Reef tanks & no filtration!

[CanuckReefer]

Sweeeet! Yeah like I was saying in above comments if stuff got to out of control I can throw a hob filter on to help keep things under control. Love the tank Everything looks happy in it

Thanks much. And ya, exactly, can always add on a small hob on there if you find you need it. Been purchasing just a few small frags lately to add a bit more life to it eventually. All seem to be growing at a slow pace, which is fine, I've got time to wait. Will need to add a bit more rockwork soon though just to give some height and some space to transplant corals.

 

[TxReefer21]

Thanks much. And ya, exactly, can always add on a small hob on there if you find you need it. Been purchasing just a few small frags lately to add a bit more life to it eventually. All seem to be growing at a slow pace, which is fine, I've got time to wait. Will need to add a bit more rockwork soon though just to give some height and some space to transplant corals.

Gonna be awesome. Always very exciting upgrading tanks and new things lol. What kind of lighting are you running for your coral and frags ?

 

[TxReefer21]

Gonna be awesome. Always very exciting upgrading tanks and new things lol. What kind of lighting are you running for your coral and frags ?

By any chance are you a Vancouver canucks fan?

Thanks much. And ya, exactly, can always add on a small hob on there if you find you need it. Been purchasing just a few small frags lately to add a bit more life to it eventually. All seem to be growing at a slow pace, which is fine, I've got time to wait. Will need to add a bit more rockwork soon though just to give some height and some space to transplant corals.

by any chance are you a hockey Vancouver canucks fans ? Judging by your name lol

 

[Nano sapiens]

Every few weeks or so I see one of these threads, which is a good thing as too many people get sucked into the commercial hype/social media peer pressure that either proclaim you 'need' 5-6 types of filtration and/or promote the mind set that you aren't a 'real reefer' unless you've spent 10K+ on various types of expensive equipment

Little 12g AIO, 13 years, 10%/wk WC, just LR and LS (no mech or chem filtration):

* Once a month or so I temporarily attach a filter sock to the outlet during a cleaning session.

...and I ran a 55g high with a sump (just a heater in it) for 9 - 1/2 years with the same 'only LR/LS' setup.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Gonna be awesome. Always very exciting upgrading tanks and new things lol. What kind of lighting are you running for your coral and frags ?

It's simple that way too, just 2 T5 4 foots (one Coral + and an actinic) and a Fluval 3.0 programmable LED ( I think its 54 Watt) to supplement, and also allows me to ramp up dusk and dawn. Its not a ton of light but is enough to keep the Softies, LPS , Nem and a few SPS that don't mind lower light happy.

 

[TxReefer21]

Every few weeks or so I see one of these threads, which is a good thing as too many people get sucked into the commercial hype/social media peer pressure that either proclaim you 'need' 5-6 types of filtration and/or promote the mind set that you aren't a 'real reefer' unless you've spent 10K+ on various types of expensive equipment

Little 12g AIO, 13 years, 10%/wk WC, just LR and LS (no mech or chem filtration):

...and I ran a 55g high with a sump (just a heater in it) for 9 - 1/2 years with the same 'only LR/LS' setup.

Super awesome !

 

[CanuckReefer]

By any chance are you a Vancouver canucks fan?

by any chance are you a hockey Vancouver canucks fans ? Judging by your name lol

I'm actually a Pens fan. Which was good times a few years back but getting long in the tooth a few of em now lol. The handle I just picked because 'a Canuck' is pretty general slang referring to us Canadians.
I see you a Stars fan. Good stuff, I like the makeup of your team on the whole. Fun to watch.

 

[TxReefer21]

I'm actually a Pens fan. Which was good times a few years back but getting long in the tooth a few of em now lol. The handle I just picked because 'a Canuck' is pretty general slang referring to us Canadians.
I see you a Stars fan. Good stuff, I like the makeup of your team on the whole. Fun to watch.

I always forget the slang term for a Canadian is a Canuck lol. And I was a huge fleury fan when he was with the pens and rocked #87 when I played lol. But yeah being in Dallas Texas I gotta rep my city! Well a Canadian team in the the SCF

 

[beaslbob]

ime if you partition the tank with egg crate and add some side lighting you can have macro algae between the glass and egg crate and reef on the other side. should be all the filtration needed.
my .02

 

[TxReefer21]

ime if you partition the tank with egg crate and add some side lighting you can have macro algae between the glass and egg crate and reef on the other side. should be all the filtration needed.
my .02

Nice I wouldn’t have thought of that honestly! Lol. I think if worse comes to worse I would throw a hob on to clean and clear things up but light feeding should keep me in the clear along with small target feeding to my corals.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Super awesome !

