Important Variables of a Successful Reef tank

[StubbyAcro]

If you were trying to gather information from the masters, what variables do you consider important or worth gathering? Here's my list:

Am I missing anything or should I remove some of them?

 

[TX_REEF]

Salinity? Or is it there and I missed it

 

[StubbyAcro]

Salinity? Or is it there and I missed it

I don't think there's much variability in how reefkeepers keep their salinity so I decided to leave that one out.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Quarantine, testing frequency.

 

[StubbyAcro]

Nevermind, I think salinity is worth gathering. Same with quarantine.

 

[DanyL]

I don't think there's much variability in how reefkeepers keep their salinity so I decided to leave that one out.

There is as much variability in how reefers keep their saliny just as much as many other variables in the list.
Some keep it as low as 1.0023, while others go as high as 1.0026.

But may I ask what exactly you’re trying to gather here? Because in my opinion - there are way too many ways and combinations to keep a successful reef, and reefers some utilize more than one method concurrently, or don’t have a specific preference for one over the other.

I also find having a concreate questioning of the values reefers keep their numbers at to be a bit “short sighted” (for the lack of way to describe it) - I keep my numbers at a certain range rather than a hard in stone number, and just trying to keep it stabilized.

Also, I guess having a question about testing regime and water change percentage would be useful information as well.

 

[StubbyAcro]

I was reading Mike Paletta’s article Tank Parameters of Some Masters and wondered if someone had compiled data from TOTM winners but so far I haven’t found anyone that did just that. I think such data would be of value to the reefing community. I want opinions on what parameters are important, that’s why I created this thread. I don’t know if I would do it though.

Like you said, there are tons of variables and most of the variables aren’t exactly “set” either but things would get extremely messy if we don’t simplify things.

Like in the matter of water change, there’s so many ways to do it but I don’t think the data would become less meaningful if we ignore the percentage and group the water change to weekly, biweekly, monthly and rarely.

Hopefully I don’t oversimplify things too far that the data become useless.

 

[ryanjohn1]

My 2 cents it mostly money and patience and good housekeeping.

 

[CasperOe]

If you were trying to gather information from the masters, what variables do you consider important or worth gathering? Here's my list:

Am I missing anything or should I remove some of them?

Curious what this is for? Is it just for yourself? Looks like a lot of effort!

 

[StubbyAcro]

It’s just a html form to make it easier for me to key in information from TOTM articles. I will share the data once I’m done(if I decided to do it).

 

[Paul B]

Looks like you have just about everything covered. Of course if you have an old tank you don't have to concern yourself about the vast majority of those measurements or test for them, but it is good to know aprox. what they are.

I think my tank temp is 80 but it varies greatly as does my salinity. I don't really test for anything else but I also don't have the nicest tank on here and and I don't keep SPS any more so my opinion isn't valid for many tanks.

 

[Jeffbear]

Does the Refugium include Algae scrubbers?

 

[StubbyAcro]

I should include filter socks, GFO and Lanthanum Chloride. Possibly even sulfur denitrator.

Does the Refugium include Algae scrubbers?

Oh, I forgot that existed. I will include it. Thanks.