Welcome to my (near) Zero Maintenance Reef!

[mjszos]

You can always message vendors in advance and ask if you can purchase now and have shipping held until after New Years

That’s a good point, but I always feel bad making special requests like that.

 

[VintageReefer]

Yes. How do you keep up with needs

I recently got a KH Guardian which auto tests my tanks alkalinity 6x a day, and based on the reading and the setpoint, it auto doses a diy sodium bicarbonate mixture to replenish alk and maintain it. Awesome stand-alone system for roughly 400$. It is compatible also with apex but you can use it by itself

I manually test calcium and use Seachem reef fusion 1 which also contains trace. I use chaetogro which is also a mix of around 13 trace. And I manually dose .9ml moonshiners manganese daily

I manually adjust potassium and magnesium - test every month or two; and add product as needed. Brightwell potassium-p and Seachem reef advantage magnesium
I use reef energy ab+ aminos

 

[Reefer Brent]

I recently got a KH Guardian which auto tests my tanks alkalinity 6x a day, and based on the reading and the setpoint, it auto doses a diy sodium bicarbonate mixture to replenish alk and maintain it. Awesome stand-alone system for roughly 400$. It is compatible also with apex but you can use it by itself

I manually test calcium and use Seachem reef fusion 1 which also contains trace. I use chaetogro which is also a mix of around 13 trace. And I manually dose .9ml moonshiners manganese daily

I manually adjust potassium and magnesium - test every month or two; and add product as needed. Brightwell potassium-p and Seachem reef advantage magnesium
I use reef energy ab+

It seems like you have it dialed in pretty well.

The moonshiners stuff is greek to me at this point. Never read much about manganese either. I'll have to do some more research.

I just got my first doser so I will be experimenting and maybe one day know enough to put money into controllers and such. Thanks!

 

[VintageReefer]

It seems like you have it dialed in pretty well.

The moonshiners stuff is greek to me at this point. Never read much about manganese either. I'll have to do some more research.

I just got my first doser so I will be experimenting and maybe one day know enough to put money into controllers and such. Thanks!

Manganese is crucial for goniopora and macroalgae

Manganese also is depleted insanely quickly, which is why it needs to be dosed daily is your have a lot of macro and Goni.

Controller system like Maven and Hydros and Apex will probably cost 1500$ to get basics and $2000+ to add auto dosing

I don’t need any of that. All I wanted was auto control of alkalinity - both testing and dosing. It fluctuates daily, lowers quickly; and has always been a thorn in my side. For 400$ the KH Guardian will completely handle alkalinity for you. The reagent is 20$ and lasts 2 month when testing every 6 hours. The alk supplment you make yourself, 65g baking soda mixed into 1 liter of rodi

 

[BryanM]

Vintage turned me on to the KH Guardian, its a tad daunting to get set up, but its fantastic, and you just can't beat it for the price.

 

[Reefer Brent]

Manganese is crucial for goniopora and macroalgae

Manganese also is depleted insanely quickly, which is why it needs to be dosed daily is your have a lot of macro and Goni.

Controller system like Maven and Hydros and Apex will probably cost 1500$ to get basics and $2000+ to add auto dosing

I don’t need any of that. All I wanted was auto control of alkalinity - both testing and dosing. It fluctuates daily, lowers quickly; and has always been a thorn in my side. For 400$ the KH Guardian will completely handle alkalinity for you. The reagent is 20$ and lasts 2 month when testing every 6 hours. The alk supplment you make yourself, 65g baking soda mixed into 1 liter of rodi

Putting that on the list for next christmas! My nutrient need is pretty low right now though so the buildup will be fun.

 

[VintageReefer]

Putting that on the list for next christmas! My nutrient need is pretty low right now though so the buildup will be fun.

You buy directly through the company. They pulled from retail market and sell direct now. They have a brand rep on the forum and you can buy through him

 

[RedReefer]

Hey did the plate grow a baby while on the frag rack? How long have you had the plate an the frag rack?

 

[VintageReefer]

Hey did the plate grow a baby while on the frag rack? How long have you had the plate an the frag rack?

I got the plate feb 29,2024

It was small. It came loose also. I mounted it to a frag plug so I wouldn’t have it get blown away and lost. That is one of the 3/4” frag plugs and it’s not even the full width.

It was so small I didn’t know how to feed it. The mouth was too small for any mysis or pellets I had. I ended up using flake food that I would crush up and mix with water

And it ate. And grew

It’s been on a plug on a rack since the day I got it and has been growing just fine. It grew an odd protrusion when it was encrusting off the plug and it broke and formed it’s own baby plate. It’s never done it since

 

[RedReefer]

Neat!

 

[BryanM]

I got the plate feb 29,2024

It was small. It came loose also. I mounted it to a frag plug so I wouldn’t have it get blown away and lost. That is one of the 3/4” frag plugs and it’s not even the full width.

It was so small I didn’t know how to feed it. The mouth was too small for any mysis or pellets I had. I ended up using flake food that I would crush up and mix with water

And it ate. And grew

It’s been on a plug on a rack since the day I got it and has been growing just fine. It grew an odd protrusion when it was encrusting off the plug and it broke and formed it’s own baby plate. It’s never done it since

I'm still hoping it will have another baby!

 

[twentyleagues]

Plate corals are fragable. Not that I have ever done it or would I recommend it. I have seen it done on videos and 1 local shop did it years ago and most of the frags survived. Scares me.

 

[BryanM]

Plate corals are fragable. Not that I have ever done it or would I recommend it. I have seen it done on videos and 1 local shop did it years ago and most of the frags survived. Scares me.

I would never try to frag this plate, and I suspect Vintage won't be doing so. I wouldn't forgive myself if I killed it.

 

[twentyleagues]

I would never try to frag this plate, and I suspect Vintage won't be doing so. I wouldn't forgive myself if I killed it.

I agree. It allowed me to get one of the frags at a reasonable price of a green and purple one that was not very common at about the 10th of cost of a non-fraged one. Did well for a few years until I got a jawfish that buried it daily. I even moved it across the tank the 2nd time it got buried the jawfish moved to keep burying it. I only had the jawfish for about 2 months he killed 3 or 4 corals in that time. I sold him for half what I paid. Blue spot=jerk.

 

[VintageReefer]

Plate corals are fragable. Not that I have ever done it or would I recommend it. I have seen it done on videos and 1 local shop did it years ago and most of the frags survived. Scares me.

Got a video link ?

 

[BryanM]

Got a video link ?

YouTube has at least one, but they straight up started with it will never grow back in to a circle