Valentine’s giving: How do you show love to your reef?

Peace River · Feb 15, 2023

Valentine’s giving: How do you show love to your reef?

Do you ever do special things for your reef? Do you do anything for your reef or give it anything special? This is sometimes a season for giving and showing love. Maybe it is consistent basic maintenance, special treats, occasional equipment upgrades, or adding more coral to fill out your reef – whatever it is, please let us know how you show love to your reef!

Photo by @MantisReef

cdw79 · Feb 15, 2023

Definitely a food-based treat for me. I want to start buying brine shrimp eggs to hatch as a treat and do it semi frequently, as I'm sure it would be good for the fishes' health too. Plus the novelty of watching them hunting live food is always fun.

Wish I could say adding coral, but with how full my tank is getting these days, more coral additions are starting to become new opportunities for coral warfare, which doesn't exactly sound like a good way to show my tank some love lol

steveschuerger · Feb 15, 2023

For me I’d say water changes, special food, supplements. I love how happy the corals look after the weekly water change and when I do my cleaning of the tank in general. I feed the tank about 4 times a week with a major feast once a week in midweek approximately. I’ve restarted using Gonipower for the Gonis and other small mouthed corals. My Bowers and Acans love the chunkier fro food that I give. I‘ve been adding pods intermittently in preparation for a new mandarin and to keep biodiversity up as well. Lastly I’ve been adding corals since it looked pretty bare not all that long ago, though it’s reaching max fill. At least on the bed.

Dburr1014 · Feb 15, 2023

Well, I do pick out the hair algae once a week!

vlangel · Feb 15, 2023

From being an aquarium tech for a lfs and in charge of their maintenance accounts, I learned a few things:

1. Consistent water changes, (done right) can keep a softie/LPS reef within acceptable parameters.
2. A few supplements like Coral Vite for trace minerals, Iron/magnesium for softies/ macroalgae can help boost health.
3. Good quality food for fish/inverts, which when processed through the fish's digestion will feed the coral. Then back to water change's to keep the parameters in check.
4. Some live rock for bio-diversity.

One can keep a beautiful jar reef on a sun lit window sill with nothing more than an airline hose if those 4 areas of love are given to a reef.

Holy handgrenade · Feb 15, 2023

Why isnt there an option for buying your tank a lovely bouquet of flower pots to show your love?

Mr Fishface · Feb 15, 2023

I started cultivating live phytoplankton for my tank. I would like to start live brine as well for the fish. Otherwise I say water changes!

Catnip885 · Feb 15, 2023

Definitely water changes, adding my supplements and vitamins, and providing a variety of foods for both coral and fish. Give the tank some love and attention and it will give the love right back

McPuff · Feb 15, 2023

I do not show it love. By showing my indifference to the reef, it does well. When I show it love, it only breaks my heart.

KrisReef · Feb 15, 2023

McPuff said:
I do not show it love. By showing my indifference to the reef, it does well. When I show it love, it only breaks my heart.

That was so well put, it brought tears to my eyes. It was so motivational I might even go scrape a hole in the algae so I can see through the glass. I like looking down on my tank and it knows it's place.