Thanks To expand on your inquiry, 'I want to see anyone who’s running a reef system without a sump and or hob and what their take is on it along with pros and cons !'...

Pros and cons can mean different things to different people. Some enjoy having lots of tech monitor and maintain their systems (or have no choice due to frequent travelling) with a sump to house equipment...and I get that. Some enjoy the act of regularly 'getting their sleeves wet' by having more direct engagement more often with the aquarium (perhaps more representative of crusty 'old salt' reefers like me)

I have no problem with either approach as long as one truly understands what one is getting into. I do object when fresh new aspiring reef keepers are manipulated/cajoled down a path of ever increasing complexity/cost as it hurts not only the reefer, but also the potentially dozens of animals that are killed in the process (not good for the long term health and survival of the hobby).

 

[TxReefer21]

Thanks To expand on your inquiry, 'I want to see anyone who’s running a reef system without a sump and or hob and what their take is on it along with pros and cons !'...

Pros and cons can mean different things to different people. Some enjoy having lots of tech monitor and maintain their systems (or have no choice due to frequent travelling) with a sump to house equipment...and I get that. Some enjoy the act of regularly 'getting their sleeves wet' by having more direct engagement more often with the aquarium (perhaps more representative of crusty 'old salt' reefers like me)

I have no problem with either approach as long as one truly understands what one is getting into. I do object when fresh new aspiring reef keepers are manipulated/cajoled down a path of ever increasing complexity/cost as it hurts not only the reefer, but also the potentially dozens of animals that are killed in the process (not good for the long term health and survival of the hobby).

I want to keep it as simple as possible. And that’s why I think I’m taking the route of going with zero mechanical filtration unless needed and just keeping up with water changes Not only do I love reefing it can definitely get out of hand fast and cost me some money and I just don’t have 1500 to drop right now and then some. I can get away with doing what I am wanting to do and just being smart about it

 

[beaslbob]

psssst. if you balance out and stabilize the tank with macro algae right from the start and use the diy 2 part method (see chemistry forum) you don't even need to do water changes.

but that's a secret. don't tell anyone. lol

 

[TxReefer21]

psssst. if you balance out and stabilize the tank with macro algae right from the start and use the diy 2 part method (see chemistry forum) you don't even need to do water changes.

but that's a secret. don't tell anyone. lol

Oh I believe it. !

 

[CanuckReefer]

Thanks To expand on your inquiry, 'I want to see anyone who’s running a reef system without a sump and or hob and what their take is on it along with pros and cons !'...

Pros and cons can mean different things to different people. Some enjoy having lots of tech monitor and maintain their systems (or have no choice due to frequent travelling) with a sump to house equipment...and I get that. Some enjoy the act of regularly 'getting their sleeves wet' by having more direct engagement more often with the aquarium (perhaps more representative of crusty 'old salt' reefers like me)

I have no problem with either approach as long as one truly understands what one is getting into. I do object when fresh new aspiring reef keepers are manipulated/cajoled down a path of ever increasing complexity/cost as it hurts not only the reefer, but also the potentially dozens of animals that are killed in the process (not good for the long term health and survival of the hobby).

Good points... some 'cons' ? I notice after having no skimmer and just the HOB Aquaclear for aeration the PH does swing a little bit more but nothing imo way out of whack, the fish and corals seem to tolerate it well. Would the corals perk up a bit more with a fairly rock solid PH? I'm not sure, however, they seem to be doing much better in my case regardless with the nitrates moving up slightly. Might add an air stone in future and see if that adds more stability.
Another potential Con for my tank would be I have a few inverts ( Sea Cucumber, Urchins, and Nem) that if they perish at some point, it could be a heckuva problem if I don't act quickly on removal. I'm more than a bit conscientious in observing their health because of this ....
Pro's? Too many to list lol.

