No water change since January 15th

[sen5241b]

I did a 50% in the middle of January. I spiked the make up water with cal and mag. I checked the water today and the cal is still well above 400, Ph is normal and my alk is 6 dkh. Trates are fine.

In the past it took about 6 weeks before cal dropped too low. In early January I took about a third of the rock out and dipped it in Hydrogen Peroxide which killed all algae including coralline. I think the cal has stayed high because there is not as much coralline in there eating up the cal. But this is the longest I've ever gone without a water change.

 

[Smitty]

I've read an article on a hobbyist who don't do water changes at all..only dosing. And he has a beautiful, self-sufficient mixed reef.

 

[315hottuna61]

A friend of mine does water changes less frequently than you Sen , however he has a FOWLER 220 and can get away with it

 

[fastrd400]

I don't remrmber the last time I did a water change.

 

[sen5241b]

I don't remrmber the last time I did a water change.

How's your chems? Do you dose? But my point earlier was if you have a ton of coralline it will eat up cal fast.

 

[fastrd400]

I do dose, I have to replace my trace elements that are consumed by the corals.

 

[Bifferwine]

LOL. I think I last did a water change in... June maybe? :rofl:

But at that point, I got rid of all my corals, only kept my fish and inverts, and I still have my fuge running with a huge amount of chaeto. I've also gotten rid of about 1/2 of my rocks -- the process of tearing down this tank is taking much longer than I expected! I know if I had tried to maintain a reef tank, it wouldn't have worked.