What is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

[UtahReefer]

Patience... The number one virtue of reefing! Stability. Things will change over the maturation time of the tank, good and bad. Be patient... Don't go changing a bunch of things at once.

 

[Bruttall]

The biggest thing I do is pay a lot of attention to what is going on inside my tank. This takes careful observation on a daily basis. I watch the behavior of my fish and coral both.

And I am very consistent on my procedures. Water Changes happen the same time and day every week, feeding schedule same way and Tank Maintenance as well. Since this hobby is all about Stability.

Another thing I do is pay attention to the successful reefers on these forums. Not the guys with 1 yr old tanks, I am talking about guys been doing this for 5yrs, or 10yrs or more. Paul B is an inspiration, so is vetteguy53081. I have learned so much from reading those 2 guys threads.

And really good advice from several others including but not limited to Troylee, Gumbies R Us, Santiimari, billyocean, EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal, LordofCinder, and to many others to list!!

Thank you all!

 

[i cant think]

I feel like everyone has a technique or something they do that keeps their tank going. Maybe it is using a certain product or a specific daily check that keeps the tank going. I am wondering what is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

Everyone says the same things… Stability, Rockwork/Microfauna, Equipment.
I honestly think it’s something different;
Crashing!
Yes, I’m serious a tank crash is the key to a thriving system. Look at almost anyone’s reef builds and you’ll see that almost everyone has had a crash or something go wrong. That resets everything and you start from square one, that reset causes everything to come back into stability but with different levels. 9/10 times I’ve seen that crash turn into a tank that thrives.
My own tanks have both gone through crashes and ups and downs. Without those crashes or downs would any of us have reefs that look nice? Probably not…

 

[i cant think]

Everyone says the same things… Stability, Rockwork/Microfauna, Equipment.
I honestly think it’s something different;
Crashing!
Yes, I’m serious a tank crash is the key to a thriving system. Look at almost anyone’s reef builds and you’ll see that almost everyone has had a crash or something go wrong. That resets everything and you start from square one, that reset causes everything to come back into stability but with different levels. 9/10 times I’ve seen that crash turn into a tank that thrives.
My own tanks have both gone through crashes and ups and downs. Without those crashes or downs would any of us have reefs that look nice? Probably not…

For anyone interested, here are my biggest mistakes with this tank back in 2020.

I found a few photos of some of the fish, coral, my 3’ tank and some downsides to this hobby…
Here’s the 3’ tank’s old inhabitants (Scopas tang, CBB - Beaten to death by the scopas, as seen in the centre of the 3rd photo, Chilli coral is still with me).
23/08/2019 2:12pm

4/10/2019 5:4

1/11/2019 3:53pm

Unfortunately in the photo above this comment, that is a dead CBB from my 3’ tank, that scopas was about 2”, I think most of the coral actually died from a “small” incident that ended in Atleast £300 in coral death and £200 in fish death. Those photos above were from 21st November 2019. When I moved house that’s when I took the chance for a 4’ tank (This was December 21st 2019). Then it had fish in on January 27th - I think 3-4 weeks after it cycled. Here’s the photo of the first fish that went in.. rookie mistake, using the old sand in the new tank.
Results were this:
21/12/2019 9:41am

21/12/2019 9:10am

You guessed it, ammonia spiked quickly and did damage instantly (It was either this or die of hypothermia) this was the decision nobody wants, knowing their fish will die..
Now you will see the bacteria/algae that takes over tanks, and the first 5 fish that went in!!
This photo below shows the black photon clownfish pair that went in, and the bubble algae that spread. Aswell as that beautiful Indonesian colony of torch - Still have this except the colony is now one head.
29/01/2020 3:16pm

and now the other part of the bubble algae (Uglies!) phase, the rockwork is slightly different because we changed the sand for the radiant - The wrasse I have always wanted since having a 3’ tank and seeing a 1” juvenile.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

Phase 2 of the uglies - Bubble algae is dying off, something else (I think it was the diatoms next) came in.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

And now the fourth and 5th/6th inhabitant got added! The CBB I have today (Such a joy to watch!!) and the two skunk cleaners I also have today. Both are Atleast 2” now!!
29/01/2020 3:17pm

This next photo shows the pretty colouration my 3rd inhabitant haha, I have always and will always have a Foxface in my larger tanks!!
AND the acacia I still have - it has grown a lot more too, the fragplug is almost invisible now!
I still have the Duncan too - That was the 2nd coral to go in, the 1st was the torch.
29/01/2020 3:17pm

And then in went the tang (Twin spot). This guy and the Foxface beat the ugly stage to the curb!! And it shows the female Black Photon - I lost the male unfortunately.. so I replaced him with the juvenile misbar that is now the female, this female also vanished and I give up on keeping pairs, I may try one more male black photon though.
Stage 3 of the uglies is also shown and this is where the Foxface had the dinner of a life time - Green Hair Algae!!
5/02/2020 3:22pm

ugly phase #4, diatoms have grown and so has GHA (Finally, a use for the Foxface haha)
5/02/2020 3:26pm

