Water changes or not
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Reef Chemistry
Forum Description: A place to discuss reef chemistry.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=54844
Printed Date: February 11 2026 at 11:45am
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Topic: Water changes or not
Posted By: bstuver
Subject: Water changes or not
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 2:53pm
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Ok let's just say I am highly frustrated with my tank move. I haven't had this many issues since my first tank that I used the full amount of sand without washing it first! So I am wondering what everyone's opinions are on water changes with a new setup. If you have read a few of my other posts I lost a lot of my coral with this move. I did water changes of about ten gallons every three days or so because I had so much dying. It seems to have stabilized as far as things dying but my water only stayed clear for a day and now it is cloudy again. I am guessing it is a bacterial bloom so do I just wait it out, use a uv or do water changes? If I use a uv I am worried I may kill all the good stuff that needs to take hold in the tank. The tank is an all in one 20"x20"x20" cube so right about 34 gallons. I am running a skimmer as well and have good flow as nothing settles on the substrate. ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Replies:
Posted By: rfoote
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 3:07pm
| Are you running in bio-biltration? Carbon or rowaphos/phosban? I'd probably run at least carbon for a few days and not another water change. Just my opinion though. |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 3:15pm
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Yes running carbon and gfo in bags ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 3:49pm
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Don't run UV - let the bloom die off slowly, naturally instead of all at once
I would not do anymore water changes unless you are testing postive for ammonia
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 4:36pm
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That's what I thought on the uv. I will check ammonia when I get home. ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 4:42pm
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I'm still torn on water changes. For some of my tanks I do them all the time. Some tanks I don't do water changes in years. Paul's lecture last week provided lots of good sound advise on doing water changes. He had me thinking maybe I should do more. Then again I've seen some amazing tanks without water changes. My advise... clean the sand... don't add any food... keep the water as clean as you can. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 4:51pm
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The sand is brand new I only seeded it with a cup of my established tank sand. How long should I not feed for? I did the initial water changes because I had so much die off that if I didn't I think I would have lost my whole tank. ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 5:09pm
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Are the corals you are losing mostly SPS or others? ------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 5:58pm
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I lost all my SPS which doesn't surprise me, but I also lost both my torches and a head of hammer. My acans are happy and inflated which is odd seems normally they are more finicky. I thought I had an ammonia kit but it looks like I need to go get one. Nitrate is 5 Nitrite is 0 Phos is 0 Cal 480 Alk 11 Mag 1280 Salinity 1.026 ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 6:11pm
 ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 05 2012 at 6:12pm
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It's more cloudy in person ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: Akira
Date Posted: March 08 2012 at 9:26pm
| As im still on my first tank. Heres what I did ......cleaned all new sand as best as I could ...took hours , after seeing lots of sand clouds on build thread i slow filled via over flow and siphon . took a long time but i was clear in like 20 mins ( only turned on power heads 1 at a time both aimed up). And yes I know how experienced u are just a trick I tried and it worked wonders for cloudyness .....the rest im curious to see other posts. |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 08 2012 at 9:42pm
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The cloudiness was caused by what I am guessing was a bacterial bloom or from corals dying. It wasn't due to the sand but thanks:) ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: kellerexpress
Date Posted: March 09 2012 at 4:36am
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Was your tank new or used when you got it? This might be a long shot but is there a chance that it was cleaned with something that is toxic to corals before filling it up? Sorry about all the loss, must be very frustrating. When i saw them before the tank move everything looked super healthy. That rainbow welso is awesome btw ------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2 |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 09 2012 at 7:25am
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I don't think so. Chad built the tank and I rinsed it before filling it. ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: kellerexpress
Date Posted: March 09 2012 at 2:57pm
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Ok worth a shot. To answer your question I would hold off on water changes for a bit. ------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2 |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 09 2012 at 3:09pm
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Things are looking better. Luckily my rainbow welso is doing well or i may have thrown something:-) ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: March 09 2012 at 4:25pm
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Also when can I start feeding? My wrasse has taken to taking out my snails and hermits because he's not being fed:( ------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |