Tips for a successful reef Tank - What is yours?

[vetteguy53081]

It's no secret that there are many successful reef tanks on Reef 2 Reef and members and visitors alike who wonder, " What is this person doing to get their tank to look like this?"

What is your method to achieving the look and health of your tank and what ONE tip can you give others to stay on the path to success?


For myself- Its called " Leave it alone". I add nothing unnecessarily , in fact often add nothing other than supplements on a Sunday. Ise the 4 -part system from Pohls Korallen Zucht and I do Daily water changes of 2 gallons daily which replenishes traces and keeps Nitrates and phosphates in check.

My one tip= Take time to enjoy your tank rather than making it a constant maintenance project and tweaking unnecessarily. Stability is key - Not changes/chasing numbers.

 

[boacvh]

I second that. Stop tinkering and leave it alone.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Slow and steady wins the race!

 

[Jasongtr]

Don't stress parameters

 

[exnisstech]

Keep it simple and stay on the chosen path. It's too easy get caught up trying this and that to achieve success only to end in failure.

 

[Saltwater Depot]

+1 on stability, stop tinkering and let system ride.....

 

[Tuna Melt]

Not sure I'm qualified to opine here but whateva , use real live rock! Changed the game for me when I threw a a bunch of Aussie and Florida live rock in my otherwise sterile tank. Worth every dollar. Coral just became healthier, better coloration, less STN/RTN, faster growth / puddling, etc.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not sure I'm qualified to opine here but whateva , use real live rock! Changed the game for me when I threw a a bunch of Aussie and Florida live rock in my otherwise sterile tank. Worth every dollar. Coral just became healthier, better coloration, less STN/RTN, faster growth / puddling, etc.

No qualifications needed - Everyone has a method and thank you for sharing

 

[kimts]

If those are the things that got your tank to look like that, definitely following your advice. What a beautiful and peaceful scape.

 

[scotty333]

Easy!
Loads of money

 

[Gribbles]

Try to think about all the aspects of the food chain in your tank, from the bacteria in your live rock to the plankton, pods, cuc, inverts, fish, etc

Helping those proliferate will lessen the opportunity for unwanted uglies

 

[Reefer Matt]

Do the maintenance. Whatever your routine is supposed to be, stay disciplined and keep at it. The tank will reward you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

what ONE tip can you give others to stay on the path to success?

Don't believe everything you read or hear.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Don't believe everything you read or hear.

Lets touch up on this. . . . .
Many years ago, I ran a fish only yank, then added corals as they became thing. I would see person A's tank and see he added chemical XXX, so I too added it figuring my tank can look this good. After a few coral losses, noticed Person B stated this is what he adds and amount. Ah, much Better and I did that instead and had even bigger losses of especially stony coral.
Moving forward, I resorted to where my tank began and focused on water changes and suddenly realized I dont need to add 30 supplements and also that person A and B had larger tanks yet I added same dosages to smaller tank not to add we had different livestock and equipment used.
I realized . . . What's good for the goose may not be good for the Gander"

 

[Christian0505]

Stay consistent with your method/maintenance routine. Nothing good comes fast.

 

[Gabbone]

Stick to your maintenance routine and do not keep touching stuff

 

[bjmartie]

I have so many things i learned that i wish i paid more attention to when i started out two years ago.... main one though.... let it be, don't tinker

oh.... You are also not going to fix everything in one day... Make small and one adjustment at a time... give it at least a month to see what that adjustment did. Then make another adjustment if needed.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yeah, before my 90 crashed, it went about 5 years with VERY infrequent water changes. I just let it ride. And it worked well. My wife remembers me tinkering with it incessantly, but I don't recall that. I did maintenance, yes, but everything was happy. I even had a Sea Apple in there. Beautiful creature. However, I'd never put another in. I didn't fully understand the risks.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Lets touch up on this. . . . .
Many years ago, I ran a fish only yank, then added corals as they became thing. I would see person A's tank and see he added chemical XXX, so I too added it figuring my tank can look this good. After a few coral losses, noticed Person B stated this is what he adds and amount. Ah, much Better and I did that instead and had even bigger losses of especially stony coral.
Moving forward, I resorted to where my tank began and focused on water changes and suddenly realized I dont need to add 30 supplements and also that person A and B had larger tanks yet I added same dosages to smaller tank not to add we had different livestock and equipment used.
I realized . . . What's good for the goose may not be good for the Gander"

So true! When one does research, and does some reading on here, they sometimes jump right into making what they think will be "good" changes to their tank, only to find out otherwise. Let your tank do the talking! It will let you know when something is off.

 

[bobnicaragua]

For acropora, all the little things add up.

Lighting - include T5 or Metal Halides.
Refugium - increases PH at night and promotes stability.
Skimmer - run an outside airline, increases PH
Kalkwasser - increases PH
Ocean Live Rock - creates a real and stable ecosystem.
Lots of strong random current.
Have a consistent maintenance routine.