Is it possible? Minimalist Set-ups?
- Thread starter REV
- Start date
My 6+ year old 45 G hex has always been pretty simple I thought.
Started with a seaclone skimmer and ran that for about 4 years. LS and LR. Used lace rock for some of my rock and today, you can't tell which is which. The Lace rock is covered with coraline, zoa's, sponges, muscles, etc.
I have a heater and three small powerheads hidden in the rocks. I started with N.O. 15W floresence and ran that way for a year or more. Upgraded to about 100 W of PC and ran that for over a year. Keep Bubbles, pagoda, mushrooms and a softey in there with no problems.
As for upgrades. It now has a Prizim skimmer, 175W MH and 220W PC atinic. Other than that, it's still minimal. I now have 2 clams and a Monti Cap SPS so that's why about 6 months ago I put in a MH retro I got cheap.
Top off is me pouring in 1/2 G a day of RO water mixed with seachem products for calc and alk. Picks are in my gallery of the system. Some from a few years ago without the MH or large PC lights.
Here's a pic from 2 years ago with just 100W of PC and natural sunlight. I also have been using NSW for the last couple of years so I don't even mix salt anymore. How minimalist is that.
Started with a seaclone skimmer and ran that for about 4 years. LS and LR. Used lace rock for some of my rock and today, you can't tell which is which. The Lace rock is covered with coraline, zoa's, sponges, muscles, etc.
I have a heater and three small powerheads hidden in the rocks. I started with N.O. 15W floresence and ran that way for a year or more. Upgraded to about 100 W of PC and ran that for over a year. Keep Bubbles, pagoda, mushrooms and a softey in there with no problems.
As for upgrades. It now has a Prizim skimmer, 175W MH and 220W PC atinic. Other than that, it's still minimal. I now have 2 clams and a Monti Cap SPS so that's why about 6 months ago I put in a MH retro I got cheap.
Top off is me pouring in 1/2 G a day of RO water mixed with seachem products for calc and alk. Picks are in my gallery of the system. Some from a few years ago without the MH or large PC lights.
Here's a pic from 2 years ago with just 100W of PC and natural sunlight. I also have been using NSW for the last couple of years so I don't even mix salt anymore. How minimalist is that.
minimalist
New member
LOL. I'm happy with my 10g. If I do ever upgrade, it will just be to a 20 or 30. In either case, other than the addition of another Maxi Jet, things will remain the same.
MiddletonMark
Premium Member
My 60g coral tub in the basement is about as simple as could be.
60g agrimaster, 150w heater, 2 MJ1200's, and a 175w MH for light. No sump, skimmer, fuge, ATO, dosers ... nothing more than the siphon hose + water changes [baking soda additions for alk if I don't change water regularly].
Of course, all coral - no fish ... but that wasn't the question
60g agrimaster, 150w heater, 2 MJ1200's, and a 175w MH for light. No sump, skimmer, fuge, ATO, dosers ... nothing more than the siphon hose + water changes [baking soda additions for alk if I don't change water regularly].
Of course, all coral - no fish ... but that wasn't the question
ACBlinky
Premium Member
All my tanks are probably what most people would consider 'minimal', and doing just great so far (I only started the switch from FW to SW about year ago).
65g:
302W PC lighting
HOB skimmer
4 PHs
Canister filter
65lbs LR
70lbs sand
30g
130W PC & 28W T5 lighting
HOB skimmer
2 AC 70 filters (one modded into a fuge)
1 PH
35lbs LR
15lbs sand
5.5g
80W PC lighting
1 PH
1 tiny HOB filter
8lbs LR
10lbs sand
There are fish, soft corals and stony corals in all three tanks. I top off with water bottles and drip lines, about as simple as it gets but it works
65g:
302W PC lighting
HOB skimmer
4 PHs
Canister filter
65lbs LR
70lbs sand
30g
130W PC & 28W T5 lighting
HOB skimmer
2 AC 70 filters (one modded into a fuge)
1 PH
35lbs LR
15lbs sand
5.5g
80W PC lighting
1 PH
1 tiny HOB filter
8lbs LR
10lbs sand
There are fish, soft corals and stony corals in all three tanks. I top off with water bottles and drip lines, about as simple as it gets but it works
acroporid23
In Memoriam
yeah REV i can umm quit well maybe i'll just get that last acro i wanted sooo bad its only 5000000000 dollars I'll just have to refinance my house ! car and borrow the money from my girlfriend
Porkibear
New member
I'm pretty "minimalist" if that's what you call it....
