(Almost) no water changes on a saltwater tank?

[Himawari]

In my opinion, good live rock is the easiest way to get your first tank up and running quickly, and with fewer problems as you proceed. Starting with dry rock and sand is fine, but like a 'no water change' system, it's more advanced, and takes a lot longer to complete.

That makes sense. I believe that I can get live rocks at my local fish store so I would probably go that route then!

 

[Fish Fan]

They don’t sell the same one in Japan but this one looks quite similar (I’m not too sure how you would connect it to a faucet though) and the price is reasonable too.

https://amzn.asia/d/3xBSMEX

I did think about getting actual seawater but I live in Tokyo on the opposite side of the sea so it’s unfortunately not an option

That water filter looks really similar to what I linked, except that it has only the Reverse Osmosis (RO) filter. Most reefers use an RO filter followed by a DeIonization unit (DI) to fully prepare their freshwater. See if they have a version that includes the Deionization filter. Look for RO with DI, or simply an RODI filter. I'll bet that GeekPure filter and the RO Buddy I linked are made by the same people.

 

[Himawari]

That water filter looks really similar to what I linked, except that it has only the Reverse Osmosis (RO) filter. Most reefers use an RO filter followed by a DeIonization unit (DI) to fully prepare their freshwater. See if they have a version that includes the Deionization filter. Look for RO with DI, or simply an RODI filter. I'll bet that GeekPure filter and the RO Buddy I linked are made by the same people.

I could only find two different RODI systems for like $500 or something so it’s a very big difference. I guess I’ll keep looking.
Also, what kind of filter/skimmer would you recommend?
I’ve looked into sumps just to see what it would be like but everyone in Japan seems to be using an overflow system (I don’t know if that’s what it’s called in English) so they have a hole at the bottom of their tank. My tank is a normal one though and it doesn’t have a hole in it (although my cabinet has two, I didn’t even know what they were at first as I had never heard of sumps). I am not planning on buying a new tank so is there any way I could still have a sump without an overflow system?

 

[305 Steve]

I could only find two different RODI systems for like $500 or something so it’s a very big difference. I guess I’ll keep looking.
Also, what kind of filter/skimmer would you recommend?
I’ve looked into sumps just to see what it would be like but everyone in Japan seems to be using an overflow system (I don’t know if that’s what it’s called in English) so they have a hole at the bottom of their tank. My tank is a normal one though and it doesn’t have a hole in it (although my cabinet has two, I didn’t even know what they were at first as I had never heard of sumps). I am not planning on buying a new tank so is there any way I could still have a sump without an overflow system?

Honestly for your tank size and space needs id get a cheap HOB skimmer that utilizes a venturi so you can add some CDX to reduce co2 as you are in a smaller space.

Currently i would recommend against any skimming, carbon, additives, or large water changes from when you get your tank setup until the biome is established and the proper rate of cycling has been achieved. For now i would start with the tank, live rock, live sand, if your tank is not AIO i recommend getting an overrated mechanical filter and a powerhead for good flow, and good premixed salt water or if you are mixing your own then a good salt mix and fresh RO or distilled water if no RO is available. RO buddy as mentioned by @Fish Fan is a great option for your space so if you cannot import that product then i would look at a DIY option or similar sized option. This hobby rewards those with patience and tenacity to learn and be open to knowledge.

You can go the sump route but if simplicity and space is your concern, there are many extremely successful SW and Reef tanks that run on mechanical filtration. If you do choose the sump route, you absolutely can do it without drilling holes. Purchase a hang on back overflow box. Make sure to add a check hole to the return above the water level to prevent siphoning.

 

[Fish Fan]

I think there must be someone that can ship these kinds of things to your location. Amazon, Walmart, eBay? Where have you looked? You don't need to spend $500 on an RODI. You can use the RO filter you found earlier and just add another stage and some DI resin. Someone has to be able to get you a canister for DI shipped to you.

