I can't wait for this reef to mature....

[revhtree Verified Admin]

How many of you have said or thought this? "I can't wait for this reef to mature!" How many of you are still waiting years later? Sometimes it manures instead of matures. HA!

I started thinking about this statement and question and it got me wondering what the definition of a "mature" reef tank is. Does mature mean corals are growing out of the water and you have to prune them every week? Or is it mature when you can keep acropora successfully? Or is your tank mature when you can grow coralline, or keep clams, or house mandarins? What is it!!

What do you consider a "mature" reef tank to be?

image via @reef jacob and his thread here.

 

[MnFish1]

I chose 'other'. It seems to me that it depends on the goal each individual has for 'their tank'. Some people dont want coral at all - some people want LPS only, some want zoas, etc etc. Mature would mean (as a general definition): All of the inhabitants chosen by the individual are stable/healthy/growing, are not 'fighting each other' - either with fins/tails or chemicals (i.e. corals). The amount of testing/maintanence for a 'mature' tank may be less than an immature tank. The aquarist can look at the coral/fish and see even at early stages that 'something is not right'

The question becomes then is it the aquarist that's 'mature' or the 'tank'.

 

[Taxus812]

I may be a new reefer but I think it’s mature when it can Maintain biology (of course) and survive deficient conditions.

 

[Paul B]

I couldn't answer any of the choices because I really don't know. But I would define it as when nothing ever dies except from old age.
I am also hoping for that for myself.

 

[Peace River]

. . .
What do you consider a "mature" reef tank to be?
. . . .

I consider a mature reef tank to be a fully functioning ecosystem.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Balance in the micro and macro fauna populations. Live Rock to start off with instead of dead I hope it works rock. Fish are added after filter feeders and some corals at about say 6 months from tank start. CUC are stable and doing their job. Water quality is in norms to natural sea water as much as possible.

 

[beaslbob]

I consider a mature reef tank to be a fully functioning ecosystem.

I agree.

One very key component is for there to be enough plant life (corraline, algae, or macro algae) so that the tank is balanced out and stabilized. Which does not take years if the tank is started out with macro algaes right from the start.

 

[MnFish1]

I agree.

One very key component is for there to be enough plant life (corraline, algae, or macro algae) so that the tank is balanced out and stabilized. Which does not take years if the tank is started out with macro algaes right from the start.

Curious - do you mean in a refugium - or in the tank or both (in reality - there is no difference between the refugium and the tank - all the water goes throughout - just curious what you meant)

 

[DarthSimon]

There is really no magic number on a tank being "Mature". When corals are growing, fish are happy, and tank parameters are super stable. That is when you have a mature tank.

 

[beaslbob]

Curious - do you mean in a refugium - or in the tank or both (in reality - there is no difference between the refugium and the tank - all the water goes throughout - just curious what you meant)

Generally you'll need a refugium to protect the macros from the livestock. But that can be s simple partition to separate the macros from the livestock.


my .02

 

[MnFish1]

Generally you'll need a refugium to protect the macros from the livestock. But that can be s simple partition to separate the macros from the livestock.


my .02

Why - when I grew macro algae (back in the day) it wasn't a problem of keeping the macroalgae protected - rather it was a problem of keeping the macro algae in check?

 

[beaslbob]

Why - when I grew macro algae (back in the day) it wasn't a problem of keeping the macroalgae protected - rather it was a problem of keeping the macro algae in check?

understand.

my old 55g with tangs and especially crabs could not grow macros because the livestock especially the crabs eat it faster then it grew.

At first I cultured the macros in another 20g tank and transferred some the the 55g each week or so. Still the macros did not keep up.

I then put some egg crate 3" in front the back glass and added 2 -2 tube shop lights behind the tank pointing forward. At that point the macro took off, the tangs constantly grazed on the macros that poked through the egg crate and nitrates dropped to unmeasureable in 3 weeks. Tap water, no water changes, normal output lights. 55g with two 5" tangs. Ran for years and years. even had some easy type corals.

my .02

 

[beaslbob]

Why - when I grew macro algae (back in the day) it wasn't a problem of keeping the macroalgae protected - rather it was a problem of keeping the macro algae in check?

On second thought. LOL

Some hard algaes like halimedia will survive in the display. I was using caulerpa and chaeto which were eagerly attacked by the tangs.

Additionally, those hard algaes from what I hear need very similar conditions to hard corals. So they can be an indicator if hard corals would do well except for things like copper which affect the corals but not the macro algaes.

my .02

 

[littlebigreef]

To me a mature aquarium is one where the biology is stabilized/consistent AND the corals (or nems) are growing together.

 

[James M]

IMO a mature reef tank is a stable environment.

 

[RJ F.]

A mature tank to me is a tank that could tell you how they used to reef in the good ol' days not this new fancy pansy aquarium controller and what not.

J/k

I'm just here to watch

 

[vetteguy53081]

When you are Not afraid to add any coral and can grow anything- It's Mature to me !!!

 

[Hermie]

A tank is Mature when kids aren't allowed to see it

 

[reefwiser]

Stability

 

[beaslbob]

FWIW and just my pet peeve.

Stability is when a system has a steady state and tends to return to that state when it deviates.

It is not unchanging or constant.

Just my .02