I got a used 60 gal acrylic w/ stand and canopy for $80 (hardly any scratches are visible), and also came with standard pump, overflow box, Seaclear 10 gallon sump, 404 Fluval canister filter...all for $80 bucks. The only things I really invested a good deal of money in is the compact lighting system since I was going to have corals.
I got a used 60 gal acrylic w/ stand and canopy for $80 (hardly any scratches are visible), and also came with standard pump, overflow box, Seaclear 10 gallon sump, 404 Fluval canister filter...all for $80 bucks. The only things I really invested a good deal of money in is the compact lighting system since I was going to have corals.
techigirl78
New member
I guess mine is a minimalist setup. I have a 125 with 2 heaters, PC lighting, 5 Maxi-jets, a CPR Protein Skimmer, ~190 lbs of LR. Had a tunze 6000 on it for awhile, but that has now been transferred to my 90 gal.
I have all small fish and primarily soft corals. I only have 7 SMALL fish (green-banded goby, scooter blenny, yasa hashe goby, firefish, canary blenny, clown goby, rainford's goby). There's decent growth on the softies, but the few LPS corals don't grow nearly like they do in tanks with better lighting.
It's been running over two years and no major algae problems etc. for a long time, but I do have halimeda growing in the main tank and feed on a limited basis. Nitrates have been at 0 when tested during the 2 year period.
Thinking of a possible upgrade this summer as I want to get a tang and sargassum trigger after transferring the smaller fish to a different tank. I don't have a very good recent picture of it, but I'll try to get one tonight.
I have all small fish and primarily soft corals. I only have 7 SMALL fish (green-banded goby, scooter blenny, yasa hashe goby, firefish, canary blenny, clown goby, rainford's goby). There's decent growth on the softies, but the few LPS corals don't grow nearly like they do in tanks with better lighting.
It's been running over two years and no major algae problems etc. for a long time, but I do have halimeda growing in the main tank and feed on a limited basis. Nitrates have been at 0 when tested during the 2 year period.
Thinking of a possible upgrade this summer as I want to get a tang and sargassum trigger after transferring the smaller fish to a different tank. I don't have a very good recent picture of it, but I'll try to get one tonight.
REV
New member
Well, techgirl, you may be disqualified... "Thinking of a possible upgrade." I am finding about what I expected. Outside of the nano community, those with multiple tanks, and newbies, most with minimal set-ups are just as sick as the rest of us... "I just... need... this... one... more... thing..." :hmm4:
techigirl78
New member
I'm a female, so I find myself doing a lot of unnecessary thinking, so my fiance' says. 
I'm working on my current new setup which is a 90 gal with all the nice little upgrades. It is hard to think about upgrading it, but I don't have much room for other 6 foot tanks, so I find myself considering upgrading just to give tangs/triggers the space they require. So, if that disqualifies me, then so be it.
If someone only stuck with what they got in the beginning, they probably wouldn't find themselves on this site much.
I'm working on my current new setup which is a 90 gal with all the nice little upgrades. It is hard to think about upgrading it, but I don't have much room for other 6 foot tanks, so I find myself considering upgrading just to give tangs/triggers the space they require. So, if that disqualifies me, then so be it.
If someone only stuck with what they got in the beginning, they probably wouldn't find themselves on this site much.
PygmyAngel
New member
My 75g is also minimal.
No sump
No refugium
No auto-anything.
Had it setup since 2001.
Only has:
Prism Skimmer
Emperor 400 w/out biowheels
3 powerheads and 1 SEIO 1100 powerhead
Live rock and live sand.
Tank has been absolutely beautiful, but also has gone thru serious hair algae issues. My gallery shows the different stages.
