Water changes vs Supplementing

[Spencer1399]

So I’ve seen a lot of different opinions on this, but basically I want to hear people’s thoughts on the matter. 

 

I started a tank about a year ago and it was an epic fail, so a few months later I took it down. 

Now im getting ready to restart. 

 

Im looking at getting a 50 gallon tank, it’ll be a basic mixed reef nothing too fancy (1-2 SPS, 3-4 LPS, 5ish softies) 

If i did about a 1 gallon daily water change ((2% daily) 14% weekly) is that enough to not supplement. Also I rather change daily instead of weekly/monthly because if I miss one it’s no big deal, and it’s more consistant for the fish/corals (and partly because if I dont do it daily I’ll slack and it’ll never happen). 

 

I really rather not supplement just because it’s all so expensive and complicated. 

I’ll probably use Red Sea coral pro salt. But I’m open if someone thinks there’s a better one. 

 

Let me know! 

Thank you!

-Spencer

[pappadumplingz]

Bulk Reef Supply made a good video on this issue

 

 

[burtbollinger]

You're unclear.  Is this about the Triton method of no or few water changes ? Supplement what?

 

If Triton vs water changes....There's enough threads and discussion available that a rehash is just exhausting.  Also plenty of in depth threads on reef2reef.  Deep research whatever you decide to do....but I'd strongly recommend 15-20 percent weekly to every 2 weeks.

 

RSCP salt has Alk too high for my taste ...others may disagree.  I use and recommend Fritz Pro.  Tons of threads and discussions on this topic too.

 

Your reason for daily vs weekly changes is hard to interpret.  IMO keep it simple and do 15-20 per week or every other week.  Follow the majority...no need to get experimental and cutting edge with suppliments?  what supplements????  and outside the norm change schedules  when your last attempt was an epic fail.  Instead, Worry about stability....especially Alk. Stability.  A Hanna DKH checker might be ideal for you.

 

if you are taling about supplements for Alk and calcium????  Well, over time, water changes alone will not keep your parameters stable.  At some point...,You will need to research calcium and Alk and 2-part dosing or kalk until you understand it. No time like now to dive in and start reading.  Buy a hanna dKH checker, a food calcium test kit and begin deep reading on the topic .  Basically Alk and calcium drop and cause swings.  You will need to add Alk and calcium back in via dosing or something.  Water changes alone cannot keep up ....even if done daily, certainly not 2% or so a day.  

 

To me, nothing beats a daily Alk testing with Hanna DKH checker and dosing small amounts of ESV B-ionic 2-part by hand.  Super simple.  Peace!

[gone_PHiSHin]

i agree with everything said here^

 

i learned that monitoring alk with my Hanna checker is the most important thing for my mixed reef, other than nutrient import/export.

 

i supplement lost alk and calc with ESV b-ionic as well.  it took me a little bit to figure out how much i needed to dose, but now it is very simple for me, pour it in in the morning while i'm waiting on my coffee monday through friday, and saturday is waterchange day so i don't dose that morning.  if i have something going on early saturday, i dose and do a WC on sunday.  simple.

 

if you miss a WC, it can go a few days longer with no real difference, just make sure it gets done.  for as much work as you are putting in by doing small water changes every day, you can quickly add a few ml of 2part each morning and save a lot of time during the week and just do one WC on the weekends

 

if you are set on not dosing at least alk/calc, then a mixed reef is not for you.  a softie tank can be just as rewarding and can certainly go longer (and even thrive) without weekly water changes, as alk/calc is not consumed nearly as quickly and softies tend to like higher nutrient water.

 

in the meantime, READ READ READ and formulate a plan before you dive in, so this time it won't be an epic (and expensive) failure!

[blasterman]

A healthy and thriving SPS tank will almost certainly deplete a tank of alkalinity faster than any practical water changes can keep up, so the entire synopsis of water changes only is, in my mind invalid from the start for certain tanks. Less demanding tanks can get away with 20% every two weeks. 

 

I have a friend with a 450gallon glorious SPS tank with acro colonies 2 feet across, and he only uses water changes. He doesn't manually dose or use dosers because he has a learning disability, and a phobia with automation.  He changes 20% of the water in that beast once a week, and you can tell by looking at the coral with a trained eye that's it's really not enough, but he can't afford more salt mix and the time involved is too much already.