Minimalist Reefer

[saltnut]

Once the minimal for me was meet. Every $ saved on extra equipment can be spent on livestock or consumables.

 

[vlangel]

Once the minimal for me was meet. Every $ saved on extra equipment can be spent on livestock or consumables.

Amen to that!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Maybe we should all put a link to this thread in our signature that shows up at the bottom of every post we make. And then start visiting the 'Welcome' forum.

I, for one, would not mind being a bit of a 'mentor' for some people trying this hobby for the first time.

 

[vlangel]

Maybe we should all put a link to this thread in our signature that shows up at the bottom of every post we make. And then start visiting the 'Welcome' forum.

I, for one, would not mind being a bit of a 'mentor' for some people trying this hobby for the first time.

I agree, and I added it to my signature. However, when I checked my posts my signature does not appear. That may be because I am not a supporting member (even though I have a banner, which I never knew why I was given that.) Or I am just so tech challenged that I did not do it correctly, LOL. Anyhow, I will welcome new folks and introduce them to this thread. I used to welcome and be available and just kind of drifted away, so need to get back into it.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I agree, and I added it to my signature. However, when I checked my posts my signature does not appear. That may be because I am not a supporting member (even though I have a banner, which I never knew why I was given that.) Or I am just so tech challenged that I did not do it correctly, LOL. Anyhow, I will welcome new folks and introduce them to this thread. I used to welcome and be available and just kind of drifted away, so need to get back into it.

If you're on a phone, the signature won't show up - it should show up on a computer though.

 

[vlangel]

If you're on a phone, the signature won't show up - it should show up on a computer though.

Oh, thank you. I did not know that and I always use my phone.

 

[tharbin]

@Ron Reefman, thank you for starting this thread. I also hope it can become a forum in the near future. I think it is important to show that all of the extra equipment, and expense, incurred on many new setups is not mandatory but rather optional or purely for convenience.

I have never had and have no desire for a high-tech tank as I'm not in the aqua-culture business. My first sw tank was nothing more than an under-gravel filter with reverse flow MaxiJets and a HOB sponge filter and all of the T12 bulbs I could fit on top. It worked pretty well. My all-time favorite, and most successful, tank was a 40-gallon Breeder with a HOB filter and two propeller-converted MaxiJets with two T-12s and a 250 Watt MH.

My current (and very young) system is a little too high-tech for me consider it minimalist but it is close. It is a 100-gallon lagoon-style AIO, mechanical filtration is a chunk of inTank Filter pad and some SERA filter floss that is changed as needed, usually about twice a week. I rely on the sand and rock for biological filtration although I am getting ready to add a chunk of macro algae and a refugium light on a timer to the sump portion to try to keep the pH up a little more. I do hand dose some Phosphat-E about once a week to keep the Phosphate down to a decent level. I do a more-or-less weekly two gallon water change, mainly to clean a portion of the sand bed. I have some ATI Essentials and some Fritz Magnesium for manual dosing but lately I have not needed either of them.

I do however have an Inkbird controller with a BRS titanium heating element and a Sicce SDC 6.0 return pump, although neither is connected to my WiFi. I also use a JBJ Nano ATO. None of these I consider high-tech, just convenient and fit my tank dimension/architecture well. The high-tech parts are the lighting and the flow pumps. I use three AI Nero 3 flow pumps, two AI Prime 16HD puck LEDS and two 39" AI Blade Grow LED strips all on the MyAI Bluetooth controller. I use them as they can all also be used, at least minimally, without the Bluetooth if required and provide the needed flow/lighting at somewhat realistic pricing. My electrical control is a switched power strip from American DJ that I have used on every tank I have set up in the last twenty years.

Edit-- I completely forgot that I added a Green Killing Machine UV a while back to fight a phyto bloom from an overdose of 'Reef Stew'. I leave it in for water clarity. Clearly high-tech and not really needed but I have it so why not.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

@Ron Reefman, thank you for starting this thread. I also hope it can become a forum in the near future. I think it is important to show that all of the extra equipment, and expense, incurred on many new setups is not mandatory but rather optional or purely for convenience.

I have never had and have no desire for a high-tech tank as I'm not in the aqua-culture business. My first sw tank was nothing more than an under-gravel filter with reverse flow MaxiJets and a HOB sponge filter and all of the T12 bulbs I could fit on top. It worked pretty well. My all-time favorite, and most successful, tank was a 40-gallon Breeder with a HOB filter and two propeller-converted MaxiJets with two T-12s and a 250 Watt MH.

My current (and very young) system is a little too high-tech for me consider it minimalist but it is close. It is a 100-gallon lagoon-style AIO, mechanical filtration is a chunk of inTank Filter pad and some SERA filter floss that is changed as needed, usually about twice a week. I rely on the sand and rock for biological filtration although I am getting ready to add a chunk of macro algae and a refugium light on a timer to the sump portion to try to keep the pH up a little more. I do hand dose some Phosphat-E about once a week to keep the Phosphate down to a decent level. I do a more-or-less weekly two gallon water change, mainly to clean a portion of the sand bed. I have some ATI Essentials and some Fritz Magnesium for manual dosing but lately I have not needed either of them.

