Reef Tank without fish?

[Doctorgori]

I’ve had FOWLR tanks but are there any Coral only “without fish” tanks around? (COWOF yet another acronym lol)
anyway I did a tentative search already: nothing…
but is this even a thing and: or are there threads already?
has Anyone thought about it?

 

[Joeganja]

I feel like without any nutrient import from the fishes waste and or fish food having some nitrates in the water it may be more difficult to keep certain coral healthy and thrive due to their needs of nutrition. But that’s my thoughts about it. I would say it’s more common in pico/nano tanks where smaller fish may be more difficult to keep like in those vase tanks and such but yeah my biggest concern would be lack of nutrients.

 

[GlassMunky]

Been doing that for like 5 years or more now on my biocube. It’s inverts only, no fish. I rarely even feed the tank anything anymore, photosynthesis takes care of all their needs. It’s got 12 maxi mini nems, some random corals, an anemone crab and an anemone shrimp.
Edit: also has some crabs and snails as CUC

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

COWLR, only time was a fallow period related to a velvet outbreak. Didn’t have fish but not my choice. Not something I would like to exp again. Ty.

 

[GlassMunky]

I feel like without any nutrient import from the fishes waste and or fish food having some nitrates in the water it may be more difficult to keep certain coral healthy and thrive due to their needs of nutrition. But that’s my thoughts about it. I would say it’s more common in pico/nano tanks where smaller fish may be more difficult to keep like in those vase tanks and such but yeah my biggest concern would be lack of nutrients.

I keep anemones, lps, soft and easy SPS (montis) in my biocube that’s never fed and they all thrive.
I wouldn’t throw an acro in there tho

 

[GlassMunky]

 

[Doctorgori]

feel like without any nutrient import from the fishes waste and or fish food having some nitrates in the water it may be more difficult to keep certain coral healthy and thrive due to their needs of nutrition.

that’s a good point NTM I wonder if cuc can replace tangs

 

[Doctorgori]

what the heck are those at the bottom of the picture. mushrooms?

 

[GlassMunky]

what the heck are those at the bottom of the picture. mushrooms?

Yes. Superman rhodactus mushrooms. They have gone absolutely crazy. The anemone shrimp usually hangs out in them rather than the real nems go figure lol

 

[Doctorgori]

Unless the size of the tank is messing with the scale, those look huge
.. that assuming those aren’t the pest version which I think look exactly the same but smaller and turquoise green

 

[brandon429]

My reef is 18 years without fish.

Thanks to updated cycling science we also know that if I added some, while hooked to a seneye, my ammonia control rates wouldn't change because bacteria do not grow to match levels of fish bioload, they work independently and attach to available surface area and bacteria get alternate food just fine without fish.

A fallow system does not 'ramp up' to get ready for fish as the old (wrong) adage says.

Every answer from me comes in a comparison wrapper between new and old cycling science :) Simple feeding replaces nutrients fish would give corals.

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

Pico and Micro Reefs are the first examples that come to mind for me! Some aren't so awesome for fish that need to swim and hide, but they make awesome tanks for small amounts of coral.

 

[GlassMunky]

Unless the size of the tank is messing with the scale, those look huge
.. that assuming those aren’t the pest version which I think look exactly the same but smaller and turquoise green

its a 32g biocube. so like 21" square

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I feel like without any nutrient import from the fishes waste and or fish food having some nitrates in the water it may be more difficult to keep certain coral healthy and thrive due to their needs of nutrition. But that’s my thoughts about it. I would say it’s more common in pico/nano tanks where smaller fish may be more difficult to keep like in those vase tanks and such but yeah my biggest concern would be lack of nutrients.

I don't see why a little ammonia dosing couldn't provide what corals need.

Would be less scary in a COWLR tank.

 

[Doctorgori]

thank for the replies,

Pico and Micro Reefs are the first examples that come to mind for me! Some aren't so awesome for fish that need to swim and hide, but they make awesome tanks for small amounts of coral.

Just never saw any large invert only tanks and feared this was a semi dumb question … search was not my friend so
I was going to ask it in the invert section, but didnt

@GlassMunky is your 32g invert only tank the largest here?

,

 

[Doctorgori]

My reef is 18 years without fish.

Thanks to updated cycling science we also know that if I added some, while hooked to a seneye, my ammonia control rates wouldn't change because bacteria do not grow to match levels of fish bioload, they work independently and attach to available surface area and bacteria get alternate food just fine without fish.

A fallow system does not 'ramp up' to get ready for fish as the old (wrong) adage says.

Every answer from me comes in a comparison wrapper between new and old cycling science :) Simple feeding replaces nutrients fish would give corals.

I want to see your tank …. I could look for post but the picture here is worthy

 

[Doctorgori]

Found it !!!!!

search is my friend (“invertebrate” + ‘“only”)

 

[GlassMunky]

@GlassMunky is your 32g invert only tank the largest here?

,

here meaning R2R? Im not sure, but id be kind of surprised if it were. i feel like there are some people with ones up to like 60ish? i usually see it more in the AIO tanks rather than sumped tanks just as an observation.
Its the largest invert only tank that ive done tho. and it was sort of not on purpose, it originally housed a single rainford goby for many years, but then it died of old age, and then we moved into a new house and after moving we just never got another fish for it. and since us moving all the nems in there, id actually be kind of nervous to put any fish in there, as they may get eaten by mistake. when the rainford was in there it was just soft and lps corals, no nems.

 

[brandon429]

 

[landlubber]

Yes. Superman rhodactus mushrooms. They have gone absolutely crazy. The anemone shrimp usually hangs out in them rather than the real nems go figure lol

There was a lady local to me that for a time would buy nearly any tank shutdown available. When i visited her house it was mindblowing, a fairly large house with 35 tanks ranging from 40 to 300 gallons and stock pools containing 500 lbs of liverock.
She was so centered on spending on buying tanks that corals were an afterthought and she just propagated one type of maroon mushroom that completely covered every tank.