Questions For The "No-Water-Change" Crowd

[sailmike]

I am looking into the no water change area. What do you do for maintainence? What additives and how often? Any problems so far?

I am just exploring the idea.

Thanks a lot,
Mike

 

[Joew]

Personally i'd ignore anything about not doing w/c's. W/C's are the best way to replenish trace elements yadda yadda. As well as help dilute any ichee's that are present. In my 90 i normally when i 'm not lazy is a 50% wc every month. I'm in the group who think small wc's are pointless. so IMO do your changes.

JoeW
_________________
recessions

 

[Anonymous]

People who do no water change are just lazy and waiting for disaster. AFAIK, there is no substitute for doing good old, regular water change for nutrient/toxin export.

 

[Anonymous]

8) waiting for the fireworks to start

I agree with 7e.

 

[sailmike]

Sorry to bring up such a hot topic. I just wanted to hear from those who have been successful with no water changes. My posting did point me to an article on the topic. It said that water changes don't help the nutrient level, or just not enough to make a difference and that calcium and iodine need to be replenished even if doing regular water changes. I am sure this result would vary depending on what was kept in the system. If we could do an experiment where a reef tank with high calcium demand goes without water changes or supplemental dosing for several months and then test for ALL trace elements to see which ones are going down and at what rate, then we would know which elements need to be replenished regularly. From what I've read here and elsewhere, it seems the only sure things so far are calcium, iodine, and magnesium. We seem to have a lot to learn on what many corals need to survive and reproduce.

Thanks for all your replies,
Mike

 

[Anonymous]

I have run such a low evaporative rate system with very infrequent water change. 3 minor water changes in past 5 years, beat that!

Mind you, that my system is not something that most new reefkeeper want to try as first tank, and if I have the time and passion, I would have do more water changes in all those years.

What do it looks like? Sad to say that althought everything lives, I am not very happy about the way it look now. Got a company picnic to go to tomorrow, and two kids to take care of, so maybe I will wait another week...

There is a one very important facet that you forget to mention, Mike. Althought you can increase pretty much any fundamental chemicals with dosing, there is no good way to decrease any specific chemical that accomulated in the water if you don't do water change. You can add carbon filter, and other chemical absorber, but there is nothing give you more bang for the buck than water change.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey 7E, have you ever posted pics of your tank? I would be interested!

 

[sailmike]

Good point 7E. I hadn't thought of decreasing the elements. Like I said before, if we knew which elements were being depleted, then we could dose just enough of those elements to bring them up and then we would not have to worry about there being too much of a certain element.

I plan to do water changes once a month though. I'll test for calcium, iodine, and magnesium on a regular basis and dose when they reach a certain point.

Mike

 

[Azrile]

I have a 55g with a 55g refugium and I don't do water changes, just top-offs

DSB in both, lots of live rock, low fish load and a couple different types of macro algae for nutrient/heavy metal export. I don't have a skimmer or any filtration besides the DSB and LR. Only equipment is an overflow box and a pump and a couple PH's for mvmt. I also don't feed my fish except for some occasional spinach for my yellow tang. I let the LR supply the food.

Just a natural, low maintainence, low mechanical system.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey 7E, have you ever posted pics of your tank? I would be interested!

Just bits and pieces when I show the hardwares, but not as a full tank display. There are a few people who saw my tanks in person, and most of them decided to quit the hobby right afterward...

 

[sailmike]

7E, your tank can't be that bad is it??

Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Not *that* bad, but there is always some truth to the self-deprciating humor comments I make once a while.