I do however have an Inkbird controller with a BRS titanium heating element and a Sicce SDC 6.0 return pump, although neither is connected to my WiFi. I also use a JBJ Nano ATO. None of these I consider high-tech, just convenient and fit my tank dimension/architecture well. The high-tech parts are the lighting and the flow pumps. I use three AI Nero 3 flow pumps, two AI Prime 16HD puck LEDS and two 39" AI Blade Grow LED strips all on the MyAI Bluetooth controller. I use them as they can all also be used, at least minimally, without the Bluetooth if required and provide the needed flow/lighting at somewhat realistic pricing. My electrical control is a switched power strip from American DJ that I have used on every tank I have set up in the last twenty years.

Edit-- I completely forgot that I added a Green Killing Machine UV a while back to fight a phyto bloom from an overdose of 'Reef Stew'. I leave it in for water clarity. Clearly high-tech and not really needed but I have it so why not.

As far as I see its not quite high tech. You circulation and light, use ato as that could be a pain to top off that big. A refugium for filtration which to me is still natural and non mechanical. Only thing not as pointed out is UV. But doing a huge water change on that big tank is a bit much. So UV was to correct a problem you identified as an overdose. Now use for clarity but why not at this point as you paid for it lol.sterilizer wasnt a bandaid but used to help repair. Now if you continued to overdose and left it because it solved issue but continued dosing anyways without identifying, then its a band aid lol.

 

[Ron Reefman]

@Ron Reefman, thank you for starting this thread. I also hope it can become a forum in the near future. I think it is important to show that all of the extra equipment, and expense, incurred on many new setups is not mandatory but rather optional or purely for convenience.

I have never had and have no desire for a high-tech tank as I'm not in the aqua-culture business. My first sw tank was nothing more than an under-gravel filter with reverse flow MaxiJets and a HOB sponge filter and all of the T12 bulbs I could fit on top. It worked pretty well. My all-time favorite, and most successful, tank was a 40-gallon Breeder with a HOB filter and two propeller-converted MaxiJets with two T-12s and a 250 Watt MH.

My current (and very young) system is a little too high-tech for me consider it minimalist but it is close. It is a 100-gallon lagoon-style AIO, mechanical filtration is a chunk of inTank Filter pad and some SERA filter floss that is changed as needed, usually about twice a week. I rely on the sand and rock for biological filtration although I am getting ready to add a chunk of macro algae and a refugium light on a timer to the sump portion to try to keep the pH up a little more. I do hand dose some Phosphat-E about once a week to keep the Phosphate down to a decent level. I do a more-or-less weekly two gallon water change, mainly to clean a portion of the sand bed. I have some ATI Essentials and some Fritz Magnesium for manual dosing but lately I have not needed either of them.

I do however have an Inkbird controller with a BRS titanium heating element and a Sicce SDC 6.0 return pump, although neither is connected to my WiFi. I also use a JBJ Nano ATO. None of these I consider high-tech, just convenient and fit my tank dimension/architecture well. The high-tech parts are the lighting and the flow pumps. I use three AI Nero 3 flow pumps, two AI Prime 16HD puck LEDS and two 39" AI Blade Grow LED strips all on the MyAI Bluetooth controller. I use them as they can all also be used, at least minimally, without the Bluetooth if required and provide the needed flow/lighting at somewhat realistic pricing. My electrical control is a switched power strip from American DJ that I have used on every tank I have set up in the last twenty years.

Edit-- I completely forgot that I added a Green Killing Machine UV a while back to fight a phyto bloom from an overdose of 'Reef Stew'. I leave it in for water clarity. Clearly high-tech and not really needed but I have it so why not.

You are welcome. I'm not sure the powers here at R2R are hot to promote a thread (Or forum) that is about trying to keep it simple. We'll see how this thread does over time.

 

[sfin52]

Just made the above tank sump I wanted some cool inverts and a place to grow algea. No skimmer and just a canister for filtration. I clean once a month. It's a really simple set up.

Can't be drilled and didn't know about the aio when I started. Going well for 10 yrs.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Just made the above tank sump I wanted some cool inverts and a place to grow algea. No skimmer and just a canister for filtration. I clean once a month. It's a really simple set up.

Can't be drilled and didn't know about the aio when I started. Going well for 10 yrs.

Welcome to this thread. I hope you'll stick around. I like the look of the stand that the canister sits in!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Just an update here for those who don't follow mt tank build thread which is new.

I'm slowly going to change the look of my 'local' tank. The tank has a LOT of green zoas from the Florida Keys and a LOT of encrusting Gorgonians as well. I intend to remove a lot of both and end up with an area on the one end of the tank where I can put some colorful Rock Flower anemones.

I was a bit shocked when I went to the Frag Swap last weekend and saw some great looking RFAs for sale at prices I thought were very good... ($40/ea.). So, when the tank is ready, I'll probably move the 3 RFAs and the RBTA from the coral tank and put them in the sand of the local tank. There are already 4 RFAs in the local tank that I collected the last time we went snorkeling in the Keys last Spring. Then I'll do a trip to Miami and visit VIP Reef and PV Reefs stores and buy some more colorful RFAs to fill up the tank.

