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Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 4:01 pm
by benthos
Hey all, back in the game after a 5-6 year break and I'm stoked to be diving in again with a bit more financial freedom. So, I was at a car park and some random dude just handed me a free 10g nano - guess you could say it was meant to be, haha. I've got the basics down on low-maintenance coral care, but I've always been fascinated by SPS and now I'm looking to take the plunge. I've been reading up on what it takes to keep them thriving and I'm under the impression that calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium are my top priorities, along with keeping nitrates and phosphates in check. My current setup is a 10g tank with no skimmer or sump - it's a bare-bottom tank with a 150w 14k halide and a Hydor Korlia Nano wave maker that's pushing around 65% turnover rate. I've got a gallon container on top of the tank that slowly drips water in for water changes and top-offs. My main question is, if I'm doing 10% daily water changes really slowly, will that be enough to support a heavily SPS-based tank, or will I still need to add supplements to keep things growing? No fish in the tank at the moment, but I'm planning on adding one or two down the line, so I'll have to balance nutrient waste and all that jazz, but that's a whole other story, haha.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 4:59 pm
by Rapidon
Daily, I think that's a bit too aggressive for your system. I do 10% weekly on my own tank and that seems to work well. I've got a 75 gallon SPS tank and I've learned that it's not all about being spotless. I used to keep my tank super clean, but my corals were dull and lacking in color. Then I let my filter sock go for an extra week and my nitrates rose to around 2-3ppm. That's when I noticed a huge change in my corals - they started growing like crazy and their colors really popped. I think the key to success is finding a balance between being clean and being a bit dirty.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 6:51 pm
by benthos
Rapidon, my LFS's display tank is spot on, and they make their own saltwater, so I'm assuming their parameters are perfect. If I'm slowly trickling in a gallon of their water daily while removing a gallon, wouldn't my parameters be pretty close to the new water? Plus, with the slow dripper, it's giving my system time to adjust without stressing out. I'm also slowly feeding my system, trying to find that sweet spot of just enough nutrients without overdoing it - that's my main challenge before going all in on an SPS tank.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 7:59 pm
by Rapidon
I get what you're saying, and yeah, it's doable. But if you're looking to keep parameters in check, wouldn't it be easier to just get a doser or do a 2-part daily? I mean, it's a small tank, so it's pretty manageable. You could do 10% or 20% water changes weekly, and that way you're not relying on daily water changes to keep everything in balance. It's actually pretty simple to maintain stable water parameters without having to change water every day.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 9:34 pm
by Voyager2
I'm running a 20-gallon SPS tank, paired with a 10-gallon sump that holds about 8 gallons of water. My tank's equipped with an oversized skimmer, and I also use an ATO. I've found the ATO to be incredibly valuable - possibly even more so than daily water changes. For my water changes, I stick to a weekly schedule, replacing about 2 gallons, or roughly 7% of the tank's volume. With the ATO in place, when my corals start demanding more growth, I've found that limewater does the trick - I do run a calcium reactor as well, but it's not always necessary.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 11:21 pm
by LuminAxe
I came across this 9 gallon nano, belongs to Tasia, and it's thriving with just weekly water changes - no ATO or 2 part dosing in sight. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple, the 'KISS' principle really resonates with me. If you can achieve great results with just regular water changes, why overcomplicate things? This tank is a perfect example, it's doing fantastically well, and I think it's worth considering this approach.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 11:58 pm
by benthos
Thanks for the advice guys. I'm still a bit hesitant on the dosing front since I've got zero experience, so I'll do some research before adding any SPS. Trying to keep costs down with this nano, don't wanna blow another hole in my wallet like last time. Loving the KISS principle, LuminAxe, that nano looks insane. I'm sure I could manage without SPS, but I'm really keen on giving them a go. Guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on my levels and adjust as needed.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 12:33 am
by Fablex8
While the KISS principle is great for simple systems, it falls short when dealing with SPS and their specific needs. A stable environment is crucial, but achieving that in a small tank like a 10-gallon is extremely challenging.
Real water movement, necessary for stimulating polyp extension and promoting growth, inevitably leads to evaporation, which in turn causes instability. You'll either have to manually top off the tank regularly or invest in an ATO.
I've been in this hobby for four decades, and my smallest system is a 37-gallon tank, which I've managed to stabilize with an ATO and dosing pump. While I'm confident I could grow SPS in a 10-gallon tank, I wouldn't dare attempt it.
Trying to grow SPS in a 10-gallon tank as your first foray into this type of system is, in my opinion, a recipe for disaster. Stability is key to success with SPS, and a 10-gallon tank is the exact opposite of stable.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 2:27 am
by Fablex8
benthos wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 4:01 pm
Hey all, back in the game after a 5-6 year break and I'm stoked to be diving in again with a bit more financial freedom. So, I was at a car park and some random dude just handed me a free 10g nano - guess you could say it was meant to be, haha. I've got the basics down on low-maintenance coral care, but I've always been fascinated by SPS and now I'm looking to take the plunge. I've been reading up on what it takes to keep them thriving and I'm under the impression that calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium are my top priorities, along with keeping nitrates and phosphates in check. My current setup is a 10g tank with no skimmer or sump - it's a bare-bottom tank with a 150w 14k halide and a Hydor Korlia Nano wave maker that's pushing around 65% turnover rate. I've got a gallon container on top of the tank that slowly drips water in for water changes and top-offs. My main question is, if I'm doing 10% daily water changes really slowly, will that be enough to support a heavily SPS-based tank, or will I still need to add supplements to keep things growing? No fish in the tank at the moment, but I'm planning on adding one or two down the line, so I'll have to balance nutrient waste and all that jazz, but that's a whole other story, haha.
Trying to tackle SPS on a tight budget is a recipe for disaster. You'll end up spending more in the long run trying to fix problems that could've been avoided by investing in quality equipment and supplies from the start.
Re: Daily water changes in a 10g sps tank: sufficient maintenance?
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:41 am
by thenoob
I think it's a mistake to rush into SPS without getting some experience under your belt. I started out with big dreams of a 210-gallon SPS tank, but it almost drove me crazy. I ended up switching gears and focusing on LPS and softies, and it's been a much more enjoyable ride. Now, after a few years, I'm slowly adding SPS back into the mix and having some success. The best part is, by starting with easier-to-keep corals, I've been able to save up for the fancy equipment I want for my SPS tank, like a calcium reactor and dosing pumps.