I just moved it from apt. to house, and still dealing w/ some issues, but again, my rock and sand are 5 years old.
I needed a tank I could handle on my own...so no plumbing, no extra equipment, no extra reservoirs, no extra tanks hooked up to it.
Only thing I upgraded over the past couple years was the lights.
No sump
No refugium
No auto-anything.
Had it setup since 2001.
Only has:
Prism Skimmer
Emperor 400 w/out biowheels
3 powerheads and 1 SEIO 1100 powerhead
Live rock and live sand.
Tank has been absolutely beautiful, but also has gone thru serious hair algae issues. My gallery shows the different stages.
I just moved it from apt. to house, and still dealing w/ some issues, but again, my rock and sand are 5 years old.
I needed a tank I could handle on my own...so no plumbing, no extra equipment, no extra reservoirs, no extra tanks hooked up to it.
Only thing I upgraded over the past couple years was the lights.
Agu
Premium Member
I have a ten gallon with 5 cords, 96w pc, moonlight, AC 300 (for flow), Rio90, and backup air pump.The only other pieces of equipment are a DIY kalk dripper and thermometer. It's been up over three years and almost completely trouble free.
Inspired by Kogo I'm setting up a two plug system, light and pump.
Inspired by Kogo I'm setting up a two plug system, light and pump.
PygmyAngel
New member
Done w/ major equipment. Don't think I will ever put on a refugium or sump. Unless I grew from a short 5'1" woman to a strong 6'2" handyman ...my tank won't change....
...EXCEPT I am going to get another SEIO 1100 powerhead for the right corner of the tank. I also am getting a couple bulbs (still trying to deal w/ fuzzy hair algae and cyano - but this is part of the issues I had w/ the tank over the summer, and resetting up/ cycling at new house...)
But those are basic maintenance items anyway, that I hope will help (....crossing fingers).
Anyway, yep...I'm a 'true' minimalist at heart. I'm not about to redo the whole tank. If I can't get the tank to eventually look the way it did in '03 (as you can see in my gallery), and/or it gets progressively worse no matter what I do, I won't start it all over.
But it can be done minimally. I had a heavily stocked tank, lots of purple corralline, several huge anemones (still have them), and a mated pair of Maroon Clowns that produced eggs every month for the past 2 1/2 years (till they died in one night the night I tore the tank down for moving).....all crashed that night....sigh.
I'm trying to start over slowly, 'cooking' most of the rocks in buckets in the dark right now, while only have 3 fishes, some corals, rocks, sand in the tank....no new equipment coming in - just bulbs and another powerhead.
If I could do it that way for almost 5 years, am sure it can be done longer, but maintenance has to be consistent, or one will have issues like I did.
Oh, and I don't know about 'most' minimal tanks not being 'show-worthy' - mine was awesome and beautiful for a long time:
...my tank won't change.......EXCEPT I am going to get another SEIO 1100 powerhead for the right corner of the tank. I also am getting a couple bulbs (still trying to deal w/ fuzzy hair algae and cyano - but this is part of the issues I had w/ the tank over the summer, and resetting up/ cycling at new house...)
But those are basic maintenance items anyway, that I hope will help (....crossing fingers).
Anyway, yep...I'm a 'true' minimalist at heart. I'm not about to redo the whole tank. If I can't get the tank to eventually look the way it did in '03 (as you can see in my gallery), and/or it gets progressively worse no matter what I do, I won't start it all over.
But it can be done minimally. I had a heavily stocked tank, lots of purple corralline, several huge anemones (still have them), and a mated pair of Maroon Clowns that produced eggs every month for the past 2 1/2 years (till they died in one night the night I tore the tank down for moving).....all crashed that night....sigh.
I'm trying to start over slowly, 'cooking' most of the rocks in buckets in the dark right now, while only have 3 fishes, some corals, rocks, sand in the tank....no new equipment coming in - just bulbs and another powerhead.
If I could do it that way for almost 5 years, am sure it can be done longer, but maintenance has to be consistent, or one will have issues like I did.
Oh, and I don't know about 'most' minimal tanks not being 'show-worthy' - mine was awesome and beautiful for a long time:
