when to start doing water changes

[lmack7]

so my tank is cycled and i added my cleanup crew and a green chromis. i havent done any water changes in the tank since i got it (last week). all ive done is top offs. when should i start water changes, how often, and how large? its a 20 gallon fowlr tank.

[Saltliquid]

Once your nitrites are zero and nitrates are abundant, from then, water changes become important.
A third to half of the total water volume each two weeks is what I use to do.

[lmack7]

What should nitrates be at?

[Touring]

Originally Posted by lmack7

What should nitrates be at?

you need to add what equipment your running on the tank and what will be your intended end state.

check out the stickies they have good info

[Mxman38]

Originally Posted by liquidg

Once your nitrites are zero and nitrates are abundant, from then, water changes become important.
A third to half of the total water volume each two weeks is what I use to do.

Half? Seriously

[brandon429]

I do all of it weekly. Half is for sissies

Not really liquidg
as I'm sure our tanks differ in gallonage significantly

But yes a large water change is quite the refresher when done correctly, up to and including 400 complete changes all at once I have done on my tank, going off weeks alive....

[divinedragon13]

common amount 10% weekly,bi-weekly or monthly.
i base my on what my nitrates at if it at 20 lps/softie tank i change it bi weekly
but come down what you like water at some people it 0 and do water changes 2x a week to get it just pick water change you can keep to and stay on it

just keep on testing water.
most point water change is replace trace nutes and export nitrates

[Saltliquid]

Originally Posted by brandon429

I do all of it weekly. Half is for sissies

Not really liquidg
as I'm sure our tanks differ in gallonage significantly

But yes a large water change is quite the refresher when done correctly, up to and including 400 complete changes all at once I have done on my tank, going off weeks alive....

Back then I had over forty fish in my first actual marine tank, a part from my many holding tanks for collecting for some years before that and it was four foot with live rock, in excess of 70 tube worms and many other life forms.
That was xmas 1980 to early 82, until I found a way to make similar to phosphate sponge, you see my systems have never had nitrate, that has never been an issue, it was always phos and toxins from live rock, my home made skimmer did its bit but I hate those things!
So my water changes were allowing for quite a large load and if you have live rock with out supporting chem-filters or abundant algae, you should do large water changes.
With the immense amount of the water the fish swims that they drink, you have to reduce what’s in the water or it ends up in them!
That’s what kills near all reefers fish and many inverts, the varied stress responses to what they incidentally absorb when drinking.
Any way, my skimmer less system has eliminated water changes unless I decide to do a big clean, so what ever a reefer does in relation to water changes is up to them.
I can only say what worked for me and many others that I know, which have to do water changes.
My tanks went from 4 foot, to 6 to 10 back to 5 to 4 to three-3 foot tanks all over 29 years to these 2 foot tanks I have now and will not back to large tanks ever again.

[fltekdiver]

Right now I do 10% on my 180 weekly. Or 20% bi-weekly

Nitrates are at 5ppm , using Red Sea Pro Salt

[K Daddy]

Do a water test then if all checks out well... Do a 10-15% water change... If not wait another week and check again...