Water Changes Vs Additives

Water changes are much more beneficial, IMO!!!!! The trace elements, salts and, moreover, the dillution of the problems of pollutants, dissolved organics and particulates, gelbstoff, increased dissolved oxygen and turbidity just to mention a few.

 

it really comes down to personal preference and depends on what ur setup is macros will help in reducing the amount of water changes but some trace elements are periodically needed and water changes will replenish the need for these elements. An experienced individual can get away without doing water changes but i would'nt reccomend it and if your asking it means you should probably continue doing routine water changes.

 

It's easier for me to say "yellow water" Carbon takes care of that issue for me.

Not everybody can set up their tanks in such a way that they can avoid water changes but it can be done

 

Its not that Im inexperienced, I do have yrs under my belt. Having said that, I talk to many ppl about their reef habits and of course, many are different. So I try to implement them to my system to see if theres an improvement, both on my inhabitants and my work load. Thats why I come to you guys to see what you think. I try to simplify my life when it comes to the tank just like many of you reefers do. Thats why many of you guys have ca reactors, kalkwasser stirrers, refugiums, ozonizers and other pieces of equipment that I may have forgotten. IMO, its about working smarter, not harder. Its like I have said before, the ones that benefit from our knowledge, are our beautiful creatures that live in our tanks.

 

I'm always for working smarter but mostly because I'm really lazy. Well, not really but I could think of a ton of other things that I could do with the time that I would be changing water We don't do water changes in our 180 sps tank but our system includes everything that you mentioned above plus a phosphate reactor. The only problems we have had with our tanks are a result of livestock that are brought into our tank from other souces. We've battled montipora eating nudibranchs, red bugs, and bryopsis but that's about it. No water quality issues and no issues with corals beyond what the bugs have caused. The only piece of "equipment" that we've added as a result, is a quarantine tank for corals so that we don't run into the same problems that we had earlier this year.

 

Good morning amcarrig, well in my case im Im not lazy, I just like to work smarter. Theres always room for improvement in any aspect of life. I have had a tank since the early 80's, but the past decade( +/- ) is where I really dove into the scientifics of reefing. Please keep in mind that I only have a w/d, skimmer and a homemade x-small refuguim. I dont have the space nor the $$$ to implement all those different kinds of reactors and ozonizers and such. I also dont use salt mixes like most ppl do. I buy my salt water from the LFS. So Im always asking questions to see if I can improve at my level.

 

lunatik_69 the way I see it the major problem with this hobby is people are just to worried or afraid to try anything other then what they have read..

Water changes are a idea that the writers came up with to sell salt via their sponsors, Thats about the only way they would sell new salt

Look I only speak from experience nothing I have read .. And anything I do and others have tried and picked up on never have a issue with the practice.. People are just to anal about it.. I and all the old farts like have always tried different way's out of necessity to try and keep something alive. thats how the hobby got to the point of the experts interest.. People just red it said that water changes are a must! and so they do it after all the just paid 60.00 for the book LOL and have never tried anything other way .

Last case in point with our tank.. Every seen the prescribed method of treating red Bugs ?? Well had it been left to the Marine Bug Experts the red acro bug would still be thought top be a helpful thing per Dr. Ron Smuck he saw no issues with them all they where thought to be doing was just cleaning the corals LOL.. But a regular person though outside the box and did it the old school way and he found the answer to the problem and that they where not a good thing.. Oh he caught some grief for his way of thinking ..

But I treated out tank with double the dose and it harmed nothing and I have yet to do any water changing it's been two weeks bugs gone tank is crystal clear lost nothing not a single pod or mysis shrimp much less cleaner shrimp or other inverts even the little sexy shrimp was not effected . I added new carbon about 2 days after the treatment and still clear and sparkling water.. Cut Ozone back on last wed night and I won't do a water change the orp is up to 390 and tank looks great and corals are fully extended and wide open .. Go find a article on red bug treatment LOL Its far less simple.. Buddy when I came along it was all just you try it he tried it and you see who;s idea was better! and went on to build more from there. Just to much information out there today hell it confuses me Thats why I stopped reading the crap many yrs ago.

P.S I just typed myseld out of the water change today that I thinking about

 

I also do not do water changes.

 

Me 3

 

I just set up my tank, 4 mos. ago. I've read some people do water change and some don't. I have a 55 gal. and a 15 gal. refug. I have LR, a few coral, LS. I am looking into the idea of a sump, which is new to me. And I have read I need a skimmer.
If I have my 55 gal., the 15 refug, a sump (not sure of size yet/I have a extra 10 gal), and soon buy a skimmer. With these idems can I get away with no water change?