The best way to keep a reef tank for newbies

Leave it alone!!

When I had my reef tank. I did changes from time to time. New salt mix, add a rock, take out a rock. For years my tank was amazing. Better then any of the ones in the LFS. Then I started taking some soft corals out. Then a lot of my other corals started to die off. First mushroom corals then SPS then LPS. I'm thinking when I get back into the hobby, of leaving the tank alone. Well, I'll do the weekly care and all. But not be too picky about stuff like corals over growing. When I first got into this hobby back in 2007. All I heard was, "don't let corals touch eachother!" True, but I was told not to let them near eachother. But I see so many amazing reef tanks where corals are right next to eachother, and everything is fine. So, I think not panicing also helps for all you newbies.

 

Agreed. Stability is huge.


When you remove a lot of soft corals, you have removed a huge nutrient-sucking biomass from your tank. Thus you may have had either nutrients building up (phosphate/nitrate especially)---- or perhaps the soft corals were releasing chemical warfare or nematocysts into the water if you had to cut/frag any of them---- either case could spell disaster if you aren't watching your tank carefully.

 

I try to place them so they have a chance to grow before they have to compete...but compete they will, and grow they must... I just let'em go...and grow. : )