Are these type reef tanks really harder to maintain?

[robbyg]

I have 3 fish!

For that size tank thats a lot of self control. I assume your system nutrient export issues are just about zero?

 

[Jon Fishman]

For that size tank thats a lot of self control. I assume your system nutrient export issues are just about zero?

I would need to test........ and I haven’t felt the need to test!

 

[robbyg]

I would need to test........ and I haven’t felt the need to test!

LOL that is typically a sign that your very confident the tank is in the sweet spot
Yeah I know the feeling. You can just look at the corals and it's like they smile back at you and say yeah were happy and growing.

 

[Jon Fishman]

LOL that is typically a sign that your very confident the tank is in the sweet spot
Yeah I know the feeling. You can just look at the corals and it's like they smile back at you and say yeah were happy and growing.

I haven’t tested this tank since setting it up.

No dosing, no big changes...... I just let the coral do their thing. If something looks off, I do a big water-change. All is doing well..... so.... I haven’t tested!!

 

[Waynerock]

Flow was the hardest part to get right. I like the more gelatinous LPS and they have a tendency to rip in higher flow. It definitely helps to aquascape with SPS placement in mind. I tried to make a wall in the back higher up just for a couple sticks.

 

[AnxiousReefer]

You may have heard it said before that a MIXED Reef Tank was harder to maintain due to the mix of corals needing different flow, different light, feeding etc..

So is a mixed reef tank harder to keep more happy and healthy?

If true why is it harder in your opinion?

If false why do you say so?

Beautiful mixed reef video via @Reefer350Khash

It’s more difficult because a sps dominant tank all you need to worry about is having high light and high flow vice versa for lps dominant. With a mixed reef you need to strategically place your corals to where their requirements are met the best. Im trying to create a mixed reef and right now I only have Montipora cap which is placed low but with higher flow only because when it grows if it is placed higher it will shadow the corals below it. Then I have few zoas, Ultra ricordia, Favias, and two acans. I placed them all low on a rock and some on substrate and even some in caves because they all require different requirements.

 

[saltyhog]

Once I quit trying to keep nutrients very low it became much easier for me. I must confess though that I don't keep leathers or any softies other than zoas. Coral placement is probably the most demanding part of keeping a mixed reef tank.

 

[Dragonreef202]

I've tried mixed reef haven't had great success. I currently have zoas , frogspawn coral, and a branching hammer coral that's not doing to well. I have tried some birdsnest coral without any success as well as some acans that haven't done that well. So i'll just keep trying until I do get a mixed reef tank that thrives.

 

[flsalty]

I'm assuming mixed reef means a mix of SPS, LPS, and softies.

I voted harder because it's easier to set up lighting, flow, and parameters for one type of coral. A mixed reef takes more planning and dialing in.

That's not to say a tank full of something difficult wouldn't be hard.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I've also found that it is hard to predict what does well. I can set up a tank with the intent of keep LPS, high light, low nutrient, medium flow. Add LPS might do badly and an odd cheap Acropora that got thrown in does well. Now I can keep adding Acros, and I have a mixed reef doing well that could turn into an SPS tank, or I could keeping adding LPS and spend money watching them die until something changes. Planning ahead is hard.

I agree with this. You might also set up a tank with the intent of making it an acro tank it the future, but some nice shrooms show up at the lfs. And then you notice some pretty zoas.
I personally think that a mixed reef is easier if you know what the flow and lighting are in different parts of the tank. Some corals may like different parameters though. Softies tends to like dirtier tanks where an acro might have a quick demise.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

I've got 2 different rockscapes ie. Left rockscape: montis, lps, nems, Right rockscape: sps on top & mid section, softies top, mid & lower sections. Palys, shrooms, exotic Pumping Xenia all located on sand bed bottom.
No skimmer, dry sump, Tunze powerheads on both (L & R) sides of tank creating a vortex in the middle top area of water surface. One corner filled with growing macro algaes in a mesh bag (yes I'm lazy still). I don't have any issues with any algae growing on my glass and it's been like this for a while now.
Weekly water changes is a must & only use Instant Ocean regular salt with a little GFO & carbon on a Hang On Fluval filter runnning 24/7. Daily feeding of ESV Dried Phytoplankton.

 

[MAGASAF]

Depends what you are mixing, and what you mean by harder.

Suppose I had an empty tank except for Homewrecker. It would be easy to maintain at first, as optimal flow, light and nutrient levels is the same for everything. But as it grew, some would have to go in places with more light and flow, and other's less. And we've all had colonies or entire types of Acropora suddenly go belly up - with one type of coral that wipes out the tank.

And then harder could mean harder to create an interesting display, not just harder to keep alive. A whole tank, especially a large tank, of one type of coral, is boring.

It’s more difficult because a sps dominant tank all you need to worry about is having high light and high flow vice versa for lps dominant. With a mixed reef you need to strategically place your corals to where their requirements are met the best. Im trying to create a mixed reef and right now I only have Montipora cap which is placed low but with higher flow only because when it grows if it is placed higher it will shadow the corals below it. Then I have few zoas, Ultra ricordia, Favias, and two acans. I placed them all low on a rock and some on substrate and even some in caves because they all require different requirements.

 

[damselindistress]

“It’s easy.... I put it all in my tank..... it either survives or it doesn’t........

I move stuff if it gets crowded etc, but for the most part, it’s like the Brady Bunch..... and if Bobby decides to kick Cindy in the face, then so be it.”

Oh man this made me laugh.;Hilarious That’s pretty much my reefing style as well.

 

[Drewbacca]

You may have heard it said before that a MIXED Reef Tank was harder to maintain due to the mix of corals needing different flow, different light, feeding etc..

So is a mixed reef tank harder to keep more happy and healthy?

If true why is it harder in your opinion?

If false why do you say so?

Beautiful mixed reef video via @Reefer350Khash

I used to think it was easier because you could just use a few quality lights and utilize all the areas of the tank with various corals and I figured if your water quality is good enough for sps then you can have success with any corals. This is still all partly true, but after lowering my normal alk levels for a sand pecipitant issue, i noticed how some zoas that weren't growing had doubled into colonies in a matter of three weeks. But duncans which had quadrupled in 3 months were now dying off. So my original thoughts were all based on light and flow, but now i believe a mixed tank can survive at middle of the road perameters, but for things to thrive not just survive, its easiest to cater to one. Or as someone else just said, you can still do that and let one thrive and

the others just survive.

 

[Straightrazorguy]

I never had any problem keeping a mix of SPS, LPS, and some softies. My tank is SPS dominant, though. I put the LPS and softies on the sand or in shades spaces and everything is thriving...

 

[Galaxy reefer]

I have a mixed reef as well. I agree with vetteguy. You need to be more observent of what and where you are putting things along with all the necessary needs for each coral type. I feel this type of set up requires more research and understanding of the corals you are choosing and placement based on future growth. More extensive planning and placement is key. It can take me months of trial and error to place a coral in its optimal spot. I love the challenge it gives me.

 

[Stigigemla]

I believe the problems has not so much to do with soft, leathers, LPS or SPS.
The problems is more that people mix corals from wavezone with deepwater corals or corals from lagoons.
Or corals from murky waters with a lot of nutrition with corals from extremly clear water habitats.

 

[Brian W]

I have a mixed reef. I plan to only keep a few acros in it. Not trying to go down the acro road again even though im sure I will