No water changes

[Okguy]

Originally Posted by chevyjaxon

and to think i was starting to worry about doing a water change even though my nitrates are under 20 ppm i guess that being said no water changes for atleast another month

Umm you aren't doing very well for a Newbie. Any Nitrates in your tank are bad (it burns your poor fishes gills) and any real reefer will do everything in their power to get them down to 0. I suggest a water change ASAP or you're just being mean.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Anything around 20 ppm is way too high. That means you need to do a water change. Your anenome will thank you. Try to keep them at least below 5 ppm or better yet undetectable.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by chevyjaxon

ive had a 90 gal up and running for 8 weeks now not even 1 water change ive loaded up the system too ive got a tang, clown, 5 damsels, huge neon wrasse, mushroom corals, and a bubbletip anemone i use marine snow, purple up, and 2 skimmers one is a woodlimestone skimmer the other is made by instant ocean i think im doing great for a noobie and to think i was starting to worry about doing a water change even though my nitrates are under 20 ppm i guess that being said no water changes for atleast another month

I am asuming from all the happy faces you are joking, er I hope so anyways.. I am talking a system with perfect water condidions. when I did do my rare water changes, amonia, nitrate and nitrite were all still undetectable. I used both a Ca reactor and a kalk reactor, my skimmer was probably rated for 4 times my water volume, and I had low fish stalking and I feed on the lower side. don't use nitrates as a deciding factor as when you see them you should have already done one if your system can't handle them.

also don't be scared of large waterchanges.. I used to do 20% changes and if I decided I needed a big one I would do 80% and I have even done a couple 100% changes when I moved tanks ect.. as long as your salinity, PH, Ca, Alk and temp are very close you should be fine.

Steve

[Myka]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

I had low fish stalking

I hate it when my fish stalk eachother. Sorry I just had to.

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

also don't be scared of large waterchanges.. I used to do 20% changes and if I decided I needed a big one I would do 80% and I have even done a couple 100% changes when I moved tanks ect.. as long as your salinity, PH, Ca, Alk and temp are very close you should be fine.

Steve

I find it best to steer newbies away from large waterchanges for many reasons. One being that they aren't usually very good at matching water params, and two because they often figure that doing 75% waterchanges once every 6 months is the same as doing weekly 10%. Newbies shouldn't be given some information...

[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.

[Myka]

^ Yessir!

[ron101]

I found the recommendations overly rigid.

[Reefmaster08]

Where is the very old thread about no water changes and no skimmers? it had great discussions! and I dont want to type out another 4 page explanation...

[digital-audiophile]

Originally Posted by 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.

My two cents in response to a few points

1. The "watts per gallon" rule is out dated
2. UV sterlizer is not always great ... a no-go if you are running zeo
3. There are much better power heads out there than maxi-jets (for the record I use a maxijet as my water change salt mixer )