Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef

[Nano sapiens]

On the first page of this tank thread I have the typical listing of parameters, lighting, inhabitants, etc. This is all fine and important info, but doesn't really touch on the thought processes that went into the setup or describe the day-in/day-out activites that keep a reef tank functioning properly over the years. My hope is that the information presented here will be thought-provoking and possibly insightful.

 

Starting with a quick run-down of the equipment and why I use what I use:

 

Tank:

 

Cadlights 12g glass AIO (all-in-one)

 

Good little tank, but unfortunately no longer produced.

 

Heating:

 

Eheim-Jager Tru-Temp 50W

 

I check temps twice a day using a simple, reliable old style thermometer. I had very inconsistent results in the past with digital thermometers and as a result I don’t use them or recommend them. This simple temperature checking procedure has saved the tank twice within its lifetime when the heaters malfunctioned. Unfortunately, many heaters that have been on the market in the last decade or so have proven to be unreliable over time. I’ve had many different makes/models over the 7 year lifetime of this tank and I’ve been lucky to get 2 years (often much less) out of them. Currently trying an Eheim-Jager 50W from Germany (one of the few made outside of China) and I’m hoping for a much longer life. Heater is set at 78F which seems to suit all the inhabitants just fine. 81F is the hottest it’s ever been in summer.

 

Flow/Circulation:

 

Tunze Silence 1073.080 (210 gph) return pump with a Hydor Rotating Water Deflector Nozzle.

 

The live rock/corals are arranged in the center to allow for a circular flow pattern. Back chambers are as unobstructed as possible to allow maximum flow-through (no filter floss, chemical media, etc.). I believe that flow-through is important as it keeps food particles, larvae, bacteria, etc. in suspension so as to be consumed by the filter feeding organisms. Pump is quiet and the random , yet somewhat linear flow from the Hydor unit has been beneficial, IMO.

 

Lighting:

 

DIY ‘Complete Spectrum’ Solderless LEDs (LEDGroupBuy) for ‘punch’ and spectrum, plus Ecoxotic Stunner Strips for ‘T5 like’ diffused lighting.

 

The DIY LED Strip/Stunner Strip combo works quite well for a shallow tank as it spreads the light more evenly across the whole tank than the typical centrally condensed LED cluster arrays. Spacing the LED chips as close together as possible eliminates ‘color-banding’ (aka ‘Disco’ effect). Not a fan, of fans, due to noise and reliability issues so I use the most efficient LEDs (wherever possible) and a large heat sink to passively remove heat. Two dimmable channels with On/Off control via simple wall timers. 10 hour light cycle, Royal blues only on for 10 hrs., Cool White/Blue on for 8 hrs., and DIY "Complete Spectrum' on for 5 hrs. Spectrally, the tank is around 12K which produces a more 'bright and sunny' look, while still providing a good amount of fluorescent 'pop'.

 

DIY LEDs are a great way to really get deep into the 'meat and potatoes' of the nature of light. Since your are creating the array instead of just accepting what a manufacturer gives you, one must pay attention to what is known about the type of light that corals need in order to be healthy. With these arrays, there often is a temptation to constantly fiddle with the different colors and relative positions. Too much of this, though, and the corals will never settle down and get comfortable.

 

Make changes in spectrum and/or intensity very slowly. I used to allow one week between changes, but I find it better to allow two weeks. Also, don't change spectrum and intensity at the same time if it can at all be helped. Be especially mindful of any violet or hyperviolet emitters since our eyes are relatively insensitive to the wavelengths that they produce, but the corals are not! I don't use true 'violet' (~405nm) LEDs in my system since I seem to have a sensitivity to the near UV wavelengths, but I do incorporate a decent amount of 'hyperviolet' (~430nm).

 

I also give the tank (corals) a 'rest' day once a week by turning down the lights to about 3/4 of normal. Constant higher intensity lighting can cause long term chronic stress in some corals (I see this especially with Rhodactis 'shrooms), so I find it helps them to recouperate when they have a break.

