Easy low maintenance tanks

Hello guys, I'm currently running some freshwater tanks. I have a heavily planted tank with some fish that I do zero to very little maintenance. I like the fact that the biological cycle comes full circle and runs itself. I'm looking for the saltwater equivalent and trying to see what getting into saltwater will require.

I was wondering what's the easiest saltwater set up? I was told once set up, they are easier than freshwater to maintain (i'm assuming the guy meant basic set ups). How hard is it to care for beginner/hardy corals? I'm aware bigger is better in this instance. How much time a week would someone devote to a tank beginner tank?

The websites I've looked at make it seem very easy, but I would like to hear from you guys.

Thank you so much. Looking forward to all of your answers

 

well heres the thing there isnt x many hours a week you have to spend a week but its more or less the amount of effort and engagement you want to place in a week....someweeks i spend just enough time to top off the water and feed the fish because im busy....other weeks i will be doing full blown maintenance, aquascaping, cleaning, moving corals, adding corals/fish etc lol the point is you could put as much or as little as you want into your tank but your tank will directly reflect the effort you put into it....is my tank nice? sure....could it look a lot better? definitely

easiest way to get into the hobby is doing a bunch of research, joining a local club and buying a fully set up system from someone getting out of the hobby/downsizing/upgrading etc

 

Well I won't be buying someone's tank. I have most supplies here. I'm just wondering if there's such a thing as a self-sufficient saltwater tank, how feasible it is, and what's the components. My end goal is to set up a low maintenence saltwater tank (if possible) just like my freshwater one.

How often do you test water quality in an established tank?
how much saltwater do you put in your tank during maintenance and how often?

 

Lots of macro algae low amounts of livestock and some filtration like a hob filter w/ carbon etc

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef. I started with a 29 gallon FOWLR several years ago and later upgraded my lighting to support corals. The tank ran a large skimmer, a 11 gallon sump, a return pump, 4 powerheads, and a variety of corals.

I recently downgraded tanks, to something more manageable and less confusing for my family to care for while I am in college this year. It can really be as simple or complex as you want. While I do still have the same corals (and hope to keep collecting more), I removed the sump. My tank is a standard 10 gallon from Walmart. I removed the top frame and built a DIY cabinet. I run par30 LED bulbs (this keeps temps down - 10watts each bulb), a small protein skimmer, two powerheads on a timer, and a heater. That's it. I would like to get into more SPS corals, so I will dose the tank. But with just soft corals, this won't be necessary at all.

My weekly regimen currently evolves 1g water changes and 2 cups of fresh RODI water each day for top-off to make up for evaporation. I find that keeping filtration simple, stocking the tank lightly, and doing lots of research beforehand equates to a successful reef tank. I probably have $400 in this little 10G, and much of that was from my previous tank. I bought my LEDs used for $50 each (they sell new for $75) and invested in fairly inexpensive equipment. Koralia Nanos sell for about $30 a pop (depending int he size) and the larger Koralias are only a bit more. Check out Craigs List and the For Sale section of our forum (after you've reached 50 post count) for good deals on some used equipment as well.

For more info on my build, check out the link in my signature (8.5G Rimless Nano Reef).

 

Thank for the info. Is a protein skimmer necessary for your set up? It seems like a very small bio load.

 

define self sufficient....if you're talking low maintenance with the right budget a tank can be run on minimal amounts of effort but the more effort the more the tank pays off....

I would recommend running a sump no matter the size tank.....it makes things better by adding volume and housing a place to put all your equipment and keep your tank clear of clutter. A FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) is the easiest setup to run but you could run a tank with soft corals and LPS fairly easy as well. Also if you choose to go with a sump highly recommend making your tank reef ready rather than a hang on back overflow....less maintenance plus its much better and highly appreciated in the long run.

