Minimalist Reefer

[vlangel]

I think I am a minimalist reefer. My 56 gallon tank is only filtered biologically. It has rock, a DSB and macroalgae. It is lit with a ReefBreeder Photon V 24 LEDs. I do about a 5 gallon water change a month and dose (by hand) Seachem Stability and Coral vite weekly.

I have a 30 gallon sump with more rock, a DSB and extra macroalgae from the display. The sump is just a tank with no partitions. The return pump is at on end, the drain at the other. There are heaters and cheap LEDs lighting the sump and a float valve ATO. Actually both tanks are mostly covered with glass tops so only about 1 gallon of evaporation a week. First pic is the sump, the second the display.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I like your tank although what i dont see is many fish. I stock heavy with fish. So that requires a little more maintenance and controllability cuz pollutants can get out of control pretty fast. Just water changes and a skimmer would lead to massive algae problems. I by no means think my tank is super high tech but does need more than what i think a minimilist would
require.
Here is my tank for reference

I

I completely agree that with even a medium stocking level with fish could require more filtration than I run. And I don't see that as being anything wrong or even being non-minimalist. I assume you run a skimmer? What other things do you use?

BTW, I'm not making any argument here that 'minimalist reefing' is any better than reefing with lots and lots of fancy, high end hardware. It just seems that an awful lot of the emphasis here is toward more and more hardware and fancy chemistries.

It was a very conscience decision on my part not to have any fish in my coral tank. And now, at one year of running, I might consider one or two small fish. But there is no rush. The corals, anemones and other CUC members are doing just fine without fish.

My 'local' tank on the other hand has 2 rescued clown fish as the only non-locally collected by me inhabitants of the tank. For me, the key inhabitant of the local tank is a mantis shrimp.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think I am a minimalist reefer. My 56 gallon tank is only filtered biologically. It has rock, a DSB and macroalgae. It is lit with a ReefBreeder Photon V 24 LEDs. I do about a 5 gallon water change a month and dose (by hand) Seachem Stability and Coral vite weekly.

I have a 30 gallon sump with more rock, a DSB and extra macroalgae from the display. The sump is just a tank with no partitions. The return pump is at on end, the drain at the other. There are heaters and cheap LEDs lighting the sump and a float valve ATO. Actually both tanks are mostly covered with glass tops so only about 1 gallon of evaporation a week. First pic is the sump, the second the display.

Normally I'd consider having a sump as being a bit more than a minimalist system. But yours is still without any filtration at all and no extra hardware! I like the idea of using algae as a bio-filter as I have done that in the past as well. And your Photon led is the same one I use.

I think your DT is a bit unusual looking and that gets my attention. I like it!

 

[themcnertney]

Id like to think my current tank and past tanks meet the minimalist requirements.

In my current 29 gallon AIO Biocube, I do 15-20% water changes weekly. I don't have anything in the sump other then sponge, live rock and skimmer. The equipment gets rinsed and clean when doing water changes. Clean the glass every other day. I don't dose. I don't test water. I do check salinity every so often. I do make sure my RO/DI is 0 and replace when its not ASAP. I feed pellets and flake food every day, sometimes twice. I feed frozen every Sunday.

Pretty simple and easy recipe that seems to work for me for the past 15 years.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Minimalist doesnt mean betterand high end and tons of equipment doesnt mean better either. Are you meating your tanks needs is the requirement. Anything added other than that or things that are not essential can be considered novelty. Essential meaning you have to have to keep tank stable. I believe the point is to discuss at which point is it considered not needed and when is it consideres needed. Picos and small nanos can have 100 percent water changes weekly. This takes care of almost all water quality issues. Now what if its packed full of sps and depletes elements every 2 days. Does it still become feasable to do 100 percent watee changes? Now you enter dosing because its needed. Maybe you have a non photosynthetic rank or tank packed full of filter feeders. A large supply of food maybe needed. Again requiring water changes 3 times a week per say. Is it feasable or a skimmer needed.

My opinion is a balance or stocking to where you dont need these equipments. Tgis doesnt mean a tank with skimmer is minimalist if its needed to meet tank needs you cant keep up with and not do to lazyness.

I think point of this thread is more of the fancy gadgets and all the various testing, test equipmemt and "advanced equipment". Example: new skimmer technology where its just a new neck shape or design that looks or on papee should skim better but its negligable or not by much. Still just creaing microbubbles that adhere to certain nutrients that is pushed into a container. I cringe a bit when We have a hurricane and people are playing in the sea foam all over the beach and roads lol. When I got in the hobby and learned about skimmers, i never looked at waves and foam the same again lol.

 

[Seansea]

I completely agree that with even a medium stocking level with fish could require more filtration than I run. And I don't see that as being anything wrong or even being non-minimalist. I assume you run a skimmer? What other things do you use?

