What is something you used to do for your reef tank that you no longer do? Method, maintenance and more..

[revhtree]

Maybe a certain reefing method, some type of maintenance, something you used to dose etc.

What is something you used to do for your reef tank that you no longer do and why is that?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Does "having one" count?

 

[revhtree]

Does "having one" count?

That's the ultimate answer. LOL!

 

[Biokabe]

Feeding manually.

I used to try to feed frozen exclusively, but the problem with that is twofold. First, I'm forgetful. I'll mean to do something, make a plan for when to do it... and then completely lose track of the time. So there were days when I would forget to feed the tank.

Second - I always struggled with getting the right amount to the right fishes consistently. I'm not proud of it, but I'll admit that there were probably fish that didn't make it because of my feeding habits.

So I don't do that anymore, because I got a Plank autofeeder. I can remember to mix up my food mix every so often, and the Plank makes sure that the food goes into the tank consistently. Other than my 8-year-old tang, I haven't lost a fish since I added the Plank. And thanks to the mixing chamber on the Plank, I can use freeze-dried food, which is almost as good as frozen. I currently feed a mix that's quite close to Avast's Reef Jerky (coincidentally): Mysis, copepods, rotifers, golden pearls, TDO Chroma boost pellets, Benepets, and spirulina-loaded brine. With the new tang coming in today, I'll probably add spirulina powder to the mix going forward.

The tank is currently getting 8 feedings a day, a minute long each. Because the Plank dispenses underwater, it provokes a more natural feeding response - instead of tentatively going up to the surface to peck pellets, everything comes out dancing and moving thanks to the current, and the fish dart and chase like they would actual prey in the ocean.

 

[brandon429]

I no longer have to manage algae anywhere on my rocks at any time. years of me being the grazer I always wanted, years literally without stopping, left me with pristine rocks and only coralline + coral mouths on the rocks. even when I'm lazy, dinos and algae grow on the glass, but never the rocks. they're now bio-rejecting of anything but coralline or coral, so my work that ended in 2010 is still paying off.

by never letting my reef get invaded, even when it was new and had that tendency, now it won't be invaded. hard work has a payoff, I didn't have to scrape forever like they once said.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Water changes.
I dislike them and am successful without them. Until I am not.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I used to drip acclimate and qt everything. Corals, fish, and inverts. I found that those efforts made things worse in certain cases. I still qt fish and dip coral though.

 

[Olefreebe]

Feeding manually.

I used to try to feed frozen exclusively, but the problem with that is twofold. First, I'm forgetful. I'll mean to do something, make a plan for when to do it... and then completely lose track of the time. So there were days when I would forget to feed the tank.

Second - I always struggled with getting the right amount to the right fishes consistently. I'm not proud of it, but I'll admit that there were probably fish that didn't make it because of my feeding habits.

So I don't do that anymore, because I got a Plank autofeeder. I can remember to mix up my food mix every so often, and the Plank makes sure that the food goes into the tank consistently. Other than my 8-year-old tang, I haven't lost a fish since I added the Plank. And thanks to the mixing chamber on the Plank, I can use freeze-dried food, which is almost as good as frozen. I currently feed a mix that's quite close to Avast's Reef Jerky (coincidentally): Mysis, copepods, rotifers, golden pearls, TDO Chroma boost pellets, Benepets, and spirulina-loaded brine. With the new tang coming in today, I'll probably add spirulina powder to the mix going forward.

The tank is currently getting 8 feedings a day, a minute long each. Because the Plank dispenses underwater, it provokes a more natural feeding response - instead of tentatively going up to the surface to peck pellets, everything comes out dancing and moving thanks to the current, and the fish dart and chase like they would actual prey in the ocean.

Well this looks interesting...

 

[Biokabe]

Well this looks interesting...

It really is. The Plank is expensive, no doubt, but it's the best equipment purchase I've ever made, at least as far as fish are concerned. I've had it up and running for a few years now, isn't a day that goes by that I don't appreciate it.

 

[danimal1211]

Freak out at the first sign of something amiss.

 

[legionofdoon]

Test my water for nitrates

 

[Olefreebe]

Refill evaporation manually. Thank you whoever recommended me an ATO back then!

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

I don’t miss changing out the wooden air stones on skimmers.

 

[brandon429]

scrape coralline from thick sheets off the walls of my tank, so that I could have a viewing window. power compact lighting from 2001 did that. led's took it away

 

[rc8t6353]

Starting out I used to dose cheap vodka lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

Starting out I used to dose cheap vodka lol

So now only the good stuff?

 

[JGT]

Dose and Test for magnesium. Haven’t dosed a drop since I started the tank 2+ years ago. Rock solid at 1500 so also stopped testing a while ago.

 

[rc8t6353]

So now only the good stuff?

Only when having a toast lol

 

[lakai]

Expensive salt and weekly water changes. Instant Ocean and changing water once a month or two is perfectly fine.

 

[Nano_Man]

Buying salt I just use natural sea water