Bomb Proof Easy 90g?

[Earp]

I am just looking to keep softies (kenya and toadstool type stuff) and have a just a few fish.

The lighting is 2x54watt T5 and 2x65watt PC. The tank is a 90 AGA with 20g long sump, CSS 220 skimmer and a mag 12 return. For flow I have a bunch of mj1200s, seio and a koraline 4. I am not looking to buy and more equipment really.

So in terms of stocking (corals, fish, inverts, etc), and setup; what would be the best way to minimize maintenance and ease of care?

 

[Earp]

any thoughts?

I was thinking just one sixline wrasse, yellow tang and the usual snails and hermits would make a easy low bioload.

any suggestions how to setup a auto top off?

 

[demonsp]

Return pump kinda high and lighting really low.
What type of fish do you have?
And coral like proper water conditions,what do you test for and there readings?

 

[Earp]

I am moving the tank I currently have, really I dont have any major problems currently other than I have a reoccurring aptaisa problem. I have a fu-manchu lion and marine betta so peppermint shrimp are just food.

The move is gonna take a while so I think I am gonna have to sell off a good amount of livestock...

I really dont want to have to add chems daily to the tank, currently I try to add a two part daily additive and do kalkwasser top off, but I really dont have time. So if I could get to a level of minimum maintenance with undemanding corals and fish it would be great.

 

[nalbar]

It's the usual list. Zoos, mushrooms, clove polyps.

I hesitate to recommend items I have no personal experience with, but you might try frogspawn or similar softies.

Keep mushrooms toward the bottom, other items higher up. There is no 'bulletproof' solutions to reef keeping. Just low maintenance options.

That is all pretty standard advice. To avoid dosing, simply stay away from corals that require it.

Everything is inhabitant dictated. My experience is that mushrooms and cloves dislike high flow, and zoos only tolerate high flow and do better without it. This lowers maintenance because you don't need power heads and a lot of wires/plugs. None of them are high calc users so no need for reactors. They can TOLERATE (though maybe not like) higher nitrate levels, so water changes can be further apart.

Something to remember; it's all a trade off. While you may save on equipment/ animal maintenance you will probably have to live with a tank with a little algae here and there, and perhaps a 'die off/ grow back' cycle with your corals. In other words, more like a REAL reef.

And a critical factor is not many fish. You overdo on a bio load you will get into trouble fast, mainly because of the extra feeding. My 90 has four fish. I consider most (probably 90%) of the tanks on RC to be overstocked fish wise. This is no big deal because people here LOVE equipment, which allows them a greater bio load. But it is a recipe for disaster in a 'low maintenance' tank. At least the way I define one.


nalbar

 

[Earp]

I am looking to have high flow, doesn't that help keep cynao from forming? So was thinking kenya, toadstool and the sort. I already have a football sized rock covered in kenya I am gonna try and keep.

Does one yellow tang and one sixline sound like a super low bioload? I figure those two fish cause #1 is a easy to keep algea eater which readily will eat dead food, and the sixline cause it eats flatworms. I am trying to keep pests naturally controlled so I dont have to constantly get in and eradicate.

 

[Icefire]

you could keep all softys, and probably some lps/sps in the top.
flow will be okay just use indirect flow.