Water changes

[Andrew_bram]

So how big and how often. Here is why i ask i am having a cyano problem do to my own lack of maintaince for the last 6-8 months. Prior to that i was doing 20 gallons a week which is 20% a week. Well now i am thinking about doing 10 gallons once a week to syphon out the cyano manually until i can get everything back under control. I dont want levels dropping to rapidly as i also started running gfo and actually started skimming again.

So what are everyone thoughts?
What % and frequency do you shoot for on water changes?

 

[zombie]

10% a week is a must in my tank and my skimmer and fuge are pretty efficient.

 

[Andrew_bram]

Ya 10% is 20 gallons for me. Want to do more like 20% a month just dont know if thats enough.

 

[GiraffeCat]

I do about 1% a day, and the usual carbon and skimmer. Automation is awesome.

 

[Haddonisreef]

I have been doing 30 gallons every two weeks give or take a few days weeks lol no real regiment just try to mix them in when I can.

 

[Andrew_bram]

I have been doing 30 gallons every two weeks give or take a few days weeks lol no real regiment just try to mix them in when I can.

So do you think it is total amount changed in a month or at a single time.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

I have been doing 30 gallons every two weeks give or take a few days weeks lol no real regiment just try to mix them in when I can.

Wow, I'm only doing about 40 a month. 15 every 2 weeks and 5 on the odd weeks. Maybe I should up that? I don't get the color you get. Could be the age of my tank too...

Andrew, I'd pick a number in the 30% range and spread it out over the month. Maybe half, 15%, every 2 weeks. Perhaps siphon the algae out on the other weeks... IMHO small and regular changes are better than 1 large one.

 

[Andrew_bram]

Wow, I'm only doing about 40 a month. 15 every 2 weeks and 5 on the odd weeks. Maybe I should up that? I don't get the color you get. Could be the age of my tank too...

Andrew, I'd pick a number in the 30% range and spread it out over the month. Maybe half, 15%, every 2 weeks. Perhaps siphon the algae out on the other weeks... IMHO small and regular changes are better than 1 large one.

That was my whole reasoning for this post just to see what everyone is doing and how the math adds up.

 

[Haddonisreef]

Wow, I'm only doing about 40 a month. 15 every 2 weeks and 5 on the odd weeks. Maybe I should up that? I don't get the color you get. Could be the age of my tank too...

Andrew, I'd pick a number in the 30% range and spread it out over the month. Maybe half, 15%, every 2 weeks. Perhaps siphon the algae out on the other weeks... IMHO small and regular changes are better than 1 large one.

I don't know man I just mix about 30 50 gallons and between the two tanks ea get some new wqter.

 

[Djmm1177]

I do 40 gall every 2 weeks

 

[sethsolomon]

I do 20 gallons every 2 weeks on my 120g. Filtration is a bubble magus nac 7 and a massive refugium. I occasionally get cyano and I just blow it off with a power head and it goes away for a few months.

 

[MuralReef]

I do 25 gallons every week which ends up being 25% a month.

 

[Andrew_bram]

So far it sounds like between 20-30% should be good. My thought is just smaller water changes at least for now to save on salt and export the cyano out. I wonder if taking out the cyano is much of a nutrient export.

 

[clowninaround7474]

I do 5g 2x a week which is roughly 15% weekly.

 

[sethsolomon]

I wonder if taking out the cyano is much of a nutrient export.

Definitely helps
Might look into building an algae scrubber for your sump

 

[jda123]

Sucking out cyano definitely helps. it is on the same level as removing bacteria via the skimmer after dosing organic carbon.

I change 44G on about 350G about every other week - less during ball season.

 

[bathomassr]

I do roughly 15% weekly, but the water change is constant using a Neptune Dos. Before the Dos, I did 15% weekly on Fridays.

 

[Andrew_bram]

Well i just did a 10g change. And although it was small it really allowed me to syphon out a lot of cyano. Of coarse it will come back in a day or two but figure this will allow me to do it a number of times.

 

[SynDen]

On my 75g, I do 5g every week and once a month I do a 10g water change