Long term stability help please.

[justy]

Hi just wondering what methods people adopt/feel are most successful in keeping healthy growing sps long term. Im talking about stability specifically trace element depletion, and replenishment either through water changes or of the shelf additives.
Im aware of most of the methods but would like to hear from some of the long term sps gurus. As to what they feel is crucial.
Sorry if this a bit waffly hope you get the jist of what im asking.
I've kept corals for years and have tried most methods.
Many thanks justin

[theshaman]

Hi. I can’t say I’m an sps guru but do feel like I can easily keep sps alive and grow at a constant rate now, finally. My setup is really simple. I think the main things on my tank that is keeping my tank running is lights, flow, 2 part dosing, and filtration.
My go to lights would be T5 with led supplement.
For flow I have a sea sweep at each end of the tank with a tunze pump on each sea sweep.
My filtration is just a large skimmer and some chaeto in my sumps middle compartment.
I dose two part with a cheap dosing pump and check alk, cal, and mag every other week.
I use instant ocean salt and do a five gallon water change once a week. Sometimes every other week. I don’t use carbon or gfo.
No filter socks either.
Set up a light schedule and leave it alone.
Set a frag in its place and leave it there. Unless you think it is getting too much or too little
Light.
I think that covers everything about my method of keeping an sps tank.
Oh and don’t forget to use an auto top off. That’s one of my favorite piece of equipment on my system.


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[justy]

Hi yes keeping it simple seems to be one of the common denominators for success.
Do i relie on water changes alone 10% every two weeks or do i dose triton, aquaforest fauna marin etc, with no water changes?

[theshaman]

Originally Posted by justy

Hi yes keeping it simple seems to be one of the common denominators for success.
Do i relie on water changes alone 10% every two weeks or do i dose triton, aquaforest fauna marin etc, with no water changes?

I would just stick with a routine small water change. The only numbers you should maintain are alk, calcium, magnesium.
I have not checked phosphates or nitrates in over a year.


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[Daimyo68]

I used to run all types of filtration... socks, gfo, carbon, religious WC's, etc etc.

Starting about 8 years ago, I started taking all that stuff offline (slowly one at a time)...

Now I run a skimmer, and just dose Cal n Alk, WC every 6 months (unless there is an event aka rtn),... No more socks, carbon, any of that...

6 years ago when I finally had everything offline, my sps started doing much better, and have been ever since then.

As mentioned, keep it simple... its working for me.

Don't get me wrong, all the Triton, Aquaforest, etc systems work, if your willing to put in that amount of work..

[justy]

Hi yes ive tried carbon dosing, trace element dosing with know water changes etc. But I always struggle to keep the regime up for more than a few months so this equals instability.
I always revert back to my default setting, WC every few weeks occasional use of GAC. And always wondering if i could get better growth by trying all these different wonder products in bottles.
Stuck in a perpetual loop.
Thanks for your input.

[nemodan]

Originally Posted by theshaman

Hi. I can’t say I’m an sps guru but do feel like I can easily keep sps alive and grow at a constant rate now, finally. My setup is really simple. I think the main things on my tank that is keeping my tank running is lights, flow, 2 part dosing, and filtration.
My go to lights would be T5 with led supplement.
For flow I have a sea sweep at each end of the tank with a tunze pump on each sea sweep.
My filtration is just a large skimmer and some chaeto in my sumps middle compartment.
I dose two part with a cheap dosing pump and check alk, cal, and mag every other week.
I use instant ocean salt and do a five gallon water change once a week. Sometimes every other week. I don’t use carbon or gfo.
No filter socks either.
Set up a light schedule and leave it alone.
Set a frag in its place and leave it there. Unless you think it is getting too much or too little
Light.
I think that covers everything about my method of keeping an sps tank.
Oh and don’t forget to use an auto top off. That’s one of my favorite piece of equipment on my system.


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This is an excelente summary on how you want to be successful. I have been doing the same for some years now and the tank is healthy. I do not measure Ca or Mag as I use B-ionic 2 parts. So I only measure ALK. Keep Alk at around 7 and keep your tank stable by adopting a routine.

I have the same setup as the quoted refeer (DT 65 G , Fuge 40G, lot of matrix / stones for bacteria, skimmer and T5, and flow) I do WC every week (25G) in the fuge. I only put my hands in the DT when needed to trim corals.

Easy!!! and keep it constant. Do put your hands too much moving stuff around every other day. Leave it alone.

