Recommended water changes.

[mgrelik]

Hey. Currently we're running a 1000 gallon frag system. I'm trying to figure out the amount of water changes I should be doing in the system. Many people recommend a 20% change every 2 weeks. But that seems nearly unmanageable and extremely costly in my scenario. Other reef keepers I've talked with say they do a 10% change monthly on their larger systems.

So what would some of you recommend with regards to water changes on such a large system?

(I'm working on a pretty huge algae problem, and I know water changes are essential to fighting it off... but when, and how much I don't know... Time spent isn't an issue, but money spent is.)

thanks.

Matt

 

[burning2nd]

i think the correct answer is simply reflective on the water parameters and there status

simply put.... in a system that large... is there fish... are you doesing...

how did the water parameters get outta hand in the first place to cause the algae bloom?

the fix will be water changes...

you could do 100g a week till the algae starts to bleach... then let it be...
the algae, will continue to decay putting nutrients back in the water....
the algae will wither then green back up.....

repeat...

tell us more about your setup... show us pictures... what are you fraging...
tell us about your equipment what your runing.... and what your keeping in there...

there really is no right answer. there are several ways of geting around water changes..

export being the best via skimmer or water changes.... sometimes algae removal

im sure others will chime in....

i hope for your sake that you can get around haveing to do anything but bi-yearly water changes....



dose much? if so what?

 

[warforged]

Going back to a book I was reading being a system that large... You may want to daily log your water chemistry...seriously just jot down all levels you test.

At water change 10% on the first week... see how the paramters are again..this should give you a idea of how things are affected. If insufficient on affect of your parameters you want to keep down..

Lets say nitrates... you may have to increase that change to 15% on next change and see what your logs look like.

Ofcourse there are variables you control that can mess this up.. overfeeding... for instance... can throw things out.. but if you can keep a controlled schedule going with feeding you can get a ballpark idea.

10% change works out...then you know 10% a week is good... if not you know you got to increase the change out portion. Just be sure you feed on a schedule...a fixed amount... and same goes for dosing.

That is what I imagine would be best to find out.. The book I have recommends it to get an idea of your build up with your tank. It also states a big change every now and then is best because the 10% changes only reduce nitrates but itll just gain ground in the long run on you without a sufficient nitrate export (fuges). Even then you still should do large changes every now and then. So it says.