what other Keep It Simple reefers do we have?

[goldmaniac]

Who else has success with simple systems, and what do you have in the tank?

I'm currently reading a thread called "Devistating Tank Tragedy" where an experienced reefer lost the majority of corals and animals due to a bad component on a calcium reactor, and Alk went up to 28 (28!!!). It's a total shame and I truly feel bad for the person.

BUT

it has dawned on me that this is the main reason why I keep my mixed reef tank insanely simple, to the point that people get angry and post "you can't do that."

I think that 'Failure of Equipment' is the biggest danger, or rather risk, in this hobby.

Not bad testing
not lazy husbandry
not bad luck
not disease
not pests
not stupid tank babysitters

it's my opinion that equipment, especially complicated equipment such as a calcium reactor, that can cause the biggest Total Trajedys so quickly and easily.

for this reason, and because I'm not smart and just a bit lazy, I keep it offensively simple.

Who else has success with simple systems, and what do you have in the tank?

I'll start:

120 gallon 48" x 24" x 24" AGA display tank, with a 50 gallon, 3 section sump/refugium.

1st section: dual 100 micron filter socks from an external overflow.
this rolls into
2nd section: 16x24 footprint of a refugium, with 2 inches of sugar-sized sand. Caulerpa prolifera, grape caulerpa, and chaeto in the fuge, with two $12 6500k flood lights on reverse timing to the display tank. Thanks to Melev for his lighting suggestion on his web site.
this rolls into
3rd section: dual ViaAqua 4900 pumps. Each of these has a SCWD, and this results in four return lines, alternating, creating random flow (the two SCWDs don't alternate at the same rate as each other, so flow combinations from the 2 pairs of returns are random).

I also have (2) Koralia 4's in the tank for flow.

I rarely dose with 2-part from BulkReefSupply, but i have it just in case.

I use Red Sea Coral Pro salt. my LFS sells a 5-gallon bucket for $40 and that is said to be good for 175 gallons of Salt water.

I made about 90% of the live rock in the tank about 2 years ago, i'd call it a Medium amount of live rock in the tank. You can click my home page to see how much, actually.

lighting is a 48" Nova Extreme Pro canopy of 8 t5's, each being 54 or 56 watts, I forget. two Home Depot timers handle 4 of the lights each.

That's it.

No Skimmer at all
no calcium reactor
no reactors at all, actually
no GFO
no carbon
no chemicals
no UV
no anything else

I do water changes pretty randomly. when I hooked up my Kent Maxxima Hi-S RO/DI and fill up 24 5-gallon buckets and a couple of 32-gallon Rubbermaid trash cans to store ro/di water, I did two separate 45 gallon water changes about a week apart recently. I probably won't do another until mid-January, at least.

My mixed reef:

SPS: multiple types of acroporas, milleporas, montiporas, gorgonias, seriotomas (sp? birds nest corals)

LPS: one large frogspawn with about 6 heads

Softies: kenya tree corals, toadstools

Mushrooms: ricordia floridas and ricordia yumas, about 4 specimes of each, various sizes

polyps: button polyps, and about 20 kinds of zoas/palys

Fish: 2 tangs, a freckled hawkfish, 3 perculas, a Rainford's goby, spotted mandarinfish, bangaii cardinalfish.

my tank will never get TOTM, but i have a family with small kids and this 170 gallon system is VERY LOW maintenance. I'm happy with what I have.

I change filter socks about twice a week
I clean the glass about once a week
I trim the macroalgae about once every 3 months
I clean the pumps about once a year
I clean the overflow about once a NEVER
I test water quality about once a oh-crap-its-been-way-too-long

Anyone else?

 

[Peter Eichler]

So you don't maintain calcium and alkalinity levels? If that's the case you're heading down the same road as the guy with the failed calcium reactor.

How long has your tank been set up? Any pics?

 

[goldmaniac]

I don't really test on a schedule but I watch the tank and if i notice anything not looking good, I might test alk, pH, Ca. Usually my Ca is 400 or a little higher, maybe my SPS load isn't high and water changes handle it.

I like the fact that you're basically telling me that I'm tempting fate by not ritually testing. You're proving my point that many others with a different philosophy of husbandry are close minded to this way of reefing. Thank you.

My system has been running since 1999. I upgraded from a 75 gallon to the 120 gallon in 2001, and installed a 29 gal tank as a sump/fuge around 2003, and upgraded to the 50 gallon fuge/sump around 2005.

point-and-shoot pics are on my home page when you click onto my name. I put them up simply to document growth and changes. They are not high-quality pics, but you can get an idea of the tank i'm running.

 

[fishaholic911]

+ 1 ^ but add a low end euro reef skimmer and weekly water changes. I still run VHO T-12 as well.

 

[fishaholic911]

Do not pay attention to the date as I canged batterys in the camera and forgot to reset date.

