Is a "Kiss" Reef possible ?

[riche]

I have tried and tried to set up many saltwater tanks and have had some success but always throw in the towel after awhile.

My wife really wants me to set up my 90 gallon that I bought last year into a mixed reef.

I want to go with the "K.I.S.S method Keep it simple stupid lol

So basically a sump, skimmer and return pump or a sump, fuge and return pump

I dont want to have to run a UV or a a algae scrubber. I dont really want to get into dosing as I think thats over my head right now.

No controller, just a temp controller. Simple every two week water changes with ro/di water and reef crystals

A couple of jebao powerheads and a led light of some sort Not sure which one I will go with yet.

Is this possible to have a nice mixed reef ( Non sps )?

 

[Nick Steele]

Of course it is!

Heck I’ve seen some impressive softie tanks. Just go for it and keep your eye on your levels because even with lps you’ll probably need to start dosing at one point but will take some time.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I have tried and tried to set up many saltwater tanks and have had some success but always throw in the towel after awhile.

My wife really wants me to set up my 90 gallon that I bought last year into a mixed reef.

I want to go with the "K.I.S.S method Keep it simple stupid lol

So basically a sump, skimmer and return pump or a sump, fuge and return pump

I dont want to have to run a UV or a a algae scrubber. I dont really want to get into dosing as I think thats over my head right now.

No controller, just a temp controller. Simple every two week water changes with ro/di water and reef crystals

A couple of jebao powerheads and a led light of some sort Not sure which one I will go with yet.

Is this possible to have a nice mixed reef ( Non sps )?

Yes absolutely.

Now to quantify that. Many here run reefs on canister filters. You don't need a doser, but eventually You will need to be the doser. With any coral and cuc growth, your alk will drop for two weeks between water changes. That's not great for stability.i manually add 3g reef builder every 3 days to my frag tank. It is a Kiss model. Fluval filter, heater, spray bar. That's it.

You don't need a uv or ats. The issues those solve can usually be headed off with proper food portions. The skimmer and fuge would do the rest.

All the do dad's you can add on are Add ONS. Not a necessary requirement.

 

[mfinn]

I would consider both my tanks in line with the "kiss method" Sump, skimmer, refugium, water changes.

 

[RipVanWinkle]

My 36 gallon reef has nothing but a canister filter and a jebao wave maker the heater failed the other day and I realized the tank runs at 77 without it anyways so I’m not replacing it. Viparspectra light

keep it simple stupid! I don’t even do water changes.

There would be more corals but dummy me put a camel shrimp in there he eats all my nice zoas

 

[EricR]

It's definitely possible,,, until you start reading/thinking and decide you want/need more "stuff" (equipment).

*Disclaimer -- only have 2 new zoas (couple/few weeks) in self-contained 40 gallon with 2 HOBs + 1 power head, nothing external. (So far so good, including fish+inverts for about a year).
...and then I needed an ATO,,, and next ???

 

[X-37B]

Their are many kiss methods that work well for all types of tanks.
Have a plan and stick to it and you will be successful.

 

[albano]

Of course it is!

Heck I’ve seen some impressive softie tanks. Just go for it and keep your eye on your levels because even with lps you’ll probably need to start dosing at one point but will take some time.

+1… and not just because I have family in PStL…
I have 200g and 500g softie tanks set up KISS… no apex, cal reactors, etc… only ‘test kits’ that I have/use is swing arm hydrometer and thermometers.

 

[k2-]

So as a newbie and not an experienced reef keeper with only 2 year in hobby I did start with the same principal- however for mixed reef - you may wanna think a bit more. My experience - sps are not forgiving like Lps sometimes. So monitoring and maintaining levels become the biggest challenge and hence mic (makes it complicated) but your best chance will be with Refugium and dosing imho but would love to learn more

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

It's definitely possible,,, until you start reading/thinking and decide you want/need more "stuff" (equipment).

This is about gospel....

WE are the reason kiss tanks become more intricate with gear.

