Simple SPS tank setups

[dnjstlr]

Saw this video by ReefDudes on youtube about a relatively simple SPS tank (skimmer, gfo, manual ATO and dosing in this case) that looked amazing, so I was hoping to see other reefer's setups that were simple and beautiful too.

Here's the video

 

[BestMomEver]

I wish! But I think that tank would only be considered simple by those that have been reefing for quite a while. Simple, in my mind, means it doesn’t require as much attention (i.e. manual top off). There’s lots of experience that went into that tank and probably just as much equipment as I have short of the ATO.

 

[dnjstlr]

I wish! But I think that tank would only be considered simple by those that have been reefing for quite a while. Simple, in my mind, means it doesn’t require as much attention (i.e. manual top off). There’s lots of experience that went into that tank and probably just as much equipment as I have short of the ATO.

You should share your tank too , after all that's simple too right? I called this tank simple because it lacks a lot of complicated equipment I see on a lot of huge tanks, not because it lacked an all semblance of automation haha. Like compared to some people on my local club that have auto testing that adjusts dosing amounts and automatic water changes, she just has the bare minimum to keep the tank going and still has a great reef, so I thought it was interesting!

 

[BestMomEver]

You should share your tank too , after all that's simple too right? I called this tank simple because it lacks a lot of complicated equipment I see on a lot of huge tanks, not because it lacked an all semblance of automation haha. Like compared to some people on my local club that have auto testing that adjusts dosing amounts and automatic water changes, she just has the bare minimum to keep the tank going and still has a great reef, so I thought it was interesting!

Noooo share my tank! Yet... I’m getting ready to set up a new one. I’ll show you that one. I agree with you though. My tank is more complicated because of all the automation. I haven’t added all that stuff (Apex, etc) to make it more or less hard to mess with though. I did it because I sleep better at night knowing my tank will yell at me if something goes wrong. But that tank does harken back to the good ole days. And it’s stunning.

 

[joseserrano]

I run my tank fairly simple. Skimmer, carbon in a bag, refugium, ca reactor. No controller, just a few plug timers.

 

[hatfielj]

I saw that video yesterday too. She does have a very simple set up. Her dosing is hilarious (she just dumps a gallon of RO water in a couple times a day and dumps 60 ml of calcium and alk solution in twice a day as well). She shows her "equipment area" off at the end of the video. It's much, much simpler than most people run these days.
I think the key to her success (it's a GORGEOUS tank and her corals are top notch healthy) is consistency. Everything she does she does consistently, everyday. She also keeps a very close eye on everything, everyday, so she's really in tune with her corals.
I was quite jealous when I saw that video. Makes my display look very sad, haha. Something to aspire to though.

With that being said, my new grow out system is very simple. I have a skimmer, some live rock in the sump, ATO, and a simple ranco heater controller. Lights are on mechanical timers. No fans or chillers. No fancy reactors. Oh I do have a dosing pump for ca, alk. No fuge, no UV, no pH monitors or other monitors. It's actually doing better than my display system too, which is funny considering how much more I spent on my main system than this system.

 

[Abhishek]

Well I like to think that mine is simple .

400 watt halides and T5s , 5/6 years old tunze pumps , bubble king slimmer. No leds to ramp up and down . No reactors for carbon or gfo . I change water once a month when I get to see my tank .

I had to add calcium reactor and apex as I travel for 3 weeks a month and get to see my tank only for a couple of days to a week in a month . My wife takes care of it and we FaceTime every night where we go over every details .

It’s acropora reef - so need extra precaution of calcium reactor and apex with my crazy travels

I have around 8-10 urchins to take care of algae and my wife feeds the tank at least 4-6 times a day . She doesn’t know much but she does everything meticulously as I ask her to .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[cain720]

I love Wincey's tank because it completely goes against what a lot of people would say you need for success. The majority of Reef2Reef would say that her method wouldn't keep SPS without seeing her tank.

Manual dosing 1x per day, 16hr light schedule, no water changes, no reactors, no refugium, manual top off, and it's a fully stocked SPS tank...It really goes to show how far simplicity and discipline can take you.

I also like her idea that the small swings from manual dosing and top off actually condition the corals to be more tolerant of changing parameters. If this is true, it's most certainly a more reliable method for long term success than relying on dosers and Ca reactors to function without hiccups for years on end. Her tank is also a million times easier to troubleshoot than some of these other high end builds. If something goes wrong she seriously only needs to check like 3 things.

 

[McPikie]

I manually dose my tank. 35ml of Kh in the morning, 15ml of Ca when I get home from work at 5:30pm, then 35ml of Kh at around 8pm. Worst part is, I have a doser sat in the shed.

1. I can't be arsed to make a shelf for it
2. I am not sure I trust it not to dump a litre of mix in at once
3. I'd have to plug another extension lead in.

 

[Oshengems]

I like to think I have a simple sps Dominant tank, ATO, Doser, skimmer on a 12 hour timer and sometimes I add a bag of Carbon since the tank is in My room it helps with the smell. I fill my ATO every 7-8 days and replenish my additives every 3-4 months

This refugium chamber is a frag area now

 

[hatfielj]

I love Wincey's tank because it completely goes against what a lot of people would say you need for success. The majority of Reef2Reef would say that her method wouldn't keep SPS without seeing her tank.