 

Automated Top Off (ATO):

 

PETCO ‘Pet Bottles' (2)

 

Gravity-fed and filled with a RO/DI and Kalkwasser (Limewater) mix which supplies needed alkalinity and calcium (see pg 2). The modifications required to these pet bottles are removing the balls in the stainless steel tube and altering the nozzle length so that it can be immersed at the water surface level (or raise the bottles to a level where the tube end is immersed). A very simple, inexpensive, reliable and effective way to maintain a water level. Proper functioning is however dependent upon tightly closing the cap to prevent air intrusion into the bottle.

 

…and that’s really all the equipment that a small tank like this needs to house most coral types.

 

Equipment Philosophy 101:

 

‘Simplicity and redundancy’ pretty much sum things up. There is an old saying attributed to my good friend Murphy that states: ‘If anything can go wrong it will.’ As much as possible, I attempt to run my equipment in such a way as to limit any one single point of failure. A pump or a heater going out is possible, so spares are kept near at hand. My lighting is on three separate plugs so that if one part fails, I still have at least the other two operational while I fix the defect. If power goes out I have a battery powered pump and a small propane camping stove to heat tank water, if necessary.

 

Cost and the Nano Tank:

 

I see quite a few posts from beginners that start with this "I just spent 2K (or more) on my nano tank". My first reaction is "Wow, really?". If I add up all the costs associated with this tank's initial setup it's well under $500. The biggest purchases over time have been coral and upgraded lighing, and that's maybe $700-800 bucks spread out over the 7 years.

 

My advice to new reefers is to carefully research what a typical small reef system needs (farily basic, really) and be very cautious of the comercial marketing hype shouting at you that you 'must have' this or that product/gizmo in order to succeed. Research carefully and it'll become clear that only a few parameters need to be met to successfully keep coral and most of these can be met rather inexpensively (lighting being the biggest exception, perhaps).

 

Water Changes:

 

5g plastic utility bucket (no heater or circulation), RO/DI water and a mix of various salt brands. 10%/week (5%/2x week).

 

Since I change water 2x/wk, circulation of the water is not necessary. I also don’t waste energy heating the whole bucket of water 24 hrs/day. Unless the water is quite cold, I don’t heat it up to tank temp since the volume being replaced is so small it has very little effect on the tank temperature. If the water is very cold, however, I place my 1g water change container in a south facing window for a few hours if the sun is out…or use a spare heater when it is not.

 

Early on, I found that changing 10% of the water all at once (even with temperature matched water) would result in mildly stressed corals. 5%/2x week resulted in no visible stress to the animals and is what I have used for years. In the last year or two I’ve been mixing various salts (Red Sea Blue Bucket, Reef Crystals, Instant Ocean) without any ill effects. I do this in order to achieve similar alkalinity/calcium/magnesium levels to my tank parameters. This results in greater parameter stability.

 

Time Managment:

 

One question often asked is 'How much time do you spend on your tank?'.

 

1. 5% water change on Tues., Mag-float glass cleaning (15 min.),

2. 5% water change on Sat, sand bed vacuuming, Mag-float/credit card glass cleaning, back wall cleaning, detritus removal from back chambers, overflow slots and rear seams cleaning with toothbrush (3x/month, 1 hr. each week)

3. 5% water change, sand bed vacuuming, Mag-float/credit card glass cleaning, back wall cleaning, detritus removal from back chambers, overflow slots and rear seams cleaning with toothbrush, pump and hydor rotating device disassembly/cleaning (1hr 30 min, 1x/month)

4. Water change makeup (5g): Once every 5 weeks (30 min.)

5. Vacuum under a base live rock every 2-3 months (extra 20 min added to a Sat. water change).

 

Substrate and Associated Microorganisms:

 

I use a relatively fine mixed grade of aragonite. I vacuum the substrate to remove detritus once a week with my water change and clear the live rock of detritus 2x/wk. I also stir up the sand bed daily to suspend detritus and it's associated microorganisms (food for the filter-feeders).