 

[Bob Weigant]

Not only do I say yes but that’s how all my tanks have been over the years

 

[Duncan62]

I have tried and tried to set up many saltwater tanks and have had some success but always throw in the towel after awhile.

My wife really wants me to set up my 90 gallon that I bought last year into a mixed reef.

I want to go with the "K.I.S.S method Keep it simple stupid lol

So basically a sump, skimmer and return pump or a sump, fuge and return pump

I dont want to have to run a UV or a a algae scrubber. I dont really want to get into dosing as I think thats over my head right now.

No controller, just a temp controller. Simple every two week water changes with ro/di water and reef crystals

A couple of jebao powerheads and a led light of some sort Not sure which one I will go with yet.

Is this possible to have a nice mixed reef ( Non sps )?

Easy. Only filtration is an oversized tray scrubber. This one is 2 months old. Mostly no skimmer. Just algea.

 

[nashvillian]

Triton method sump, AWC

 

[GARRIGA]

I’m experimenting with 20g at the moment before having my DY built. Keeping it ultra simple. No sump. No skimmer. No WC. No mechanical expiry of nutrients prior to filtration. Oversized the filtration and testing with and without carbon dosing at different flow speeds through the media. Goal is reduced maintenance and increased stability.

DT changes will be adding an oversized UV for periodic use and not 24/7. Only other change being dosing and possibly adding a manifold to returning water from the filter to pass through UltraFiltration canister to polish the water and replace the UV. Might have that on a time to not be 24/7. Scrub down to 0.5 microns which could be run extended 24/7 should an infection breakout such as ich. Latter still being researched.

Not having a sump will also reduce possibility of overflows to my house and greatly reduce noise. Which will likely be aided by fanless lighting solutions such as Coral Care 2 or ATI Staton or just adding more lights and tuning at lower integrities to keep fan noise down.

 

[ApoIsland]

I have tried and tried to set up many saltwater tanks and have had some success but always throw in the towel after awhile.

My wife really wants me to set up my 90 gallon that I bought last year into a mixed reef.

I want to go with the "K.I.S.S method Keep it simple stupid lol

So basically a sump, skimmer and return pump or a sump, fuge and return pump

I dont want to have to run a UV or a a algae scrubber. I dont really want to get into dosing as I think thats over my head right now.

No controller, just a temp controller. Simple every two week water changes with ro/di water and reef crystals

A couple of jebao powerheads and a led light of some sort Not sure which one I will go with yet.

Is this possible to have a nice mixed reef ( Non sps )?

I have been doing it 10 years this way. I have a mixed reef with almost no dosing. My alk was always low but didn’t seem to be a problem. Occasionally dripped lime water and just recently started with baking soda which I of course screwed up. Probably should have stayed with the no dose approach

There is not even a skimmer in this tank as I don’t put much food in.

90g is a great size as you can have a couple tangs for algae control. I just downsized from a 120 to a 90 and couldn’t be happier.

 

[Yodeling]

IMHO, the trend nowadays is to go overboard with adding as much complexity to the tank as possible. The popularity of controllers being the main culprit. These overcomplicated systems then cause reliability problems and cascading issues that force people to purchase more complicated systems, that lead to more problems, etc etc.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

90g is a great size as you can have a couple tangs for algae control. I just downsized from a 120 to a 90 and couldn’t be happier.
[/QUOTE]

A single bristle tooth tang may do okay in that 90 and would be great algea control. Multiple tangs in a 90 is Ill advised.

 

[Paul B]

I am KISS all the way. No dosers or controllers and not even a sump. I have a DIY skimmer and I did make a DIY algae scrubber for like two bucks that hangs over my tank. I also use a DIY reverse undergravel filter.

No problems yet and the tank is running for fifty years so far.

 

[Dbichler]

My 210 is set up for softies only do water changes when I have time about every 3-6 months but dose diy nopox for nutrient control. Don’t adjust lights or anything set and forget don’t do any testing

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I am the auto top off , the doser, tester and when I remember, the water changer. Water rock, fish and coral. I do have a skimmer.