Start reef tank with just corals?

[bdejong1112o]

So I am getting closer to filling my tank with water and am planning each step along the way. The question came to my mind of whats first? Not what specific fish or coral but should or can you start with only corals first? Any reason not to? Is it just personal preference?

I am cycling my quarantine tank with the plan to get the first bunch of pajama cardinals in there while the main tank cycles. However, I started to think about the order and why fish were first.

 

[toybox22]

I restarted my tank about 3 months ago. I only have coral in my tank right now. I don't see why you'd have to put fish in first.

 

[samnaz]

Personal preference. I've had a coral-only tank for over a year.

 

[bdejong1112o]

I have not thought of a reason why not to start with just coral. Is it easier? I mean without all the fish pooping will my biological filter stay fresh after the cycle?

 

[samnaz]

Everything is easier without fish.

 

[bdejong1112o]

Hmm, may have to rethink my startup plan. I was starting to get a bit concerned with adding coral and fish at the same time and keeping up with it all.... My wife allowed me to do this thing if I have fish in it but nothing was said about when they will go in.

 

[enveetie]

Everything is easier without fish.

if i didnt get so sick of dosing nitrates all the time, i would run fishless. if you're a reef nerd like me, you probably just want the corals. but everyone else who ever sees the tanks always want the fish. most tank related problems are due to the addition of fish.

 

[samnaz]

if i didnt get so sick of dosing nitrates all the time, i would run fishless. if you're a reef nerd like me, you probably just want the corals. but everyone else who ever sees the tanks always want the fish. most tank related problems are due to the addition of fish.

You think so? I've shown my tank to many people and not one has mentioned fish. I like to feed the corals for guests so they can see them move and realize they are actually animals. That's usually exciting enough for them.

 

[Maggie321]

How does a fishless coral tank change the cleaning schedule... I know when I clean I only clean fish poo. Never coral poo. I would think water changes would be strictly to resupply nutrients (so not as often as a fish system) and dosing would be a requirement. What do you plan on doing?

 

[brandon429]

Live rock itself produces waste like fish, set some in a white bucket of bubbled water overnite as a test, detritus the next morning.

coral only/invert tanks must have solid waste removed from the system just like a fish including reef.

Nothing is needed to support marine bacteria after a cycle is set other than to keep them wet. If you stopped feeding for five years and only kept water and rocks in the tank, in five years they'd instantly pass a 2ppm digestion test. we have threads that show specifically that ability, once cycled, a tank isn't going to uncycle if it hasn't been medicated with antibiotics. The specific benefit of knowing that is that we don't have to ghost feed/pump nutrients into our systems unless theres a macro organism willing to eat it and take it into digestion. Lots of threads are people ghost feeding no coral, no fish, no invert systems and that's algae formula work where bac doesn't need the help in the first place.

The #1 reason not to start with fish before the 76 day qt approach is the disease factor, not that a cycled system cares one way or another. Coral only is ok, agreed to a couple mentions above that fish bring the challenges, coral only is pretty sharp. currently what many people are doing is stocking newer tanks with tons of corals and cuc so they aren't bored waiting 76 days for the fallow.

at the end of 76 days, the funbegins