Best
Daniel

[justy]

Thanks everyone im a great believer in trying to keep it simple, but! And here is the but, i always end up thinking i could do better and get better growth rates. So i will try adding trace elements or AA , but this in itself causes instability. I wish there was a low cost method of testing for all the parameters that may have an effect on the health of our corals.

[theshaman]

There’s no need to dose anything else other than two part.
Keep things stable and you will see constant growth.


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[nemodan]

Originally Posted by justy

Thanks everyone im a great believer in trying to keep it simple, but! And here is the but, i always end up thinking i could do better and get better growth rates. So i will try adding trace elements or AA , but this in itself causes instability. I wish there was a low cost method of testing for all the parameters that may have an effect on the health of our corals.

This is what I do not understand. Why you ask if there is a BUT ?

You will find lots of amazing reef that drive under strick control. The owners do this and that, they add this and tha, they measure 10 different parameters, etc. Their reef tanks are amazing and their reef are stable because they keep doing that always, and works for them. Could be it works for you too.

Good luck !!!
Daniel

Ps: this is my 65 G DT .

[Piper27]

Beautiful mature tank nemodan!!

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[shih87]

I had my first SPS tank in Taiwan for 3+ years and tore down when house moving, and a new tank start on Jan. 2nd, 2015 till now and keep running.

I am a believer that complexity won't fail your tank, but less knowledge of what you are doing does.

You can find my setup below and latest tank video after.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ilqMJoSpnk&t=58s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY0E7vSxlwQ&t=61s

[markalot]

Originally Posted by nemodan

This is what I do not understand. Why you ask if there is a BUT ?

You will find lots of amazing reef that drive under strick control. The owners do this and that, they add this and tha, they measure 10 different parameters, etc. Their reef tanks are amazing and their reef are stable because they keep doing that always, and works for them. Could be it works for you too.

Good luck !!!
Daniel

Ps: this is my 65 G DT .

You know how much I love your tank Daniel. I've finally getting there but missing some of the 'mixed' corals.

I'll echo what a few others have said along with ...

Run low Alk, I'm almost always 6.5 KH.

Do test calcium from time to time. I have a doser issue that botched the calcium dose and led to an acro loss. If I had been testing monthly I would have caught it but got lazy.

I really like products like PhosphateRx (lanthanum) to control PO4, though I rarely use it nowadays.

I run a skimmer and a Matrix reactor (a simple reactor full of Seachem Matrix rocks) that may or may not be keeping nitrates low. I never clean it other than a few shakes if I see the flow declining.

Targeted neglect has led me to great success. Keep the skimmer clean and working properly, don't overskim, and that's about it. I occasionally dose trace elements and I do like Pohls Extra Special, but for the most part good feeding provides everything the acros need. Also watch out for flow decline. Success breeds big corals that will block flow and lead to issues if you don't react.

I recently removed most of my slimer so I'll provide one pic before and the latest FTS.

[justy]

Originally Posted by markalot

You know how much I love your tank Daniel. I've finally getting there but missing some of the 'mixed' corals.

I'll echo what a few others have said along with ...

Run low Alk, I'm almost always 6.5 KH.

Do test calcium from time to time. I have a doser issue that botched the calcium dose and led to an acro loss. If I had been testing monthly I would have caught it but got lazy.

I really like products like PhosphateRx (lanthanum) to control PO4, though I rarely use it nowadays.

I run a skimmer and a Matrix reactor (a simple reactor full of Seachem Matrix rocks) that may or may not be keeping nitrates low. I never clean it other than a few shakes if I see the flow declining.

Targeted neglect has led me to great success. Keep the skimmer clean and working properly, don't overskim, and that's about it. I occasionally dose trace elements and I do like Pohls Extra Special, but for the most part good feeding provides everything the acros need. Also watch out for flow decline. Success breeds big corals that will block flow and lead to issues if you don't react.

I recently removed most of my slimer so I'll provide one pic before and the latest FTS.

Wow! I have always used your tank for inspiration its stunning.
I think maybe for me having a structured plan maybe on a calendar so i remember to clean power heads change rowa, carbon or dose lanthanum regularly would be a great way forward.
As i said i often change things and upset the balance when im probably in a goid period of growth and colour.

Thanks again everyone for your valuable input.

[justy]

Originally Posted by nemodan

This is what I do not understand. Why you ask if there is a BUT ?

You will find lots of amazing reef that drive under strick control. The owners do this and that, they add this and tha, they measure 10 different parameters, etc. Their reef tanks are amazing and their reef are stable because they keep doing that always, and works for them. Could be it works for you too.

Good luck !!!
Daniel

Ps: this is my 65 G DT .

Many thanks for your wisdom your tank is amazing.