 

[goldmaniac]

great looking tank - much better pics than mine

thanks

 

[fishaholic911]

Thank you and keep up the simplicity.

 

[jasonrp104]

45 gallon with a 10 gallon sump= Mixed reef with Sebae anemone and a pair of maroons
4 bulb T5
Cheapo skimmer
filter sock
Phos reactor
ATO with kalk. Float valve with a backup (I got sick of dosing 2 part)

Once I got my ato set up, I've dropped testing to once every 2 weeks. I could do less because it doesn't move but I like to be sure.

I thought my system was pretty simple and to be honest, adding the ATO has made it easier. I look at my sump daily to make sure it is working and I fill my bucket with water once a week. Takes 5 minutes. My daily dosing added up to much more in a week and my acro hated the swings

 

[fishaholic911]

great looking tank - much better pics than mine

thanks

You have a great looking tank ! I noticed you to are using a HOB overflow, mine is a CPR but do not tell or I will get bashed :blown:

 

[jasonrp104]

I've got the same. U-tubes are misunderstood. They only mess up when used incorrectly or neglected

 

[jefathome]

I'm a KISS reefer.

120g custom tank:
LPS, Softies (zoas and toadstools), and one SPS.
In tank flow handled by 2 Tunze 6025's (flow mods)
Medium Bio load (2 tangs, 2 clowns, 2 borb anthias, 6 chromis, and a Pylie wrasse)

30g sump:
BM200 skimmer, heaters, and Phos react with Phos and carbon, LED spotlight on fuge with cheato

ATO: TOMs Aqualifter pump and a Home Depot timer set to go for 15min 2x per day.

Lighting: 4 T5's and a 400w mh



I almost NEVER check any of my levels, add Kalk once in a while to the ATO, and do 40% water changes about every 3-4 months using NSW I get for free from a research center near the beach.

The only deaths I get are from my bubble coral stinging stuff or those mystery Zoa melts.

 

[billdogg]

I have been a member of the KISS club for about 20 years. My tanks are set in the following way:

1st tank - 60g cube - running since 1992
no sump
no fuge
no skimmer
no filter socks
penguin emperor biowheel (with original wheels)
fluval 404? canister mainly for carbon
tlf reactor for GFO
2 x K4's and a MJ900? for circulation
glass top
3 x T12 VHO in DIY reflectors (vinyl gutter)- bulbs changed about yearly
Water changes about monthly
you mean you can test for stuff????? (I've been in this long enough to know when something is off - I have test kits - salifert - just don't use them unless there is a problem I can't figure out - they routinely expire after 2 or 3 tests)
tap water and whatever salt is on sale for water changes

Inhabitants:
yellow tang
yellow watchman
pygmy angel
assorted gobies
spotted mandarin
orange back fairy wrasse
blue legged hermit
scarlet reef hermit
2 x harlequin serpant stars
assorted zoas
assorted mushrooms
small urchin
several smallish soft corals
probably a couple more things but can't recall right now


last fish death? can't really remember - my newest fish is at least 3 years old - ditto for the soft corals, although I check in at phishybusiness for new different shrooms/zoas every few months (when i need more salt)


Tank #2
150 oceanic first set up in the late 1980's
recently added a 120 fuge
50g sump
4 x 48" VHO in the same DIY reflectors - bulbs changed when they won't fire any more
BRS reactors for GFO & Carbon
no skimmer
no filter socks
DART for circulation throughout
Same water change schedule (same water and salt as well)
eggcrate tops on tank & fuge

Inhabitants:
4' Gymnothorax Undulatus - approx 20 years old
Green brittle Star - started to eat too many little happy fish in the 60
several LARGE hermits
purple pseudochromis - too mean in the 60 as well

assorted CUC snails in the fuge, along with 2 x engineer gobies
macro algae in fuge as well

I mix my (TAP) water in a 55g barrel I got from the Radiology Department here at work (I'm a Xray Tech) - it contained either developer or fixer before I got it 20+ years ago.

I have not had a problem with disease or alge bloom in years and years. I have had no losses i can't pin on old age or suicide since my (then) gf took care of my tank many years ago (it was a VERY hot august and she turned off my AC to save me $$$ - boy that worked well)

I like to think I have better things to do with my time than have to muck around with my tanks all the time, so I have resisted most "Must Haves" over the years, but must admit that the TLF/BRS reactors help. I may switch to ro/di, just because I want to hook my refridgerator up to good water, but I'm not in a big hurry.

I will be the first to admit that this method WILL NOT work well for anyone not very familiar with their tanks and how they evolve, but it has worked well for me for 20+ years, and will likely work for 20 more.

 

[vames]

goldmaniac, thanks for this thread. I'm a total noob, and my local club often laughs at my threads stating "my temperature swung from 78 to 76 this morning, WHAT DO I DO!?!" "Relax, bro" comes the inevitable response. Obviously good husbandry requires basic knowledge and proper attention, but I'm often overwhelmed by the seeming complexity. KISS, indeed.

