water changes

I have a question about water changes. I am wondering if there are any negative effects of changing more than just the 10% weekly or every 10 days? example I have a 29gal Bio Cube, I have for the past year been changing out 5 gallons every week to week and half. I am wondering if there are any negative effects to changing that much water with the exception to my pocket book.

Also I am wondering if doing the standard 10% water change will drop the nitrate level from 30 ppm back to 20 ppm ? I am wondering if their is a rule of the thumb for how much water should be changed to drop it back to an acceptable level? For example if it is 30ppm back to 20 ppm if you do 10% water change? Or if it is at 40ppm you do 15% or 20%. I am just wondering. All opinions welcome. thanks Kevin

I don't really do a lot of water changes so I'm not the right guy lol

On the % questions it's pretty complicated. I'll look around and see if I can find the thread that talks about it. It takes a lot of water change to lower it that much.

personally I think there are many different ways to maintain a tank and as long as it works for your tank than that is what matters. I think my tank does best with 20% twice a month or so. I think 10% a week is fine, but if your nitrate is at 30 maybe you need to change something you are doing. Maybe you are overfeeding or are overstocked.

I guess every system is a little diff, and there's a million people doing their w/c's a diff way. Has it been working good for you? any negative effects besides the nitrates?
As far as the nitrates, it seems like they're pretty high considering all the water you're changing.. are you using rodi water? how's your skimmate? sock/sponge cleanings? heavily stocked and fed??
you could prob do a 20% change once a week to try and get them down, but back when i had 40 nitrates, a 25% w/c was only giving me a drop to 35 nitrates at best. I wouldn't do anything drastic, but the bigger the w/c the more important it is to get the levels of the new water very close to the dt's levels.
sorry if i'm asking elementary type questions, just trying to figure it out, because if nitrates are the only issue, it doesn't seem like it's because your slacking on the w/c's, it may be something else imo

Originally Posted by skywardview

I have a question about water changes. I am wondering if there are any negative effects of changing more than just the 10% weekly or every 10 days? example I have a 29gal Bio Cube, I have for the past year been changing out 5 gallons every week to week and half. I am wondering if there are any negative effects to changing that much water with the exception to my pocket book.

Also I am wondering if doing the standard 10% water change will drop the nitrate level from 30 ppm back to 20 ppm ? I am wondering if their is a rule of the thumb for how much water should be changed to drop it back to an acceptable level? For example if it is 30ppm back to 20 ppm if you do 10% water change? Or if it is at 40ppm you do 15% or 20%. I am just wondering. All opinions welcome. thanks Kevin

Great question, but not an easy one to answer. There isnt really a stock recommendation on how much water you should change per week or month. Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers. I think anywhere between 10% to 25% per month should be good. Ill try to answer some of your other questions thou.

I am wondering if there are any negative effects of changing more than just the 10% weekly or every 10 days?

If the water chemistry between the tank and waterchange water is too far off that can cause problems. You will need to test and adjust the new water to get as close to your tanks water as you can.

Also I am wondering if doing the standard 10% water change will drop the nitrate level from 30 ppm back to 20 ppm ?

No, not with just one water change. A 10% water change will drop nitrates by 10%. If you want to drop nitrates from 30ppm to 20ppm you will need to do a 30%(33.333%) water change.

I use Ro water form the LFS. I have the standard filtration on BioCube with a protein skimmer. THe other three have hang on the back mechanical filtration. the 30 gallon tank has three damsel not over two inches each and 3 peppermint shrimp. the 40 gallon has the fire shrimp, accessor (yellow), mystery Wrasse, yellow tail tamarin wrasse and a little purple tang none of the are over 2 inches. The 29 Bio Cube has the Salfin tang 4-5 inches and a 4 inch tiger goby paired with pistol shrimp. The 20 gallon (tank of shame) has two 3-4 damsels and 2 or 3 peppermint shrimp. I have have 30 pounds of live rock in the 40 gallon tank and probably 15 in the 30 gallon tank along with my rose anemone. The 20 has maybe 10 pounds. I am realizing as I am typing this the my filtration or lack of filtration is the problem. I guess i should put the 75 up the correct way with a refuim and protein skimmer.

