Is it this easy for anyone else? Thoughts please

specialk · Feb 25, 2016

Looking for thoughts here ...

So in my years of the saltwater game and learning and listening and learning and listening .. and TONS of "experimenting" and tons of failures... I found what works in keeping my SPS happy and growing, and it appears to be pretty easy. I am wondering if this works for anyone else as well ..

Recently about 7 months ago I was at my LFS and they had a gorgeous tank. About 145 gallons. PRISTINE SPS and tons of non stop growth. I asked them what they dosed with --- they said NOTHING. !!!...

Big protein skimmer and consistent water changes same day, every week, 10%. That's it.

So I adopted this strategy. I have a 6 ft long 145 gallon system. Big protein skimmer, Fuge with chaeto macro algae in it. Running 3 Ocean Revive S026's.

Started doing water changes every 2 weeks consistently. 20% of water. Like clock work every 2 weeks same day. .... the result ---> Corals never looked better and growth was rapid!!! No supplements. No chemicals ... just CONSISTENCY! Like clock work.

I have heard a few other say they do the same thing. But I am wondering if any others stick to this and how many others on here use this simple strategy.

Can it really be as simple as staying consistent and maintaining water changes?

kschweer · Feb 25, 2016

I also like to keep things simple. I do weekly water changes, run a skimmer, carbon and dose 2 part.

redfishbluefish · Feb 25, 2016

I too agree with simplicity and consistency. However, with hard corals, I don't know how you are getting away without doing something for Alk and Calc maintenance. Water changes alone can't keep up with the demand. I guess it's foolish to ask for alk and calc numbers?

reef lover · Feb 25, 2016

Yeah I agree my levels would drop catastrophically in just a few days....

specialk · Feb 25, 2016

redfishbluefish said:
I too agree with simplicity and consistency. However, with hard corals, I don't know how you are getting away without doing something for Alk and Calc maintenance. Water changes alone can't keep up with the demand. I guess it's foolish to ask for alk and calc numbers?

My Calcium is consistently at 4oo and Alk is at 9.8/3.5 ...I may also need to note, that I do not have HUGE tank load of SPS like many of the reef tanks you see on here .. have a minimal (I would say about 8 new frags 2 +inches) and 4-5 SPS that were frags 2 years ago that have now grown out ... I dont have the huge load that many do.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 25, 2016

In theory it should can and does work, but id still run the numbers.

Mr. Microscope · Feb 25, 2016

I think it just depends on how much bones you got growin' in there Vs. your water volume. I imagine with a large tank and a relatively small amount of acros, that large water changes should be sufficient (however inconsistent water parameters) to keep up with growth. Though, in my 25 gallon with just a few small colonies of SPS I have to dose 60mL of Alk and 60mL Ca to keep up (and, yes, I do weekly 6 gallon WC's). I believe this might be due to my acan garden. Lately, I've been considering ditching LPS so that I don't have to dose so much.

For reference:

That being said, I agree that keeping acros happy and growing doesn't take a huge amount of work or concentration. Though, any lapse in concentration/laziness and my acros let me know right away that I need to get back on track.

revhtree · Feb 25, 2016

I need to be more constant with water changes.

happyhourhero · Feb 25, 2016

I have 20 or so small sps frags and some other mixed corals and my Alk and Cal will for sure not keep up with a weekely WC. I use Kalk in my top off to keep up. Dont dose anything else.

fishbrain · Feb 25, 2016

My tank consumes 320ml of alk and 250ml of calcium two part a day. It would crash very quickly without it.

aereaus · Feb 25, 2016

I dose but i dose only with top off water it toom several months to perfect but my levels virtually always stay the same. Alk never budges from 10.5, calcium stays around 450 and magnesium around 1390.

Battlecorals · Feb 25, 2016

specialk said:
Looking for thoughts here ...

So in my years of the saltwater game and learning and listening and learning and listening .. and TONS of "experimenting" and tons of failures... I found what works in keeping my SPS happy and growing, and it appears to be pretty easy. I am wondering if this works for anyone else as well ..

Recently about 7 months ago I was at my LFS and they had a gorgeous tank. About 145 gallons. PRISTINE SPS and tons of non stop growth. I asked them what they dosed with --- they said NOTHING. !!!...

Big protein skimmer and consistent water changes same day, every week, 10%. That's it.