 

[sfin52]

Welcome to this thread. I hope you'll stick around. I like the look of the stand that the canister sits in!

Thanks

 

[Seansea]

. There are already 4 RFAs in the local tank that I collected the last time we went snorkeling in the Keys last Spring.

Is this allowed? I was down in keys last year and there was a cool orange favia looking coral right in water just outside hotel. I was told it was big troub e to take it.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Is this allowed? I was down in keys last year and there was a cool orange favia looking coral right in water just outside hotel. I was told it was big troub e to take it.

Stony corals are prohibited from collection in florida. Along with a few other. Fwc site has list also you can look through to see what you can and cannot and amount. But here is an article in relation to question. Hope tgis helps. https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/news-information/rules-and-regulations/

 

[exnisstech]

It just seems that an awful lot of the emphasis here is toward more and more hardware and fancy chemistries.

$$

If you're on a phone, the signature won't show up - it should show up on a computer though.

If you turn the phone sideways (landscape) the signature should be visible. Works on my android. I was told this by another member I didn't figure it out.

I consider myself a bit minimalistic compared to many. I do run sumps tho
I run three tanks. All have ato, two are old jbj ato units with mechanical float switches. Man I really love these things. In my 180 I enclosed the sensor in a knee high stocking to keep snails out and it works so well I have never cleaned it since it was installed 6 years ago. I can't say the same for the most awesome (as many people think) tunze ato with the optical sensors that require maintenance. I wish they still made the jbj units. All tanks have inkbird heat controllers and programmable lighting.

My oldest tank is a standard 180g mixed reef in my aquarium showcase. It runs with two hob overflows and a basement sump that is a standard 125g with diy baffles. There is a fuge consisting of muck and crud that never gets cleaned, rock rubble and cheato. Also I have a large section on the end blacked out full of rock running as a semi cryptic zone. I have a skimmer but I really don't know why. I only empty and clean it when I feel like it and it never fills up. I drip kalk 24/7 (7200ml daily) using a brs doser on s $15.00 digital timer. No additives but kalk are used. I kinda use filter socks. I was using reef diapers and changing them out when clogged. I switched to disposable pool filters which is nothing more than a stretchy material shaped like a filter sock. They catch the big stuff and never plug yet the water stays clear so I'm not sure how often I'll change them. I'm approaching 3 weeks now. Water changes are 20ish gallons when I feel like it. Ussualy at least every 10-14 days. I am in the process of setting up a new tank to replace this one. I really like my fish and want to give the tangs more swim room so I'm setting up an 84x30x25 tank. My plans are to run the new tank the same but I'm ditching the chaeto and just going to have the cryptic zone. I'll also be switching to AFR or 2 part as the basement sump will be going away and there is no space in the 11x14 living room for a kalk container.

Next tank is a reefer 170 mostly sps with a coupe of pectinia and a large blue haddoni. Fuge with rock rubble and chaeto, no skimmer. 2 part on a doser. I add a little MB7 twice a week.

Last a reefer 300 one year old with a lot of acro frags. Chaeto and rock rubble fuge with skimmer that has been unplugged for the last 6 months. I have a fleece roller and while I love not changing socks I have a feeling it removes too much and I'm planning on turning it off at night and just letting it overflow durring that period. Frag growth has really slowed and I added the roller last November so we'll see if that helps. I dose 2 part on a doser but am considering switching to AFR to get the trace elements to see if helps the frag growth any.

I seriously doubt we'll see a dedicated section for minimalistic reefing as it would do nothing to increase sponsorship.
I do however believe many new reefers would be more succesful starting as minimalistic reefers then once they learn how to do it on thier own experiment with other methods if they choose. But then again there wouldn't be the cool like new used gear on sale when they throw in towel because they can't stand the algae or their fish keep dying because the task isn't really cycled. Pros and cons to everything I suppose.

Im sorry, ill stop writting chapters....

Take that for chapter writing
At least yours contain useful information. Mine are just the rambling of an old guy lying in bed watching the lights ramp up on the bedroom tank thinking should I get up or should I not

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

If you turn the phone sideways (landscape) the signature should be visible. Works on my android. I was told this by another member I didn't figure it out.

Cool - it works on iPhone too. I wouldn't have figured that out either.

 

[Doctorgori]

My tanks are a techies dream and a support call nightmare …

BUT
I started in this hobby when you dripped kalkwasser and hand dosed everything else…

Timely thread; you don’t need all the connivence and technological garbage

…I will explode if another piece of equipment has me install another phone app

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

I will try and add tgis thread to signature in in next couple days

 

[Cthulukelele]

Started my first saltwater in the mid nineties and had it running for 16 years and two moves. No sump, simple filtration, a lot of live rock and an oversized skimmer. I relied on religious weekly 10% water changes. When setting up my current tank I haven’t strayed from my old ways especially since I am very low tech.

That sixline wrasse is gigantic! Haha