Simple reef tank? No sump, no skimmer, no dosing

[shoelaceike]

A few months ago I set up a 60 gallon tank. Right now the only filtration is a canister filter. I do a 30% water change monthly. I do not intend on dosing anything more than what is put in with the salt. Anyone running something similar with tips?

 

[dwair]

A few months ago I set up a 60 gallon tank. Right now the only filtration is a canister filter. I do a 30% water change monthly. I do not intend on dosing anything more than what is put in with the salt. Anyone running something similar with tips?

I love seeing tanks like this. Proof that you don't need to spend thousands to get a nice looking tank. Well done sir!

 

[shoelaceike]

Thanks. The question is if I can keep it like this long term.

 

[dwair]

Thanks. The question is if I can keep it like this long term.

Honestly I've seen other tanks that can. I hope you can! Though I believe they were doing weekly/bi weekly water changes instead of monthly. Think it would depend on your bioload and what type of coral, some will eat the nutrients faster than a monthly water change could replenish you know?

 

[shoelaceike]

Ya my bioload shouldn't be too bad. I guess if things start taking a turn for the worse, I can always up my water changes....so far I'm getting great growth on all my corals...even the SPS

 

[dwair]

Ya my bioload shouldn't be too bad. I guess if things start taking a turn for the worse, I can always up my water changes....so far I'm getting great growth on all my corals...even the SPS

Yea tank looks great man! Keep up the good work, and keep posting updates, we love to see pics

 

[Perry]

Sweet tank!
Not tang police, but keep in mind that tang will outgrow your system in short order, and eats like a pig(bioload). I had to oass mine on from a 120gallon, to my buddy 180gallon, and it was still skittish in his tank as he ended up passing to someone with even a larger tank.
Love the corals, very natural looking reef, but at some point water changes alone will not keep up with the calcification demands, and will require dosing at minimum alk,ca,and mag. Of course kalkwasser can accomplish the same, but too could not keep up at some point.
I see no reason why if you keep feedings in check, that the canister filter will do the job, many ways to reef, congrats on a great start!!!

 

[shoelaceike]

Sweet tank!
Not tang police, but keep in mind that tang will outgrow your system in short order, and eats like a pig(bioload). I had to oass mine on from a 120gallon, to my buddy 180gallon, and it was still skittish in his tank as he ended up passing to someone with even a larger tank.
Love the corals, very natural looking reef, but at some point water changes alone will not keep up with the calcification demands, and will require dosing at minimum alk,ca,and mag. Of course kalkwasser can accomplish the same, but too could not keep up at some point.
I see no reason why if you keep feedings in check, that the canister filter will do the job, many ways to reef, congrats on a great start!!!

He's got a long way to go....he seems very happy so far! Obviously if the tank is up and healthy long enough for him to grow out of it, I would he thrilled!

 

[shoelaceike]

 

[dwair]

Omg you are killing me sir. GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

 

[Timfish]

Thanks. The question is if I can keep it like this long term.

A qualified "Yes". You still need to monitor Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium. At some point you will be needing to dose one or more of them. How you dose them is personal prefference, I use an autofeeder with a rotating hopper sometimes.

Here's videos of simple systems I maintain:

90 Gallon Mixed Reef (unlit sump)

Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19 (unlit sump)

220 Rimless 450 view (unlit sump with Tyree's "Zonal" section)

Elvis (No filtration)


Old Sea Urchin (no filtration)

Funniest Fish in the World

 

[shoelaceike]

A qualified "Yes". You still need to monitor Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium. At some point you will be needing to dose one or more of them. How you dose them is personal prefference, I use an autofeeder with a rotating hopper sometimes.

Here's videos of simple systems I maintain:

90 Gallon Mixed Reef (unlit sump)

Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19 (unlit sump)

220 Rimless 450 view (unlit sump with Tyree's "Zonal" section)

Elvis (No filtration)


Old Sea Urchin (no filtration)

Funniest Fish in the World

Wow these are some awesome tanks!

 

[piranhaman00]

lol! How do you know your fish is happy??

Great looking tank! I think the major problem is canister filters usually become nitrate factories, keep it clean and you should be good! Looks very nice

 

[shoelaceike]

lol! How do you know your fish is happy??

Great looking tank! I think the major problem is canister filters usually become nitrate factories, keep it clean and you should be good! Looks very nice

Ya, I'm going to try and clean it once a week. I've been keeping fish long enough to know when my fish are happy lol

 

[Albertan22]

With sps in there you will eventually have trouble with only monthly water changes. Over a month your alkalinity will drop substantially (once your colonies have grown in) and the water change will create too much of a swing. If the tank was primarily softies I think it would work, or if you increased the frequency of water changes.

 

[shoelaceike]

With sps in there you will eventually have trouble with only monthly water changes. Over a month your alkalinity will drop substantially (once your colonies have grown in) and the water change will create too much of a swing. If the tank was primarily softies I think it would work, or if you increased the frequency of water changes.

If thats what happens then I will only have softies ....I've had trouble dosing consistently in the past so I'd rather just skip it. Maybe a water change every 2 weeks would work.

 

[Albertan22]

If thats what happens then I will only have softies ....I've had trouble dosing consistently in the past so I'd rather just skip it. Maybe a water change every 2 weeks would work.

Have you considered picking up a dosing pump? I operated a reef tank for 10 years without one and finally caved in and set one up 6 months ago and it was life changing. My coral is much happier and it’s so much less work. That said, you do need to test more to keep the system on point and by the sound of it that might not be for you.

Keep trying what you’re trying until it doesn’t work for you I’d say. Stay away from acros and stick with less finicky coral and you will likely manage ok.

 

[shoelaceike]

Have you considered picking up a dosing pump? I operated a reef tank for 10 years without one and finally caved in and set one up 6 months ago and it was life changing. My coral is much happier and it’s so much less work. That said, you do need to test more to keep the system on point and by the sound of it that might not be for you.

Keep trying what you’re trying until it doesn’t work for you I’d say. Stay away from acros and stick with less finicky coral and you will likely manage ok.

I've used one in the past but I have no patience to constantly test and I also hear too many horror stories of these things crashing tanks.

 

[Olefreebe]

Beautiful color in your tank and a great job on the photography also

 

[shoelaceike]

Beautiful color in your tank and a great job on the photography also

Thanks