 

[Aerowen]

nice tanks, they show that you can run a system without all that equipment.
i also run a less complicated system, no skimmer no reactors etc. if i see that my corals are acting weird i would test since i don't test on a regular basis. I don't have a chem lab set up next to my tank, and don't see the need for one. There are many ways to do this hobby and i def. go the more biology route.

 

[greech]

Here's my 40 Breeder up since February...

-30ish lbs of LR
-2 Koralia 2's
-Aquaclear 70 HOB filter (filter floss and Chemipure elite)
-Current Sundial T5HO (4 stock bulbs still)
-Heater

-10 to 15% WCs each week (probably spend about 10 minutes a day on my tank feeding and tidying up and about 30-60 minutes doing WC's and cleaning filter/powerheads on the weekend)

The only thing I really want to add is a Vortech MP20 to upgrade my Koralias. Oh and more coral, lots more coral!! I'll get there one day

 

[bobparker]

Just a comment about the HOB overflow tubes......I like sumps and recently upgraded from a 29 to a 55gl. Both standard AGA tanks. The 29 I drilled myself, and the 55 I decided to go with the HOB overflow. Even after reading about the down side and the siphon breaks, I started looking in LFS. Being a pore unemployed construction worker I ended up making a DIY overflow with a "kick". Tetra Marine came out with a new HOB with the impeller in the tube submerged below the water line in the tank. It left ample room in the HOB box to dremmal(sp) out a bulkhead. I had to reinforce the back panel but It worked beautifully. I encased the tube with an acrylic overflow that hangs independently. works great for around $50.00.
I paid for it with the money I made from selling my Cheato to 1 of the LFS in my area. The advantages of a sump with a refugium.
I need to get picks up.

Reefs are not a pore mans hobby but I love them just the same.

 

[andrewkw]

I don't really get why so many people are pro not testing.

I don't test as much as I'd like because I'm lazy. I check my alk and calcium levels every week or 2. Obviously things like nitrate will not be a problem without a noticeable difference but if your calcium is dropping or dkh raising it will be a much more gradual decline.

Testing has zero affect on your tank. Well you are removing 2-4ml of water. That is is. It's what you do with the test results that effect your tank. If the calcium is way off adjust it slowly don't panic and start pouring it in. You might catch the little things before they become big problems.

Many of the good salts are good enough to maintain most corals, but if you're not doing water changes, not adding additives how can you honestly expect your corals to thrive long term?

I'm all for keeping it simple, but also keeping it smart.

 

[Peter Eichler]

I don't really test on a schedule but I watch the tank and if i notice anything not looking good, I might test alk, pH, Ca. Usually my Ca is 400 or a little higher, maybe my SPS load isn't high and water changes handle it.

I like the fact that you're basically telling me that I'm tempting fate by not ritually testing. You're proving my point that many others with a different philosophy of husbandry are close minded to this way of reefing. Thank you.

You've totally misinterpreted what I've said... It's simple math, if you don't do something to maintain alkalinity, eventually you're going to have a problem as a result. That is unless you're doing very large water changes along the way which you have not indicated. Kudos to anyone for keeping things simple, but it's irresponsible to ignore the basics such as maintaining alkalinity IMO.

Whether maintaining alkalinity entails testing and adjusting every week or every year, it's not something that should ever just be ignored.

 

[goldmaniac]

I understand now. Thanks for the clarification. And I re-read my response and it wasn't too cool. Sorry. You didn't criticize any aspect of HOW i maintain the tank, which is what I hear all the time and I snapped back. You just commented that it's good to know your parameters. That's solid advice.

And I'll clarify, too: whenever I make a change in the tank (adding/removing rock, stirring up sand bed, big (25-30% or more) water changes, cutting down 90% of my macroalgae lawn, doing some serious scraping/scrubbing to coralline in the display or the sump, etc., i WILL test for a couple of days in a row to make sure nothing has gone awry (sp? "a-rye"). I usually work on it for a night every month or two.

So I have no testing schedule, because i will periodically test when changes happen. Usually if alk is a little low or high at that time, I'll plan on a 25% (42 gallon) water change in the next couple of days to remedy parameters, if it's due, or add a little 2-part from BRS.

I've had about 10 specimens of SPS since July, and I look for polyp extension as the Canary in the Coal Mine for health of my tank. I enjoy looking at the tank every single night, so this is how I monitor the system.

thanks for your response and for staying cooler than I did.

 

[goldmaniac]

and to everyone else:

Thanks for your imput, as well - it's good to know that I'm not a 1% minority, here. Sounds like many have found a happy balance in this hobby.

\ it IS a hobby, after all. It's not work. Work is not fun; reefing should be.