Hours per week on maintenance

[solitude127]

I was wondering how much time y'all spend doing maintenance on your reef tank. This includes cleaning skimmer cups, changing socks, water changes, changing media, cleaning panes, etc.... this does not include time you spend on RC.

Edit.... This should include time testing water parameters as well.

 

[Captainfester]

about 2 hours and i clean the glass everyday with one of the magnet things as im a lunatic about clean glass

 

[cloak]

It usually takes me about an hour or so to change some water, empty the skimmer, wipe down the reflector, clean the glass etc. This is usually done on a Friday or a Saturday. I try not to fiddle with it the rest of the time.

 

[Kerreefer]

ok so i honestly put 0-2 hours, BUT i spend about 3-4 hours a day just looking at it all... *3 sumps and a dozen repiping's in a years time* dang OCD!

oh and invisible glass from an autoparts store works amaisingly well on the glass!

 

[phenom5]

20 mins or so a week cleaning out the skimmer cup, few minutes a day running the magnet over the glass, and 30-60 minutes a week to do a water change. Closer to an hour if in need to scrape the back glass or change out the media in my reactor, closer to 30 minutes if it's just a water change.

 

[vorm]

I put 0-2 hours as well, and that my best guys on how much time I spend on actual maintenance, however I often spend way more time than that messing with stuff, as I often can find something to do on my tank even if it's not really needed or necessary.

 

[Dadekster]

Since its per week I figure 2-4 is pretty fair for me but it does ebb and flow according to what is going on in my life. Weekly all I do is clean the front panel and clean the skimmer every 3 or 4 days but once a month is when I do the more serious aka time consuming stuff. This includes water change, water testing, check/clean the intake screens on the two vortechs, check CA reactor, check plumbing/overflow, check RODI unit, check bio-pellet reactor, check phosphate reactor, check fuge, etc etc. If nothing needs any work I can get the major maintenance done in 30 minutes but if anything needs to be taken apart and cleaned or refilled the hours can stack up. Luckily most of that stuff is spaced out over months though.

 

[Agu]

2-4 on my nanos. It takes less time to clean a nano but with 4 tanks every task has to be done 4 times. Also since I don't have ATOs, four kalk dripping bottles have to be refilled every day.

 

[shifty51008]

i am lucky to spend 30-45 min. a week on my tank. it takes about 10 min to turn a couple ball valves and hit a switch to do a water change, and the other 20 min. depending on what week to change the carbon or GFO. I haven't had to clean my glass for monthes.

 

[solitude127]

i am lucky to spend 30-45 min. a week on my tank. it takes about 10 min to turn a couple ball valves and hit a switch to do a water change, and the other 20 min. depending on what week to change the carbon or GFO. I haven't had to clean my glass for monthes.

WOW, that sounds like a well thought out system.

 

[shifty51008]

it took me 5 years to finally get everything this automated but IMO worth it. I figure the easier you make things the more often you will do it.

 

[sunil6784]

20 mins or so a week cleaning out the skimmer cup, few minutes a day running the magnet over the glass, and 30-60 minutes a week to do a water change. Closer to an hour if in need to scrape the back glass or change out the media in my reactor, closer to 30 minutes if it's just a water change.

Ditto

 

[dzfish17]

I spend about 2 hrs per week if you include top-off, and feeding. Most of my time is spent cleaning the front pane (4'x8') every week. I also spend about 30 min. every month cleaning my artificial corals. My water change set-up is like the above poster... valves and a switch. I do spend some time everyday checking on livestock and equipment.

 

[milhous3er]

4-6 hours a week. I enjoy doing the manual task on my tank.

 

[powderhound]

Around 3 hours per week. Includes cleaning glass 15 gallon water change manual dosing two part and cleaning skimmer and doing water tests

 

[geccles]

0 - 2 hours, probably pretty close to 2 hours on the average. Having a reef tank is actually less work than when I used to raise discus.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

I said 0-2 hours as most of my weekly maintenance is using the magfloat on the glass, cleaning stuff out of powerheads, cleaning skimmate and every 3 weeks a water change. I also have to fill up the RO/DI reservoir every week as well. not too bad I guess

 

[0 tds]

2-4 if you include feeding. I do check water parameters every week and do smaller water changes every friday night. Working on setting up an automated water change to do a gallon or so a day.

 

[Reef Job]

I'm anal about keeping the glass spotless inside and out. Water change + skimmer cleaning doesn't take very long but my daily glass OCD starts to add up.

 

[solitude127]

I wonder if I added how much time is spent on RC, how much more would the time go up?