Negative effects of changing too much water?

[Jim_Larkin]

I've been combating a little bit of green and red hair algae for the last few weeks. I've started doing roughly 25% weekly water changes with natural sea water (as I've done for about 6 months now) rather than my usual 10% per week.

I've increased my astrea snail count by a few, and I think I'm getting the upperhand on the algae.

My question is, is there any adverse effects to doing a weekly 25% NSW change, rather than 10% if I want to keep on a weekly schedule? Is this more of a concern with sterile water mixed with salt, the volume that's swapped out? I'd like to stay ontop of this, and all corals seem to agree with it.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

25% is just fine for a WC volume... I do this ~once a month.

 

[Jim_Larkin]

For arguments sake - what would the effects be of 25% every week?

 

[Pinkskunk]

i am no expert but i use common sense..... if i have lots of fishes and they eat and they poop and all that stuff in a closed system, i would consider it is a nice thing to change their water once a week, 30% for me anyway.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

Weekly water changes are actually recommended. I run Ferric Oxide x2, Carbon x1 and have an oversized good quality skimmer and my fish and corals were happy the last time we spoke

 

[JohnK]

I think the only concern would be if the NSW was importing some nutrients, or had some of it's levels off (like Ca being lower than you might want in your reef tank).

As long as the temp, SG, and other parameters are close, I don't see any problem in lots of water changes.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

Thanks Jimmy, I missed that part about NSW... You will def want to test the water prior to putting it in your tank.

If you're getting water from anywhere near Boston, check it twice ::

 

[gweston]

I change about 20% in a 29gal system at least weekly. Not seawater... self-mixed water. Seems to benefit the tank greatly. I skim, run carbon and a bit of GFO too. When the tank was younger and just before I added the skimmer.. I had a rather high phosphate level. I did two separate 20% water changes over a three day period. The tank was happy, and phosphates went down.

I don't think I'd consider running without a skimmer now. Keeps things SO MUCH cleaner.

 

[afboundguy]

As long as the temp, SG, and other parameters are close, I don't see any problem in lots of water changes.

You could theoretically do a lot larger than 25% water change as long as all those mentioned above are the same as the tank water...

If you're getting water from anywhere near Boston, check it twice ::

And then still not use it

 

[stingythingy45]

JMO,but I think you'll be importing more issues than exporting using NSW for water changes.I'd look into GFO or even try the new bio-pellets.

 

[Jim_Larkin]

Overall the NSW has been great for me. Even bumped into a harbor seal a month or so ago. I'm collecting it off of Nahant, only on the incoming high tide. Perameters have been fine, allthough i do add Ca a bit to level things out. Only when there has been heavy rains do I use the salt mix.

Others have agreed that with a ten gallon, and these frequent water changes, a skimmer isn't needed.

Another thing is that i'm running a very bare bones setup. A 10 gallon nano with simply a koralina nano (and another ready as a backup) and heater + thermometer - with no sump or anything else really. I'm relying on water changes for all regulation, with good luck so far, besides the algae, which has been getting better with these 25% changes. I just wanted to verify that it wasn't too large of a change - week in week out.

 

[JohnK]

A skimmer isn't "needed", but if you're having an algae issue adding a skimmer might help some.

 

[Reefried]

and for the green hair algea try some of the BIG turbos like 2 of them in your tank and they'll wipe it out in less than a week, and for the red hair/cyano/diatoms try a 24-48hour lights out......every time i see some cyano starting to crop up on my sandbed i up my weekly water change from 5 galls to 10 and the next day is a black out

 

[theone]

I am a BIG believer in more water changes. But with NSW, I believe you are supposed to let it sit covered for a period of time before you use it. I could be wrong. I just remember reading that out here B4.

You will see less and less skimate from your skimmer as you do more water changes.

I thought at one time I could remove my skimmer completely, but then thought about the 2nd added benefit from a skimmer which is the O2 it adds to the h2o.

I learned that no matter how many snails and other algae control critters you add to the tank, they will never solve the problem of removing the cause of the problem. In fact, they can often suffer and die if the algae problem is a result of high nitrates, or if your PH is off or some other unbalance in the water column.

good luck

 

[STiTCH87]

You can use New England seawater in a reef tank?

I'm confused... Lol.