infrequent water changes - what to dose to help

wojo · 10/05/2007, 03:22 PM

hello,
i am changing 20 gallons of water every 3-5 months on my system when i clean my sump and i know that for some it might be long time, knowing that a lot of you do it weekly. well i don't have that luxury nor time to do it as often and i can't change that. my water quality is great, nitrates and phosphates are undetectable, all fish and corals including SPSs are doing fine. I understand that by not doing regular and frequent water changes my trace elements and others will get depleted.

here is what i dose:
- home made 2 part for Ca and Alk
- magnesium
- phyto
- trace elements
- iron
- iodine

Is there anything else i should dose to help me with my infrequent water changes like stronium or something?

thanks for your help,
wojo.

PhilliePhil · 10/05/2007, 03:34 PM

I would never suggest you dose anything without first testing for it and having a way to continually test for it.

just my .02.

wojo · 10/06/2007, 08:43 AM

bump

davidryder · 10/06/2007, 08:55 AM

I agree with PhilliePhil here - I would stick to dosing things that can be measured. Trace elements are just that - detectable only in trace amounts

This article discusses the use of trace elements if you scroll down a bit.

AZDesertRat · 10/06/2007, 10:56 AM

Never dose anything you can't test for. If you don't have a good test kit for it don't add it. Its too easy to throw a system out of whack by indiscriminantly adding supplements. Don't fall for the manufacturers hype.

dwd5813 · 10/06/2007, 11:40 AM

another vote for not adding what you can't test for.

justinl · 10/06/2007, 12:03 PM

agreed with the above.

and when you get down to it, if you have to continually test and freak about what you're dosing and do the dosing itself, i guarantee you'll find that it is much more expensive and time consuming that simply doing weekly 25% water changes.

wojo · 10/08/2007, 06:05 PM

guys i understand that i shouldn't dose anything i cannot test for but i am talking here what i should dose to my water if i dont do frequent water changes, what gets depleted in the water when this doesn't occur?

thanks for all your responses.

AZDesertRat · 10/08/2007, 06:56 PM

Calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. If you don't have time to do the regular maintenance including water changes then you really should not be in the hobby, that sounds harsh but its reality. I am lazy myself and probably only do water changes every other months sometimes and my corals are not suffering at all, in fact I cannot frag them often enough to keep up with the growth.

es_surf · 10/08/2007, 09:06 PM

i do maybe 1 or 2 water changes a year.
i dont dose anything.
i do have a calcium reactor to add calcium and whatever else it does. no nitrates or phosphates. tank is 4yrs old and so is everything in it. pics in my gallery.
good luck

justinl · 10/08/2007, 09:48 PM

depends on what is in the tank. for example, if it is SPS dominated with a bunch of clams, it'll suck calcium like no other. If it's a softie tank it's a whole other story.

reeferaddiction · 10/08/2007, 09:57 PM

if your tank is established the longest i would personally go would be a month. wc dont really take that long tops is 5 min, and if you have time to make your own buffer for alk and calc it seems you have plenty of time for a 5 min wc.

UrbanSage · 10/08/2007, 10:43 PM

If everything is healthy and growing then why dose anything extra?

10/05/2007, 03:22 PM	#1
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	infrequent water changes - what to dose to help hello, i am changing 20 gallons of water every 3-5 months on my system when i clean my sump and i know that for some it might be long time, knowing that a lot of you do it weekly. well i don't have that luxury nor time to do it as often and i can't change that. my water quality is great, nitrates and phosphates are undetectable, all fish and corals including SPSs are doing fine. I understand that by not doing regular and frequent water changes my trace elements and others will get depleted. here is what i dose: - home made 2 part for Ca and Alk - magnesium - phyto - trace elements - iron - iodine Is there anything else i should dose to help me with my infrequent water changes like stronium or something? thanks for your help, wojo. __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

10/06/2007, 08:43 AM	#3
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	bump __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

10/06/2007, 08:55 AM	#4
davidryder Claris or Elliot? Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nightopia Posts: 2,750	I agree with PhilliePhil here - I would stick to dosing things that can be measured. Trace elements are just that - detectable only in trace amounts This article discusses the use of trace elements if you scroll down a bit. __________________ A rolling stone gathers no moss... Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef, corner overflow (Mag 9.5), 25g refugium (Mag 5), 15g refugium, Orbit 260w pc, Pan World 50PX-X (Closed loop), AquaC EV-120 (now skimmerless)

10/06/2007, 11:40 AM	#6
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	another vote for not adding what you can't test for. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

10/08/2007, 06:05 PM	#8
wojo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 752	guys i understand that i shouldn't dose anything i cannot test for but i am talking here what i should dose to my water if i dont do frequent water changes, what gets depleted in the water when this doesn't occur? thanks for all your responses. __________________ "you work to live, you don't live to work" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, 100lbs LR, 20g Sump/Fuge, (2)250W 12k Reeflux MHs, (2)110W Actinic VHOs, Dosing DIY 2-part w/ Aquamedic Twin Doser, all controlled by ReefKeeper2

10/05/2007, 03:34 PM	#2
PhilliePhil Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 66	I would never suggest you dose anything without first testing for it and having a way to continually test for it. just my .02.

10/06/2007, 10:56 AM	#5
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Never dose anything you can't test for. If you don't have a good test kit for it don't add it. Its too easy to throw a system out of whack by indiscriminantly adding supplements. Don't fall for the manufacturers hype.

10/06/2007, 12:03 PM	#7
justinl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,118	agreed with the above. and when you get down to it, if you have to continually test and freak about what you're dosing and do the dosing itself, i guarantee you'll find that it is much more expensive and time consuming that simply doing weekly 25% water changes.

10/08/2007, 06:56 PM	#9
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. If you don't have time to do the regular maintenance including water changes then you really should not be in the hobby, that sounds harsh but its reality. I am lazy myself and probably only do water changes every other months sometimes and my corals are not suffering at all, in fact I cannot frag them often enough to keep up with the growth.

10/08/2007, 09:06 PM	#10
es_surf Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 74	i do maybe 1 or 2 water changes a year. i dont dose anything. i do have a calcium reactor to add calcium and whatever else it does. no nitrates or phosphates. tank is 4yrs old and so is everything in it. pics in my gallery. good luck

10/08/2007, 09:48 PM	#11
justinl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,118	depends on what is in the tank. for example, if it is SPS dominated with a bunch of clams, it'll suck calcium like no other. If it's a softie tank it's a whole other story.

10/08/2007, 09:57 PM	#12
reeferaddiction Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: new port richey Posts: 593	if your tank is established the longest i would personally go would be a month. wc dont really take that long tops is 5 min, and if you have time to make your own buffer for alk and calc it seems you have plenty of time for a 5 min wc. __________________ click red house to see my addiction Current Tank Info: 72bow reef/70g cube in works

10/08/2007, 10:43 PM	#13
UrbanSage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tea, SD Posts: 1,657	If everything is healthy and growing then why dose anything extra? __________________ You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails. Current Tank Info: 270 gallon reef.