Greetings all.
I want to start this thread and get the input from other experienced members.
The hobby of keeping marine tanks has a world of information on the www, and there are tons of stuff that we can buy and use to "make life easier" and to also "keep our systems healthy".
However many sources do not discuss how to run a marine tank on minimal equipment and additives. As a result we have many people scared away from the hobby. Many make it out to be impossible to keep a marine tank unless you have that flow of cash so that you can dose suppliments, add a reactor, kalkwasser, etc.
So i am starting this thread with the hope that we all can put our experience together and find a way to run a tank with minimal addidtives and equipment. I personally dont dose any suppliments nor Ca, Mg, or a buffer. My filteration is a skimmer and a "dsb" in a portion of my sump. i used "" because a DSB needs to be atleast the same footprint as your DT in order to be totally effective. I dont make use of a chiller, or any reactors etc. Just my DT and my 3 chamber sump. I do a weekly water change of 25 litres, and top up about 2 to 3 litres a day due to evaporation. The only test equipment i have is a thermometer and a refractometer. so yes, i dont test for Ca, Mg, or anything else.
This is the result of how i run my system.. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this, and lets see just how simple and self sustaining a reef system can be.
I want to start this thread and get the input from other experienced members.
The hobby of keeping marine tanks has a world of information on the www, and there are tons of stuff that we can buy and use to "make life easier" and to also "keep our systems healthy".
However many sources do not discuss how to run a marine tank on minimal equipment and additives. As a result we have many people scared away from the hobby. Many make it out to be impossible to keep a marine tank unless you have that flow of cash so that you can dose suppliments, add a reactor, kalkwasser, etc.
So i am starting this thread with the hope that we all can put our experience together and find a way to run a tank with minimal addidtives and equipment. I personally dont dose any suppliments nor Ca, Mg, or a buffer. My filteration is a skimmer and a "dsb" in a portion of my sump. i used "" because a DSB needs to be atleast the same footprint as your DT in order to be totally effective. I dont make use of a chiller, or any reactors etc. Just my DT and my 3 chamber sump. I do a weekly water change of 25 litres, and top up about 2 to 3 litres a day due to evaporation. The only test equipment i have is a thermometer and a refractometer. so yes, i dont test for Ca, Mg, or anything else.
This is the result of how i run my system.. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this, and lets see just how simple and self sustaining a reef system can be.