Oblivious Reefkeeping

[Dr. D]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

 

[StartingATank]

I also don't test that often

 

[BryanM]

I try not to chase numbers myself, but I'd be curious what "out of whack" is.

Either way, if the tank and its inhabitants look good, then you are good.

I think testing, after established, once a month or even every other month is good, to stay ahead of issues.... but the biggest issues come from bottoming out nitrate or phosphate or both, and if you're running a high nutrient system then testing is even less important, IMO.

 

[Macropharyngodon]

My opinion on QT

1. Costs of setup can be limiting. (If everyone had infinite or even close to that in terms of resources (time/money) they would QT.)

2. Size, generally you see much too small tanks for the species, which for some sensitive fish, is not a good thing long term.

3. STRESS: Fish get all stressed from shipping, and then you put them right into a tiny tank loaded with medication, just to then put them in a different tank later. I feel like for (most) species, it's just better to buy from quarantine vendors, and have good mature tanks.

I just don't think you need to, my grandpa had a powder blue, hippo, and yellow tang all together and they never got sick once. Without QT.

Not to say those who QT are doing something wrong. More to say those who don't QT aren't necessarily doing anything wrong either.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

I love this post. Sounds like a very healthy tank and way to handle the hobby. How's the lemon peel angel with your corals?

 

[Johnd651]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

For some reason I find it hard to believe your "readings seem out of whack"

 

[EliMelly]

KISS

 

[Dr. D]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

I love this post. Sounds like a very healthy tank and way to handle the hobby. How's the lemon peel angel with your corals?

None of the fish seem interested in the corals. I do feed on the heavy side, so that likely helps. It’s a gorgeous fish.

 

[Dr. D]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

For some reason I find it hard to believe your "readings seem out of whack"

I haven’t tested at all for two or three months. I have good testers but for some reason never feel like doing it.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

None of the fish seem interested in the corals. I do feed on the heavy side, so that likely helps. It’s a gorgeous fish.

I want one, but I'm afraid of coral nipping

 

[Dr. D]

None of the fish seem interested in the corals. I do feed on the heavy side, so that likely helps. It’s a gorgeous fish.

I want one, but I'm afraid of coral nipping

I guess I’m just lucky. My lemon peel angel and coral beauty don’t bother anything, and I have a healthy CBB despite being less than a year into the hobby. It certainly isn’t skill.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

"Can" is doing work above its pay grade here. Most newbies who cut corners end up killing a lot of animals unnecessarily.

Eight months of luck and N=1 is nice, but hopefully wise readers don't hang too much on it.

 

[Dr. D]

Ok. Never mind then.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

I had a tank a few years back in which I changed water 2x a year and was a very healthy tank (360g) and saw friends tanks in which they changed more frequently and determined the ones with water changes looked much better. I went to bi-monthly and over a year ago to every 24-48 hours and tank looks its best

 

[Johnd651]

I know its a huge back and forth about wc vs not, but I am still a believer in there is probably compounds that we are not looking at yet in the water column, so easiest thing to do it remove and replace.

 

[jimk60]

I've spent months researching reefkeeping. Exponentially more than I've ever spent researching a home or car, much weightier purchases. I'm pretty sure I know most of the things I'm supposed to do, or not do. Hundreds of hours watching videos and reading these forums.

I have a 100g DT (Mariner 100), a robust Hydros system, an Ultra Reef Skimmer, and a Reefmat. But....

• I don't quarantine my fish - most are from Dr. Reef's, already quarantined, but not all are;
• I don't feed my corals;
• I change 20% water about once a month;
• and most shockingly, I don't test very often at all. When I do, and the readings seem out of whack, I simply stop testing and my stress levels subside.

My fish are super happy. I have:

• Copperband Butterfly (ate clams almost immediately);
• Foxface;
• Two clowns;
• Banggai cardinal (bullied the others to death, sadly);
• four green chromis;
• lemon peel angel
• coral beauty
• goby & pistol shrimp combo (priceless);
• hippo tang;
• serpent starfish, 2 conchs, 1 tuxedo urchin, lots of snails and hermit crabs, fire shrimp

For corals I have lots of beautiful torches, frogspawns, and a few various others whose names I forget-- all non-SPS.

My point is, I'm super happy with my tank, and want newbies to realize that you can live a reasonably stress-free life, like me, and still have a lovely, beautiful aquarium with some reasonable attention.

Congratulations on your success! Can you tell me what your dosing for alk and calcium. I personally struggle with torches even with testing.

 

[Dr. D]

I pour some All 4 Reef (made from powder) in most mornings if I remember.