Well, effectively my last water change was when I setup my new sump, this wasn't exactly a 'water change' per say, but more of just a dilution by adding additional capacity and volume.
I'm what people would refer to as a 'slacker', I hate testing my water, and I loath doing water changes, I actually hate doing any maintenance. But yesterday I (guilt ridden), decided to head down to the lfs and get 75 liters (20 USG) of NSW. Now it's been about 5 weeks since my last change or dilution which ever way you look at it, and this morning I'm looking into the tank and thinking how good everything looks. As the salt water is still sitting in drums in the driveway I start to think that maybe psychologically I'm looking for excuses not to carry it up and do the laborious water change. So I think, I'll just do a nitrate test and that will convince me, so I do my nitrate test, zero, hmm.
Yes I know, water change does more than reduce nitrate, it adds trace elements as well, but looking at my VERY, VERY, FAT Tangs, my coral polyps extending further than they have before, my torch coral with about half an inch of new skeletal growth, and a whole bunch of other things, I hesitate and ask myself "Is this really necessary?"
In all my years, I have never returned a zero nitrate reading, I find it surprising as I am a very heavy feeder, actually yesterday I even dumped a whole bunch of crap from the fish markets in there because I figured I was going to do a water change anyway. I guess I’m just miffed at the results.
I just thought I would share.
Oh, I forgot to mention… I don’t skim.
I'm what people would refer to as a 'slacker', I hate testing my water, and I loath doing water changes, I actually hate doing any maintenance. But yesterday I (guilt ridden), decided to head down to the lfs and get 75 liters (20 USG) of NSW. Now it's been about 5 weeks since my last change or dilution which ever way you look at it, and this morning I'm looking into the tank and thinking how good everything looks. As the salt water is still sitting in drums in the driveway I start to think that maybe psychologically I'm looking for excuses not to carry it up and do the laborious water change. So I think, I'll just do a nitrate test and that will convince me, so I do my nitrate test, zero, hmm.
Yes I know, water change does more than reduce nitrate, it adds trace elements as well, but looking at my VERY, VERY, FAT Tangs, my coral polyps extending further than they have before, my torch coral with about half an inch of new skeletal growth, and a whole bunch of other things, I hesitate and ask myself "Is this really necessary?"
In all my years, I have never returned a zero nitrate reading, I find it surprising as I am a very heavy feeder, actually yesterday I even dumped a whole bunch of crap from the fish markets in there because I figured I was going to do a water change anyway. I guess I’m just miffed at the results.
I just thought I would share.
Oh, I forgot to mention… I don’t skim.