I changed the water in my tank the first year, every 2 weeks (25%). It is a 250 gallon tank. After the first year, I changed it to once a month. And a year after that.. I never did another water change. It's approaching 3 years now with no water changes. I dose Ca, Mg, Alk and Vodka. Parameters are great. My corals are mostly super easy mushrooms and other softies. Weekly I top-off with freshwater, drain the skimmate and clean the glass. Bi-weekly I do a more thorough glass cleaning and use a turkey baster to blow off detritus off the rocks. I also clean my algae scrubber and clean the protein skimmer.
I'm with you I've been keeping saltwater fish 30 years I never do d water changes no more started 2 years after doing for years my water is better no fish dying in a 1 to 2 years I dose Vodka 0 to .5 nitrates on both 125gal Fish only tank and 70 gal reef.
I built an Auto Water Change system with 2 5ga water containers and 2 Kamoer Dosing pumps. I remove and replace 1/2ga or 1800ml everyday. The system works great I replace the water every 12 days.
I can add to tip #7 Use a Filter Sock: i clamp a filter sock in my sump so i dont have to turn off pumps or flow. It helps clean out detritus in between water changes. Its also how i get rid of algae!
Agree with you on routine water changes for newer tanks, but after a couple of years, they are not as important... when mature biome exists, it can eliminate nutrients as they are created. You just need to dose enough major/minor/trace elements to keep up with consumption.
PRO TIP- Love the vids Matthew but you missed one very important tip. With that utility pump you’re using to drain the old 5 gallon tank water into the drain, use the pump in the NEW clean saltwater tank to 1. Keep the new saltwater mix dissolved and mixed up and even MORE IMPORTANTLY 2. Use the pump to refill the aquarium with the new saltwater. You showed a clip of you lifting the heavy 5 gallon bucket and pouring it into your tank. Too many things can go wrong with this approach. Just plug the pump in and place the tubing into the tank and SMOOTHLY add the new saltwater to the tank with out disturbing the livestock, corals and sandbed in the tank. No cloudy, messy or disturbed aquarium after the water change…(but you knew that)
I use water changes as a chance to wash some equipment such as the skimmer cup using the waste water. Keeps my other half happier than if I used a sink ;)
I’ve said many times “if you don’t want to do water changes, you’re in the wrong hobby”. It’s as basic as feeding your fish. Only exceptions would be >300 gallons running triton, which begins to blur the line between hobbyist and pro.
Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con que se tienen que hacer los cambios de agua hay que estar seguro que el agua que se usé sea de buena calidad no debe de tener nitratos, fosfatos ni silicatos
I can't tell you how many times I have started a WC and walked away to just come back to find water cascading over the tank. :) Some good important tips. Nicely done video Matthew.
Water changes are for dilution purposes. When you utilize bacteria for nutrient control you don't need dilution. Running a denitrifying filter actually causes me to have to dose nitrates cause they get too low too quickly! Every week my tank metabolizes 3-5 ppm of nitrate and 16x that in PO4! It's crazy!
Or just display the result of the previous test for a few seconds when you turn the checker on (after a turn off due to timeout). Am I asking too much?
Not sure why I never thought of scrubbing the overflow box. I really need to clean my return chamber, ever since I started kalk drip the precipitation is insane. Wonder if it is due to soda ash, calcium chloride, nopox, mag, and kalk all being dosed 24/7
Great video vary helpful so I have a 13.5 and it’s been running for 7months Four fish tried to keep some of the easy corals no luck I know I can cut back on my feeding and do more water change’s is there anything else I can do to get ready try corals again
Water quality, proper light, and proper flow are three big things to pay attention to with corals. Making sure that you've come close to perfecting these three things before trying corals again will set you up for success.
