A simplified SPS system

[121]

This is a hypothetical question.

Say you had no fish, skimmer or sand and you only fed the occasional pinch of food, just to keep PO4 and N03 at seawater levels.

You could also add a small amount of vinegar (say 0.1ml of acetic acid per 100ltrs every other day) just to promote some bacterioplankton. Maybe just a few pieces of LR just to break down the little ammonia produced by the small pinch feed.

IYO would they be in a environment more stable than one fed heavy with the usual bioload which required aggressive skimming, or would this environment kill SPS?

 

[mikecc67548]

What SPS? Is there a hypothetical coral in this hypothetical tank?

 

[Allmost]

well how about the flow they need ?

about skimmer, and carbon dosing, carbon dosing will increase the bioload, by converting nutrition to bacteria, now those wil consume oxygen and can deplete it in system ! so a skimmer as safe guard is not bad.

everything is doable. I have seen beautiful grow out systems, with just a huge body of water, pumps, and ALOT of light. and some food.

 

[121]

well how about the flow they need ?

I've read that good flow is a given for SPS gas exchange.

about skimmer, and carbon dosing, carbon dosing will increase the bioload, by converting nutrition to bacteria, now those wil consume oxygen and can deplete it in system ! so a skimmer as safe guard is not bad.

I mentioned a very light pinch feeding and minimal carbon dosing so decent flow might create enough surface movement to supply the needed oxygen from the air. I'm thinking a skimmer would be too aggressive due to the simplicity of this suggestion.

everything is doable. I have seen beautiful grow out systems, with just a huge body of water, pumps, and ALOT of light. and some food.

Everything certainly is doable. So were any of these grow out tanks run without sand, a skimmer and fish? I'm thinking about simplification as apposed to aesthetics.

What SPS? Is there a hypothetical coral in this hypothetical tank?

All SPS. The only variation would be from the distance they are from the light source and finding their flow sweet spot.