Water change

[flo_reeftank]

For a FOWLR tank how many times your guys change your water ? Weekly , bi-weekly or monthly ?

I personally did a 30-35% per week advice given by some expert reefers...some reefers change 50% per week for heavy bioload..

Cheers

[I love angel]

What salt water you used? NSW or salt mix?

[flo_reeftank]

I am using D-D H2Ocean Pro formula

[[V]tEc]

For a FOWLR tank how many times your guys change your water ? Weekly , bi-weekly or monthly ?

I personally did a 30-35% per week advice given by some expert reefers...some reefers change 50% per week for heavy bioload..

Cheers

Bro what is your objective of this qn?

1st of all, there is no fixed amount for water change. Also water change depend on how well your bacteria can cope with your bioload.

In addition if i keep fishes that are below $50, will I take the trouble to do water change weekly? Ans is no. If good mood, 20% mthly i consider very good liao.

Before i decommed, I do 50% weekly for my 6ft fowlr cos i notice by doing that, fishes were more lively and have fast growth rate. Colours were also brighter.

Tank size matters too. For a 3ft tank, doing 50% salt doesnt cost as much as doing 50% for a bigger tank. So for smaller tank ppl dont mind changing more water n more often to a bigger tank.

[flo_reeftank]

Bro what is your objective of this qn?1st of all, there is no fixed amount for water change. Also water change depend on how well your bacteria can cope with your bioload. In addition if i keep fishes that are below $50, will I take the trouble to do water change weekly? Ans is no. If good mood, 20% mthly i consider very good liao.Before i decommed, I do 50% weekly for my 6ft fowlr cos i notice by doing that, fishes were more lively and have fast growth rate. Colours were also brighter. Tank size matters too. For a 3ft tank, doing 50% salt doesnt cost as much as doing 50% for a bigger tank. So for smaller tank ppl dont mind changing more water n more often to a bigger tank.

Hi bro,

Thanks for your advice I understand your point of view

Cheers

[I love angel]

tEc" post="1174178" timestamp="1398533395"]Bro what is your objective of this qn?1st of all, there is no fixthe amount for water change. Also water change depend on how well your bacteria can cope with your bioload. In addition if i keep fishes that are below $50, will I take the trouble to do water change weekly? Ans is no. If good mood, 20% mthly i consider very good liao.Before i decommed, I do 50% weekly for my 6ft fowlr cos i notice by doing that, fishes were more lively and have fast growth rate. Colours were also brighter. Tank size matters too. For a 3ft tank, doing 50% salt doesnt cost as much as doing 50% for a bigger tank. So for smaller tank ppl dont mind changing more water n more often to a bigger tank.

yes, the bigger the tank the more difficult to do a lot of water change. You need to prepare a lot of salt mix water. And the cost is high. Using NSW too much water, have higher risk of having parasites after the water change. I do about 20% biweekly and follow by 20% weekly. That means 20% in 1 1/2 week. At least I rest for a weekend.

[miketbh]

Over the weekend i manage to turn my saltwater into 'crystal clear' . My aquarium water undergo zero water replacement change since Jan new year. ie had to do it for 'new year' . Now i believe the ' never water change for years ' theory is not a myth ... .

I was demotivated by the standard heavy chore with changing water, mix salt and dont like the idea of not having lots of fish and feed them very little ..... so i have a feeling i should be about to decomm soon or change to fresh water tank. But we all know fresh water tank can never match a saltwater tank.

So the cycle of my tank since Jan is .... brown algae and brown dirt nitrate will creeping up due to feeding fish with flakes. Around every 1 month, brown wall will start at base ( my have no base substrate) and 1.5 month the side wall will appear brownish and have to rub off before brown algea totally blow-up reaching 2 month.

Because i dont want to change water anymore , i just scrap all the glass with filter wool and i will see the water becoming completedly brown like tea 'o' and have lots of dirts spinning around. I didnt encounter fish dead but they are really confuse and hides in corners.

I then will wash my filter wool off these dirts . Once 3 hour after cleaning the tank another wash is the next day. The best water condition i can get out of these cycle is light yellowish water with zero particle dirt . ie like very light blackish water. feels very irritiating.

Last week i clean filter 4 time for 4 consecutive day . At the fourth time the filter wool 's water squeeze out is not any dirtier then the tank water. Therefore i believe light yellowish this is the max outcome. I then bought a big pack of those carbon soil which prints ' 'crystal clear' on the box. and add it in the water flow. There are mix commend from forum, some say work other say cannot. so i am a bit sceptically. My experience last time with carbon is not obvious.

After putting the carbon soil over night the yellowish colour is completely gone and the water is really crystal clear with slight blueish. This is a very big surprise for me. I like to further tell some my condition i think contribute to getting such the success.

First one is my is a no based-substrate tank ie crashed coral or sand . I already know these from my past experience . The base-substrate with collect so much poo and over time it is impossible to control nitrate phrosphate algae except via regular change of water.

