Fish-less Reef Tanks?

[pecan2phat]

Just wondering if anyone keeps a fish-less reef tank?
I recently had to pull out all my fish so that the tank can go fallow due to ich, flukes, you name it, I probably have it!
So going on 3.5 weeks and it just seems like the reef tank is so calm and clear without any of the fish. Only problems that I see is me doing all the work that the fish use to do.
I probably have had my arm in the tank every day for the 3.5 weeks pulling either a tiny tuft of hair algae or some valonia off the rocks, something that the tangs use to take care of and the copper band butt kept the partying down for the aiptasia.
My QT'd fish will go back in after the fallow period but was just enjoying the tank and corals that much more without the fish, anyone else feel this way?

 

[icejam]

I had mine with no fish for 5 weeks. Really liked it but wife demanded fish
You can get couple of snails or hermit crabs, urchins and such to keep the tank clean.
My clean up crew of 12 critters keeps mine in order.

 

[pecan2phat]

I have a bunch of snails, hermits and shrimps in the tank already but it seems like algae and new aiptasia pops up daily.
I'm relatively amazed at how the fish we tend to keep in our reef tanks mostly keep all these uglies at bay.

 

[mcarroll]

I've almost never had fish in my home tanks. Makes them easier to keep....corals don't seem to care. You're right about the algae aspect in that it's you and the snails now instead of fish and snails. Overall the levels of food going into the system will have declined to match the new bio-load, so the bubble-algae's days are numbered. You just have to keep nudging the tank in that direction and be patient.

What do your nitrates and phosphates read? Are you doing anything to "artificially" lower either one?

 

[pecan2phat]

There is an ARID chaeto reactor plumbed in for nitrate removal, my system is skimmer less. I still use a small amount of GFO with all the feedings and the ARID was unable to compete with the P04.
My last test were on 9/7/18 (was fallow since 8/30/18) and N03 was undetectable via Salifert and the P04 was 0.21 via Hanna.
I've been ghost feeding 2x a week to keep the bacteria colonies stable.

 

[pecan2phat]

Prior to going fallow, N03 read 2.5 ppm

 

[Aquavaj]

I remember going to a local reefer's house for some frags and all he had in his 150 was just a pair of maroon clowns. They were huge though with the female around 4-5". I bought it up and he said he didn't really care for fish and only had them for the kids.

 

[mcarroll]

2.5 was already pretty low....

You'll have a tough time growing anything other than pest algae (vs beneficial algae like coraline) with no nutrients in the water.

For the good of the display I would stop using GFO and keep the reactor tuned LOW-low until your corals have matured and you have pod city happening in there with them. (Stop everything aside from dosing for calcium, alk and magnesium, basically.)

You're unlikely to starve bubble-algae as you'd want to anyway...not without provoking something worse like dino's. Do you presently have a little bubble or "a lot"? (Pic?)

In the long run you will probably need neither the GFO nor the algae reactor for a coral-only tank, so be mindful not to let either one compete with the display for nutrients. (That's not what they're there for. )

Sounds like you can use the help of some more CUC too, so don't hesitate there. Some emerald crabs....probably more snails. See how it goes!

 

[pecan2phat]

Thanks mcarroll!
I currently have just a little bit of Valonia here and there but we all know how out of hand it can get if left unchecked.
I once saw a post on RC many years ago where a new reefer posted a pic of his tank and describing this wonderful natural algae that was growing in his tank and he felt it was a beautiful thing. My 1st thought was Halimeda or caulerpa but when you scrolled down for the pic, every inch of his live rock was covered in dense Valonia, Lol!
My fish will eventually go back into the display, I just wanted to see if others kept reef tanks without fish and what their maintenance was like.
A few bad pics of the tank currently: