Let's talk tank maintenance

[TriedAndProven]

I'm in the process of planning out and putting together a reef build. I've had a couple salt water tanks before, but they were both very noobish attempts, and then I got bit by the freshwater high tech high light CO2 injected EI dosed planted tank bug.

So I'm interested to hear about your maintenance routines. What do you do daily? Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Some information about your tank would probably be helpful too.

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

Daily: Feed fish, manually dose kalk as top off water until I get an ATO (for my stony coral). Manually dose vinegar for carbon dosing. Also empty protein skimmer cup. Depending on your protein skimmer size, and bio load, this may only need done weekly.

Weekly: clean glass with "flipper scrapper" Take a close, purposeful look at my tank for any issues like algae. if anything is found, Perform water tests.

Also use turkey baster to blow off rock so filters can capture loose detritus.

Bi-Weekly: Clean canister filter (no sump on my tank, will have one on my next upgrade), rinse excess bacteria from mesh media and replace filter floss.

Check nitrate levels to see if levels are rising. Check alk/Ca/Mag levels due to hard coral consumption.

Monthly: Replace GFO/ carbon.

Quarterly: Remove 20% of sand from one section of the tank, and rinse in a bucket until clean. To me, this will prevent the old tank syndrome. Seems to work well for me. Not sure if really needed or not, but makes me feel better.

A sump is highly recommended to ease maintenance of canister filters like I use currently. My tank is a 65Gallon mixed reef tank with a high fish bioload.

 

[ScienceRulez]

Daily: Change filter socks, feed fish, clean the glass with magnetic scraper, clean outside of tank

twice a week: Feed sea stars, do a water change

Weekly: various water quality tests, check dosing pump(s)

Every two weeks: change carbon, dust lights and chiller

Monthly: clean sand and refugium

 

[madweazl]

Fish are fed three times daily. I replace the filter sock every three-five days and clean the skimmer cup while I'm at it. I probably clean the front and side glass every third day and the back every week. Sump panels get cleaned every five to seven days. Water changes are done about every two weeks. Carbon is replaced every three weeks.

System has been up about a month and a half (49 days); no need to dose because there isnt anything using more than is replenished by the water changes for the time being.

 

[gone fishin]

Daily feed the fishes.Give the skimmer, sump levels and DT a looking over.

once a week clean the glass and skimmer. check alk, calc and mag levels. Check alk, calc dosing jugs and ATO reservoir.

biweekly do a 20% waterchange.

about every 3 months clean the powerheads.

 

[mcgyvr]

every 2 weeks I do a 5G water change, refil the 5G ATO container, and clean fluval 206 filters
I also refill the vinegar in my peristaltic pump container as needed.

Thats it.. Wife scrapes the glass now and then..

40B tank.. corals/snails/crabs/urchin but no fish

 

[scooter31707]

Daily: feed fish x2, clean glass (in and out), check all equipment to make sure it's running properly before work, after work, and before bed.
Weekly: every 2-3 days change filter sock and empty skimmer cup.
Biweekly: nothing
Monthly: 30% water change and change out GFO.
Every 3-4 months clean all pumps and powerheads.

 

[tjm9331]

Daily: feed fish twice, one light feeding in the morning and one light feeding at night. Check to make sure all residents are present and accounted for and check water level
Weekly: every 2-3 days I check and empty skimmer cup, manually add fresh water as I do not have an ATO...yet and perform a 20% water change
As needed: Clean skimmer and Gyre.

 

[TriedAndProven]

This has been super helpful so far. Overall much less work than a high tech planted system with 50% weekly water changes and daily dosing and pruning!

 

[homer1475]

Daily: feed fish and give a general look over things to make sure everything is running as it should.

I change filter socks, empty and clean the skimmer cup, and feed my corals every three days.

Weekly: WC o15 gallons, and magnet cleaner the inner glass ( I do the outer when it needs it, no real timeframe)

During a weekly WC once a month I wipe out the interior and exterior of my stand, and change out my carbon and gfo.

Every other month I vacuum the sandbed, clean pumps, powerheads, and skimmer body/pump.

Sent from my STV100-1 using Tapatalk

 

[mcgyvr]

This has been super helpful so far. Overall much less work than a high tech planted system with 50% weekly water changes and daily dosing and pruning!

I've never known any system (fresh or salt and I've done both) to require a 50% weekly water change on a normal basis expect a small goldfish bowl..

In general saltwater (having corals anyways) requires more attention/maintenance than freshwater..
But there are so many products now that take care of many tasks..
Dosing pumps..
Aquarium controllers..
Automatic Water Change Systems..
etc...

Careful planning and proper equipment selection during initial setup is key..

You can go just as crazy if not far more crazy than freshwater with a "high tech" saltwater setup too..

turf scrubbers
cheato reactors
surge systems
media reactors
refugiums
skimmers
ozone
calcium reactors
dosing pumps
Lighting systems with full storm modes,etc..
top off and water change systems
and on and on..

 

[TriedAndProven]

I've never known any system (fresh or salt and I've done both) to require a 50% weekly water change on a normal basis expect a small goldfish bowl..

Read up on the Estimative Index, or EI dosing then. Pretty common, or at least not uncommon.

 

[WaReefer458]

Daily- feed, run 15 minutes of wave cycle to stir up loose detrius in tank
weekly- clean glass, inspect reactor flows and media levels, do 10% water change, replace filter sock, check cal/alk/salinity
monthly- replace or top off media, clean lights of dust/ salt

just one thing to add as a side not to the people who say you can reduce most of this by buying all the extra equipment/gadgets. It may save you a bit of time each week but its not a matter of throwing money at it and having everything just happen for you ( I learned that the hard way ). I spent almost $4k to setup my 40b and I am still struggling through some issues. Plan ahead as well. You may just need to add some things down the road. My tank wasnt initially setup for much in the sump and after adding a bigger skimmer and 3 media reactors, it is getting a bit full.lol

 

[ScienceRulez]

Daily: Change filter socks, feed fish, clean the glass with magnetic scraper, clean outside of tank

twice a week: Feed sea stars, do a water change

Weekly: various water quality tests, check dosing pump(s)

Every two weeks: change carbon, dust lights and chiller

Monthly: clean sand and refugium

In making this post I forgot to add the following:

Every 2 weeks:
Clean the power heads

Every month:
Take apart the mainline pump to clean/lube and also clean/lube mainline motor.

 

[TriedAndProven]

Plan ahead as well. You may just need to add some things down the road. My tank wasnt initially setup for much in the sump and after adding a bigger skimmer and 3 media reactors, it is getting a bit full.lol

I think this is my biggest take away so far. I keep researching equipment techniques and sketching out under cabinet layouts just do I don't shoot myself in the foot down the road.

 

[WaReefer458]

I think this is my biggest take away so far. I keep researching equipment techniques and sketching out under cabinet layouts just do I don't shoot myself in the foot down the road.

 

[TriedAndProven]

Yeah, manifold for sure out of the gate even though I can't picture needing it for awhile.