http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:51:45 +0000 Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:04:51 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.03 360 www.utahreefs.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=894 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/1by1.gif http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7239&title=water-changes#7239 Author: KeoDog
Subject: 894
Posted: August 20 2003 at 1:04pm

IMO I think that skimming, carbon and removal of calerpa takes care of the exporting. Feeding contains most of the stuff you need to import. That is why I just occasionally add supplements.]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:04:51 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7239&title=water-changes#7239 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7238&title=water-changes#7238 Author: Suzy
Subject: 894
Posted: August 20 2003 at 12:58pm

Kevin, I'm thinking we were on the same page. I have every test kit invented and actually use every once in while and it seems with my additions of Kent crap everything stays OK. I even got that kalkwasser thing going. And nitrate seems controlled with the calerpa growing again and the DSB. Do you think we're ok not exporting and importing the stuff we can't test for? I'm going to just do 10% every other week for a while....
]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2003 12:58:41 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7238&title=water-changes#7238 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7220&title=water-changes#7220 Author: KeoDog
Subject: 894
Posted: August 20 2003 at 9:43am

I used to use ESV product but go tired of dosing every day. Plus the expense is cheaper going with the Kent products. I now dose the buffer about every 3 days and calcium about once a week.]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2003 09:43:06 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7220&title=water-changes#7220 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7219&title=water-changes#7219 Author: jfinch
Subject: 894
Posted: August 20 2003 at 9:34am

Kevin, I'm guessing you're not a fan of ionicly balanced additives? how come?]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2003 09:34:55 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7219&title=water-changes#7219 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7213&title=water-changes#7213 Author: KeoDog
Subject: 894
Posted: August 20 2003 at 7:33am

Mark you are right, I do add Kent's Turbo calcium, Kents Super Buffer and Epson Salts for the magnesium. About every two weeks I add a capful of Kents Essential Elements. Iodine and strontium about once a month. Thats all I add.]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2003 07:33:14 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7213&title=water-changes#7213 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7194&title=water-changes#7194 Author: Mark Peterson
Subject: 894
Posted: August 19 2003 at 9:01pm

Instant Ocean's Tom Frakes, himself a Ph.D.biologist as I recall, did a scientifically controlled study many years ago and it was reported in the literature. He found that 10% per month was the best frequency. Of course all the salt companies were in favor of this, but realistically it makes total sense for our closed systems.

I once tried an 18 month "no water change - no additives experiment" and found that the coral stopped growing and even regressed and that KH got so low that hermits couldn't live because they couldn't build exoskeletons. Sadly, I gave away a cherished four inch long Six-Line Wrasse, before I discovered the cause of hermit crab mortality.

It's neat for Keodog to say that he doesn't do water changes, but I'm suspecting that he is adding elements to make up for what's being used up.

A successful hobbyist, who also had a store for a while, believed that water changes were actually a better and cheaper form of replenishing elements, which made additives unnecessary. He was breeding clowns and selling his own propagated coral including hard coral and feather duster worms!

My opinion: Change 10% every 5 - 8 weeks

Something many people don't realize is that newly mixed saltwater is caustic...it burns. So mix the water and aerate it for a few hours or even a day before adding it. That will probably eliminate the stress mentioned by John Fletcher above.]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:01:39 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7194&title=water-changes#7194 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7190&title=water-changes#7190 Author: KeoDog
Subject: 894
Posted: August 19 2003 at 8:20pm

Here is a link to Ecosystems: http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/marineProducts.html
Both Bird World and Aquatica sell these. Basically just a sump with a refugium in the middle.]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2003 20:20:03 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7190&title=water-changes#7190 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7175&title=water-changes#7175 Author: jfinch
Subject: 894
Posted: August 19 2003 at 4:28pm

Suzy wrote: So 2 questions: Why do water changes, and how often? I know Mark does like daily changes 'cause you're adding green water, right? What about the top off water we're adding? With the fans on , I need to replace like a gallon a day Does that count, 'cause I'm not actually removing anything....?.

Why? Major and minor elements are being depleted from your tank water. You can try to maintain these elements by direct addition of these elements (Ca, Alk, Mg, Sr, I, B, and a myriad of other small players), or you can try to maintain them by doing water changes. It's hard to keep up with Ca/Alk doing just water changes, but the other elements can be kept closer to artificial seawater levels this way because they are depleted so slowly. The other reason is to remove compounds that may be released by tank inhabitants that may be toxic/irritant to other inhabitants. Some people swear by water changes, others do them very infrequent. I personally try to do a 10-25% change every month (actually, like Mark, I add about a pint per day of home grown phyto and remove a pint of tank water... so I'm doing small daily water changes too). Also, watch your tank, it will tell you if there's something "wrong". The first step to fixing the problem can, and often is, doing a water change.

No, your make-up water does not count as a water change. ]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:28:32 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7175&title=water-changes#7175 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7174&title=water-changes#7174 Author: Suzy
Subject: 894
Posted: August 19 2003 at 4:06pm

What's an ecosytem type of sump?]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:06:23 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7174&title=water-changes#7174 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7158&title=water-changes#7158 Author: KeoDog
Subject: 894
Posted: August 19 2003 at 10:10am

Suzy,
I do not do water changes at all. Haven't done one in over a year and my tank is thriving. I do believe you do need to get the bad stuff out and for that I use protien skimming and a very high grade of carbon called chemi-pure. You can find more info here: http://www.boydenterprisesonline.com/chemipure.html
I also use an ecosystem type of sump that I built.

Edited by KeoDog]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:10:24 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=894&PID=7158&title=water-changes#7158