Minimum maintenance successful tanks. Who runs one? post pics.

Stephensx04 · Dec 4, 2020

Took a break from the hobby for about 6 years now and collecting parts and pieces to get back in. In past had a 55 gallon tank. Then when I moved I went to a 4 gallon pico tank. Had that tank running for over 4 years. My life is usually pretty busy and kinda let the tank do its thing and thrived. Occasional water changes and fill top off water tank.

Fast forward to now. Just ordered a 120 gallon tank and planning on built in with sump in basement. I like the idea of all the trick gadgets to run everything and monitor but price wise its not in budget right now. So to bring back to original topic. How many keep a successful reef tank with very min equipment or maintenance. Please provide pic and small description of how you do it. What equipment you run.

GlassMunky · Dec 4, 2020

My biocube is the epitome of minimal maintenance. I only top of the evap and maybe once every few months will I do a water change, but only if I feel like it.
no skimmer, no dosing, no nothing, just a light on a timer and pumps that run 24/7

I even kept a rainford goby in there for years and never fed the tank. He pooped which fed algae which he ate.
The key is finding that balance and once it’s there, don’t change anything.

Flippers4pups · Dec 4, 2020

125 gallon DT, basement sump. Dosing kalkwasser in the reservoir.

92Miata · Dec 4, 2020

Have you looked at the Reef-Pi stuff? I'm running a robo-tank controller on mine - was about $175 and is controlling top off, dosing pumps, temp, refugium lights and a bunch of other stuff

Stephensx04 · Dec 4, 2020

92Miata said:
Have you looked at the Reef-Pi stuff? I'm running a robo-tank controller on mine - was about $175 and is controlling top off, dosing pumps, temp, refugium lights and a bunch of other stuff

I will look into that. Thank you.

HB AL · Dec 4, 2020

I run a very simple system, no controllers, no dosers, etc... I haven't done a water change in 4+ years. About as simple as you can have in a reef tank and having great success in my mind.
I have a skimmer and rock in my sump. Its a mixed reef with lots of different corals and lots of fish.

Stephensx04 · Dec 4, 2020

HB AL said:
I run a very simple system, no controllers, no dosers, etc... I haven't done a water change in 4+ years. About as simple as you can have in a reef tank and having great success in my mind.
I have a skimmer and rock in my sump. Its a mixed reef with lots of different corals and lots of fish.

Amazing looking. Thats what I'm talking about. Care to share a little more about your set up?

vetteguy53081 · Dec 4, 2020

3 tanks- change filters, clean glass and filter socks and add water as needed

HB AL · Dec 4, 2020

Stephensx04 said:
Amazing looking. Thats what I'm talking about. Care to share a little more about your set up?

Well it is pretty simple, I add once a month 30ml each of RedSea ABCD, I keep 6 bags in my sump, 2 gac, 2 phosgaurd and 2 purigen. I dose 10 to 20ml of Nopox daily. I have Kessils 3 160's and 4 360's lighting it. I throw in twice a week phyto and zoo plankton. I feed the fish 10 to 12 Hikari frozen cubes a day,, that is really it.

Hermie · Dec 4, 2020

I think soft corals are key

CMMorgan · Dec 4, 2020

Flippers4pups said:
125 gallon DT, basement sump. Dosing kalkwasser in the reservoir.

This is a spectacular tank.

CMMorgan · Dec 4, 2020

HB AL said:
Well it is pretty simple, I add once a month 30ml each of RedSea ABCD, I keep 6 bags in my sump, 2 gac, 2 phosgaurd and 2 purigen. I dose 10 to 20ml of Nopox daily. I have Kessils 3 160's and 4 360's lighting it. I throw in twice a week phyto and zoo plankton. I feed the fish 10 to 12 Hikari frozen cubes a day,, that is really it.

That's a lot of fish cubes. What size is this magical tank?

Flippers4pups · Dec 4, 2020

CMMorgan said:
This is a spectacular tank.

Thank you! I don't dose anything except kalkwasser in the ATO reservoir. 10 gallon water change weekly using plan IO. Broadcast LRS reef frenzy. Modded Chinese black boxes. No controller. Simple.

CMMorgan · Dec 5, 2020

Wow. There is beauty in basics. I just started dosing calcium chloride and soda ash. I've never been able to keep all stable. Calcium just ebbs and crashes.
I really want to get a routine going in the new build that lets me enjoy it without going broke... In time or money. You show it can be done!!! #my hero...# goals

ZoWhat · Dec 5, 2020

HB AL · Dec 5, 2020

CMMorgan said:
That's a lot of fish cubes. What size is this magical tank?

90g

GlassMunky · Dec 5, 2020

HB AL said:
I run a very simple system, no controllers, no dosers, etc... I haven't done a water change in 4+ years. About as simple as you can have in a reef tank and having great success in my mind.
I have a skimmer and rock in my sump. Its a mixed reef with lots of different corals and lots of fish.

I find it REALLY hard to believe you’re not dosing anything and haven’t done water change in years...
there’s no way you could grow that many hard corals without SOME kind of ALK/Ca supplement.
it’s a beautiful tank

Timfish · Dec 5, 2020

Just sumps and multiple moderately sized pumps for redundancy. Small weekly water changes. No ATO or skimmer or reactors. Dosing is haphazard and only for bicarbanate:

90 g. mixed reef

Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19

220 Rimless 450 view

najer · Dec 5, 2020

Evo 52 L / 13.5 G, no mechanical filtration and no water changes, I top up ro manually when the return blows bubbles.
There are at least 4 different macros in there so I do need to garden every so often and the harvested caulerpa goes in the big tank for the fish to eat.

dohc97 · Dec 5, 2020

I'll get you a pic once lights come on, I like to think I run a basic system. Water pumps, skimmer, ato, water change maybe every couple months. I dose all for reef, it is a full blown sps reef, probably doesn't have all the colors of the blue tanks but I don't care. Stuff grows well to the point I will start fragging soon.