How long will corals last?
- Thread starter Dom
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Tuan’s Reef
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Unattended? no water changes, or dosing? just left to its own devices? I would imagine it crashing within a few months.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
My tanks not one week......probably not even 2 days really, i don't understand what the question is for, I think you may be thinking of a painting of a reef tank... having no fish is harder than having fish, what does your current tank full of corals look like and require for maintenance?
OP
OP
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
My tanks are a healthy ecosystem. So if you can't leave your tank unattended for two days, there is something wrong.
And no, I am not thinking about a painting of a reef. You may not "understand what this question is for", but frankly, I understand your reply even less.
It is a simple question: How long can a coral only tank be left unattended? No water changes, just an ATO.
Can I get away with leaving it unattended for a week? Two weeks?
The "why" is not important.
\m/reefsnmetal\m/
Active Member
I think it depends largely on how densely stocked it is and what kind of corals in conjunction with your tanks maintenance routine. Any auto feeder or dosing besides ATO? Also how big the ATO reservoir is and your evaporation rate could answer the question for you.
To many variables for a good answer 2 weeks would be no problem with a low consumption of alk/calc/mag or automatic dosing setup would be better. Or a pump could fail or a heater fail or a power head fall and it wouldn't make it a day so most people setup a web cam to monitor it.
OP
OP
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
No, it isn't overly packed. It is a 65 gallon with ATO plumbed into my 40 gallon RODI storage tank.
It contains 2 softball sized hammer corals and about 10 pounds of live rock blanketed in Zoas.
A_Blind_Reefer
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If your going in the drunk tank for a night, you’ll be fine. If doing a nickel for robbery, I don’t think it will make it. Seriously though, it depends on so many factors that aren’t mentioned.
OP
OP
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
It sounds like I could easily do 10 days.
I have business and need to go out of town. I have someone reliable coming in to feed tanks with fish, I just needed to know if it was necessary for any attention on the coral tank.
I have business and need to go out of town. I have someone reliable coming in to feed tanks with fish, I just needed to know if it was necessary for any attention on the coral tank.
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10 days for two hammer corals and some zoas (with an ATO) is fine.
Some people can't go 2 days cuz they may have wall to wall corals or SPS and may have a bunch of technical dosing or testing or something. Just look up Kz products on BRS and see the 65 items found and go... coral booster? amino acids? flatworm stop? phols coral vitalizer? Phols extra? coral snow? acro glow?
the list goes on and on... lol so many magic potions.
Lots of ways to run a tank so it's not an easy answer without information.
Some people can't go 2 days cuz they may have wall to wall corals or SPS and may have a bunch of technical dosing or testing or something. Just look up Kz products on BRS and see the 65 items found and go... coral booster? amino acids? flatworm stop? phols coral vitalizer? Phols extra? coral snow? acro glow?
the list goes on and on... lol so many magic potions.
Lots of ways to run a tank so it's not an easy answer without information.
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thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
What's wrong with my systems?
I could only give you that short answer because the question doesn't fully make sense you have no lists of your systems in place with any information on how they are run accept they have no fish, how could anyone give you a qualified answer? You have no fish.... well you won't have to feed them....
Simple question ≈ simple answer = im unable to give an accurate answer based upon the information given in the question with unknown variables..
At the least what is this "tank full of corals" consist of type and what are the demands how are they being taken care of now is there automation in place already, my easy 2 day reference comes from my 6gallon ATO resivor goes dry in 2 days and I re fill it by hand, thats not even getting into other things that keep it going throughout the week.
Now reading you've released more information required, I dont think it will last the week...
PlumbTuckered
Active Member
Dude... what is your problem?
The OP asked a simple question and you offer nothing in return.
Stop creating confrontation, you drama junkie.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
Who are you and what are you talking about
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
What is your problem stop being so offended causing the actual drama its freedom of speech and my beliefs go somewhere else with that
PlumbTuckered
Active Member
I would think you'd be okay for a week or two. Just be sure your ATO is full so you don't get salinity swings.
as far as equipment failure, that is a gamble. But as long as your return pump and power heads are working together, you have redundancy.
Have power backup.
as far as equipment failure, that is a gamble. But as long as your return pump and power heads are working together, you have redundancy.
Have power backup.
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with good water quality and light/flow- Quite a Long time
