No water changes

[mark]

Wonder what in-land public aquariums do? Realize we're talking larger volumes and that dilution/solution/pollution thing, but the costs and efforts for a 10% bi-weekly change on a 10,000g system...

[Myka]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

with the right equipment you can extend the time between [waterchanges].

This is the key. Newbies are gonna stumble when they see a thread like this. You NEED to have good equipment to get away with no/low waterchanges. Don't be thinkin that your over stocked 'low-tech' 90g with a Remora Pro and a sack of PhosBan is gonna cut it.

Replacing the vitamins and minerals is a very important thing. As well as nutrient removal. A calcium reactor will replace the minerals and many vitamins. I use SeaChem Reef Plus to replace amino acids and vitamins, you can also use Reefresh or Polyp Lab or ZeoVit. But if you aren't doing waterchanges regularly you need to be adding something.

You will also need a good nutrient export. A very good skimmer like a Bubblemaster, EuroReef, Deltec etc will hugely lengthen the time between needed waterchanges. Incorporating a refugium will also help.

Bioload has a HUGE impact on the length of time between waterchanges. Lots of fish? Less time between.

Attempting no/low waterchanges on a low-tech tank without supplementing for minerals and vitamins is not going to work very well for you.

My tank is low-tech and I do 15% waterchanges every 3-4 weeks. The corals tell me when it's time.

[Reefmaster08]

Change 20% of the water volume in your tank every two weeks no matter what, use ro/di water use kent part a/b 2 times a week have at least 5 watts per gallon of good quality lighting like t5-mh, clean your filters 2 times a week with bleach and make sure it has no bleach on it when it goes back into the tank.

I run a protein skimmer its a must.
I also have a uv sterilizer light it does alot of good.
Def get a refugium and put rock rubble, coco pods, cheato, snails, live sand & a ok light run it when your sleeping.
Filter Sump is the only way to go.
Maxi jet power heads a must for good water flow.
check your levels once a week.
Dont clutter your tank with alot of fish (Nitrate factor)
Use very little live sand less poo.
Get a mag glass cleaner.
Fiji live rock imo.

If any body has questions let me know.

Brian.