 

All the best equipment and technology is not going to be effective if the microscopic organisms that we rely upon for many different processes are not functioning properly or are not in the required abundance. Microscopic bacteria, benthic algae, protists, etc. are literally the backbone of our systems and will develop naturally over time if they are introduced into the system (live rock, live sand, etc.) and we keep acceptable, stable conditions. Some commercial products can cause harm to these bacteria in our systems and is something to keep in mind due to how important they are to the system. In our small tanks when the sand bed is not cleaned (especially), many people experience rapidly increasing nitrate levels even when feeding and bio load are relatively low. To put it simply, the bacteria responsible for completing the nitrogen cycle are literally being choked and are not receiving the continuous nutrient flow (especially carbon) they need to function effectively. To encourage bacterial health, I perform a number of tasks: Stir the sand bed daily. Twice a week I blow off sediment in and on the live rock with a turkey baster. I vacuum the sand bed weekly as well as remove detritus that has settled in the back chambers. In addition, every 2 months or so I vacuum underneath one of the base rocks so that in ~8 months I will have vacuumed under all of them. To put the effectiveness of these simple procedures into context, even with two adult Ocellaris Clownfish fed heavily twice daily plus daily broadcast and target feeding of the corals the tank maintains a nitrate reading of around 0.5ppm (Elos, Red Sea test kits).

 

Phosphate deserves a special discussion. Inorganic phosphate (aka ‘Orthophosphate’, ‘PO4’) levels in this tank are checked monthly and they are consistently undetectable (Salifert test kit) despite the relatively heavy feeding and moderate bio load. No phosphate removers have ever been used. The question may arise as to how does this work for one tank when so many other tanks have difficulty controlling this element without having to resort to large water changes and/or phosphate reducing media? The standard answer seems to be "Each tank is different", which is really an acknowledgement that we don’t have a good handle on what exactly is going on. Trying to pin down phosphate usage in an aquarium is an ever moving target and is complex. What we do know is that Phosphate, in all it’s inorganic and organic forms, is ever in motion in our systems and the completion amongst the organisms for this life sustaining nutrient is intense. I stir up the sand bed daily which has multiple effects that I believe directly, or indirectly, influence phosphate levels. The thought process goes like this: Whenever detritus is suspended so are countless microorganisms (detritus, benthic algae, protists, fungi, etc ) which then become food for filter feeders (phosphate usage and some sequestering). The remaining bacteria in the sand bed naturally repopulate in short order (again, phosphate usage and some sequestering). Vigorous bacterial activity in the substrate liberates some phosphate that is bound to the calcium carbonate sediments which in turn is used by other organisms. When detritus is removed weekly, this exports some of the phosphate out of the system and maintains a balance in the system. One key point in all this is that this constant cycling naturally stabilizes phosphate as long as inputs (foods, mainly) are kept relatively constant. I have noticed that inconsistent feeding results in a ‘boom or bust’ type scenario that can compromise system stability.

 

Condensed version: Feed your bacteria/other organisms, but don’t forget to clean up the mess J

 

WARNING: If a sand bed hasn’t been disturbed for some time, best to begin cleaning only small sections at a time. Cleaning the whole thing all at once can crash a tank!

 

No Chemical/Mechanical Filtration? With proper maintenance and regular water changes there is simply no need. One of the benefits of not using chemical media (besides cost) is that one avoids the potential shock to the system whenever media is replaced (the only shock this sytem gets is the 5%/2x per week water change). This may indeed be a factor in the longevity of this little system and the relative lack of 'issues' experienced due to the inherent stability.

 

Thoughts on the ‘Mixed Reef’ Nano Tank:

 

This little tank has just about everything from A-Z (Acropora to Zoanthids). Most of the original corals are still around, but some have been moved on due to over-aggression (Acroporas, Scolly), a few have been destroyed by amphipods (Zoas), a few by bacterial infections (Mussids: Blastos, Acans) and some simply have been out-competed (M. undata). Actually, I’m rather surprised that most have been able to co-exist in relative peace. A true mixed reef in a shallow nano tank is especially difficult due to the different high and low light needs of the various corals. Proper placement of corals becomes extremely critical. Sometimes, even just an inch or two up or down (or side-to-side) can make a difference as to whether a coral does well or just languishes. A PAR meter can help a bit here, but intuition and experience largely plays a role in the decision. Luckily for us, many corals can cope and adapt well to physical change since that skill has been honed in the wild for millennia.

