"Established Tank"- how do you determine it?

[DracoKat]

I am seeing a lot of talk about "Established" tanks in almost every aspect.. whether it's adding certain critters or corals, or testing..

How do you determine if your tank is "Established"? is it by the length of time it's been running? when cycling is over? other chemistry aspect?

 

[sa6hir]

Good question. I've always thought if you have a stable system with no fish loss (due to illness) nitrite, nitrate, phrosphate close to 0 that's been running over a year is a "established tank". Buttttt I could be wrong

 

[Salty1962]

It's based off of your tank being stable in respect to your big 3, Kh,Ca and Mg and temperature . Making sure your system can handle bio loads. Also about your tank having a well established sand bed and LR enabling your tank to support your livestock, copepods, amipods, mysis etc. These are just a high level idea about it but I think you get the idea.

 

[sa6hir]

It's based off of your tank being stable in respect to your big 3, Kh,Ca and Mg and temperature . Making sure your system can handle bio loads. Also about your tank having a well established sand bed and LR enabling your tank to support your livestock, copepods, amipods, mysis etc. These are just a high level idea about it but I think you get the idea.

But isn't kh, cal, mag only necessary for systems with corals, or was you talking in general, also if you have a reef you would need to dose to maintain this level!

 

[bif24701]

Stability.

 

[reefdweller64]

Somewhere between 6 months to a year of a stable system. Both in coral or just fish tanks . It means all ur fish r use to the system and to each other and there just waiting for there daily feeding , u see , it has to be about training and teaching of urself to. That's why ,they say a year , we make mistakes and sometimes impatient or just forget sometimes due to work or never had to use it. After 4 months ur system is stable. Unless u decide to change ur filtering system. Then ull have to be careful again.

 

[DannyAG]

All of the above are good gages of an established system. Another gage I use is the presence and growth of Coraline Algae on the glass or powerheads etc. This will take longer in tanks that don't receive consistent and regular Calcium and Alkalinity dosing, so its a more useful gage for reef tanks than FO tanks. Hope that helps

 

[bif24701]

I am seeing a lot of talk about "Established" tanks in almost every aspect.. whether it's adding certain critters or corals, or testing..

How do you determine if your tank is "Established"? is it by the length of time it's been running? when cycling is over? other chemistry aspect?

OP, why is this important to you? Does it concern a purchase you want to make? Adding a certain type of corals?

 

[DracoKat]

I am curious, trying to learn the ways of the tanks and what people consider "Established". I am finding a lot of posts saying "nems in established tanks only".. and I think clarification to what established means will help a lot to me and other members, newbies alike.

I feel like even though my upgraded tank is almost 4 months old, everything seems stable and no deaths (Aside from a possible serpent star), corals growing well, I feel like it's established, but more experienced reefers would say it's not established until at least 6-months to a year or more, or if it has coraline, or something else.

 

[saltyhog]

I think the definition is going to change depending on what you're talking about adding. It also probably depends on who you're talking to. Anything less than 20 years is a new tank to Paul B.

To me it means that your dosing is dialed in to the point that dKh , Ca+ and Mg+ rarely varies with testing and your biofilter is well established. If you have to do something like carbon dose to maintain nutrient control the dosing is stable as is the nutrient levels. It also means to me that you've had the tank up and running long enough that you can often tell if somethings wrong by LOOKING AT IT.

 

[bif24701]

I am curious, trying to learn the ways of the tanks and what people consider "Established". I am finding a lot of posts saying "nems in established tanks only".. and I think clarification to what established means will help a lot to me and other members, newbies alike.

I feel like even though my upgraded tank is almost 4 months old, everything seems stable and no deaths (Aside from a possible serpent star), corals growing well, I feel like it's established, but more experienced reefers would say it's not established until at least 6-months to a year or more, or if it has coraline, or something else.

I think that's in that context it's more about getting things stable and you learning how you system works. How to know if something is off, a routine for maintenance, fine tuning dosing, feeding schedule, most importantly no more huge changes. Many times when we first set up a system we make a lot of changes if something isn't working right or not the way you hoped it would. Things like removing sand bed, adding more rock, changing lights, upgrading the skimmer, adding a bunch of fish, changing salt, messing around with dosing, and on and on and on.......

The point is to me stability is more important than a calendar. I think people put an number on it because after 6 months to a year you got the bugs worked out. Made your big upgrades, added the fish you want, found that sweet spot in the lighting. All that stuff.

So if you want to add a nem ask your self:

Am I going to make any big changes anytime soon?
Can I test my water ?
Is my lighting right?
Do I plan adding a bunch of fish?

Then ask your self if your system and YOU are ready for a nem.

Also, doesn't have to be a nem. Could be SPS, star fish, hard to keep fish, or anything like that.

 

[bif24701]

Also yes the age of your rocks and stuff play into this. Just part of it.

 

[Debramb]

I think the definition is going to change depending on what you're talking about adding. It also probably depends on who you're talking to. Anything less than 20 years is a new tank to Paul B.

To me it means that your dosing is dialed in to the point that dKh , Ca+ and Mg+ rarely varies with testing and your biofilter is well established. If you have to do something like carbon dose to maintain nutrient control the dosing is stable as is the nutrient levels. It also means to me that you've had the tank up and running long enough that you can often tell if somethings wrong by LOOKING AT IT.

Yeah, that's how we've been maintaining for almost 30 yrs!!! Once we got live rock, we stopped bleaching the dead coral to keep clean oh nooooo! Over last 20 yrs or so ALL is taken over and alive!