Fish-Free Reefing: Focusing on Stability and Growth

[CrazyMonti]

Hey everyone, I’ve been keeping reef tanks for about 2 years now, mostly nanos. Over time, I’ve had a lot of trouble with nutrient levels getting too high or too low, usually because of overstocking or doing too many water changes.

I think when you start a new reef tank, there aren’t enough corals to absorb the nitrates and phosphates from the fish, which makes things harder to balance.

So this time, I’m planning to set up a reef without any fish or shrimp at first. I’m going to use Tropic Marine Plus-NP for nutrients, and Tropic Marine Nitribiotic for adding bacteria. I’ll also be using All-for-Reef to keep everything stable.

I’ll be doing this in a Waterbox Peninsula 25, focusing on LPS corals like Euphylia or Zoas. For lighting, I already have an AI Hydra 32 and a Radion XR15 Pro.

My goal is to keep the tank as simple and stable as possible. Do you guys think this approach could work?

 

[Formulator]

Good luck! I have heard it is possible, but I wouldn’t call it easier than with fish... One suggestion would be to use separate nitrate and phosphate supplements for better control, and I would use ammonium chloride rather than a nitrate salt. Corals take up ammonia much more readily than nitrate and it is a better nutrient source for them.

You may struggle with biodiversity also and it may be a good idea to do some live foods to compensate.