The second condition is the carbon soil can only clear the final fine invisible yellowish particle. If your main filter wool cannot block off 98% of the heavy dirt. The carbon soil will be overwhelm by these dirts and all cleaning abilities used up and become ineffective. For these part since my water is good now i intend to remove the carbon soil and let the filter wool do the filtering . I will replace the carbon filter back for a only few day after every cleaning of filter wool . I hope to experiment and prolong the life of carbon soil .

Finally, my meaning of water is crystal clear through vision. I didnt do any water test kit check. If anyone wants to try this '6 month old crystal clear water' at chemical test kit level i am happy to work with you to lets find out and share here.

[james72]

It is a known fact carbon clears up the water through absorption.

Cheers,

James

[kenyee]

Btw bro miketbh, what's ur tank specs n what equipments running n what fishes u keeping n reef or FOWLR setup?..thks alot

[miketbh]

The theorys are always simple and perfect. . But we see enless discussion on water problem and water change. The practical aspect of using such and some other condition need to be there for the theory to work .

There are a lot of facts around also . I still remember my UV stererliser . I bought a higher power type and on it hour +++ to supposingly kill off all the baby algae cell. I was very hopeful. But facts after was algaes still continue in my tank . Finally after ick also appears. I just dump the 70 buck rod into the dustbin.

endless learning.

[cutebarra77]

Mine is a 322 with lots of LR and fishes (both medium and small sizes). I change water once a month and about 20%.

Bottomless setup and I change my cotton filter wool every week. Twice a week also suck out fish poo at dead spots.

No UV and using biopellet to control PO4 and NO3 from heavy feedings.

I think at the end of the day is how much you love your fishes and the type of clean environment you wanna give them.

If you observe that the fishes are starting not to do well and not lively, these are the cues for maintenance.

[kenyee]

Agreed all..all tanks, setup, fishes, corals are different..u really got to test n experience things then u will start learning things..keep changing water is no wrong n is good for fishes, just that keep changing is costly n time consuming n shag..haha..all things must try to strike a balance..I m trying out bi-weekly 40% wc with biosphere n algone keeping NO3 low..hope it work well..cheers n happy reefing

[miketbh]

Hi Bros,

Wah biweely water change ... too.xiong .. hehehe

My current tank is 2x1x1.5 with just an overhead filter ,9 fish and 3 rocks . I use to have a bigger tank few years back with UV sterliser,skimmer etc

The only thing i see useful and bring along is the filter and is to wash it very often . I drop the canister filter as it is too troublesome to open it up and wash the wools. For the overheat filtering , removing top layer wool and wash it weekly at basin is really easy . My shirt usually remains dry if i do it lightly. The major cleaning of tank and 50% water change is every 2 month .

And since i bump into getting 'crystal water' via carbon last week i am continuing and not change any water anymore. I will just do the same for another six months . Lets see if can still repeat getting clear water and still have my fishes in good health.

My way of doing could be quite close to Bro cutebarra77 except for the biopellet . Mainly is to get all the fish poos into the filter wools and next be squeeze into the sewer. Not have it remain in the water system for chemicals or bacterials to break and remove them . God know how many millions of copepods i need to eat them off..

[dragon1188]

I also believe in the "no change water" philosophy.

I change 60% water every year since 2008. Recently too busy...last water change was Oct 2012.

My setup:

4x2x2 with 150watt t5 lights

Sump tank with 4" plenum and algae scrubber.

Use activated carbon to remove yellowing by algae every 2 mths.

20kg live rocks n thin sand bed in main tank

2 tangs,3 clowns, 3 butterfly, 2 wrasse, 1 damsel

No3 is abt 20ppm. Po3 is almost undetectable. Kh abt 10. Mg too high to measure. Ca abt 450

[dragon1188]

Will be scheduling a water change in nov 2014. Will try NSW from irwana or pacific n engage them to suck n replenish. Mixing n sucking out 200 liter water is really too back breaking.

[dragon1188]

Any comments from brothers who use NSW? How is the quality in terms of KH, Ca and Mg?

[james72]

Your no water change is Sps tank?

Cheers,

James

[[V]tEc]

I never water change for 10 yrs and my tank is still crystal clear

[Jameshong]

Sorry, double post.

[Jameshong]

tEc" post="1185906" timestamp="1403636271"]

I never water change for 10 yrs and my tank is still crystal clear

+1... !

[kenyee]

Yeah..I also hope to see pics of tank running for 10years without any water change.. Salute yea..

[[V]tEc]

Yeah..I also hope to see pics of tank running for 10years without any water change.. Salute yea..

Haha, u dont get the joke. Look at the pic i attached to my post to get the real meaning

[kenyee]

Haha, u dont get the joke. Look at the pic i attached to my post to get the real meaning

this thread is useless without pics!

Haha..can explain?..

[dragon1188]

Not sps lah. For sps tank micro nutrients is important. After 2 yrs some micro nutrients would have been depleted. My tank is FOWLR n some softies.

Your no water change is Sps tank? Cheers, James http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/topic/105744-the-journey-to-the-valley-of-the-reef-by-james/'>http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/topic/105744-the-journey-to-the-valley-of-the-reef-by-james/

[dragon1188]

My moldy 12 years old tank with 2yrs old water n mostly 10yrs old fishes except for the butterflies which are 1 yr old