So I adopted this strategy. I have a 6 ft long 145 gallon system. Big protein skimmer, Fuge with chaeto macro algae in it. Running 3 Ocean Revive S026's.

Started doing water changes every 2 weeks consistently. 20% of water. Like clock work every 2 weeks same day. .... the result ---> Corals never looked better and growth was rapid!!! No supplements. No chemicals ... just CONSISTENCY! Like clock work.

I have heard a few other say they do the same thing. But I am wondering if any others stick to this and how many others on here use this simple strategy.

Can it really be as simple as staying consistent and maintaining water changes?

Right on man, keeping things simple and a fairly keen eye, are all it really takes to be successful with SPS. I've been stressing this for years now.

SunnyX · Feb 25, 2016

Yes, it can be very simple once you know how to properly monitor and maintain a reef aquarium. I keep my systems as simple as possible, forgoing "fancy" controllers, dosers, and many other tech products. I feel that the more complicated the system the greater the chance for things to go wrong.

An SPS system can be maintained simply with strong flow, lighting, and water changes. Of course you'll need CA and ALK , of which I supplement with simple kalkwasser and two part. My systems have never had anything fancy. The sumps have been standard glass tanks, no baffles. The tank would have one line to drain and another to return.

I don't chase numbers and refuse to do so. I see too many reefers these days over thinking the tanks chemistry. Some people even go as far as purchasing expensive PAR meters to measure every inch of their display. Unless you're running LED you don't need a PAR meter. MH and T5 are plug and play. All too often people waste time focusing on numbers when they should be focusing on que's from the corals. If a coral isn't happy in a certain spot then it'll be sure to tell you.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to stay on top of your parameters but people tend to get lost in the numbers. They notice something slightly off and then exasperate the issue and end up creating even more problems.

The only parameters that I monitor daily are the temperature and pH. If they are both in line and the corals look good then I have no worries. Once a month I'll test ALK and CA. I have a Hanna meter but never test po4. I use filter socks, carbon and occasionally GFO. Water changes are done once a month. Other than that everything else is optional. I use Zeo Coral Snow with MB7 from time to time in order to clarify the water.

As with life, keep it simple and you'll be all the happier for it. Simplicity is genius.

KingTriton · Feb 25, 2016

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

Atif · Feb 26, 2016

specialk said:
Looking for thoughts here ...

So in my years of the saltwater game and learning and listening and learning and listening .. and TONS of "experimenting" and tons of failures... I found what works in keeping my SPS happy and growing, and it appears to be pretty easy. I am wondering if this works for anyone else as well ..

Recently about 7 months ago I was at my LFS and they had a gorgeous tank. About 145 gallons. PRISTINE SPS and tons of non stop growth. I asked them what they dosed with --- they said NOTHING. !!!...

Big protein skimmer and consistent water changes same day, every week, 10%. That's it.

So I adopted this strategy. I have a 6 ft long 145 gallon system. Big protein skimmer, Fuge with chaeto macro algae in it. Running 3 Ocean Revive S026's.

Started doing water changes every 2 weeks consistently. 20% of water. Like clock work every 2 weeks same day. .... the result ---> Corals never looked better and growth was rapid!!! No supplements. No chemicals ... just CONSISTENCY! Like clock work.

I have heard a few other say they do the same thing. But I am wondering if any others stick to this and how many others on here use this simple strategy.

Can it really be as simple as staying consistent and maintaining water changes?

I agreed .... protein skimmer is like a heart in reef...

jsanchez · Feb 26, 2016

I don't do water changes on any tank I've had. I do dose all my main elements though. So far coral growth is wonderful and polyp extension is among. I do have am issue with purple / blue sps corals fading. So I ordered red seas coral colors kit. Hopefully that'll help.

beastium · Feb 26, 2016

What salt do you use?

jsanchez · Feb 26, 2016

hw marine reefer mix

aereaus · Feb 26, 2016

I really like red sea coral pro -- makes the weekly water changes easy.

jsanchez · Feb 26, 2016

aereaus said:
I really like red sea coral pro -- makes the weekly water changes easy.

I loved rscp but it has too high of a base alk for me. I switched to the base mix of red sea then over to HW marine. I love how hw marine mixes clear in less than 10 minutes. It is pricey but since I don't do water changes a box lasts me over a year.