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Who doesnt do water changes?

Just a poll to quench my curiosity. I don't and I'm wondering who also doesn't. I have gone about 2 months now with no water changes and wondering if other people have experience with not doing water changes.
 

Mark_C

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I do 10% once a week. I’ve gone for much longer but, during those times, tend to lose growth and even have some corals (softies) receed.
Since getting back in the habit of 1x per week, just to keep alk and nutrients boosted, i’ve seen a considerable rebound in coral color and growth.
 
Hmm.. I haven't had much change in my alk or ph or anything really but I would love more color and growth...

I feel like this could be an interesting topic for discussion though!

Its true, active water changes are how we can simultaneously take out waste and restore the depleated nutrients or values to bring water perimeters to a more appropriate levels. I definitely am one for regulating waste levels but even though I feed my tank often, (often for its size, every other day) I don't generate any waste and don't want to make the tank constantly adjust to new water perimeters and stress if it doesn't need it.

I am currently trying to see if I can create a balanced little biome that erases its own footprint so it can not only combat its own waste levels but hopefully be able to periodically feed itself. I do want coral growth in the end. I have realized with smaller systems less is best, patience and research are the keys to success. So I actually stopped doing water changes and things have gone very smoothly and I wonder if I even need them if I have everything balanced correctly.

It's interesting.. I don't claim to be any type of expert on the matter, in fact this is my second salt tank and maybe it's all dumb luck but I have done my research and wonder whether or not it's possible to create beautifully balanced aquascapes with corals, fish, algae and everything you need to provide for the same closed loop in a bigger system or a smaller system. I wonder if this works for me if I'll be able to replicate and implicate it, and be able to share the concept and knowledge to others who might also want their aquarium maintained like that.

On that note though, mark I am going to do an overall check up test to see where my levels are at asap and see if anything has changed.
 

Trio91

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i just can't see myself going on without doing them....i feel like it would do more damage than good
 
I feel like if the chemistry says otherwise and the livestock is doing ok maybe it's a newer process that should be how some systems are kept.
 
It's actually a hidden back filtration. Water goes through a carbon packet, which I have never changed since I started the tank the 27th of Oct. Then goes through a bio ball packet like for freshwater bacteria, but I figured more surface area for bacteria so it's been in there too, so water flows through both of those, then under and up through a black dense sponge, then into the cell with the pump and some chaeto in it. I think the bulk of my filtration is biological.
 

diana a

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I do them every other week.

I just used up the last of my Tropiquarium salt water. I hooked up my new BRS rodi system yesterday. I will be mixing my first batch of saltwater today. Wish me luck lol
 
On top of not doing water changes I check my level once a month if I remember. I don’t know what my salin is at or ph or temp. But my tack looks amazing everything is grow and the colors look great. If it’s not broken dolt fix it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's cool that just a sock and a skimmer and clean up a 150 like that. What are your water perimeters like @jazeel50

@trio91. Ya I just pruned it this last week, copapods that look like they could compete with my sexy shrimp lol but nice clumpy growth on the chaeto and stellar growth with this one other species of macro I'm not sure what it is. I have like 4 or 5 species.
 

Mark_C

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On that note though, mark I am going to do an overall check up test to see where my levels are at asap and see if anything has changed.

In the nano systems with a 10% a week (a 5g bucket covers both my 20s and my 10) I haven't bothered checking anything in over a year.
All is well. And I do miss the odd week every so often.

If I see something off with the corals (some acting out of sorts or staying closed for extended periods) or if these's a bryopsis or algae concern, I just do a 5g water change 2x over 4 days and things clear up pretty quickly.

Oh, and per the drawing. Looks good, but don't put cheato in with your pump, it'll eventually get into it and screw it up. Try to keep cheato isolated if you can.
 
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