whats your secret reef keeping

[mat20040]

mine:
since I have manually dosed my tank once a week all the corals are doing very happy:)
I dont think the band of dosing solution matter much:)

[mat20040]

tank after dosing

[FishyFishy!]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[whatcaneyedo]

My secret is water changes and keeping my fish well fed. Tank without dosing:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/FTS2013_zps40545187.jpg

[Aquattro]

My secret is water changes and keeping my fish well fed. Tank without dosing:



Agreed, that's how I keep mine going.

[reefgirl189]

My secret is water changes. Makes all the difference for me. Dosing helps of course. Also just leaving things alone to grow instead of messing with everything seems to work well for me except I can't seem to keep my hands out of the tank for that long. lol

[Delphinus]

For me water changes, well fed fish, and keeping the GFO charged seems to be the 3 key ingredients for longevity.

[Madreefer]

1.Water changes
2.Patience
3.Dont keep tinkering with stuff. The more you play around the more problems you'll have. Dont know why people figure they have to keep putting there hands in their tanks.
4.Keeping the big 3 water parameters in check. Dosing seems to be the big craze but calcium reactors work just fine.
5.Oh and money helps.

[lastlight]

allow your system time to mature and hit its stride.

[kien]

My secret is Adobe Photoshop.

[Coleus]

MONEY AND TIME

[lastlight]

My secret is Adobe Photoshop.

lol you wish mr paint shop pro.

[Delphinus]

allow your system time to mature and hit its stride.

:lol:

[lastlight]

your spidey senses must have tingled eh? i posted that specifically for you boss lol.

[Carrera75]

1.Water changes
2.Patience
3.Dont keep tinkering with stuff. The more you play around the more problems you'll have. Dont know why people figure they have to keep putting there hands in their tanks.



I totally agree with you. People stress out too much about the little stuff and a lot of them just can't keep their hands off their systems. Let things be, sit back and enjoy! This is suppose to be an enjoyable hobby, and not something that adds more stress into one's life.

Here is a pic of my set up. I really don't do much to it. I simply let it be.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m265/yvr_75/SW%20tank/image4.jpg

[kien]

I totally agree with you. People stress out too much about the little stuff and a lot of them just can't keep their hands off their systems.

werd! I didn't get within 15 feet of my tank all last weekend and it didn't blow up! :surprise: :lol: This reminds me, I had a debate with someone on another forum recently. I said that there was nothing that I needed to do to my tank on a daily basis and he tore me a new one and asked me, "Well what's the point of having a tank then?" So according to him I should be doing something to my tank at least once a day?? :rolleyes: Serious LOLs with that discussion there.. haha.

And beautiful tank Carrera!

[Aquattro]

I feed most days, that's about it. The point is to look at it, not be in it :)

[Carrera75]

And beautiful tank Carrera!

Thanks kien....I like it too :smile:



The point is to look at it, not be in it :)

Couldn't not agree more ........

[Spyd]

K.I.S.S theory... Nice and simple. Water changes every 2 weeks on the dot is what I strive for. I have a fairly heavy stocked SPS tank so I need to dose Cal / ALK / Mag. Other than that, I do have pellets, GFO and carbon running. The actual amount of maintenance of my system is very little. GFO / Carbon once a month... I don't touch the pellets. Maybe top them off once every 6 months or so. And dosing is on pumps w/ timers so all I have to do is check that the jugs don't run empty.

So essentially, water testing once a week, clean the glass once or twice a week, feed daily, clean skimmer once a week, water changes bi-weekly and mix up sand bed bi-weekly to prevent gas build up... I don't put my hands in the water much at all unless adding a new coral or move something around the odd time. Hands in the water too much is asking for trouble.

[Midway]

for me feed the fish daily, water changes, clean the skimmer once a week if any, but since I've added one of those algae scrubbers to my system my nitrates keep very low now I haven't changed water in the last 2 months or so. So less maintenance time more time to enjoy the system.

[Bblinks]

My secret is teach the wife how to maintain your tank and it becomes part of her daily chores, now all you got to do is sit back and enjoy! :twised:

[daniella3d]

My secret, Zeovit amino acid, sponge power, coral vitalizer, Strontium, calcium, kh. I dose with a dosing pump every hour. I feed Fauna Marin ultra clam, ultra seafan, Reef Roid, Coral Frenzy. I do water change once a month.

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4173s_zps05783387.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4218s_zpsd45e4b16.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4237s_zps9f64acd8.jpg

A true pink digitata....

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4210s_zps7178bc0b.jpg

[fixerupper]

My secret is teach the wife how to maintain your tank and it becomes part of her daily chores, now all you got to do is sit back and enjoy! :twised:

That wouldn't be a secret here. It would be a full blown miracle!! Seriously, I'm awestruck. Nice work.:)

[kien]

My secret, Zeovit amino acid, sponge power, coral vitalizer, Strontium, calcium, kh. I dose with a dosing pump every hour. I feed Fauna Marin ultra clam, ultra seafan, Reef Roid, Coral Frenzy. I do water change once a month.

You're obviously doing something right there. Great looking tank daniella!

[lastlight]

You're obviously doing something right there. Great looking tank daniella!

yeah my mind's blown.

Daniella can you point me to where you have detailed how you did your rockwork and maybe a true FTS so I can see how all this fits into the tank?