My challenge is matching temperature because my garage is about 120 degrees in the summer in Arizona, so I am stuck using 90 degree water. I keep fans running, ac blasting, powerheads going, and do the water changes extremely fast with 1,800 gph return pumps in and out. Hoses clamped soft tubes to aquarium from mixing station. Maybe spikes 2 degrees at max for half hour. I never see any issues doing weekly 15%. The hot water and varying salinity is a learning curve. But small changes help. Anyone else from AZ have any tips
Forget about all that , create a water station in basement or garage with your RODI system , two Large containers like 50 gal drums or better one fresh a one salt , get yourself a powerful pump like a Pond master or Mag pump , pick up about 15 ft of 5/8 or 3/4 tubing { or whatever is ness , and get a U shape ridged tubing } Create a small hole in floor or wall, preferably behind tank { that can be easily repaired } . then when its water change time , siphon out lets say 10 gals right out of the window, then just easily turn on your pump to replace 10 gals , its that simple . With mine i marked increments { notch marks of 10 , 15 , 20 and 25 gals } on the tank , and i even adapted the pump wire to have a switch in it and ran it upstairs near the tank . Work smarter not harder.
5g would be a 25% water change, this is perfect. But with such a small tank, you need to make sure the water going in is nearly perfect. The salinity and temperature should closely match that of the tank itself. This is why larger tanks are actually more beginner friendly, it gives a wider margin for error
@@borinvlogs the mistake made.... Letting your nutrients bottom out. I believe nutrients need to be controlled in a newly setup tank... Once it is..... Phosphate media needs to be pulled and nitrate reduction strategies dialed in and reduced to avoid disaster. Testing and nutrient input mist be monitored and the balance found in the export.
Haven't done a water change in my SPS dominant in over a year and growth is amazing. I know you need noobs to keep mindlessly buying salt mix for cash flow though. Just keep doing those massive water changes to keep screwing up your phosphate levels and keeping anemic tanks.
You'll want to use freshwater for topping your tank off when evaporation happens. BUT anytime you physically remove water, you'll want to replace it with saltwater 🙂
Have you seen how much fish poo you can get out of a sand bed using a gravel vac? I don't know about you, but I'd rather get that out of my tank regularly! 😃
@@BulkReefSupply My reef tank is 15 years old. I dare not disturb the sand bed again. Anytime I would vacc the sand bed I would get nasty diatom blooms over the freshly disturbed sand sections. Never again. Haven’t touched the sand in over 5 years and it always looks crisp white and super clean.
OK THEN WHAT YOU CALL A PERSON LIKE ME THAT BEEN IN THE HOBBY KEEPING FRESH AND SALT WATER AQUARIUMS THE LATE 60S WHEN UNDERGRAVEL FILTER WAS THE BIG THING TO KEEP SALT WATER FISHES? TO NOW AND ADD KOI POND KEEPING TOO FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS? IN THESE HOBBIE YOU LEARN MUCH BETTER BY YOUR MISSTAKES
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 78 | คู่เอก "ปกรณ์ vs ฟาบิโอ"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LSOmgl0Th2c/mqdefault.jpg)
I changed the water in my tank the first year, every 2 weeks (25%). It is a 250 gallon tank. After the first year, I changed it to once a month. And a year after that.. I never did another water change. It's approaching 3 years now with no water changes. I dose Ca, Mg, Alk and Vodka. Parameters are great. My corals are mostly super easy mushrooms and other softies. Weekly I top-off with freshwater, drain the skimmate and clean the glass. Bi-weekly I do a more thorough glass cleaning and use a turkey baster to blow off detritus off the rocks. I also clean my algae scrubber and clean the protein skimmer.
Same for me in after year and half been great no wc
I'm with you I've been keeping saltwater fish 30 years I never do d water changes no more started 2 years after doing for years my water is better no fish dying in a 1 to 2 years I dose Vodka 0 to .5 nitrates on both 125gal Fish only tank and 70 gal reef.
My 350gal is over 15 years old and I NEVER do water changes....no death and no problem....each tank is its own world.
Do water changes deplete a well-managed tank of some of its biodiversity?
Sorta me but with a 40 breeder lololol, just hit the 1 year mark. I did 5-10g water changes ever week, I now do a water change every month or 2.
I built an Auto Water Change system with 2 5ga water containers and 2 Kamoer Dosing pumps. I remove and replace 1/2ga or 1800ml everyday. The system works great I replace the water every 12 days.
I can add to tip #7 Use a Filter Sock: i clamp a filter sock in my sump so i dont have to turn off pumps or flow. It helps clean out detritus in between water changes. Its also how i get rid of algae!
Agree with you on routine water changes for newer tanks, but after a couple of years, they are not as important... when mature biome exists, it can eliminate nutrients as they are created. You just need to dose enough major/minor/trace elements to keep up with consumption.