 

The general consensus is that a biotope tank set up for specific type(s) of corals with very similar needs is far easier to maintain and I would certainly agree. However, I like a challenge J

 

Growth and the Nano Tank:

 

This nano tank is small and I’m not a fan of constant pruning. Constant fiddling with the corals and aquascape is detrimental to the system in many ways (accidental knocking off of corals, stress from frequent cuttings, release of possible coral produced chemicals, introduction of skin oils/other substance residues, etc.). In this tank, I strive to limit coral growth while maintaining coral health and coloration. This means supplying enough nutrition for metabolic processes plus some extra for slow/moderate growth. Keeping the temperature on the cooler side also helps slow metabolism. One side benefit to slower growth is that more coral types can be kept longer together since they won’t crowd each other as quickly.

 

Thoughts on 'Density' (Aquascaping): When starting out with this tank my main goal was to provide a rock 'Bommie' or two roughly in the middle of the tank as well as have some 'free space' made up of sand bottom. The biggest difficulty I faced was avoiding the temptation of adding more and more specimens to the tank bottom! For a while, I lost that battle with myself, but eventually claimed most of the previous free space back again. Coral can be packed quite tightly into a reef tank due to the fact that they don't produce much waste (the coral and it's algae tighly cycle much of their respective waste products), but the negative effect on flow can have a dramatic effect on a tank's health. Visually, I feel that the best aquascaped tanks use 'negative space' wisely to compliment an attractive reef structure. Something to consider when one gets the itch to create a 'rock wall' packed with an overabundance of corals and/or completely blanket the sand bed with coral frags.

 

Fish Stocking: I've been pleasantly surprised at how well this little system handles two well-fed adult Ocellaris Clownfish. 10% water changes/week have certainly sufficed and are all that is used. While I could possibly sneak in another lower bioload fish, the Clowns are so territorial that I feel it's not worth the risk.

 

Colonies, Mini-Colonies vs. Mini-frags:

 

I find that small nano tanks lend themselves very well to coral mini/micro frags, rather than coral colonies. For me, there is something special about tiny pieces of corals successfully growing and becoming larger parts of the reef tank community over time. The process requires patience, but the eventual reward are colonies that look more like they grew up in the tank vs. being cut-and-pasted into the aquascape. These smaller mini-frag grow-outs tend to be a bit less aggressive with their neighbors, likely due to having grown up with each other over time. When working with tiny mini-frags, the handling is very important. These little guys can dry out much more quickly and too much glue can easily kill them. The smallest that I’ve been successful with was a 1/16” piece consisting of just a single green mouth of Jack’o’Lantern Leptoseris that is now the size of a dime after 3 months.

 

Coral Aggression:

 

Although disturbing to some, coral aggression is just a part of their nature. Certain corals are iffy, at best, for a small reef tank due to this. The most aggressive stony corals I have in this tank by far are Pavonas and they can be a handful with their sweeper tentacles. All mushrooms are even worse if they physically contact other types of coral and Zoanthids, so they get their own separate regions. I also don’t mix Ricordia and Rhodactis together due to past issues with a Rhodactis causing damage. The only Zoanthids that I have that I would describe as hyper-aggressive via colonization are ‘Oxides’, but many zoanthids can become problematic if left unchecked. Oh, and don’t place Leptastrea where it can spread to other coral colonies (take my work for it, they are tough as nails and will sting and kill almost anything).

 

Allelopathy (Coral Chemical Warfare):

 

By design, the tank has no soft corals that could produce toxins such as Sarcophyton, Sinularia, Litophyton.

 

Captive/Wild Collected Corals:

 

Most of the corals in this tank are cultivated and were acquired as frags from LFSs, on-line retailers and other hobbyists. Most of the mushrooms came straight out of the ocean. Personally, I believe this hobby should patronize both maricultured and aquacultured corals.

 

Coral and Fish Feeding:

 

The two Clownfish are fed 2x/day with flakes or pellets in moderate amounts in the morning and liberal amounts of frozen mysids/spirulina enriched brine shirmp in the late afternoon. Manufactured food is more nutrient dense, so no need to feed this as heavily as frozen. Once a week I also feed them newly-hatched earthworms from a compost heap. Corals/filter feeders get broadcast fed finger pulverized flake or pellet food in the morning and either broadcast or target fed a combo of Oyster Feast/Aminos/Reef Roids.

 

Coral Disease: The one I seem to enounter most often is a bacterial infection in Mussids (Acans and Blastos, mostly). Bringing in one infected specimen from outside is enough to start this nasty condition. Tissue gets stretched thin, polyps won't eat and they eventuall waste away while other corals are just fine. I have had limited success with Tea Tree oil (few drops in a small container for a few minutes twice a day), but it doesn't always work. Melafix, which contains Tee Tree oil, is another reported remedy (Sprung/Delbeek).