 

[beaslbob]

a daily ph variation is not a concern. An algae refugium with reverse lighting would lesson the variation.
but even without that, what is important on pH and everything else is stability not constant values. it is very possible to have stable daily pH variations and constant but unstable parameters.
say ph vares each day then one day it drops more. if the system reacts to restore the original ph drop it is stable.
if the system has a constant ph and that drops but the system drops the ph even further, that is unstable.

besides you might want to check kh and implement the diy 2 part.

my .02

 

[CanuckReefer]

a daily ph variation is not a concern. An algae refugium with reverse lighting would lesson the variation.
but even without that, what is important on pH and everything else is stability not constant values. it is very possible to have stable daily pH variations and constant but unstable parameters.
say ph vares each day then one day it drops more. if the system reacts to restore the original ph drop it is stable.
if the system has a constant ph and that drops but the system drops the ph even further, that is unstable.

besides you might want to check kh and implement the diy 2 part.

my .02

Ah ha, ok good to know. Mine is steadily rising and falling but only on a daily/nightly basis and really only a point more in excess. I learn something new here daily lol...

 

[Nano sapiens]

I want to keep it as simple as possible. And that’s why I think I’m taking the route of going with zero mechanical filtration unless needed and just keeping up with water changes Not only do I love reefing it can definitely get out of hand fast and cost me some money and I just don’t have 1500 to drop right now and then some. I can get away with doing what I am wanting to do and just being smart about it

Mechanical Filtration: Can be helpful in the removal of too much detritus/uneaten food if cleaned regularly. On the flip side, can be detrimental to systems if the mech filtration is not maintained/cleaned regularly due to the degradation of water quality and where these nutrient items are already reduced in the system (withheld/removed nutrition from the corals and other filter feeders).

Chemical Filtration: Can be helpful in absorbing excess nutrients and other substances, but as above, can be deleterious if used regularly on a system that already has low nutrients. Can create a 'see-saw' effect in nutrient levels when old depleted media is changed out for much more effective new media (changing out small amounts more frequently is much better for stability than large amounts infrequently).

The Takeaway: Reef aquaria require stability in all things and that most certainly includes nutrient levels. If levels are changed too much/too fast, that can be quite traumatic for the organisms (some much more than others). If feeding and bio load are appropriate ('balanced'), small regular WCs can be sufficient to help replenish any trace element depletions, help remove various forms of DOM (dissolved organic matter, including CDOM 'Yellowing Subsances') and when combined with 'vacuuming', removal of excess detrius (especially helpful in a smaller system). Sufficient LR/LS can typically handle the nitrogen cycle duties in a properly functioning and maintained reef aquarium.

 

[TxReefer21]

Mechanical Filtration: Can be helpful in the removal of too much detritus/uneaten food if cleaned regularly. On the flip side, can be detrimental to systems if the mech filtration is not maintained/cleaned regularly due to the decomposition of organic matter and where these nutrient items are already reduced in the system (withheld/removed nutrition from the corals and other filter feeders).

Chemical Filtration: Can be helpful in absorbing excess nutrients, but as above, can be deleterious if used regularly on a system that already has low nutrients. Can create a 'see-saw' effect in nutrient levels when old depleted media is changed out for much more effective new media (changing out small amounts more frequently is much better for stability than large amounts infrequently).

The takeaway: Reef aquaria require stability in all things and that most certainly includes nutrient levels. If levels are changed too much/too fast, that can be quite traumatic for the organisms. If feeding and bio load are appropriate ('balanced'), small regular WCs can be sufficient to help replenish any trace element depletions, remove DOM (dissolved organic matter) and when combined with 'vacuuming', removal of excess detrius (especially helpful in a smaller system). LR/LS can easily handle the nitrogen cycle duties.

Snailed it!

 

[CanuckReefer]

Every few weeks or so I see one of these threads, which is a good thing as too many people get sucked into the commercial hype/social media peer pressure that either proclaim you 'need' 5-6 types of filtration and/or promote the mind set that you aren't a 'real reefer' unless you've spent 10K+ on various types of expensive equipment

Little 12g AIO, 13 years, 10%/wk WC, just LR and LS (no mech or chem filtration):

* Once a month or so I temporarily attach a filter sock to the outlet during a cleaning session.

...and I ran a 55g high with a sump (just a heater in it) for 9 - 1/2 years with the same 'only LR/LS' setup.

Meant to ask you, do you dose at all? Looks mostly softies ( and looking great) like myself , so perhaps not. Also where in N Cali are you? My nephew works for one of the Techs out there in San Fran, and loves it. We were out there a few years back , took the drive up from LA ended up in Mendocino for a few days, was great touring the wineries and relaxing. Special spot. Intend to go back