How long does it take a tank to “mature”?

[Royce White]

My tank is pushing 4 yrs with out Coralline algae , so is it not mature? My tank pretty much matured in about 1-1/2 yrs and I matured in 2 yrs when I stopped trying to keep the tank pristine. Now I run a pretty dirty tank and the corals are very happy. As long as I tried to keep tank pristine I had to fight algae and red slime, haven't had any of that for 2 yrs. Not bragging just facts.

 

[Tuffloud1]

My tank is pushing 4 yrs with out Coralline algae , so is it not mature? My tank pretty much matured in about 1-1/2 yrs and I matured in 2 yrs when I stopped trying to keep the tank pristine. Now I run a pretty dirty tank and the corals are very happy. As long as I tried to keep tank pristine I had to fight algae and red slime, haven't had any of that for 2 yrs. Not bragging just facts.

Yep, as soon as I stopped hovering over my tank, let it do it’s thing and stopped running gfo and carbon, all my sps started growing, coloring up and the algae issues went away.

 

[Pete Paschall]

So if there are constant farting noises followed by giggling coming from the tank, is that a sign that the tank is immature, or that there is a nuisance hitchhiker in it?

 

[MichaelReefer]

Id say at least a year

 

[Tuffloud1]

So if there are constant farting noises followed by giggling coming from the tank, is that a sign that the tank is immature, or that there is a nuisance hitchhiker in it?

It just means that your tank has a sense of humor.

 

[Tuffloud1]

Id say at least a year

I disagree, I would say it is 2 years, 127 days at the stroke of midnight. Only then.

 

[BeejReef]

Such an interesting topic.

What about our own efforts and interventions? Is one supposed to watch a clownfish and a mushroom chillax for 18 months waiting for the tank to "mature" enough for some sticks (will it?), or will a tank reach maturity faster if one responsibly pushes the pace a bit and introduces the diversity and bioload a system will require to count as mature?

 

[Emmanuel Stewart]

Adequate amounts of Coralline algae is a clear indicator your tank is fully established. My tank is now 32 months old and is fill with C.Algae. I have occasionally scraped them off the glass to populate on live rocks for that amazing deep purple look we all hobbyist enjoys.

When I first started, I gradually used "Red Sea Coralline Algae Growth" to help speed up the process. It does takes time and also with excellent lighting, like all T5s from ATI will yield amazing results.

Feel free to see the tank below at 12 months old and 24 months later: Comments greatly appreciated.

My 65 Gallon Reef Tank... by Emmanuel Stewart

adobe.ly

Tank 2 years Later

adobe.ly

 

[Pete Paschall]

In all seriousness, there are just too many variables to come up with a convenient answer to this question. Tank size, live versus dry rock, reefkeeper's experience, and cycling method are just a few off the top of my head. I currently have a mix of live rock and dry rock from KP Aquatics in a Brute trash can in my garage that I am going to use when we complete building a new house and I set up a new tank. I also added live rock from my 100 gallon reef tank that was running for a year and a half before I took it down to sell our current house. I am hoping that the mix of rock will mature ( or "cure") for the next 6 months before I add it to my new tank build, thereby speeding up the overall maturation process of the tank. BUT... I don't know what to expect in terms of a time frame on that. It's a great topic of discussion, and we all like convenient answers, but things just don't seem to ever be that straightforward.

 

[jim_fitz]

mine took about 18 months

to me i take it as when i look in my sump i see thing growing

 

[Pickwun]

My Evolve8 has been running for about 3 or 4 years. Over the last 6-9 months I've had almost no algae, and no negative changes in the corals so I'd say that it's mature now.

 

[ScottB]

If the "new" tank is just a size upgrade with a lot of old, carryover rock/sand/etc it can settle down inside of a year if you've been in the hobby long enough. If you are starting from clean scratch, it feels like eternity.