 

Algae Control/Clean Up (CUC):

 

Algae will always be present both in our tanks and in nature. I strive to keep them under control by keeping nutrient levels low/balanced and via herbivory.

 

This tank has a single Blue-legged Hermit Crab to control hair algae. He’s a couple years old and slowing down, so I have to help him out every once in a while with a pair of tweezers. More than one medium sized hermit crab in such a small tank can be too disturbing to some corals and in my experience, only one will be left alive after a few weeks/months due to aggression. The rest of the ‘CUC’ is home-grown (bristleworms, mysid shrimp, brittlestars, small limits and tiny collunista snails). Notice, no 'hunch-backed amphipods' since adults are notorious for eating zoas/palys, usually at night. A Black-Barred Clown Goby exterminated them a few years back and I dip any new frag bases in freshwater for a minute to make sure they don’t recolonize the tank. I also don’t use commercially sold snails due to the risk from fouling when they die and decompose in such a small body of water.

 

Pest Species: Even with the best dipping protocols, pests can still wriggle and squirm into our systems. I'll give my new specimens a thorough once over with a magnifying glass and then dip the base of every rock/plug in fresh water/concentrated potassium iodine for at least one minute. Certain corals (such as Mushies) I'll also dip for a few seconds in the freshwater while shaking to dislodge any flatworms and then place immediately back into salt water. The stony coral frags (non-Acropora) I get are typically quite small, so it's easy to check them carefully and remove any unwanted creatures/eggs. Can't say much about coral dips since I don't use them, but the general concensus seems to be 'use them' (especially for Acropora as it is very difficult to see Red Bugs and AEFW are also not so easy to see or dislodge manually). For the occasional aiptasia and bubble algae that makes it through inspection, the most important thing is to take care of the pest literally 'right away' before they have a chance to establish themselves and check everyday for at least a week for any more. I use kalk slurry in a syringe for aiptasia and tweezers to carefully remove any bubble algae. For Acoel Flatworms, these guys need to caught early to be successful in exterminating them from the system. I'll keep the tank very clean and cut out any suspension feeding for a week or two (but still feed the fish and LPS normally) to cut down on this food source while sucking up any worms that I see on a daily basis (I especially check all the mushies carefully with a hand magnifier). With constant diligence for a few weeks, and a bit of luck, their populations can be brought so low that they can't sustain a population and die out in the tank.

 

‘Stability’…What Does That Really Mean?

 

We tend to think of stability is terms of temperature and water chemistry parameters, and rightly so. Maintaining parameters within a ‘range’ suitable for coral and fish health is essential. For me, the key to long-term success is stability in all aspects of reef keeping. Stability in the maintenance schedule/routines, stability in varying food types and frequency of feeding, stability in the lighting schedule/duration, stability in the water change schedule, etc.

 

How to Keep it ‘Fresh’?:

 

I see this question pop-up every so often. I think the answer is specific to each individual, but starting the tank with micro-frags is helpful since the final grown-in result can take a long time as opposed to using larger colonies right away which produces a ‘finished product’ in relatively short order. Keeping the tank's Web page(s) up-to-date at regular intervals is a great way to connect with other reef keepers and to assess how the tank is doing via photos. Investigating a reef keeping topic that is not well understood or researched is a great way to keep an interest in the hobby (no one knows it all).

 

Avoiding 'Upgrade-itis'?: Keep all sizes of tanks for 30+ years and then you'll know (hopefully) what size really suits you. My first reef tank was a homebuilt 8g nano, then a 35 hex, 55 show, even took care of a restaurant fish-only 300g for a while...and my last may be this 12g...or maybe not

 

'Big Tank' vs. 'Small Tank' Bias: The keeping of a 'Nano' or 'Pico' tank is often thought of as a 'toy' or something only for beginners to cut their teeth on. While it is true that the cost of entry into the reef aquarium hobby is a major factor (and small systems are typically much cheaper than larger ones), the fact is that being successful in maintaining a top-notch small reef aquarium for many years requires just as much skill and knowledge as any other sized tank (some might say even more so due to the miniscule amount of water in a small system). In my mind, the better term for small reef tanks would be 'Bonsai Reef Tanks' since keeping a nano/pico tank has commonalities with this well-respected, ancient gardening discipline.

