do you have to do a water change for a marine tank?

Question

soon ill be getting a marine tank ive had tropical fish and had to do a water change in the past and you just use tap water but how do you do it with marine tank this is treated water does anyone no do you need two tanks (this has to be salt water) any advice would be most appreciated thanks

Answer 1

You can never use tap water for a marine tank. Use only distilled or RO water. The salt mix has all the minerals and stuff already added to it. Water changes are even more important in a saltwater tank. The nutrients in the water have to be replenished regularly. I buy 5 gallon jugs of RO water and add the salt the night before. I use an air stone fizzing heavily over night to mix the salt (it takes a very long time) and aerate then new water, it doesn't take much to shock your live rack/sand.
Live rock and live sand are full of beneficial organisms that add biodiversity to aquariums, provide a food source for certain species, and help clarify your water. I don't use a gravel washer as the aragonite substrate house too many benthic organisms and beneficial bacteria. The aragonite also slowly dissolves (not actually noticeable unles you are talking about years), and add calcium to the water. At most, I stir up the substrate over half of my tank at each water change.
I think you may want to look through all the info here to give you a better idea of what equipment and work you will have
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=312
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=293
A

Answer 2

Yes you have to do water changes in a marine tank. 20 to 25% every two weeks. I have a 30 gallon garbage can (with wheels) that I use to mix salt in. I use Instant Ocean salt and purified water. Never use tap water for water changes. There are to many hard minerals and phosphates that are not healthy for a marine tank. You do not need two tanks for water changes but it is a good idea to have an extra tank set up as a quarantine tank. Do lots and lots of research before setting up your tank. www.reefcentral.com is a great site for research on marine tanks.

Good Luck

Answer 3

It is more important to do regular water changes on a marine system.

Buy prepared sea salt mix from a reputable pet shop. Mix the salt (according to the directions on the packaging) in a clean bucket. Change 10% of the tanks water every 1-1/2 to 2 weeks. Use dechlorinated/conditioned cold tap water to make the saltwater solution. Buy and learn to correctly use a hydrometer to get the correct concentration of salt to water.

Remember in a marine tank, water evaporates off, but salt does not. So the water will get saltier as time goes on. My 40gal reef tank evaporates about 1 gallon per week. Add decholrinated/conditioned cold tap water as needed to offset evaporation between water changes.

Do your research and homework before attempting a marine system. Have the correct equipement and supplies on hand - it is more difficult than a freshwater setup, but if you are diligent, it is worth it. Don't half@ss it and you will be fine.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Yes. 25% every 6mo. Use natural ocean salt like from Hawaii. It comes in a bag or box and has all the trace minerals the fish and tiny life forms use up. Let the water stand for 24 hours before putting in tank to evaporate chlorine.

To start a new tank put damsels of 3 to 4 in for 30 days to get it established. It will cycle in this time (check nitrates) and may kill the fish, so use cheap damsels. You can put 1/2 sq.inch of fish for every 1 gallon of tank. Example 25 small damsels in a 55 gallon tank.

Never put the store water in your tank it will contaminateyour tank. Float the fish in the water bag in your tank to equalize the temperature.

Maintain the Ph, salinity and temp. Have lots of rocks and natural coral and a coral sand bed the fish are Territorial and need homes. Use a under bed filter. Never use charcoal to filter, or copper anything. Use a bubbler to agitate the waters surface to aid the exchange of gasses. Brefore you start clean the tank thouroughly with bleach as well as any sand or items you put in the tank, rinse the bleach off thouroughly. the bleech should be diluter in water say, 1/4 cup to 5 gals water.

Answer 5

Actually NO. You need to maintain a good bio-system. Just think about the sea. Do you see anyone changing the water in the sea? You need to balance the system. Take care of the minerials in your tank. Top up if needed. Unless there is too much Fishes which will cause the water cinditions to go bad, the fastest way then is to change the water. Remember, the key is to have a balance system with good bateria and not too much living animal in the tank.

Answer 6

yes u have to do water change in marine tanks...i had the same problem..use normal water never use salt water

Answer 7

First of all, YES, anytime you have an aquarium, this is a closed enviroment,,therefore, water has to be changed,,unlike river or lake systems, water is constantly running in an out,,being refreshed,,but in an aquarium,,this is not the case. You need to consult an expert in this field,Pet Shop,,or where you purchased your equipment,,,definitely,,,they would know. Fish waiste builds up and poisons water, making it deadly for your fish,,,this I know from experience.,,,I hope this helps,,Steve in S.C.

Answer 8

check ot a fish store.. they have 2 tanks that circulate.. one is the fish tank and the other will have live rocks and bacteria underneath it.. the 2 tank cleanses can refreshes the water, also giving it nutrients that it lacks... refilling the water is all you need to do..

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

Go to Reefcentral.com all the answers to all the questions