When is a tank considered mature?

[_cpate3_]

I would not consider my tank mature at all. It’s just over 3 months old which is still very new obviously. I am wondering when the tank is considered mature. Is it a matter of self sustainability, an amount of time, a certain milestone like coralline algae?

And also is there a time where I should start dialing back the water changes. I do 30% changes weekly right now and it has been working perfectly. Is there a time where they need to be done less frequently to promote stability or is what I’m doing fine long term.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Maturity is subjective but most would agree a year marks maturity. However, I'd say that if you use all live rock from the ocean, your tank is mature FAR sooner.

 

[Jbell370]

Mine is over 3 1/2 years old now, not sure if that is mature or not. I from day one did and still do 5g AWC daily schedule and every 2/3 weeks clean the sandbed which results in 20-30g change depending on how vigorous my cleaning is.

I get fairly close in salinity, as well as I can measure and have not had negative results. Mostly SPS and yes when cleaning the sand I take enough water out that SPS are exposed.

 

[paul01609]

I would say When the tank is fully Stable

 

[Rtaylor]

Maturity is more about overall tank health and biodiversity. The objective is to create as much of a self sustaining/regenerative system as possible.

Some signs would include:
a wide variety of microfauna (pods, worms, etc.)
fish pairs are spawning
Perhaps even a coral or anemone spawning
Snails and hermit crabs breeding in the tank
Tank adjusts almost immediately to small/med changes in bioload
Coral and fish are growing appropriately
Corals and anemones show no signs of bleaching or other distress
Relatively friendly behavior amongst tank mates most of the time

Etc,

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Probably would say when it's healthy, and is stable then I would say it's mature

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

30% water change is a little over kill. 10-15 % is the sweet spot. Changing too much will cause low nutrient bringing on Dino’s.

 

[o2manyfish]

For me a tank is mature when it doesn't need you and it doesn't have any issues.

Algae issues go away in a mature tank. You will have algae growing on the viewing panels but the rocks aren't all brown or green. And covered in purple coraline is not a sign of health. It's just a sign of another algae that is thriving - which isn't a sign of maturity or stability.

The other sign a tank is mature is when it doesn't need you to watch it and tend to it. In the event there is trouble with a loved one and you need to walk out the door - How is your tank going to fare and for how long?

A mature reef tank has enough life within it to feed most of its inhabitants. With the exception on anthias, most reef community fish can find enough to eat in a mature healthy reef that you don't need to add food. Before I started keeping Anthias I used to feed my reef tanks - 125g and 400g less times a year then there are months in a year.

I always have 'overstocked' tanks - Pipefish, Mandarins, tangs, angels, blennies damsels, pseudos all thriving - and spawning regularly without any food being added to the tank regularly.

Now how long can you walk away from the tank for. If you tank is going to evaporate out in a few days. Then that's an issue. But assuming things like topoff is taken care of. How long can you leave your tank for before bad things happen.

When people are doing 10 different kinds of bandaid products to try to control parameters a tank is neither mature or stable. A mature tank can sustain healthy life on it own. Now can dosing a mature tank make it better? Maybe. But it's not a necessity to maintain life.

A few years back I had to walk out the door to go take care of my Dad. I was fortunately only 2 hours away. I had to come home once when the 20lb CO2 ran out for the Calcium Reactor. Other than that 10 weeks with no intervention and we had no losses. And when I got home I ordered a pair of 50lb tanks to increase that 10 week window.

Dave B

 

[jason2459]

I think @Paul B's tank is almost mature.

 

[Dan_P]

I would not consider my tank mature at all. It’s just over 3 months old which is still very new obviously. I am wondering when the tank is considered mature. Is it a matter of self sustainability, an amount of time, a certain milestone like coralline algae?

And also is there a time where I should start dialing back the water changes. I do 30% changes weekly right now and it has been working perfectly. Is there a time where they need to be done less frequently to promote stability or is what I’m doing fine long term.

“Tank maturity“ is almost a meaningless term. Something that cannot be measured is a fantasy.

 

[rhitee93]

When it doesn't run up and hit another tank on the playground that it happens to have a crush on?

(Sorry, it's been one of those afternoons...)

 

[gbru316]

Replace "maturity" with "stability." I define it as the tank has reached sort of a "steady state" of operating and very few "fires" are breaking out that may lead to knee-jerk reactions that all of us are prone to.


IMO, achieving it depends on lots of things -- including the most important part -- how much YOU mess with it. And in my experience -- the "just leave it alone, dummy" lesson AND the necessary biological/ecological processes sort of sync up around a year.

 

[Icryhard]

“Tank maturity“ is almost a meaningless term. Something that cannot be measured is a fantasy.

I don't agree. Tank maturity refers to how the eco system is. The eco system can be measured.

 

[Rusty_L_Shackleford]

Maturity is subjective but most would agree a year marks maturity. However, I'd say that if you use all live rock from the ocean, your tank is mature FAR sooner.

Ime most tanks really start to hit their stride around the 1 year mark. My main tank I have now is 9 months old and my corals are really starting to thrive. Growth really started accelerate about the 8 month mark. Which is right after I feel like all of the diverse microfauna really took off and populations stabilized. And I mean outside of just pods, I'm talking about the stuff that doesn't come in a bottle, all manner of worms, sponges, starfish. This is why good live rock really speeds things along. When you use dry rock, it's blank slate and it's much easier for bad things (like nuisance algae) to get a foot hold than good things (like corraline) because they just outcompete them.

 

[Dan_P]

I don't agree. Tank maturity refers to how the eco system is. The eco system can be measured.

I agree with these ideas. I have recently observed algae ecosystems reach a type of maturity when the biomass can no longer be supported by the carrying capacity of the environment. I still contend the use of the term for an aquarium is nonsense.

 

[nuxx]

3-4 years in, I still didn't feel like it was mature...

 

[_cpate3_]

30% water change is a little over kill. 10-15 % is the sweet spot. Changing too much will cause low nutrient bringing on Dino’s.

I have a hefty bio load. 3 fish and a bunch of inverts and corals in a 13 gallon.

 

[zheka757]

When you put any coral in, and it grows.

 

[_cpate3_]

When you put any coral in, and it grows.

I wouldn’t say this, because I bought 1 head of a frogspawn about a month ago, and it is in the middle of splitting its head into 2! And my Acan has plenty of new buds sticking out of it. Not to mention my pipe organ is out of control. Corals seem to be fine, but a 3 month old tank with dry rock and no pods definitely doesn’t seem mature lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

When the tank remains in an appropriate range not requiring constant testing and you are achieving good coral color and growth with notable polyp extensions and have little to know coral death and your bacterial colony can process waste as it is produced effectively, you have reached point of stability.