What are some of your favorite low-tech tanks in the reef hobby today?

[Daniel@R2R]

Let’s celebrate the art of keeping it simple!

We all know how tempting it is to fill our reef tanks with the latest gadgets and tech. But sometimes, simplicity is key! There are some truly stunning low-tech tanks out there that prove you don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a thriving, beautiful setup.

So, what are some of the best low-tech tanks you’ve seen in the hobby? Which ones remind you that a tank can still be awesome without all the high-tech gear?

 

[gdziekan]

Let’s celebrate the art of keeping it simple!

We all know how tempting it is to fill our reef tanks with the latest gadgets and tech. But sometimes, simplicity is key! There are some truly stunning low-tech tanks out there that prove you don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a thriving, beautiful setup.

So, what are some of the best low-tech tanks you’ve seen in the hobby? Which ones remind you that a tank can still be awesome without all the high-tech gear?

Honestly retired lobster tanks from store super simple 2 1/10hp mag drive pumps and a sump with bio rollers. I think it’s called reverse something in the tank world where flow also comes up through the sand

 

[jmoney7]

Fluval 13.5 is a great low tech budget setup

 

[rtparty]

I think people are missing the point. Show off actual reef tanks that are super low tech and simple

 

[Cichlid Dad]

This is my simple system skimmer, closed loop and refugium when it was first set up.

After it is grown out

 

[john92708]

I'm not sure if this is considered high tech or not but here's my IM 30 AIO with mostly softies, macro, and BTA.
Equipments included 2 AI hydra 32 @42%, skimmer that doesn't pull much but help oxygenate the tank when it's on for 6 hr/day for 4 days a week, Tunze 3 ATO, IM heater, usb fan for summer, usb powered air pump connected to a cell phone power bank for power outage. I dose iron & chaetogro for the macro and AFR weekly. no testing and no water change unless corals looks unhappy. the tank is pretty much on auto pilot with minimal maintenance.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I'm not sure if this is considered high tech or not but here's my IM 30 AIO with mostly softies, macro, and BTA.
Equipments included 2 AI hydra 32 @42%, skimmer that doesn't pull much but help oxygenate the tank when it's on for 6 hr/day for 4 days a week, Tunze 3 ATO, IM heater, usb fan for summer, usb powered air pump connected to a cell phone power bank for power outage. I dose iron & chaetogro for the macro and AFR weekly. no testing and no water change unless corals looks unhappy. the tank is pretty much on auto pilot with minimal maintenance.

That's a very beautiful display

 

[Tamberav]

I'm not sure if this is considered high tech or not but here's my IM 30 AIO with mostly softies, macro, and BTA.
Equipments included 2 AI hydra 32 @42%, skimmer that doesn't pull much but help oxygenate the tank when it's on for 6 hr/day for 4 days a week, Tunze 3 ATO, IM heater, usb fan for summer, usb powered air pump connected to a cell phone power bank for power outage. I dose iron & chaetogro for the macro and AFR weekly. no testing and no water change unless corals looks unhappy. the tank is pretty much on auto pilot with minimal maintenance.

Your tang doesn't eat all that macro? I want macro in my display so bad but figured my Tang would make that impossible.

Love it btw!

 

[john92708]

Your tang doesn't eat all that macro? I want macro in my display so bad but figured my Tang would make that impossible.

Love it btw!

thanks
I only have a tomini and they're safe with macro. I believe other Ctenochaetus tang are safe as well. only fish that's eating the macro in my tank is the tailspot blenny but he does little damage.

 

[BlazerPR]

20 g tank I’m new tho I’ve only been in the hobby like 5-6 months

 

[Rach77]

Honestly retired lobster tanks from store super simple 2 1/10hp mag drive pumps and a sump with bio rollers. I think it’s called reverse something in the tank world where flow also comes up through the sand

That sounds interesting. I'm getting ready to setup a 150 using a Rubbermaid water trough, just gonna run a canister

 

[ReeferZ1227]

I ran my 125 for about 2 years with kasa smart strips and a jebao doser. i consider that budget/lowtech compared to whats in it now.

Once you start getting money in the tank, and more importantly the time invested into a successful tank, its not that the high tech controllers and all the other nonsense makes it "better" its just a higher level of convenience, monitoring, redundancy, remote connectivity, etc. to protect your investment of time and money.

Not having that may be considered reckless, if you become heavily invested. Hobby is hard enough. The cool thing is you can scale into this hobby.

 

[exnisstech]

@Paul B and his tank comes to mind when I think of low tech success. No neon corals just a nice little slice of the ocean.

 

[VintageReefer]

Mine I’m the master of low tech tanks

75g
No water changes
No skimmer
No fleece, floss, rollers, or socks
Filtered tap water
Filtration is Santa Monica Surf 2 algae scrubber + cryptic zone in sump with live rock and live sponges
Don’t even have an ato on it

1.1g Pico
No water changes
No mech filtration
Pico bag of chemipire + matrix
Gravity ato

 

[Cichlid Dad]

20 g tank I’m new tho I’ve only been in the hobby like 5-6 months

Looks like a winner to me!

 

[exnisstech]

Once you start getting money in the tank, and more importantly the time invested into a successful tank, its not that the high tech controllers and all the other nonsense makes it "better" its just a higher level of convenience, monitoring, redundancy, remote connectivity, etc. to protect your investment of time and money.

Not having that may be considered reckless, if you become heavily invested. Hobby is hard enough. The cool thing is you can scale into this hobby.

I don't see not having a single point of failure (apex hydros etc, stuck on doser, the list goes on) as reckless. I think depending on a device that is going to eventually fail at some point as reckless. The only failure I have to worry about is remembering to dose when I get up in the morning and keep the ato containers full. If I fail at that chances are I won't be around to worry about it.
Socks and an ATS only

Reefmat only

 

[tbrown]

Honestly retired lobster tanks from store super simple 2 1/10hp mag drive pumps and a sump with bio rollers. I think it’s called reverse something in the tank world where flow also comes up through the sand

I almost set one up! It was going to be awesome!

 

[ReeferZ1227]

I don't see not having a single point of failure (apex hydros etc, stuck on doser, the list goes on) as reckless. I think depending on a device that is going to eventually fail at some point as reckless. The only failure I have to worry about is remembering to dose when I get up in the morning and keep the ato containers full. If I fail at that chances are I won't be around to worry about it.
Socks and an ATS only

Reefmat only

At the end of the day its whatever your comfortable and successful with that matters.

No way i could manually dose 4.4L of kalk, another 110mL of AFR, by hand each day. I can then set alarms if pH raises out of range (stuck on doser which hasnt happened), set ATO to turn on for 1min 4x per day (no floods), monitor my fluid levels, wattage, etc.

This is 1/4th of my chaos. I started low tech and scaled up though!

 

[VintageReefer]

Where ya’ll buying retired lobster tanks

 

[PharmrJohn]

My last was a 90g reef tank with one sock and a skimmer. Lighting was a T5 array. Wish I could find the pics of that bad-boy. It looked really nice.