 

Longevity and 'Old Tank Syndrome':

 

Keep It Simple, have backups, know the accepted range of parameters, check those parameters that can fluctuate frequently (i.e.: alkalinity, calcium, specific gravity), check temperature 2x/day, keep cleaning products/toxins away, develop a successful routine and stick to it, inspect the tank daily if possible (especially sensitive coral species) as they can give an early-warning of potential issues. I have yet to experience 'Old Tank Syndrome' in any of my past tanks. However, I believe it is a real condition that can be brought about by incorrect, or a lack of, maintenance procedures. I don't believe that it is inevitable or else we'd see every tank of a similar size and setup expire roughly at the same time...and some do keep on going year after year. I also don't believe that live rock and live sand has an inevitable expiration date. The current live rock in this nano is 17+ years old as is about 80% of the sand. Note: In a 2015 MACNA speach Joe Yaiullo, curator of the Long Island Aquarium, has used the term LARS ('Lazy Ass Reefer Syndrome' to describe this condition

 

Conclusion: After decades of reef keeping and years of perusing the Web forums, I see a whole lot of confusion ‘out there’ in regards to various aspects of reef keeping. I see this as a natural outcome of attempting to recreate a slice of one of the planet’s most highly complex ecological/biological systems. However, the fact that we can now maintain, grow, and in some cases even breed these coral animals in relatively miniscule amounts of water (compared to the oceans) is a testament to how far we’ve come in a relatively short period of time.

 

What sometimes tends to get lost in translation is that the foundation of any successful reef tank is the efficient functioning of the biological processes which promote system stability. No amount of technology or chemicals can take the place of a healthy compliment of these little microbes. What technology can do is help us support and provide these microbial communities with optimal conditions to help us have a successful reef tank.

 

'Happy Reefing' - Ralph.

[Rehype]

Loved the writeup nano....very informative. Only thing is you forgot to add some more pics

[Nano sapiens]

'nuff pics. This is serious business

 

Glad you found it of interest.

[vlangel]

Enjoyed the write up on your philosophy and maintenance. Being an old salt and a fan of simplicity and redundancy myself (as I witnessed Murphy's law in action on clients tanks many times) your philosophy is very similar to my own. The longevity of your tank speaks for itself.

[Sk8n Reefer]

Great write and perspective- lots of quality information in there- thanks

[tibbsy07]

Fantastic write up!

[Nano sapiens]

Enjoyed the write up on your philosophy and maintenance. Being an old salt and a fan of simplicity and redundancy myself (as I witnessed Murphy's law in action on clients tanks many times) your philosophy is very similar to my own. The longevity of your tank speaks for itself.

 

Thanks. When writing this up I realized just how much the hobby has changed in the last decade or two with the introduction of so many new commercial products. Quite a change from way 'back-in-the-day' when little was available and we often had to create our own solutions. Some newer products are undoubtedly useful, but many have been marketed to prevent 'inevitable' issues and/or provide a remedy for often unknowingly self-inflicted instabilities.

[Nano sapiens]

Great write and perspective- lots of quality information in there- thanks

 

You're welcome

Fantastic write up!

 

 

Glad you found it interesting. Hope the write-up inspires aquarists to look more closely at the biology vs. just focusing on just the technology.

[tibbsy07]

 

You're welcome

 

 

Glad you found it interesting. Hope the write-up inspires aquarists to look more closely at the biology vs. just focusing on the technology.

I've already decided to do smaller, more regular water changes.

[Nano sapiens]

I've already decided to do smaller, more regular water changes.

 

Good move. 2x/wk works out well for my schedule and the 1/2g water change is enough to allow me to vacuum the entire sand bed. More often would be even less stressful...

[tibbsy07]

wow! 1/2 gallon to vacuum the whole sandbed wouldn't work for me, lol. It takes me about a gallon. I typically do 2gallons a week, though, so the 1g 2x a week will work fine. If I go 1/2g 2x a week that'd be fine, too. I only have about 7-7.5g in the total tank

[Nano sapiens]

wow! 1/2 gallon to vacuum the whole sandbed wouldn't work for me, lol. It takes me about a gallon. I typically do 2gallons a week, though, so the 1g 2x a week will work fine. If I go 1/2g 2x a week that'd be fine, too. I only have about 7-7.5g in the total tank

 

It's only a 1/2" - 1" sand bed, so a 1/2 gallon WC is enough.

