingthought]

So, basically you do a 3% waterchange everyday? Do you ever do a greater WC less often? (Seems like 3% would be a long way to dilute polutants/nutrients...)

 

[ZooKeeper1]

I don't understand what you mean. It's not enough to dillute pollutant's ? A bit more than 3% a day, close to 100% a month. What's that average ammount of water changed ? It's not close to what I do.

I could see if you start with a mess to begin with and the water was nasty. It would take longer to get the water quality then it would with a few large chamges, but when you are starting with quality water the daily change more than keep's the water pure. Either way it's alot easier for me to do it this way and it produces great results.


http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

 

[Anonymous]

Zoo and others.

a 3% daily water change will result in the exact same water conditions just before the water changes as a 30% every 10 days, 60% every 20 days, 90% every 30 days.

What happens is the tank goes to the point where the amount of stuff removed equals the build up between water changes. (Plus whatever is in the replacement water.) So with a 3% daily change 33.3333 times the daily build up. then down to 32.33333 then back up to 33.33333 the next day.

With a 30% every 10 days you have 33.33333 times the daily build up before. Down to 23.33333 then back up to 33.33333.

So the amount before the water changes is the same but the values after the water change vary more with the longer bigger water changes.

.02

 

[ZooKeeper1]

It's just simple differential equations. LOL

Randy explains it in the link I provided above.

 

[Anonymous]

It's just simple differential equations. LOL

Randy explains it in the link I provided above.

Yep. My analysis gives you the end points. But the link is good.

Bob

 

[pcardone]

if your water parameters are fine, and everything is doing well. do you need to do water changes?. I'm going on 8 weeks without a water change.