Steps to creating a successful, mature reef tank?

[X-37B]

A

You have 3 stags in there. One is a slimer ... what are the other two?

Actually 7 stags
Green slimer
Purple stag
Blue stag starting to blue up
Surf &Turf
Blue matrix
Green wild large one in front
Dark green unknow on the side

 

[HuduVudu]

A
Actually 7 stags
Green slimer
Purple stag
Blue stag starting to blue up
Surf &Turf
Blue matrix
Green wild large one in front
Dark green unknow on the side

Thank you kind sir.

They are beautiful.

 

[jda]

Pick a wholistic approach and not just piecemeal something or another... this can fail. No one thing gets it done, but one thing, without some others can fail.

Contrary to popular belief, there is not a million ways to run a reef tank. Most successful tanks are more alike than not and do the same basic things, but they can be split into more natural methods or mechanical methods needing human intervention, but the tasks get done. There are a million ways to have a nice take for a year or two and about two million ways to fail. For example, if you don't want sand or lots of rock, then have a way to handle nitrate... so maybe a sulfur denitrator will need to be on the list. The denitrator is probably a waste on other types of systems. If you don't want to grow macro, then you need a way to export phosphate/phosphorous, so maybe a GFO reactor or socks built in for Lan Chloride.

I figured out my tank style a long time ago which is heavy feedings and heavy export with low residual levels... 3 inches of sand, real live rock (worth nearly any cost), multiple protein skimmers, wavebox, adequate (not excessive) flow pumps, calcium reactor, metal halides and lots of fish. 44g brutes for (mostly) regular water changes. Fuge comes online after a year or two (when it is needed, but NOT before). Sustainable for decades and does not take much of my time. I detail more of this in my rebuild thread.

 

[ZoWhat]

Steps to creating a successful, mature reef tank?​

@Obsessed with fish says DOSE MILK

 

[Obsessed with fish]

Steps to creating a successful, mature reef tank?​

@Obsessed with fish says DOSE MILK

Make sure it's lactose free

 

[fishybizzness]

Pick a wholistic approach and not just piecemeal something or another... this can fail. No one thing gets it done, but one thing, without some others can fail.

Contrary to popular belief, there is not a million ways to run a reef tank. Most successful tanks are more alike than not and do the same basic things, but they can be split into more natural methods or mechanical methods needing human intervention, but the tasks get done. There are a million ways to have a nice take for a year or two and about two million ways to fail. For example, if you don't want sand or lots of rock, then have a way to handle nitrate... so maybe a sulfur denitrator will need to be on the list. The denitrator is probably a waste on other types of systems. If you don't want to grow macro, then you need a way to export phosphate/phosphorous, so maybe a GFO reactor or socks built in for Lan Chloride.

I figured out my tank style a long time ago which is heavy feedings and heavy export with low residual levels... 3 inches of sand, real live rock (worth nearly any cost), multiple protein skimmers, wavebox, adequate (not excessive) flow pumps, calcium reactor, metal halides and lots of fish. 44g brutes for (mostly) regular water changes. Fuge comes online after a year or two (when it is needed, but NOT before). Sustainable for decades and does not take much of my time. I detail more of this in my rebuild thread.

I have a question. What are the major differences between starting with live ocean rock compared to starting with dry rock? I ask because I started my first tank with live rock in 2016 and started my newest tank last year with caribsea liferock. I am actually at the point of pulling the liferock and replacing with live rock. The tank is starting to stabilize but I am just not happy with the dry rock. I have been going through a hair algea stage for almost a year and it's just getting better. I almost feel like the rock is deteriorating from the inside as every water change i blow off the rocks with a turkey baster and big clouds of fine dust come out of the holes in the rocks. My phosphate and nitrates are always high even though I cut back on feeding and i am running a chaeto fuge and a turf scrubber. I just haven't been able to get the stability i have with the live rock.

