Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtydutch4x
Im seeing more and more posts lately about people not using filtration or water flow, can someone who has been doing this explain your methods of care? Also how do you get away with no water changes? Id be afraid not to do either!
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I can't speak for anyone else but I do use filtration on my tanks. Just no man made mechanical filters or water flow on my FW. The filtration is the live plants (and on marine systems the macro algaes). By starting the tank full of fast growing plants and slower growing plants, the tank is filtered, balanced, and stabilized by the plants. The plants consume the fish wastes (ammonia/nitrates, phosphates, carbon dioxide) and convert them into fish food (the plants) and oxygen. By adjusting added food and light the tank stays clear and algae free. For years.
Because the plants are maintaining the tank, ammonia, nitrates, phosphates are consumed so are at 0 regardless of whatever water changes are being done. Carbon dioxide is also maintained low so ph remains high. So that in a 24 hour period the tank becomes a net consumer of carbon dioxide and producer of oxygen. Regardless of what else is going on.
Finally, water changes will never prevent parameter changes just limit the amount of change. The build up between changes must be removed by the water change when a stable system is realized. In order for that to happen, the parameter must build up to:
(the change between water changes)/(fraction of water change).
So say that 10ppm of something increases between 10% water changes, the final value just before the water change is 100ppm. (that is 10PPM/(1/10)=100. It then drops down to 90 then back up to 100 between changes.
If you did a 20% change the value would be 10ppm /(1/5)=50ppm. Down to 40ppm and back up to 50ppm next water change.
So what I do is just let the tank be balanced out with plant life. That works fine for Fw and marine fish tanks. I do have to dose calcium/alk/magnesium with corals in the marine tanks.
my .02
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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden