Full tanks in 1 year. How can that be?

[BCReefer]

I’m perplexed about something. On some of the other reef forums I see tanks that are 1 year old and they are completely full of corals and fish. How can that be?

My understanding is that corals, like fish, must be added 1 – 2 at a time and then allow a time for the system to settle in. This is after the complete system has time to settle down which takes 1 – 2 months. So how can someone in 1 year go from a start up to a fabulous tank? Also why doesn’t the person get flamed? I see many people going too fast and then have crashes and get flamed big time. Just because the person is successful, or are they since we are never told what died along the way, they are praised for their tank.

I have had my tank for about 10 – 11 months and I am still going slow and methodical and I am another year or 2 away from a finished tank. I am not complaining but sometimes I just see a double standard. If you go fast and are successful then you get praised, if you are fast and have a failure you get flamed.

What is your point of few? Am I being too critical?

Patrick

[djbravoleader]

your right about that!.... but some people who say their tank is 1 years old means they have had a smaller tank then upped it to a bigger tank and now their at the 1 year mark on that tank and so it's time to buy a even bigger tank and at that point you will have to add more corals then to make up for the room loss in that tank, it's time for an even bigger tank and by that point you mise well get a 4000 gal. tank but then you have to think about sharks and if thats the case then your better off buying an 8000 gal. that will last you about 2 years till it's all full then...........

[One_Divided]

I think it depends on a couple things.. Willingness to learn and willingness to spend money.. But most importantly; pacing yourself properly.

My tank has been up for just over a year from scratch.. I took things very slow and read all I could.. Didn't add a coral till about 4-5 month point.. Now I'm pretty much out of room.. I have only lost one acro colony due to shipping and nothing else. I am obsessed with keeping my corals thriving.. Too obsessed! Don't get me wrong, I still consider myself a complete newby to the hobby.

http://members.shaw.ca/limestone2/050502.jpg

[Son Of Skyline]

I think there are many variables involved...too many to really say "one year is too soon". What works for one may not work for another. I think if you learn as much as you can, take no chances or shortcuts, and you're very careful and attentive, then you can have a full tank in a year. My theory is this (just my opinion)...All tanks are set to be complete in one year if ideal conditions are met. Add time, 1-3 months each for each mistake, oversight, or plain bad luck. Add 2 months for general time in between tank development and you can see where an average tank is before it is complete.

For example...
1 year base
2 mistakes. Fish dies and your tank recycles, algae problem goes out of control and you need time to clear it = 3 months
Add 2 months while you just sit around and enjoy, letting things grow in..

= 1 year and 5 months. That's not too unrealistic is it?

Now I'm just rambling...I'll shut up now tongue.gif

[Dez]

My tank has been up and running for 4 months now from scratch...you can see a picture of it on the pictures section under "my first saltwater tank" and that's only 3 months old there. I've only lost one coral but when I bought it it only had a little section of polyps left, the rest was the skeleton, it was a hammerhead that I was trying to save and got it for cheap from the LFS. I've had no algae problem, no nitrate problem but some people on the forum have "flamed" me. I just happened to get the corals for a good deal. I've only spent $1500 total (Canadian bucks) on the hobby since we started...we aren't rich and just bought everything used. I think my system is pretty balanced. People say that my systems going to crash but I highly doubt it. Just my 2 cents... Hope that you enjoy the hobby and are happy witht he gradual progression of your tank...

desmond

[Delphinus]

Dez, did you start your tank from the ground up? I thought the rock and the sand were out of an existing setup. This may mean that the initial spike and cycling may have been greatly reduced since you were leveraging off an existing matured setup. So from your point of view the tank may be no more than 4 months old, but it may really be some measure further along than that (if that makes any sense).

If, however, this is a brand new tank, then it really is more an exceptional case rather than the norm, that there hasn't been any incident of spikes, crashes, or at the very least nuisance algae or cyano blooms.

In most circumstances it really does take up to a year for a tank to "mature." That's not to say you can't put anything in there before one year (only a saint could have that kind of patience), just saying that in many cases there are just a lot of things going on before an equilibrium is acheived and a tank hits its "groove."

You have indeed a very nice setup.

cheers

[ 07 May 2002, 10:02: Message edited by: delphinus ]

[Dez]

Tony...

The sand was dry when I got it...about 20 lbs of rock I bought from the store, the water was new, the bio-tower was off a mature system, and the rest of the stuff was from other people's tank. I know I cycled my tank quickly because of the bio-tower. But people keep telling me it's going to crash soon. I don't think so. Thanks for the encouragement Tony. Oh...btw, my pulsing xenia cuttings have attached. Do you have any of those (it's the pom-pom one...you've seen it)...

des

[Dez]

Well....there were nitrates after a week already... then I didn't change the water for a month...then I've done 10 percent water changes about monthly... Still no traces of nitrates now.. I don't mind a bit of nitrates because I know that the clam likes em..

[Delphinus]

Ah-hah, a mature biotower. Oooohhh kaayyyyy, I understand now.

How long was it before you noticed a reduction in nitrates? Just curious -- I thought the NO3->N2 cycle takes a bit longer to establish itself.