What is a "Mature Reef Tank"?

[Rich Klein]

How about when you add 1 little anemone and in a short time there are 50+? My tank is ~ 6 yo . I added 1 RBT at about 1.5 years and now I have to pull some out almost weekly to keep them from taking over my tank,

 

[KayBabe785]

For me, mature means stable. You've gone through the ugly phase and your tank is not having parameters swings. I think lighting or flow is irrelevant in this equation, because each reefers goals may be different, however in almost all cases, stable parameters is all of our goals. Like mentioned above, time is also irrelevant in that also. You can buy yourself all the necessary things to "instant" a mature reef.

I think 4-6 weeks of consistent stable parameters in your ideal range would deem "mature", just my definition....

Love this thread though, it's a great topic to address and discuss!!!

 

[dvgyfresh]

How about when you add 1 little anemone and in a short time there are 50+? My tank is ~ 6 yo . I added 1 RBT at about 1.5 years and now I have to pull some out almost weekly to keep them from taking over my tank,

I would gladly take one in SoCal if you shipped lol I am currently trying to create a plague of anemones

 

[Dburr1014]

And I think mature tank, I think,
Stability, micro fauna, different types of colonized bacteria, and self-sustaining.
By self-sustaining I mean that if I forget to feed my tank a day, my fish won't go hungry, there is life to eat everywhere.

I have a mature tank. When I look at my tank, I see Life on every part of every Rock. I don't see any dead spots, I don't see any part of any rock that has any white on it when I originally bought it. This to me is it mature system.