Two answers · maintenance

How often do you change the water?

First Tank verdict. A normal aquarist is on a weekly bucket. Living Oceans writes a slower water-change clock and a heavier first-month clean — because they expect algae while the reef settles.

Living Oceans source: water-change video — “half a tank volume every 8–12 weeks”; 25–50% partial; first-month checklist — glass and sand up to twice a week; quarterly test/change/filter; ATO ~monthly refill. Aquarist source: 20–30% weekly, vacuum substrate, don’t change 100%.

	Normal aquarist answer	Living Oceans answer
Water change	20–30% most weeks.	25–50%, about every 8–12 weeks (their training).
First month	Same weekly change, plus blooming bacteria.	Algae expected. Clean glass and sand up to twice a week.
Testing	You own a liquid kit. You use it.	FAQ: they test on scheduled maintenance visits (API Aquaspin), not a homework kit every Sunday.
Evaporation	You notice and top up.	ATO reservoir. Green sensor good, red sensor problem.

Complete system · not a glass box Their written schedule is quarterly-ish, not weekly buckets

Half-tank every 8–12 weeks in the training video. First month is glass and sand, often.

Living Oceans care checklist

First Tank may earn a commission. Living Oceans answers are taken from Living Oceans’ own guides, product pages and care checklists. Normal aquarist answers are standard hobby practice — not one shop.

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How often do you change the water?

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