No Water Changes - FarmerTy Reefing Method

FarmerTy

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I think it's always a shock when I say it but I keep SPS-dominant systems with no water changes.

My old 125-gallon system was maintained for almost 3 years with no water changes. Here's an old picture of the tank.

2f239fe4e4b012e52216b9f7ce14076d.jpg


Video:


More currently, I updated to a 215-gallon tank and actually started a tank thread here on Reef2Reef on it.

http://reef2reef.com/threads/farmertys-215-gallon-sps-tank.207702/

FTS:
67ffa2093a9d005d0054408924b098a8.jpg


Recent Video:


Tanks are maintained with a large skimmer, CaRX, biopellets, GFO, and carbon. I dose aminos about 2x/week and feed my fish like there's no tomorrow. I don't use filter socks, vacuum the sand, or even vacuum out the sump ever.

I only mention the method I employ because to me, water changes become unnecessary once nutrient management and supplementation of trace elements have been achieved.

I consider myself a lazy reefer. Why do water changes at all if the two goals of water changes, nutrient reduction and replenishment of trace elements, can be achieved via other methods? Sure, I understand there are a myriad of elements that are not being replenished by the CaRX but whatever they may be, my old 125-gallon didn't require it for 3 years and my current 215-gallon hasn't required it yet either so far.

Am I delusional to think this might work forever? No, I feel like eventually there might be a trace element that will need to be added to the system... Something I can't test for and don't even realize the importance of until it is depleted... But until then, I'm pretty happy not doing water changes for a few more years. [emoji4]

I just wanted to mention for a fun topic of discussion and to also see who else out there has retired their water change buckets. [emoji41]

Happy reefing!

-Ty
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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how is the detritus exported from the fish waste, feed etc?
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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just wondering if thats working here, after a year or so of no changes there were no brown deposits anywhere? thats darn good flo man lol
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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I can see biologically how these can go for years on no changes, it was only the detritus compounding i saw as a future problem if applicable. so far looks pretty clean, just wondering if whole wastes are accumulating anywhere, ie does the sandbed cloud up w it when stirred, or is the sand able to just fall back down without a clouding when you scoop some up and drop it
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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nice, i gotta see the sandbed test

ya'll w a phone cam stick arm down into the tank, scoop and dump and post :)

if i stir up my sandbed, the grains fall back down w no clouding due to heavy export. not that wc have to be done to export, just curious if this is working as sandbeds are hard to keep cloud free over time, really hard. only blasting water changes make mine this clean. No recycle risk, no nitrate pumping clean. Rinsing in tap will not sterilize a sandbed

If it did, we would have rinsed the critical surfaces in our lab w tap and not quat ammonia strong enough to prune up a lung heh. Those were steel, medical grade surfaces for plating and counting, a sandbed grain looks as cragged as the Grand Canyon under a scope, it's bac sponge.

Rinsing just guarantees an ageless biological lifespan and a pico reef w model it fast enough we can track its repeatability in a decade. Extra dilutions from larger tanks and larger sinking areas can make a 200 gallon tank take 25 yrs to register the same eutrophication. I claim the only way to have an ageless tank is to have a pass-through system in some way, the polar opposite of hands off storage. Paul's tank is a pass-through system...the bed pumps out detritus it's not pressured to sink waste in like a normal sandbed. Mine is just power washed occasionally as a mod on the pass-through system all old reefs for their dilutions will display if we dig into the design approach

Fun discussion either way. If I had a large tank I'd want a less busy approach for sure.


IMG_0629.JPG
 
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FarmerTy

FarmerTy

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Hi Brandon,

That's the thing. In my old 125-gallon, the sand and sump accumulated all the detritus with no issues for 3 years. I literally had about a 1/2" layer of it in my sump. No issues. All I can speak of is 3 years of success. There is the potential for all hell to break loose after that.

If you pick up my current sand, you'll find detritus. My current opinion, and it's just my opinion, but from my observation, detritus isn't my enemy, as long as I neutralize any issues of nutrients that may originate from it or indirectly caused by it. Heck, fish poop is a known to be a large contributor of calcium carbonate around reefs.
 
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FarmerTy

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I'm sure someone will default to old tank syndrome and the accumulation of detritus in the sandbed. To me, that's like an old wives tale... or should I say an old sailors story.

I just think that's just an old veteran who becomes a little too comfortable in the stability of his system and let's a parameter drift slowly, causing a crash.

I do not doubt though the possibility of nutrient loading in a system letting out a metaphoric grenade and tanking the system. I just believe it to be a small likelihood in our reef tanks.
 

SchnitzelReef

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I've never heard of the "pick up sand and drop it" test. Brand new sand that has been washed thoroughly still clouds up when picked up and dropped in the tank.

This is awesome to see a tank like this. I will go months without water changes, and as long as I can keep phosphates and nitrates in check, my SPS seem to do great. I break down and do water changes because I get too scared hahah
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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[QUOTE="FarmerTy, post: 2384778, member: 4834"
Tanks are maintained with a large skimmer, CaRX, biopellets, GFO, and carbon. I dose aminos about 2x/week and feed my fish like there's no tomorrow. I don't use filter socks, vacuum the sand, or even vacuum out the sump ever.

-Ty[/QUOTE]

I presume you must replace skimmate with new salt water? That will help add some trace elements. :)
 
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FarmerTy

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[QUOTE="FarmerTy, post: 2384778, member: 4834"
Tanks are maintained with a large skimmer, CaRX, biopellets, GFO, and carbon. I dose aminos about 2x/week and feed my fish like there's no tomorrow. I don't use filter socks, vacuum the sand, or even vacuum out the sump ever.

-Ty

I presume you must replace skimmate with new salt water? That will help add some trace elements. :)[/QUOTE]
First off, big fan of your work Randy!

By observation, I only had to add salt to my old tank once in those 3 years of skimming. I'm not going to say my tank never sees any new water or salt, as sometimes I will replenish if I sell a bunch of frags or if I setup my QT and steal some DT water. Just overall, my goal is no water changes to maintain the foundation elements and lower nutrient levels.
 

Russ265

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Just going to go out on a limb here and say you don't have to have a skimmer either.
 

twilliard

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I presume you must replace skimmate with new salt water? That will help add some trace elements. :)
First off, big fan of your work Randy!

By observation, I only had to add salt to my old tank once in those 3 years of skimming. I'm not going to say my tank never sees any new water or salt, as sometimes I will replenish if I sell a bunch of frags or if I setup my QT and steal some DT water. Just overall, my goal is no water changes to maintain the foundation elements and lower nutrient levels.[/QUOTE]
It sounds like the triton method.
constant renewal of trace elements and salts
 
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