Reef Tank Maturity

[Gellisjr1]

At what point is a reef tank matured and does it get better as time goes on?

My reef is just over a year old now. Fish are very healthy, corals are growing, I can see bacteria line in the sand were it meets the glass. I have some coralline spots but I think there should be more than there is. Over all a healthy tank.

Gordon

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Yes, it does depend on the tank size to a degree. The smaller the tank, the more difficult to keep stable. But, after a year, as long as you keep up with your maintenance, you should be a bit more at ease now.

 

[Dom]

At what point is a reef tank matured and does it get better as time goes on?

My reef is just over a year old now. Fish are very healthy, corals are growing, I can see bacteria line in the sand were it meets the glass. I have some coralline spots but I think there should be more than there is. Over all a healthy tank.

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

A full tank picture will help to determine the maturity of a tank.

Any tank is a self-contained ecosystem. Once set up, it needs to be nurtured and cared for, just like a garden.

In general, I would consider your tank "matured" after a year. But was it a trouble-free year or did you run into problems along the way?

Dom

 

[doubleshot00]

My tank took off at the one year mark. But i had coraline infestation at 6 months.

 

[Gellisjr1]

Hi Gordon,

A full tank picture will help to determine the maturity of a tank.

Any tank is a self-contained ecosystem. Once set up, it needs to be nurtured and cared for, just like a garden.

In general, I would consider your tank "matured" after a year. But was it a trouble-free year or did you run into

Hi Gordon,

A full tank picture will help to determine the maturity of a tank.

Any tank is a self-contained ecosystem. Once set up, it needs to be nurtured and cared for, just like a garden.

In general, I would consider your tank "matured" after a year. But was it a trouble-free year or did you run into problems along the way?

Dom

Dom

I have been thinking about the micro biome of the tank and how it effects stability more than anything.

I have had some learning experiences along the way. It has been over 20 years since I had a reef tank setup. The technology has certainly changed. My biggest challenge has been nutrient control. I finally have things under control thanks to a media reactor with carbon & Phosphate media and a algae reactor.

I've lost some corals along the way. while some of the original 10 corals I bought for the tank are still going strong. I attributed those losses due to nutrient levels which maybe true but as I learn more about the micro biome perhaps the tank was not ready to support those corals.

Posted a photo of of my tank taken today. A photo from Dec. 5th and a photo when new.

Gordon

 

[Dom]

Dom

I have been thinking about the micro biome of the tank and how it effects stability more than anything.

I have had some learning experiences along the way. It has been over 20 years since I had a reef tank setup. The technology has certainly changed. My biggest challenge has been nutrient control. I finally have things under control thanks to a media reactor with carbon & Phosphate media and a algae reactor.

I've lost some corals along the way. while some of the original 10 corals I bought for the tank are still going strong. I attributed those losses due to nutrient levels which maybe true but as I learn more about the micro biome perhaps the tank was not ready to support those corals.

Posted a photo of of my tank taken today. A photo from Dec. 5th and a photo when new.

Gordon

I like the progression of your tank. It appears to be a well established!

 

[Gellisjr1]

I like the progression of your tank. It appears to be a well established!

Thank you. I've put in a lot of work to get this far.

 

[Dom]

Thank you. I've put in a lot of work to get this far.

It shows.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I think a year is maybe the point where things start to really settle in, but I think that progression continues for a long time and there is a difference between a typical 1 year old tank and a 10 year old tank. Where that point of diminished change happens, I have no clue. Just loose unscientific observation for having a single reef setup for 20+ years and watching numerous other local reefers systems in similar age brackets.

 

[softy reefer]

At what point is a reef tank matured and does it get better as time goes on?

My reef is just over a year old now. Fish are very healthy, corals are growing, I can see bacteria line in the sand were it meets the glass. I have some coralline spots but I think there should be more than there is. Over all a healthy tank.

Gordon

My tank is 1 year old now. I’ve never done a water change since setup just kept everything stable and dosed all for reef once a week.

 

[Gellisjr1]

My tank is 1 year old now. I’ve never done a water change since setup just kept everything stable and dosed all for reef once a week.

I have also been using Tropic Marin AFR as well. Great product. I had some difficulty early on with the product which was not being completely clear on how to use the product. My mistake was thinking that it would be a one part dosing product. I found out later on when I started running into problems with Alkalinity & Calcium dropping and not having any of those elements on hand to supplement the AFR as needed. I test Alkalinity once a day and once a week for the rest of the nutrients and elements. So I if I see a drop in either I have them on a doser ready to go when needed. Now that the tank is over a year old at this point things have pretty much settled out and has been very stable. I attribute this to my weekly water changes. I feel that everything in the tank just looks so much more invigorated after a water change. I am currently working on setting up a mixing station in my basement and have purchased some Hydros equipment to automate / schedule water changes, auto refill the RO/DI storage container and auto top off my aquarium.

I am glad that your tank is doing well. Aside from the water changes what else do you do to keep trace elements and such in check? Are you doing the Moonshiners method and sending out for ICP testing? How are you controlling your nutrients Refugium, Media, ect? Do you have an auto top off to replenish evaporated water? I would like to see a photo of your tank. I know the AFR has trace elements in the product but It does not contain any Potassium. Curiosity is getting the better of me and I plan on sending one out just to get an idea where my tank is at for the elements I can't test for just to see if I am deficient in any elements. Thanks for your reply.