 

Brings up a good point. Some believe that changing out too much water too often can be too stressful, too (that's a lot of 'too's ). I guess the best answer to that is 'It depends...' and watching the organisms' reactions is the best indicator.

[HarryPotter]

 

It's only a 1/2" - 1" sand bed, so a 1/2 gallon WC is enough.

 

Brings up a good point. Some believe that changing out too much water too often can be too stressful, too (that's a lot of 'too's )

Hmm... I do an occasional 5g water change on my tank (45g, so roughly 11%) and have not noticed specific issues/reactions associated with it.

 

I will try to just space it out into two 2.5g water changes a few days apart after reading your write up. Thanks!

[tibbsy07]

 

It's only a 1/2" - 1" sand bed, so a 1/2 gallon WC is enough.

 

Brings up a good point. Some believe that changing out too much water too often can be too stressful, too (that's a lot of 'too's ). I guess the best answer to that is 'It depends...' and watching the organisms' reactions is the best indicator.

Yeah, I only have a 1/2" sand bed myself. Maybe I've ben doing too much water in my changes. I may have to amend it now that I have a second fish that happens to be REALLY skittish.

 

Edit: It seems that you make up your 5g water for the whole month at 1 time? You don't have any issues with that? Interesting.

[Nano sapiens]

Hmm... I do an occasional 5g water change on my tank (45g, so roughly 11%) and have not noticed specific issues/reactions associated with it.

 

I will try to just space it out into two 2.5g water changes a few days apart after reading your write up. Thanks!

 

With 10%/once a wk changes I noticed some minor, temporary shrinking of tissue on some of the corals. After 4-5 hours they'd be back to normal again. But, different salt mixes and temperature differences can cause different reactions in different tanks.

 

11%/wk may be just fine for your tank, but smaller changes more often will typically be easier on the system. Whether you notice any difference over time...don't know.

 

BTW - Arguably one of the most knowledgeable chemist/aquarists in our field, Randy Holmes Farley, changes small amounts of water daily in his long running tank. This enforces the notion that 'less is more' as far as the volume of water changed out at any one time.

[Nano sapiens]

Edit: It seems that you make up your 5g water for the whole month at 1 time? You don't have any issues with that? Interesting.

 

Been doing this since the tank started. Even when I only changed water once a week, I had no issues. After I do the initial mixing (I always add the salt very slowly to the RO/DI water while vigorously stirring which helps sludge from forming and helps to keep alk and cal at manufacturer's spec) and then cover with the lid, I let the water sit for 24 hrs, then stir well and readjust the salinity, if necessary, and re-lid. No issues, no hastle

[HarryPotter]

 

With 10%/once a wk changes I noticed some minor, temporary shrinking of tissue on some of the corals. After 4-5 hours they'd be back to normal again. But, different salt mixes and temperature differences can cause different reactions in different tanks.

 

11%/wk may be just fine for your tank, but smaller changes more often will typically be easier on the system. Whether you notice any difference over time...don't know.

 

BTW - Arguably the most knowledgeable chemist and aquarist in our field, Randy Holmes Farley, changes small amounts of water daily in his long running tank. This enforces the notion that 'less is more' as far as the volume of water changed out at any one time.

 

Makes sense that one wouldn't want to shock the corals.

Although you are (Hopefully) changing out the tank water for fresh "perfect" water, the change in KH, Ca, Temperature, PH, etc. could temporarily shock the corals.

