Water changes and water top off??

[jgraeff]

Ok i have a question that is probably a dumb question but anyways when i normally do a water change i use 10-15g and my total water volume is about 45g. Is that enough to make a change in nitrates and phosphate levels or should i change more? also when changing the water i always check the ph and sg, and i add buffers for the calcium and kh, should i add the buffers to when i do water changes or just to the aquarium? I tested it yesterday and everything seemed to be in order except phosphate was higher than i would like. Now on to top off water, i use ro water but should i worry about the ph level of the water since its just ro wont that lower the ph of tank and deplete the levels of calcium, kh, and mag?

One more question why im thinking about it, i have chaeto macro and i was told you have to pruge it or prune it i cant remember what its called but basically remove some of it to allow it to grow is that true and how would i go about doing that?

 

[NaH2O]

I have some homework for you: Water Changes in Reef Aquaria

As for your chaeto, you do want to harvest it occasionally. You will be exporting the nutrients it used to grow. I think some folks rotate their chaeto mass around, so the bottom doesn't die off. Do you only have chaeto or do you have other macro algaes, too?

 

[jgraeff]

i have chaeto, mangroves, flame algae, and two other kinds cant remember the names.

 

[burning2nd]

you can do as large or as small of a water change as you would like... assumeing that your doing it correctly,

If your toping off with RO. your ok.
i would do weekly water changes at 15-20g untill the water is undercontrol..


removeing the algae is a "export" of nutrients

so it grow larger and larger when y notice it start to slow down.. or turn color remove the part that lightens in color plus a little more and it will grow so more...

repeat every few weeks or months (depending on your tank)

 

[jgraeff]

o ok i get that now about the macro. Now should i add the buffers to the water im adding in or just add it to the tank weekly or bi-weekly? And ya i use RO for top off just thought it may deplete the ph, kh, calc, and mag.

 

[burning2nd]

i highly doubt you need to buffer anything at this point... you should focus on water chemisty and then if its needed buffer...

i buffer right to my new saltwater as im mixing it.. but others buffer to the sump and some to the main DT...


Super super rule of thumb.. if your not testing it for it, do not add it.

so if you buffer, you need to stay on the test kit until some years go by and your sure you know whats going on,

 

[jgraeff]

ya i only buffer the ph, kh, mag and calcium which i test for all. I have been adding buffers to new water each time i do a water change and it seems to be ok i was jw if i needed to do that or just add it to the tank afterwards.

 

[burning2nd]

dO you have somthing (coarls) in the tank thats sucking all this up? what salt do you use?

 

[jgraeff]

i use oceanic salt sense its way cheaper to buy it in bulk. I have RBTA, a green star polyp and one other green coral i dont know the type of it though got it from a friend whose tank was dying and it came back. Some people said it looked like frogspawn. I will be adding two clams and a bubble coral soon.