PRO TIP- Love the vids Matthew but you missed one very important tip. With that utility pump you’re using to drain the old 5 gallon tank water into the drain, use the pump in the NEW clean saltwater tank to 1. Keep the new saltwater mix dissolved and mixed up and even MORE IMPORTANTLY 2. Use the pump to refill the aquarium with the new saltwater. You showed a clip of you lifting the heavy 5 gallon bucket and pouring it into your tank. Too many things can go wrong with this approach. Just plug the pump in and place the tubing into the tank and SMOOTHLY add the new saltwater to the tank with out disturbing the livestock, corals and sandbed in the tank. No cloudy, messy or disturbed aquarium after the water change…(but you knew that)
I use water changes as a chance to wash some equipment such as the skimmer cup using the waste water. Keeps my other half happier than if I used a sink ;)
I’ve said many times “if you don’t want to do water changes, you’re in the wrong hobby”. It’s as basic as feeding your fish. Only exceptions would be >300 gallons running triton, which begins to blur the line between hobbyist and pro.
Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con que se tienen que hacer los cambios de agua hay que estar seguro que el agua que se usé sea de buena calidad no debe de tener nitratos, fosfatos ni silicatos
I can't tell you how many times I have started a WC and walked away to just come back to find water cascading over the tank. :) Some good important tips. Nicely done video Matthew.
That filter sock cleanup without getting rid of the water is a great idea thank you
I use a python water changer. It has a Venturi to vacuum the sump or display tank. It’s super handy
The clamp is a great idea
Water changes are for dilution purposes. When you utilize bacteria for nutrient control you don't need dilution. Running a denitrifying filter actually causes me to have to dose nitrates cause they get too low too quickly! Every week my tank metabolizes 3-5 ppm of nitrate and 16x that in PO4! It's crazy!
So helpful! Thank you!
The future seahorse tank is looking MUCH better! Thanks for the Tip & Trick #3, especially if stirring up the sandbed.
Your macro tank is beautiful man! 😍
Speaking of forgetting… Hanna really needs to add a beep to their phosphate tester.
Or just display the result of the previous test for a few seconds when you turn the checker on (after a turn off due to timeout). Am I asking too much?
Or program it to never turn off. I could afford a AA battery if I forget to leave it on.
Love this video Thanks
Great video and advice. Keep them coming
100% agree!
I like the music you used in this video. Keep it up!!!
Another tip, use 7 gallon buckets. Less chance of the water slopping out while mixing sea water or if you have to carry them less chance of spilling.
Note you might want to turn off your ATO when adjusting waterline.
Well, I wish I knew this sooner. Because I used a coffee mug to scoop water out slowly...
Good advice, love the videos
Not sure why I never thought of scrubbing the overflow box. I really need to clean my return chamber, ever since I started kalk drip the precipitation is insane. Wonder if it is due to soda ash, calcium chloride, nopox, mag, and kalk all being dosed 24/7
I'm glad you heard me cause I was starting to think that no one was listening🍻😂👍
Dude awesome for recording yourself cleaning up salt water , I would of had a heart attack and die
Seachem DeNitrate in a proper reactor is the key to success.
Great video vary helpful so I have a 13.5 and it’s been running for 7months Four fish tried to keep some of the easy corals no luck I know I can cut back on my feeding and do more water change’s is there anything else I can do to get ready try corals again
Water quality, proper light, and proper flow are three big things to pay attention to with corals. Making sure that you've come close to perfecting these three things before trying corals again will set you up for success.
Oh my god that would suck draining your entire tank onto the floor!! That’s a nightmare situation
Am stricat un Evergrow din cauza schimbului de apă de care am uitat bineinteles, m-am si curentat bonus🫣
My challenge is matching temperature because my garage is about 120 degrees in the summer in Arizona, so I am stuck using 90 degree water. I keep fans running, ac blasting, powerheads going, and do the water changes extremely fast with 1,800 gph return pumps in and out. Hoses clamped soft tubes to aquarium from mixing station. Maybe spikes 2 degrees at max for half hour. I never see any issues doing weekly 15%. The hot water and varying salinity is a learning curve. But small changes help. Anyone else from AZ have any tips
I use frozen water bottles in my mixing station to cool down the water in the summer
Don't bother with dumping the old water in the sink. Just dump it in the toilet. It's easier and faster.
do we test the water parameters before or after water change
I think before makes the most sense so you can get a lay of the land before doing the water change.