AWESOME!

[LeanneP]

My secret, Zeovit amino acid, sponge power, coral vitalizer, Strontium, calcium, kh. I dose with a dosing pump every hour. I feed Fauna Marin ultra clam, ultra seafan, Reef Roid, Coral Frenzy. I do water change once a month.

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4173s_zps05783387.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4218s_zpsd45e4b16.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4237s_zps9f64acd8.jpg

A true pink digitata....

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy143/daniella3ds/_MG_4210s_zps7178bc0b.jpg

One of the coolest tanks I've seen!! Very unique and all your corals look amazing!

Leanne

[globaldesigns]

You're obviously doing something right there. Great looking tank daniella!

I agree, great color!!!!

[spit.fire]

My secret is teach the wife how to maintain your tank and it becomes part of her daily chores, now all you got to do is sit back and enjoy! :twised:

I'm still trying to teach mine to do her daily chores

[Aquattro]

I'm still trying to teach mine to do her daily chores

If I even typed something like that, I'd wake up with a knife in my head :)

[biocube8]

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
BTW what is the name of the green/yellow coral behind the true pink digitata?

[lastlight]

think that's a hydnophora...

[Goatman]

Patience and stability.

[madchild]

If I told you I'd have to kill you......

My tank is still new so all these "secrets" help me learn.. Sounds like biweekly water changes are quite common (which I already do).

Nice topic, keep those secrets coming

[Bblinks]

I'm still trying to teach mine to do her daily chores

lmao

[Reef Pilot]

LOL,... I guess if people gave out their real secrets, they wouldn't be secrets anymore,... and anybody could do it... Wouldn't want that now, would we?....

[Mike-fish]

feed daily mysis, krill, cyclopeeze, phytoplankton. feed nems every other day - krill. weekly top off, clean skimmer. water change monthly. no dosing. gfo and carbon bi weekly

[spit.fire]

think that's a hydnophora...

I think it's an expensive softie that's extinct in the wild and cannot remember the name of...

Could be wrong tho

[freezetyle]

im with everyone else. patients and dont muck around with things.

feed my fish every 1-3days with meaty seafood/pellets. keep ca/alk/mg consistent, and water changes once week or 2.

[Aquattro]

LOL,... I guess if people gave out their real secrets, they wouldn't be secrets anymore,... and anybody could do it... Wouldn't want that now, would we?....

No, really. Change water, feed fish. Basic maintenance when I remember, skimmer, reactor, etc. Anybody could do it!

[The Guy]

1.Water changes
2.Patience
3.Dont keep tinkering with stuff. The more you play around the more problems you'll have. Dont know why people figure they have to keep putting there hands in their tanks.
4.Keeping the big 3 water parameters in check. Dosing seems to be the big craze but calcium reactors work just fine.
5.Oh and money helps.
+1 to all of this, I dose 1 time a week for calcium, but I think a calcium reactor would be a good thing, also running a TLF gfo reactor. Here's my tank. http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee386/clownlover1/001_zps9b9ec09d.jpg

[daniella3d]

Yes it's an hydnophora, and it's getting huge! A very agressive coral that I must keep away from anything else or it will digest it, but only if it has direct contact as it does not throw out sweeper tentacles.

think that's a hydnophora...

[lockrookie]

I am amazed ppl say its deadly I have never had an issue with mine other than it self destructing. Can't wait for my frag to grow into another monster.

[FishyFishy!]

+1 to all of this, I dose 1 time a week for calcium, but I think a calcium reactor would be a good thing, also running a TLF gfo reactor. Here's my tank. http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee386/clownlover1/001_zps9b9ec09d.jpg


Hate to say it... but a calcium reactor would be completely useless on your tank. But thats a nice softie tank you have there! :lol:

[kien]

Hate to say it... but a calcium reactor would be completely useless on your tank. But thats a nice softie tank you have there! :lol:

Eh, that's why it's his secret! Muahahahahahahaha..

[Palmer]

Something someone said to me when I started with FW is to sit and watch your take for 15 min a day. In my experience its easy not to do this the more we automate the tank or go through phases were you get bored with it. Ensuring we are looking at the tank regularly IME can catch problems before they are going on to long or even an acute issue. Sounds like common sense but its easier said than done. Lol

[kien]

Something someone said to me when I started with FW is to sit and watch your take for 15 min a day. In my experience its easy not to do this the more we automate the tank or go through phases were you get bored with it. Ensuring we are looking at the tank regularly IME can catch problems before they are going on to long or even an acute issue. Sounds like common sense but its easier said than done. Lol

This depends a lot on where your tank is situated. I've had tanks in the basement and that definitely makes this difficult for people with busy schedules. Out of sight, easily out of mind, as they say. My main tank sits on my main floor in an area where it is seen every single day for probably more than 15 mins. It is seen while making/eat breakfast/lunch/dinner, while sitting down in the evenings to do homework with the kids or reading time, while doing other chores like vacuuming the floor, watering plants, etc. This makes a huge difference in keeping the interest going and doing the required maintenance. Can't let glass get too dirty otherwise the tank makes the whole living/dining room look like ass :lol:

[Palmer]

That's a good point and my tanks are in the basement. That being said so usually am I! Lol And I have had paintings full view in my living room that I never look at and forget they are there. :lol: