Mine isn't as bare bones as the title. I use a 20g fuge packed and I have a heavy bioload of fish with heavy feeding. I test alk once a week (I don't test anything else anymore as it felt like a waste of time). I change 10g of water every 3 months.
I see a lot of people use lower bioloads but fish are more important then corals so the fuge is important for my set up, not only for nutrient balance but microfauna as I have many breeding snails, pods, dusters, worms, starfish... etc... My breeding Strombus maculatus colony in the fuge is big $$$ maker. I would never remove it.
The fuge is little maintenance though. Just pull half and toss every 3 months with the water change.
I see a lot of people use lower bioloads but fish are more important then corals so the fuge is important for my set up, not only for nutrient balance but microfauna as I have many breeding snails, pods, dusters, worms, starfish... etc... My breeding Strombus maculatus colony in the fuge is big $$$ maker. I would never remove it.
The fuge is little maintenance though. Just pull half and toss every 3 months with the water change.