Water Changes Vs Additives

What Do You Guys Think Is Better, Water Changes Or Addiing Additives To The Tank? Keep In Mind That I Dont Have Ca Reactors Or Any Kind Of Reactors For That Matter. Skimmer And A Ph And A Cal Monitors. I Beleive Its One Or The Other, But Not Both. Some Ppl Havent Changed Their Water In 3-6 Yrs And Everything Is Great. What Do You Guys Think?

 

Have you got a refugium?

 

No question in my mind or experience. - regular water changes eliminate the need for adding any additives at all in my aquarium.

(no refugium)

 

I would rather just mess with water changes. I just do not have the space needed for all of those additive bottles and test kits.

 

Well I guess it depends on the level of coral you are at and keeping .. We use a Ca reactor and all our make up water passes through a lime water reactor .. And I still need to dose some Ca and carbonates and strontium and Mag although they are all in great amounts in the reactor media. No new water will do enough for our tank..Unless its pretreated to get it up to needed parameters of elements .

 

Agree.

With all softies (except from some frogspawn) - have found salt mix provides everything the tank needs. --- (at least to the best of my knowledge :-/ )

 

To answer ur question amcarrig, yes I do but its a real small,inside the tank home made one. which btw, has brought my no3 down from 25ppm to 0( or real close to) Its called a pro fish bagger(3 1/2" x 7" x 5 3/4h)

 

Hey tangster, look at my load and tell me what you think.

 

I just don't like doing water changes myself.. Never have never will I have a 125 still up at home in Richmond my son takes care of it and its been up since 98 and never a drop of water has been changed I use Calcium chloride 20.00 for 50 Lbs for the Ca. I make my own buffer about 4.00 for 5 pounds and Epsom salts for the magnesium and thats all that is ever added except the strontium carbonate Takes up little room and I or he just toss it into the sump gravity and water does the rest < That tank has a few Acros in it and mostly LPS and a few softs .. I can dose it in 3 mins mixing water takes up far more room and time IMO.

Now this tank up here no way I could change water as it takes so much pre treating for the needed elements .. I just treated the system for Acro Red bugs I think they may have came on on a frag form Amcarrig club member ? I treated it with the interceptor heart worm meds and I did not even do a water change after that Just added carbon and cut the skimmer back on ..

 

Small is all one needs for them to work best.. I have seen peop,e add a 50 gal on a 90 and it did nothing really to help. Aslo a slower flow will help..