Originally Posted by skywardview

I use Ro water form the LFS. I have the standard filtration on BioCube with a protein skimmer. THe other three have hang on the back mechanical filtration. the 30 gallon tank has three damsel not over two inches each and 3 peppermint shrimp. the 40 gallon has the fire shrimp, accessor (yellow), mystery Wrasse, yellow tail tamarin wrasse and a little purple tang none of the are over 2 inches. The 29 Bio Cube has the Salfin tang 4-5 inches and a 4 inch tiger goby paired with pistol shrimp. The 20 gallon (tank of shame) has two 3-4 damsels and 2 or 3 peppermint shrimp. I have have 30 pounds of live rock in the 40 gallon tank and probably 15 in the 30 gallon tank along with my rose anemone. The 20 has maybe 10 pounds. I am realizing as I am typing this the my filtration or lack of filtration is the problem. I guess i should put the 75 up the correct way with a refuim and protein skimmer.

yes!!! and just get an empty tank and glue in some baffles... we can help ya with planning!!! and drilling and plumbing if you need any help there too

Originally Posted by estanoche

yes!!! and just get an empty tank and glue in some baffles... we can help ya with planning!!! and drilling and plumbing if you need any help there too

Yeah, we will totally help! I almost know stuff these days too.

Also one other thing to consider when doing water changes is that when trying to lower something like Nitrate that is already in the water column fewer large water changes will be more effective than many small changes, over a relatively short period of time. Every time you do a small water change you are pulling nitrates out but, when you put more water in you dilute the nitrates. So, the next small change you are pulling out less nitrates then you would have originally, or whatever else you are trying to get out of the tank that is in the water.

But as others mentioned, with larger changes it becomes more critical that you match temp, salinity, and pH to the current conditions in your tank.

nice thread! great information being shared that we can ALL learn from!
...........anyone else wanna share their experience/know-how?

so are you setting up new filtration on the 75g yet?

still researching lights and power heads, I am buying Shane's 55 this weekend for a sump to my 75. I did just get a 29 gall tank for a friend i am thinking of setting up as a sump for the 30 i have up now and holding off on the 75 till fall. I had heard there is a DIY on how to build a protein skimmer? I have not been able to find it. Plus in looking online i don't see allot of protein skimmers offered for the smaller tanks. Not sure why that is.

Side note the one i have in my BioCube does not work that well? or it may not be set up right.

Originally Posted by skywardview

I had heard there is a DIY on how to build a protein skimmer? I have not been able to find it.

I think there are a few DIY skimmers on here. The last one i remember was a soda bottle skimmer.

Plus in looking online i don't see allot of protein skimmers offered for the smaller tanks. Not sure why that is.

There arent a lot of skimmers for nano sized tanks because it so easy to just do water changes on tanks that size. They are out there though. Tunze Nano Doc Protein Skimmer 9002

Side note the one i have in my BioCube does not work that well? or it may not be set up right.

What brand is it? Do you have a few pics or videos of it running?

here's one DIY skimmer thread that's set up for a smaller tank that might interest you: DIY soda bottle skimmer

what skimmer do you have on your biocube?
also........did you check out Reef Filtration yet? SWC Skimmer you can even contact Luke via his forum here (Reef Filtration - Reef-Geeks) and ask if he has small skimmers (which I know he does)....he's a GREAT guy and extremely knowledgeable about skimmers!

I may have to try the pop bottle skimmer. It may fun to make something for change instead of buying it.

the Protein skimmer on my Bio Cube is the one that was made for it. I have been told that they don't work that well currently mine is running in my over flow. In thinking about I may move it to my return instead. I get it see to where the bubbles just come up and then the next day it is full of all water and does not appear to be that dirty. I may have to re read directions.I know where they are too. only because i was looking for something. LOL

Ill help you look if you want. Tell me the total gallons of the system, how much money you can spend and and what size the space you have where you can place it and ill see what i can find. If i dont reply pester me with PM's. Im old and forgetful

So i am in the process of gathering up the stuff to build my own protein skimmer. I am wonder what most people use for baffles? plex glass or real glass? That will be my next step since i have gotten the sump tank.

you can use either. A lot of people will use acrylic because its easier to cut (not really but people think it is). In a glass sump i would use glass for the baffles just because the silicone will stick better to glass. Silicone kinda sticks to acrylic but if there is a pressure and the baffle the silicone can peal off.

glass tank/ glass baffles it is. I am wondering if i can get glass and the local home deput or lowes? may have to go plastic. going to have to go see.

you can get glass at most if not all home depot or lowes and they will cut to your specific sizes too

one other option that hasent been mentioned is plastic cutting boards. just make sure that they dont have any mold inhibitors in them

I need to be careful because the tank i am putting the sump on has my recover RBTA in it. So i have been holding off. I need to go to the home improvement store and check out my options.