 

[fishybizzness]

I have a question. What are the major differences between starting with live ocean rock compared to starting with dry rock? I ask because I started my first tank with live rock in 2016 and started my newest tank last year with caribsea liferock. I am actually at the point of pulling the liferock and replacing with live rock. The tank is starting to stabilize but I am just not happy with the dry rock. I have been going through a hair algea stage for almost a year and it's just getting better. I almost feel like the rock is deteriorating from the inside as every water change i blow off the rocks with a turkey baster and big clouds of fine dust come out of the holes in the rocks. My phosphate and nitrates are always high even though I cut back on feeding and i am running a chaeto fuge and a turf scrubber. I just haven't been able to get the stability i have with the live rock.

In your opinion @jda

 

[X-37B]

I have a question. What are the major differences between starting with live ocean rock compared to starting with dry rock? I ask because I started my first tank with live rock in 2016 and started my newest tank last year with caribsea liferock. I am actually at the point of pulling the liferock and replacing with live rock. The tank is starting to stabilize but I am just not happy with the dry rock. I have been going through a hair algea stage for almost a year and it's just getting better. I almost feel like the rock is deteriorating from the inside as every water change i blow off the rocks with a turkey baster and big clouds of fine dust come out of the holes in the rocks. My phosphate and nitrates are always high even though I cut back on feeding and i am running a chaeto fuge and a turf scrubber. I just haven't been able to get the stability i have with the live rock.

Do 50/50 live/dead. I am a live rock guy and did my current 120 with that ratio. The only rock that got the uglies was the caribsea.
I had coral in my system after 1 month.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Probably obvious for me: Time and patience - both of which I've whiffed on in the past!

 

[fishybizzness]

Do 50/50 live/dead. I am a live rock guy and did my current 120 with that ratio. The only rock that got the uglies was the caribsea.
I had coral in my system after 1 month.

It's funny because I have a small piece of live rock that I put in to try seeding the dry rock and it has never had any algea on it yet the dry rock 5 inches away always has to be scrubbed!

 

[X-37B]

It's funny because I have a small piece of live rock that I put in to try seeding the dry rock and it has never had any algea on it yet the dry rock 5 inches away always has to be scrubbed!

Yep! Thats why live rock rules, lol.

 

[ZoWhat]

Make sure it's lactose free

BRS sells it for $14.95 a gallon


.

 

[jda]

Let's take a more in-depth dive into real live rock elsewhere, but in short, it provides a phosphate free structure for both oxic and anoxic bacteria to live, bring in micro and macro fauna to contribute to a healthy tank and is ready to function from day one. Dead/dry rock is pretty much just decoration for a while until the structure has all of the dead organics broken down and all phosphate leave the rock - this can take years. Man made rock is always just a decoration where nearly none has porous structure for anoxic bacteria to lower nitrates - I would use real dead rock over this stuff since it at least has a shot in the future.

In short, or medium, I want the real live rock to buffer phosphate for me (I keep it near NSW levels), reduce nitrate by turning it into nitrogen gas thus completing the nitrogen cycle and introduce critters and fauna that make my tank healthy and stable. I don't want what is on the rock - the macros, corals, etc. are not for me and the sponges will all due back and move to different areas. I just want the most porous rock out there straight from the ocean.

Perhaps the most important part of real live rock tanks with sand is the fish disease help - ich tomont does not stand much of a chance in my sand with all of the critters scurrying around down there. While likely not total eradication, it sure keeps disease at bay in my tanks. Barebottom and dry/dead rock tanks can be petri dishes for fish diseases to breed.

I people pooled their money from early fish deaths, cost of supplements and effort to fight hair algae and dinos and all of that, live rock is a huge bargin.

 

[VermontReefs]

My advice! Don't start with a sterile tank! Go Florida Live Rock or nothing. Just my opinion. Starting sterile produces too many issues.

 

[Cheesus]

What happened???

Honestly I have no idea.