Water change and maint

surfer2811 · 02/06/2010, 06:25 PM

I have a 29g biocube. How often should I be doing water changes? I do them in 10g increments. Also, how often should I change my carbon bag?

bertoni · 02/06/2010, 06:35 PM

10g is rather large. I'd target more like 2-3 g at at time, once a week or every other week, whichever I could manage. Large water changes can cause problems by exposing live rock, upsetting parameters, and for other reasons.

mikid · 02/06/2010, 06:55 PM

changing water every week on a tank that size is great,wont have to add any chemicals.....water change will do that its self.....agreed...2-3 gallons weekly should do......mike

bertoni · 02/06/2010, 06:56 PM

Oops, I forget to say that I'd change carbon once a month. It gets exhausted or covered by microbes fairly quickly, as far as we can tell.

surfer2811 · 02/06/2010, 07:45 PM

Thanks for the advice. I was doing a 2.5 gallon change about every 2 weeks but the lfs said to do a 10g change.

bertoni · 02/06/2010, 07:53 PM

Okay, that sounds more reasonable to me.

costellow · 02/06/2010, 10:33 PM

are you sure lfs didn't say 10%?

robs.mark · 02/07/2010, 01:57 AM

Local fish shops tend to give wrong advice! The good thing about RC is that you get a heap of responses, then you get to make your decision on the most frequent answer.. I would be looking to do about 3 gl per week, carbon change once a month. You cant really go wrong with 10% water changes as a rule of thumb. I actually to 2 x 5gl water changes per week. My reasoning behind this is that i scrape my glass twice weekly and do a WC straight after to get rid of the algae..

Ron Reefman · 02/07/2010, 06:25 AM

On a 29g system I'd do 3-5g every other week. How is the tank stocked with fish? More fish, more frequent OR bigger water changes (IMO).

Ron

Bigshow · 02/07/2010, 07:27 AM

I would depending how long have you had your tank change about 20-30% of change a month in increments of 5 - 10 percent either weekly or biweekly. It's really a preference and how your tank does. There's no real answer to water changes and maintence. It soley a personal basis on that kind of stuff. What ever works for you and your tank and what you exactly have in your tank. Good Luck.

one clownfish · 02/07/2010, 09:27 AM

Just like the above said, 3-5 gallons weekly with RC and you shouldn't have to add anything to your system.

garzaci · 02/07/2010, 09:50 AM

I do 2-5 on my 20 once a week depending on how everything is looking and acting. I disagree with not having to supplement a small tank though. I drip kalk everyday and still have to touch up about once a week with 2 part.

cloak · 02/07/2010, 05:20 PM

I see no problem changing out 10 gallons on a 29 every two weeks. None whatsoever. The water going in is a hell of a lot better then what's coming out. I replace 5 gallons a week on my 20, and I haven't had any problems. You can pretty much loose the carbon with this frequency.

02/06/2010, 06:25 PM	#1
surfer2811 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: florida Posts: 32	Water change and maint I have a 29g biocube. How often should I be doing water changes? I do them in 10g increments. Also, how often should I change my carbon bag?

02/06/2010, 06:35 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	10g is rather large. I'd target more like 2-3 g at at time, once a week or every other week, whichever I could manage. Large water changes can cause problems by exposing live rock, upsetting parameters, and for other reasons. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/06/2010, 06:55 PM	#3
mikid Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: fair oaks,california Posts: 1,767	? changing water every week on a tank that size is great,wont have to add any chemicals.....water change will do that its self.....agreed...2-3 gallons weekly should do......mike __________________ Mike Dickenson....Marine Aquarist Roundtable of Sacramento, Co-Founder Current Tank Info: 187 Gal Display/125 Gal sump/Reefkeeper Elite/Rw20s/Leds

02/06/2010, 06:56 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Oops, I forget to say that I'd change carbon once a month. It gets exhausted or covered by microbes fairly quickly, as far as we can tell. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/06/2010, 07:53 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Okay, that sounds more reasonable to me. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/06/2010, 07:45 PM	#5
surfer2811 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: florida Posts: 32	Thanks for the advice. I was doing a 2.5 gallon change about every 2 weeks but the lfs said to do a 10g change.

02/06/2010, 10:33 PM	#7
costellow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 231	are you sure lfs didn't say 10%?

02/07/2010, 01:57 AM	#8
robs.mark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 1,461	Local fish shops tend to give wrong advice! The good thing about RC is that you get a heap of responses, then you get to make your decision on the most frequent answer.. I would be looking to do about 3 gl per week, carbon change once a month. You cant really go wrong with 10% water changes as a rule of thumb. I actually to 2 x 5gl water changes per week. My reasoning behind this is that i scrape my glass twice weekly and do a WC straight after to get rid of the algae.. __________________ knowledge is power! Current Tank Info: Lagoon

02/07/2010, 06:25 AM	#9
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	On a 29g system I'd do 3-5g every other week. How is the tank stocked with fish? More fish, more frequent OR bigger water changes (IMO). Ron

02/07/2010, 07:27 AM	#10
Bigshow Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Paseo District/Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 256	I would depending how long have you had your tank change about 20-30% of change a month in increments of 5 - 10 percent either weekly or biweekly. It's really a preference and how your tank does. There's no real answer to water changes and maintence. It soley a personal basis on that kind of stuff. What ever works for you and your tank and what you exactly have in your tank. Good Luck.

02/07/2010, 09:27 AM	#11
one clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 279	Just like the above said, 3-5 gallons weekly with RC and you shouldn't have to add anything to your system.

02/07/2010, 09:50 AM	#12
garzaci Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Richlands, NC Posts: 241	I do 2-5 on my 20 once a week depending on how everything is looking and acting. I disagree with not having to supplement a small tank though. I drip kalk everyday and still have to touch up about once a week with 2 part. __________________ Carlos No tank at all. Sold everything when I got stationed in Okinawa. Planning for when I return though. Current Tank Info: 20 gal reef tank

02/07/2010, 05:20 PM	#13
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I see no problem changing out 10 gallons on a 29 every two weeks. None whatsoever. The water going in is a hell of a lot better then what's coming out. I replace 5 gallons a week on my 20, and I haven't had any problems. You can pretty much loose the carbon with this frequency.