Necessary items(besides tank):

FOWLR:
-If larger than 20 gallons a protein skimmer is highly highly recommended but you could do without it but you'll have more water changes....so more effort without
-Heater
-Powerheads for circulation
-Live rock
-if using a sump you'll need a retun pump
-lights any kind of lighting will do
-substrate this also depends on the amount of effort youd like to put in....barebottom is the easiest to siphon detritus off of but is least eye pleasing(limits fish a little, no sand sifting fish or inverts)....then there is gravel/crushed coral/coarse sand which you can still siphon fairly easy but not as well as barebottom and is slightly more eye pleasing(limits fish no sand sifting fish/invert + no fish with sensitive skin as it will get very scratched up)....then there is a sand bottom which is the most eye pleasing but will require more work, stirring sand etc on top of siphoning(note: you can get certain snails like conches or sand sifting gobies to help you with that kind of stuff)
-test kits

Reef Necessities:
-If larger than 20 gallons a protein skimmer is highly highly recommended but you could do without it but you'll have more water changes....so more effort without
-Heater
-Powerheads for circulation
-Live rock
-if using a sump you'll need a retun pump
-lights many different kinds....Metal Halide gives you the best growth arguably but puts extra heat in your tank/room so will need some effort for cooling plus high electric bill plus good brand bulbs are expensive, t5s are alot cooler take up less energy then MH but still electric bills/bulb replacements...PC (power compacts) the cooles type of light in the bulb variety better electric bills plus replacements, best for coolness/cost effectiveness are LEDs but they usually have a big initial sticker price....either way for softies id say 2-4 watts per gallon, lps 4-6, and sps 6-10 (note LEDs dont follow this rule)
-substrate this also depends on the amount of effort youd like to put in....barebottom is the easiest to siphon detritus off of but is least eye pleasing(limits fish a little, no sand sifting fish or inverts)....then there is gravel/crushed coral/coarse sand which you can still siphon fairly easy but not as well as barebottom and is slightly more eye pleasing(limits fish no sand sifting fish/invert + no fish with sensitive skin as it will get very scratched up)....then there is a sand bottom which is the most eye pleasing but will require more work, stirring sand etc on top of siphoning(note: you can get certain snails like conches or sand sifting gobies to help you with that kind of stuff)
-test kits but more also need to take test calcium/alk etc if you have clams, lps, or sps corals
-supplements if you have lps/sps

now heres where it can start making the effort alot less

optional recommended items:

-a chiller to cool your tank if it gets too hot
-automatic top off to top off the water in the tank once it gets below a certain level (much easier for you)
-RO/DI to purify the water....the less nitrates/phosphates the less algae
-controller like a reef keeper or apex...depending on how much you're willing to spend will determine how automated it will be, all controllers for the most part will have a timer for each individual outlet on it so you can set your lights to a schedule, most include a temperature probe(you can have a heater/chiller hooked up so that once it gets above or below a certain temperature they'll kick on, most include a ph probe, if you spend extra you can get ones that will test ammonia, nitrite, phosphates, calcium etc basically making you never have to test anything
-if you have a sump i would recommend making a section a refugium(do a google search or skim this site) to house macro algae etc for more filtration and to remove nitrates/phosphates from your tank
-im sure theres more that im forgetting and ill add if i remember

so basically with the right budget you could have a tank running where you only have to do your water changes and feeding....and ive actually seen some people who have programmed stuff to do water changes for them....once you get into it you will not mind the efforts put into the tank though because it is well worth it

 

not necessary but highly recommended....less waste = less water changes and less cleaning of algae

 

Currently, I only have coral in the tank. So no, I do not think it would be absolutely necessary unless you have fish. But any tank (fish or not) will develop a protein build-up on the surface, naturally. You could remove this manually every few days with paper towels/news paper.

But I plan to get a fish possibly in the future, so I thought it was a good idea to include it, especially with my SPS corals, which do benefit from more pristine water than what is required for soft corals. This was also one piece of equipment I already had when setting up this tank (which is now just two months old).

I may even add a porcelain crab/some sexy shrimp so I don't over skim the tank.

 

wow. awesome info. I'm interested to learn more about a basic set up. So you made clear the relationship between $ and ease. I'd like to learn a little more and here's my questions...

Assume I run no fish right now, just some invertabrates. Their waste will be extremely small I assume, so I could feasibly get away without a protein skimmer. Whatever waste they do produce will be taken care of by the good bacteria in the sand and live rock. I can then add coral with no negative effect of the bioload. Is my thinking correct? I know adding multiple fish will practically require a protein skimmer and maybe a hang on filter, but will no fish require minimal maintenance and minimal additional equipment for a tank?

edit: Ok, so I can forgo a sump and protein skimmer by not having fish as the amount of protein will be less. I will have to remove it every couple days from the surface.

edit2: what eats the nitrates in sw tanks?