Starting with nearly pure fresh water is a big part of being successful in this hobby. I don't know anything about the drinking water quality where you live, there are some places where it would be alright to use for your saltwater aquarium, but most of us start with RODI filtered water so we can be sure we are filtering out all the things in the water that we don't want in our tank, including pollutants, micro organisms, even prescription medication has worked its way into the drinking water here in the US.

Where do you plan on getting your fish and livestock from? If there's an aquarium store near you they will probably sell you filtered freshwater and pre-mixed saltwater, but you'll need a couple of buckets or containers to transport it, and that gets old really fast, in my opinion. If you are getting you fish shipped to you, I'm sure one of these vendors would be able to ship you dry goods, like some DI resin.

Is there anyone else in your area that also has aquariums? Can you ask them what they do for water and where they get their livestock and dry goods?

 

[Himawari]

@305 Steve I think I’ll get a HOB skimmer then and do as you said for setting up my tank! It’s probably the best option in my situation and it is definitely less intimidating than setting up a sump

As for the RODI system, I’m not from the US (although I did study there for a couple of years, which is why I’m familiar with Walmart etc.) so I don’t know anyone who could ship me a DI canister from there. I could try to ask family to send me what I need from France as I’m pretty sure they’re selling the same stuff as in the US but it would depend on the shipping costs.

Water quality must be pretty good here though (maybe thanks to all the mountains we have) because I found out that most Japanese people rely on liquid formulas (like the aquasafe stuff you would use for freshwater)!
Like every single guide for making saltwater I’ve read in Japanese uses those! I was really shocked!
I’m now wondering if I could have 30G of saltwater shipped to set up my tank and then use a liquid formula when making my own saltwater for water changes. It would definitely make everything easier but I’m not sure it’s the safest option. Everyone seems to be doing it and (apparently) does not have any issues with it here though, so who knows.

I have an aquarium store not too far from home (about 20 mins away) but don’t have a car to get saltwater from there. I don’t think they sell it anyway (at least I didn’t see any when I went there last time) and even if I had a car and they sold it, having to transport several buckets of saltwater and storing them would be tricky (and let’s admit it, going there regularly would be a pain).

I’m thinking of getting live rocks and sand from an online store +the saltwater for setting up my tank (based on my research, it’s actually the only store that ships saltwater in Japan!) but will definitely get livestock from the store nearby. It’s more fun this way too!

I don’t know anyone in my area with a saltwater tank and unfortunately Facebook groups are not very popular here so finding someone might be harder. I can always ask my aquarium store what people usually do to make their saltwater though, they must know.

 

[Charles Zinn]

Hi there!

I’ve had a 30G (110l) freshwater tank for more than five years but am thinking of converting it to a saltwater tank once my last fish passes away.
My dream is to have a tank with two clownfish, one or two yellow tail damsel, and a cleaning crew. I would be okay not adding the damsels if it would allow me to create less waste. Also, I did not mention corals but I guess I would need some to help with the “self-sustaining” side?

The thing is that I live in Japan and apartments are quite small. It’s hard for me to picture doing lots of water changes in a small space and had always told myself that maintaining a saltwater tank would probably not work out.
This is all until I saw YouTube videos that describe ways to do almost no water changes by checking parameters and adding various elements depending on the parameters to make adjustments.

Now I still need to do more research on this but do you think it would be doable?

I would also like to point out that I don’t think I would be able to have a sump as I’m worried earthquakes might spill the water everywhere.

If doable, I am planning on using already made seasalt water to set up my tank and add water when it evaporates. The thing is that it is an expensive option and it’s hard to get here (almost no shop sells already made water), which is another reason why I was looking into ways to do almost no water changes.

Please tell me if this is a stupid idea or not. If you think it’s doable, should I still do water changes for the first few weeks/months before turning to no water changes?

I know that I still need to educate myself on all of this but it would be great if someone could give me some advice

Thanks in advance for your responses!

look into Fauna Marin products

 

[Fish Fan]

Your aquarium store almost certainly sells water if you ask them. They also quite likely have dry goods.

Look for a company to ship to you, not an individual; Amazon, eBay, Walmart and others all ship internationally.