 

 

Im jealous of the Genisis water system that constantly does it... Or even the people who are doing water changes 24/7 using the Apex DOS

[Nano sapiens]

 

Im jealous of the Genisis water system that constantly does it... Or even the people who are doing water changes 24/7 using the Apex DOS

 

For our small tanks, maybe a tad overkill

[Sk8n Reefer]

I noticed (nuvo16gal.) when I started doing small 1gal. daily w/c my corals do not react at all. When I was doing larger weekly 5gal. They would stress for most of the day then bounce back. I do 1/2 gal. At a time- only takes a few minutes then wait for the new water to recirculate (10-15min.) I use carbon and GFO for most of my nutrient export so I feel this keeps my water parameters and trace elements more stable. I tend to make at least 5 days out of the week with the w/c. I use a 15gal. Mixing station and keep it circulating with a heater and add for evaporation. I also check alk. and Ca. I dose my Nuvo every 3 hrs. So I also wait an hour Into a dose before I do the w/c. This method has worked for me and keep most of my corals happy.

[metrokat]

Very nice write up. That reminds me I need to put an index in my first post of my thread.

[Nano sapiens]

I noticed (nuvo16gal.) when I started doing small 1gal. daily w/c my corals do not react at all. When I was doing larger weekly 5gal. They would stress for most of the day then bounce back. I do 1/2 gal. At a time- only takes a few minutes then wait for the new water to recirculate (10-15min.) I use carbon and GFO for most of my nutrient export so I feel this keeps my water parameters and trace elements more stable. I tend to make at least 5 days out of the week with the w/c. I use a 15gal. Mixing station and keep it circulating with a heater and add for evaporation. I also check alk. and Ca. I dose my Nuvo every 3 hrs. So I also wait an hour Into a dose before I do the w/c. This method has worked for me and keep most of my corals happy.

 

Many methods we use to keep coral happy, from the extremely simple to the uber-complex. But what they all have in common is an acceptable amount of system stability to successfully support the life-forms therein.

 

One of the great thing about this hobby is that there is no 'set in stone' way of doing things. Many paths can be trodden to arrive at a successful result

Very nice write up. That reminds me I need to put an index in my first post of my thread.

 

Thanks, Kat. Yeah, I thought about indexing a while back when I thought of how looooooooooooong your main tank thread is

[Nano sapiens]

Lighting Update:

 

Warning: This is so DIY LED geeky, but in a good way .

 

In an effort to avoid fans and the associated noise/failure hastles I've been upgrading to more effiicient LEDs as they become available as well as swapped out for a much larger surface area heatsink a few months ago in an attempt to passively control heat. I changed out some Cree XML NWs for the newer XML-2 NWs plus upgraded from generic BL Blues to Cree XP-E Blues last night. After carefully dialing in PAR levels to match the previous PAR, I ran the new LEDs per the usual 5 hour cycle today...

 

Wow, what a difference in the temp. Before I could hold the heatsink, but it was uncomfortable after a few seconds and the Stunner Strips were also getting quite warm. With the new LEDs, I was able to turn down the white channel power by ~25% and the heatsink feels just medium warm to the touch, even after a few hours of running. I can hold the stunner strips comfortably, too. I expected some difference in Alk usage when I swapped, but after testing today...no change at all. So great when things work out as expected

 

Coral Issues: Sad to say, two of my three Acan colonies are in a battle with a bacterial infection, which is fairly common with Mussids. My second to last vendor purchase came with a freebie Acan that went south in 3-4 days. A few days later my oldest colony of red Acans started to close up...then the rainbow Acans two weeks later. The rainbows are trying to hold on, but tissue is stretched tight and the heads can't feed. Since these guys are on the same rock as my three Birdsnests, which are starting to color up nicely, I don't want to stress them out by diping the Acans and rock in an anti-bacterial solution. In the past, I've had these Acans rebuild the colonies as long as even just a small amount of tissue survives, so fingers crossed.

 

I'm also loosing the last original D. calgreni 'Shroom as it bleaches/shrinks away into oblivion. This one is about 6 years old and started slowly bleaching about a year ago. Not much is known about this mushrrom, so for all I know they have a finite lifespan. Luckily, the one and only clone is doing just fine as are the others.

 

As I'm typing this I just watch my Hermit Crab knock a Rhodactis mushroom off it's base rock

 

...and so it goes...

[Sk8n Reefer]

Hope the acans and shroom pull through for Ya

[Nano sapiens]

Hope the acans and shroom pull through for Ya

 

Thanks. Acans, maybe, 'shroom is just about a goner...

[Sk8n Reefer]

Thanks. Acans, maybe, 'shroom is just about a goner...

Intersting - shrooms are fairly hardy and at 6yrs old it obviously was happy - any idea what triggered this