BTW, I'm not making any argument here that 'minimalist reefing' is any better than reefing with lots and lots of fancy, high end hardware. It just seems that an awful lot of the emphasis here is toward more and more hardware and fancy chemistries.

It was a very conscience decision on my part not to have any fish in my coral tank. And now, at one year of running, I might consider one or two small fish. But there is no rush. The corals, anemones and other CUC members are doing just fine without fish.

My 'local' tank on the other hand has 2 rescued clown fish as the only non-locally collected by me inhabitants of the tank. For me, the key inhabitant of the local tank is a mantis shrimp.

I have the red sea g2 tank that comes with the sump. I got 2 kessil pendants with 1 quanta pro and 1 orephik strip lights. I use the kessil controler for the kessils a d the kaza wifi strips to control the off on for the strip lights. The kaza wifi strips are great for controlling all kinds of stuff. Can reset my ato when out of town if i see it on my camera that its tripped and runs the timer on my ats. Also use it to turn off powerheads at feeding time. I just use one bubble magnus doser for AFR. I put trace elements and some sodium carbonate in my ato water.
And yes i have a red sea skimmer. I still do weekly water changes using aquaforest reef salt. I still hand test and hate it but is necessary with my big bioload. No apex or auto tester but one of those expensive auto testers looks real appealing.

So i would not say minimilist but definatly not super high tek.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

My opinion is we can break minimalist down inti 3 catagories or maybe more.

Pure minimalist: lighting, water movement and tank only. All mainenance is done through water change and hand dosing. Filtration is the biodiversity and rocks, algae, etc.

Minimalist: includes previous list plus an addition that is needed to help maintain tank that you can not acheive with normal maintenance or by hand. This can include ato, skimmer, dosing pump as well.

Non minimalist: this is where you can do things on your own or have added equipment that just isnt necessary or redundant. Putting a skimmer on a 3 gallon tank with hob filter wgen regular water changes are done.raising my own hand here lol. Did this years ago. Very few will admit they have a product they dont need lol. Some products I find are bandaids for another issue going on or lack of understanding. Again though, there are exceptions to everything.

My opinion lol. Then we can even split these from high tech to low tech.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Im sorry, ill stop writting chapters....

 

[vlangel]

Normally I'd consider having a sump as being a bit more than a minimalist system. But yours is still without any filtration at all and no extra hardware! I like the idea of using algae as a bio-filter as I have done that in the past as well. And your Photon led is the same one I use.

I think your DT is a bit unusual looking and that gets my attention. I like it!

Yep, I would totally agree with you in that having a sump almost negates my minimal status. The display started out as an AIO but I already had the basement sump for a seahorse tank that was next to my mixed reef display tank. When my last seahorse passed and I took down that aquarium, I moved the HOB overflow box on to the reef tank. It made water changes easier since I already had a water change station in the basement and it keeps the mess out of my living room. Also, I like to have a lot of fish as they are my 1st love. If nutrients get crazy it's nice to be able to do a large, easy water change.

I realize that my DT is different. I think it is partly all the macroalgae that fills in a lot of the space. Also it is a tall tank, 30" x 18" x 24" so unusual dimensions. For most folks tall tanks are a challenge to scape but the DSB and macroalgae help with that. I used to enjoy keeping more challenging animals/coral but these days I see the beauty in the easy, common creatures.

Finally after 35+ years of aquaria, I have learned that everything breaks. Hence, my desire to use less equipment and depend more on biology which does not break as long as it's oxygenated, ha ha! I do have a cheap battery backup penn plax pump when the power goes off.

 

[vlangel]

Im sorry, ill stop writting chapters....

You do not need to apologize, you have good points.

 

[vlangel]

I just found this thread and thank you. Here are my two tanks. The first is a fifty gallon that has been set up for over 25 years. Its filtration is nothing more than a 1990s wet dry. There are several corals that are over two decades old. The second is a forty breeder with a HOB filter and a skimmer. That tank has been running for five years. I don't test or dose. A water change is nothing more than a couple of buckets done once or twice a week. A fellow reefer came to buy some mushrooms and asked all kinds of technical questions. He was stunned when I told him about how little work that I do.

Very nice.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Yep, I would totally agree with you in that having a sump almost negates my minimal status. The display started out as an AIO but I already had the basement sump for a seahorse tank that was next to my mixed reef display tank. When my last seahorse passed and I took down that aquarium, I moved the HOB overflow box on to the reef tank. It made water changes easier since I already had a water change station in the basement and it keeps the mess out of my living room. Also, I like to have a lot of fish as they are my 1st love. If nutrients get crazy it's nice to be able to do a large, easy water change.

I realize that my DT is different. I think it is partly all the macroalgae that fills in a lot of the space. Also it is a tall tank, 30" x 18" x 24" so unusual dimensions. For most folks tall tanks are a challenge to scape but the DSB and macroalgae help with that. I used to enjoy keeping more challenging animals/coral but these days I see the beauty in the easy, common creatures.