My "old" display system takes about 10% of my time & energy to maintain and grows SPS like mad. My "new" 3 tank frag system consumes the other 90% of my time bouncing around driving me nuts for many months. Now at a year, I can finally go on vacation without nightmares. What would I do differently? I should have added another sump with a dump truck full of old, live rock.

 

[All Delight]

6-9 months

 

[Paulie069]

Coralline algae the size of half dollars growing on the glass that isn't cleaned is a decent indicator, imo.


Edit;

I've always looked at this in perhaps an old school kind of view. But if the tank can't grow coralline algae, then it will not support coral. If this was 15 years ago and the tank was started with the live rock available back then, I'd say give it 2 weeks and toss some coral in there to see how it does. It's totally different with the dry rock most have to use today. It takes a long time if starting with all dry rock and sand. Took my last setup about 18 months to see any kind of coralline algae growth on the glass or rocks.

Ok I had to jump in and put a spin question out there for this conversation no do you all think the same rule applies to maturity time if you were using Salt water straight from the ocean. That is all I ever use and the live rock I have is already growing coroline Every piece has at least a trace of such all over it also 95% of the rocks have a lightly brown coating over them all the rock I got was live and kept in a 55 gallon drum with proper Filtration and aeration for maybe little over year not sure I’ll have to ask person I got it fromAnyway here is a picture of one of the rocks also a quick pic of the tank I just got finished setting up today

 

[Stigigemla]

The time it takes for a tank to mature is very different.
When I started my 64 gallon damsel tank with rocks and corals from other tanks I considered it stable from day 1.
Now I am starting a 420 gallon tank with mostly bleached rock. I guess that tank will take about 2 years.

For a beginner I would say a year + the time it takes to mature the reefkeeper + 1 month after the last change of circulation or light settings.

 

[PhreeByrd]

I disagree that there is anything special at all about 1 year being any kind of a checkpoint for maturity.

A tank never stops "maturing". At least mine never have.

Coralline algae growth is also not a good indicator of maturity. I always see more and faster coralline growth on newer tanks. As tanks age, coralline growth becomes steadier but less aggressive.

Some questions just cannot be answered, as much as we might wish otherwise.

 

[TVV]

I disagree that there is anything special at all about 1 year being any kind of a checkpoint for maturity.

A tank never stops "maturing". At least mine never have.

Coralline algae growth is also not a good indicator of maturity. I always see more and faster coralline growth on newer tanks. As tanks age, coralline growth becomes steadier but less aggressive.

Some questions just cannot be answered, as much as we might wish otherwise.

you have an excellent point. However,
I feel there is a distinct difference between "maturing" and "evolving". Maturing with respect to an aquarium I feel is when it is at a state that doesn't require constant intervention to sustain/replace life and the livestock have "adjusted" to their environment. Of course in a relatively small containment with respect to the ocean, water stability and the elements to enhance growth need to be maintained. "Evolution" is the continual changing of the livestock to this environment i.e. growth and multiplication, eating habits, battle for real estate within the system.

 

[Royce White]

Yep, as soon as I stopped hovering over my tank, let it do it’s thing and stopped running gfo and carbon, all my sps started growing, coloring up and the algae issues went away.

I didn't mention that I haven't used carbon in a couple of years and I do run an undersized skimmer.

 

[Royce White]

I didn't mention that I haven't used carbon in a couple of years and I do run an undersized skimmer.

I do use a bag of purigen.

 

[WVNed]

you have an excellent point. However,
I feel there is a distinct difference between "maturing" and "evolving". Maturing with respect to an aquarium I feel is when it is at a state that doesn't require constant intervention to sustain/replace life and the livestock have "adjusted" to their environment. Of course in a relatively small containment with respect to the ocean, water stability and the elements to enhance growth need to be maintained. "Evolution" is the continual changing of the livestock to this environment i.e. growth and multiplication, eating habits, battle for real estate within the system.

Oh okay

6 weeks