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Unread 05/13/2009, 08:17 AM   #1
BucNtears
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"Water Changes" how often do we really do them?

Often wondered how often we really change it?
List your total gallons and how often.

Total gallons 160ish {120 w/ 75 sump/fuge.}
I try to do mine every 2 weeks roughly 30 gallons at a time. I've gone 2 months then changed out 60 gallons.

Thought fellow reefers might find this type of thread interesting.


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Last edited by BucNtears; 05/13/2009 at 08:52 AM.
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Unread 05/13/2009, 08:23 AM   #2
jenglish
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I had been doing them 5 gallons every week in a 30 gallon tank (w/ a skimmer rated for 90 gallons). I backed off to doing it every month to increase zoanthid growth but saw soem algae problems and I think I will return to weekly until I get it under control and then go to biweekly


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Unread 05/13/2009, 08:38 AM   #3
Miasma_F
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Approximately 110 total gallons (90 with large sump).

I change out 25 gallons about once a month. No real schedule.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:01 AM   #4
chaderic26
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5 Gallons a week on my 150 w/ 40 gallon sump.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:03 AM   #5
Sugar Magnolia
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I've gotten really lazy over the years. 30 gallons, 5 gallons once a month.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:15 AM   #6
Dustin_p
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10 gallons every two weeks on my 90g tank.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:21 AM   #7
patsfan1130
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10% once per month on all of my tanks


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:47 AM   #8
BucNtears
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Going on whats been posted so far. I'm starting to think I could get away with less of a water change. Maybe stretch it out, say 30 gallons monthly..


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:52 AM   #9
BuddhaKiss
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90G with a 20G sump, so about 105G total. Change 5G a week


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:53 AM   #10
ChknWing
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I have a 55 and used to never change the water just top it off. This worked fine for about 8 months.. after that I think the live rock got saturated, b/c I had some corals that started to die off. I now change 10 gallons every week to 2 weeks. I have had all of the corals come back to thier full glory and had growth on the SPS frags I have where they were receding. Leathers aer doing great as well


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Unread 05/13/2009, 09:59 AM   #11
SNAKEMANVET
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20 gallons every 2 weeks,120 with a 40 gallon sump.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 10:42 AM   #12
Waterobert
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4 gallons twice a week in my 90g, I used to do 6 gallons every other day but got tired of it.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 10:58 AM   #13
jenglish
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I think you hafta either trust your tests or watch your tank and know if it needs it more or less. every tank is different.


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I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key.

Current Tank Info: broken and dry
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Unread 05/13/2009, 11:22 AM   #14
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I usually go by what the corals and whatnot are looking like, but it usually works out to 5gallons every two weeks, with top off in between. Oh yeah I have a 29DT, 20sump, and roughly 3gallon skimmer chamber, for a grand total of 52gallons, roughly.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 11:29 AM   #15
seapug
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10 gallons/week on my 90. I've missed a couple here and there but I'm pretty diligent about it.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 11:32 AM   #16
Superstretch18
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54 gallon tank w/ about 12 gallons in sump/skimmer. About five gallons each week to replace what's removed from wet skimming. Not including the additional ~5 gallons or so of evap.

And yes, I know that evap doesn't count as a water change, just wanted to clarify that the first five gallons excludes fw top off...


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Unread 05/13/2009, 11:43 AM   #17
BucNtears
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Agreed, You have to know your tank.
When I let my tank go 2+ months without a water change I started to notice little things here and there. What I found interesting is that when I did the water change{60 gal.} the corals and growth seemed to get a kick start of sorts.

Anybody else?


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If I only had a bigger tank

Current Tank Info: 120 with 75 sump/fuge
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Unread 05/13/2009, 12:38 PM   #18
ALH
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180g tank, change 15g weekly


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Unread 05/13/2009, 01:14 PM   #19
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15% every month or so.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 01:20 PM   #20
schaef
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10-15 gallons a month on my 120


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Unread 05/13/2009, 01:41 PM   #21
luther1200
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I have a 65g and change 1g a day m-f. total of 5g a week. And every 2 weeks I do a 5g WC on the weekend to clean my substrate with a gravel vac. But I used to just do 5g a week.


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Unread 05/13/2009, 01:45 PM   #22
hobogato
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5 gallons twice a week on my 300 gallon total volume system. no skimmer - very large fuge. once a month i do 15 gallons instead of the normal 5 gallons on one particular day to siphon both overflows and detritus out of the parts of the sump where it collects


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Unread 05/13/2009, 01:58 PM   #23
wmilas
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1000 gallons, I change 50 gallons every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on what else I have to do on maintenance day


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Unread 05/13/2009, 02:12 PM   #24
glparr
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65 gal.: 20 gal. weekly
40br: 10 gal. weekly


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Unread 05/13/2009, 02:27 PM   #25
Kent D.
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90 gallon tank - water change of 20 gallons every other week...seems to work pretty good.


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