Finally after 35+ years of aquaria, I have learned that everything breaks. Hence, my desire to use less equipment and depend more on biology which does not break as long as it's oxygenated, ha ha! I do have a cheap battery backup penn plax pump when the power goes off.

Im in trouble lol. I had to get an aio as the one im getting serves my lid and flow needs without issues. Basically nothing will be in back chambers except MAYBE 1 bio ball. The aio is mainlh there because it is the only 4 sided tank to meet my needs. Back chamber should also provide the oxygen exchange and surface skimming needed without air pump and pump replaces water movement. Air pumps dont circulate as good in square takes as they do in cylinder or round.

 

[vlangel]

Im in trouble lol. I had to get an aio as the one im getting serves my lid and flow needs without issues. Basically nothing will be in back chambers except MAYBE 1 bio ball. The aio is mainlh there because it is the only 4 sided tank to meet my needs. Back chamber should also provide the oxygen exchange and surface skimming needed without air pump and pump replaces water movement. Air pumps dont circulate as good in square takes as they do in cylinder or round.

My tank was just a rectangular tank with an aqua clear filter when it was an AIO. It did not have any chambers but they are handy for hiding a heater or if you need carbon. I may take the sump offline someday and just run it as an AIO again since I do not need the sump as a refugium any more and water changes are much smaller and more manageable now that the tank is mature. For now the sump is for animals that don't fit in with the display tank.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Im sorry, ill stop writting chapters....

It's OK Ben, I agree with most of what you have to say.

There is no, you are or you aren't a minimalist reefer. It's a gray area in the middle.

My biggest issue is with what feels like a push by the big manufacturers to say that this new piece of hardware will make your tank better or your life easier. Maybe yes and maybe no. It always seemed to me that the more hardware I added, the better things got... until part of it failed do to so defect or lack of maintenance. Then it became a big hassle. I paid good money for this item, took the time to install it, it worked for a while (but I really didn't notice any improvement in the tank) and then it fails and not only is it a hassle, but it can become an emergency. I just don't need that kind of help.

That said, I have no issue with the manufacturers who produce this hardware or reefers who use it. I just want people getting into the hobby to understand this stuff is NOT necessary to run a great tank. But the trade really does push the high end stuff too much. And in part, that's human nature and in part, some people see the high end stuff as fun. That's perfectly OK, I've just had enough of it and I love my low tech, minimalist reefs!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Finally after 35+ years of aquaria, I have learned that everything breaks. Hence, my desire to use less equipment and depend more on biology which does not break as long as it's oxygenated, ha ha! I do have a cheap battery backup penn plax pump when the power goes off.

Great point! I guess what I'm trying to do is promote the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method. It works for me.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

YupI agree. And hardware isnt a fix all or works for everyone. Just like old cars vs new lol. You dont need automatic windows but easier than having to pull over to roll them all down in the back. Until your controller breaks then they are all stuck.

 

[vlangel]

Great point! I guess what I'm trying to do is promote the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method. It works for me.

Yes, it also works for me and helps me enjoy my tank with less work! The KISS method isn't for everyone but I appreciate you starting a thread that can show new/young aquarists that successful, and even beautiful reefs can be kept this way. Reefing is not a cheap hobby either but learning to do it with less equipment can save a bundle and make it more affordable.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Yes, it also works for me and helps me enjoy my tank with less work! The KISS method isn't for everyone but I appreciate you starting a thread that can show new/young aquarists that successful, and even beautiful reefs can be kept this way. Reefing is not a cheap hobby either but learning to do it with less equipment can save a bundle and make it more affordable.

Excellent analysis! Now, how do we get newbies to consider this approach and not get roped in and confused by the need for lots of hardware?

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Excellent analysis! Now, how do we get newbies to consider this approach and not get roped in and confused by the need for lots of hardware?

I say give them information to where they can make the choice. Pros and cons. Benefits and other options, issues that may or may not happen. But simplified which I am not good at lol. Then just guide them and offer suggestions what they are looking for. But make sure they have vission of what they want and need. This way if it doesnt work out they can only blame themself lol.

 

[vlangel]

Excellent analysis! Now, how do we get newbies to consider this approach and not get roped in and confused by the need for lots of hardware?

Ha ha, good question. I think you have taken a good step in starting this thread. Maybe the rest of us in the KISS camp could be more involved with the welcome new reefers topic and let them know that this thread exists and encourage them to read it. At that point they can make a choice as to how they want to do reefing. There will certainly be those who enjoy tinkering with the tech and controllers because it's fun for them, especially in the younger crowd. But even some younger folks might really enjoy learning the biology/chemical aspects and gravitate to a simpler, more economical method. In fact if we play up the financial benefit, that might really get some reefer 's attention!