GHA is more clear now
5/02/2020 3:26pm

The tang again - Still highly brown and still beautiful!! Asterinas starting to take over aswell (Bloody things)
5/02/2020 4:25pm

And here’s where the male black photon clown died.. Still no idea why (Everything was in place, no spikes). Diatoms and GHA still taking over - The Foxface still having a buffet
10/02/2020 3:32pm

And finally, Cyano out competed the other two algae’s, I didn’t mind it so much - Nothing got harmed either.
26/02/2020 3:35pm

Here’s my first of two wrasse - Both died (And some backstory as to why I love C. Naokoae so much!!) this guy died from spinal injury from jumping… a month or so later. Also a small bit of one of the pink pincushion urchins (There was two, they’re now replaced with two white pincushion urchins).
4/03/2020 11:16pm - 14 days before my birthday, this was an early birthday gift to myself

And my second wrasse, H. leucoxanthus (Silver belly wrasse) she died at some point in June or July 2020. Also - My chilli coral in that tank!!
16/03/2020 7:37am - Also an early birthday gift.

And then part of the rockwork fell (Nothing died or got injured) I got lucky with that one, it’s now stable though.
24/07/2020 9:49am

 

[PeterC99]

I try to pray for it every day but otherwise the technique that I use are just as you described them; “A secret.”

(So secret that I don’t even know them.)

That is one very cool graphic loop!!!

 

[mtraylor]

First and far most the most important thing for me is a daily inspection. Making sure everyone is eating and looking good. Corals all look good and still in same spot etc.

Next is making sure all n parms are keeping steady. I check everything once a week and make adjustments as needed.

And finally. Leave everything alone. Once I place something in aquarium I don't mess with it.

This has worked for me

 

[srobertb]

I feel like everyone has a technique or something they do that keeps their tank going. Maybe it is using a certain product or a specific daily check that keeps the tank going. I am wondering what is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

Work towards affecting change for balance, not controlling every aspect of your tank. If your tank wants to run with nitrates at 40ppm and everything looks ok, leave it alone. Chase balance- not “ideal” numbers.

Leave it alone. Scrub algae, siphon cyano, lament diatoms, but they will come and go and the best cure is time and balance.

 

[thelonereefer1]

Stability and consistency

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Don't be lazy.

 

[Dom]

I feel like everyone has a technique or something they do that keeps their tank going. Maybe it is using a certain product or a specific daily check that keeps the tank going. I am wondering what is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

Patience is my secret ingredient.

I'm never in a rush for results. My reef tanks are like gardens that need to be nurtured so that it can grow into the wonderful colors and community I imagine it in my mind's eye.

 

[CNDReef]

Have a realistic routine that works for ” you “ and that “ you” can stick to consistently. Everyone does things differently but they do them consistently to achieve the end goal of having quality water in a box.

 

[A Young Reefer]

mistakes, more mistakes and last but not least mistakes.

 

[blecki]

I know from recent experience that 'leave it the **** alone' also includes not adding new livestock.

Busy not taking my own advice at the moment but my tank did it's absolute best during the two and a half years between the last addition and having to move it because it was literally making the house collapse.

 

[MrGisonni]

The biggest thing I do is pay a lot of attention to what is going on inside my tank. This takes careful observation on a daily basis. I watch the behavior of my fish and coral both.

And I am very consistent on my procedures. Water Changes happen the same time and day every week, feeding schedule same way and Tank Maintenance as well. Since this hobby is all about Stability.

Another thing I do is pay attention to the successful reefers on these forums. Not the guys with 1 yr old tanks, I am talking about guys been doing this for 5yrs, or 10yrs or more. Paul B is an inspiration, so is vetteguy53081. I have learned so much from reading those 2 guys threads.

And really good advice from several others including but not limited to Troylee, Gumbies R Us, Santiimari, billyocean, EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal, LordofCinder, and to many others to list!!

Thank you all!

I would like to add @Randy Holmes-Farley to that list

 

[Reefer Matt]

Here's a few of mine.
I make videos of all my reefing.

 

[FrugalReefer]

Stability, lots of patience, make changes slowly and keep it simple.

 

[snorklr]

very low expectations

 

[Starling541]

I feel like everyone has a technique or something they do that keeps their tank going. Maybe it is using a certain product or a specific daily check that keeps the tank going. I am wondering what is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

I feel like everyone has a technique or something they do that keeps their tank going. Maybe it is using a certain product or a specific daily check that keeps the tank going. I am wondering what is your secret to keeping a successful reef tank?

Any out of the norm advice you are going to invest in, at minimum I would strongly recommend accompanying pics of their tank.

 

[Hal3134]

Quarantine all fish. Test alk regularly and adjust as necessary. Those two things have made the biggest difference for me.

 

[skyrne_isk]

Have a water change station - which then makes it easy to do regular water changes. Building a water change station has had the single most positive impact on my reef because when it’s easy to do a water change you actually do them!