Forget about all that , create a water station in basement or garage with your RODI system , two Large containers like 50 gal drums or better one fresh a one salt , get yourself a powerful pump like a Pond master or Mag pump , pick up about 15 ft of 5/8 or 3/4 tubing { or whatever is ness , and get a U shape ridged tubing } Create a small hole in floor or wall, preferably behind tank { that can be easily repaired } . then when its water change time , siphon out lets say 10 gals right out of the window, then just easily turn on your pump to replace 10 gals , its that simple . With mine i marked increments { notch marks of 10 , 15 , 20 and 25 gals } on the tank , and i even adapted the pump wire to have a switch in it and ran it upstairs near the tank . Work smarter not harder.
So I have a 20g tank and I tend to do a 5g water change every Wednesday am I doing too much water?
5g would be a 25% water change, this is perfect. But with such a small tank, you need to make sure the water going in is nearly perfect. The salinity and temperature should closely match that of the tank itself. This is why larger tanks are actually more beginner friendly, it gives a wider margin for error
That sounds like a great water change schedule 🙂
Any new vids on your personal channel?
In aIo everyone talks about the right water height but no 1 tells you what it is. So what is the right water height in an all-in-one
Made the mistake with step 5 and ruined the brand new cherry floor!
13:38 save my marriage!!!
I do a 25% water change every month. No issues
what's your bioload like? what size tank?
@@Eunos_FD3S 20 gallon tank. 4 fish, a lot of corals
I haven't done water change in 2 months as i am slowly dosing NO3 and PO4 to raise nutrients in the tank to combat dino (amphi type).
@@borinvlogs the mistake made.... Letting your nutrients bottom out. I believe nutrients need to be controlled in a newly setup tank... Once it is..... Phosphate media needs to be pulled and nitrate reduction strategies dialed in and reduced to avoid disaster. Testing and nutrient input mist be monitored and the balance found in the export.
what controller is that on your phone?
Is 10 per water cheinge a good for 5 gal reef tank?
10% weekly changes have been a common practice in the hobby for a long time now. If you stick to that weekly, you're going to be just fine 🙂
Haven't done a water change in my SPS dominant in over a year and growth is amazing. I know you need noobs to keep mindlessly buying salt mix for cash flow though. Just keep doing those massive water changes to keep screwing up your phosphate levels and keeping anemic tanks.
Whats Matthew’s last name? Interested in looking his other videos up
This is his other TH-cam channel if you wanted to check it out. Of course, there is a ton of Matthew content here too 😀
The playlist is not in order and the episodes skip back and forth between episodes. Can we please get them in order.
Thanks for letting us know! I'll look into getting this fixed 🙂
Should be fixed now!
@@BulkReefSupply thank you
Man not this guy
Привет)
👋
Should have called a professional cleaning company
I thought ur suppose to put in fresh water not saltwater when water changing.
You'll want to use freshwater for topping your tank off when evaporation happens. BUT anytime you physically remove water, you'll want to replace it with saltwater 🙂
After 8 years in the hobby if you still doing water changes you cannot call yourself a professional
10% weekly?!? Gravel vacc? Does this guy still live in the 90s?
Have you seen how much fish poo you can get out of a sand bed using a gravel vac? I don't know about you, but I'd rather get that out of my tank regularly! 😃
@@BulkReefSupply My reef tank is 15 years old. I dare not disturb the sand bed again. Anytime I would vacc the sand bed I would get nasty diatom blooms over the freshly disturbed sand sections. Never again. Haven’t touched the sand in over 5 years and it always looks crisp white and super clean.
I miss Matthew's old channel. Now he's neutered. Thanks for wrecking it brstv
OK THEN WHAT YOU CALL A PERSON LIKE ME THAT BEEN IN THE HOBBY KEEPING FRESH AND SALT WATER AQUARIUMS THE LATE 60S WHEN UNDERGRAVEL FILTER WAS THE BIG THING TO KEEP SALT WATER FISHES? TO NOW AND ADD KOI POND KEEPING TOO FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS? IN THESE HOBBIE YOU LEARN MUCH BETTER BY YOUR MISSTAKES
Relax on the caps… what are you trying to get at ?