Manual dosing 1x per day, 16hr light schedule, no water changes, no reactors, no refugium, manual top off, and it's a fully stocked SPS tank...It really goes to show how far simplicity and discipline can take you.

I also like her idea that the small swings from manual dosing and top off actually condition the corals to be more tolerant of changing parameters. If this is true, it's most certainly a more reliable method for long term success than relying on dosers and Ca reactors to function without hiccups for years on end. Her tank is also a million times easier to troubleshoot than some of these other high end builds. If something goes wrong she seriously only needs to check like 3 things.

I thought the same thing...if she were to post her methods here with no pictures, everyone would assume she was a beginner with an ugly tank! Boy she proved us all wrong

 

[dnjstlr]

Her dosing is hilarious (she just dumps a gallon of RO water in a couple times a day and dumps 60 ml of calcium and alk solution in twice a day as well).

It really is hilarious, when I saw her dump that in I was just wondering "wait you can do that??" Because it completely goes against everything I've been told haha

Well I like to think that mine is simple .

400 watt halides and T5s , 5/6 years old tunze pumps , bubble king slimmer. No leds to ramp up and down . No reactors for carbon or gfo . I change water once a month when I get to see my tank .

I had to add calcium reactor and apex as I travel for 3 weeks a month and get to see my tank only for a couple of days to a week in a month . My wife takes care of it and we FaceTime every night where we go over every details .

It’s acropora reef - so need extra precaution of calcium reactor and apex with my crazy travels

I have around 8-10 urchins to take care of algae and my wife feeds the tank at least 4-6 times a day . She doesn’t know much but she does everything meticulously as I ask her to .

Regards,
Abhishek

Great looking tank! What do you do to maintain nitrates/phosphates? Just the monthly water changes?

I love Wincey's tank because it completely goes against what a lot of people would say you need for success. The majority of Reef2Reef would say that her method wouldn't keep SPS without seeing her tank.

Definitely! It definitely surprised me when I saw her maintenance routine due to how different it was

 

[dnjstlr]

I like to think I have a simple sps Dominant tank, ATO, Doser, skimmer on a 12 hour timer and sometimes I add a bag of Carbon since the tank is in My room it helps with the smell. I fill my ATO every 7-8 days and replenish my additives every 3-4 months

This refugium chamber is a frag area now

Great looking tank too! What's your main method of nutrient export in your setup? How often do you change water?

 

[Oshengems]

Great looking tank too! What's your main method of nutrient export in your setup? How often do you change water?

Thank you

It’s random I was doing random 5-10g every month or so but I’m not consistent my, skimmer was On a schedule 12 hours since my nitrates were always below 5ppm read 0 most of the time, I do have about 110-120lb of LR and about 100lb of sand and dose about 65ml of ESV daily

Edit: it’s a 75g 30g Sump

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I'd disagree and say that almost anyone on here that stocks SPS would say that Consistency and Stability are the keys to keeping SPS corals. I've never ready a thread that says electronics and equipment are the only method to keeping them alive.

The tank is 13yrs old and absolutely gorgeous though.

 

[Oshengems]

I'd disagree and say that almost anyone on here that stocks SPS would say that Consistency and Stability are the keys to keeping SPS corals. I've never ready a thread that says electronics and equipment are the only method to keeping them alive.

The tank is 13yrs old and absolutely gorgeous though.

I agree I see some people in here go bananas over certain things lil things, I had a fellow local reefer tell me my tank won’t last with my temp swings I needed to correct that, he saw my apex graph daily go from 78.5 to 79 degrees it wasn’t stable I felt like Wao you take stability to another level, after that I was scare to tell him I test my KH every week during that time and had swings of 1 sometimes 2 points in my alkalinity lol but my tank was doing great didn’t really care much

 

[Abhishek]

It really is hilarious, when I saw her dump that in I was just wondering "wait you can do that??" Because it completely goes against everything I've been told haha



Great looking tank! What do you do to maintain nitrates/phosphates? Just the monthly water changes?



Definitely! It definitely surprised me when I saw her maintenance routine due to how different it was

Well it’s high given my wife’s love for the fishes
Nitrates are in 30-35 and phosphates around - 0.3 whenI measured it this weekend .

 

[Vahanyos]

Is mine considered simple?

Skimmer, doser, small refugium in sump, and a small bag of carbon. Oh can’t forget the ATO.

 

[dnjstlr]

I'd disagree and say that almost anyone on here that stocks SPS would say that Consistency and Stability are the keys to keeping SPS corals. I've never ready a thread that says electronics and equipment are the only method to keeping them alive.

The tank is 13yrs old and absolutely gorgeous though.

Yeah I agree with you there, it's just interesting how different her tank is from other stick heads in my club, or other tank showcases on youtube which usually are accompanied by a lot of automation .

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I would've loved to hear more about her flow. I saw two gyres and a single mp60