Top 5 Visual Signs your Reef Tank is Healthy and Maturing!

[@NotSure876]

This is an excellent video. Good info, a tank that is more like what most people have instead of the high price rimless tanks like red sea’s etc…with expensive equipment and stock. We need more relatable vids like this Great job- subbed

[@fishwateraquatics]

Thank you I appreciate it!

[@riotpb10]

This isn't an excellent video. He has too high of nutrients if spiroid worms are populating like that. Stop believing everything on the internet. This tank is junk.

[@gregwatkiss8973]

Thank you for an interesting video. I live in the UK and have a similar size tank as yours that I set up on the 1st May this year. My first reef tank. What you had to say was very informative and answered lot of my questions about how my tank was maturing. I have subscribed to your channel becuase I am interested in seeing how you progress with reef keeping and hopefully pick up ideas and get answers to some of my many questions about the hobby. Thanks again. Greg

[@fishwateraquatics]

Hey Greg thanks for stopping by man! Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you enjoy my future vids as well! Welcome to the great hobby of reef keeping!

[@gregwatkiss8973]

@@fishwateraquatics Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to learning more form your videos. They are nicely presented.

[@christineschultz3176]

Beautiful, beautiful tank

[@fishwateraquatics]

Thank you!

[@t4nk3d402]

32 LED biocube coming up on 8 months but been having issues with LPS corals and just started getting more Red Cyano back again. Its been a process, been through diatoms, then red Cyano and some mild GHA. Then had a Phytoplankton spike while the red cyano was taking over, tried a blackout that basically killed the cyano but had to run a UV for a bit to rid the phyto. Then a stubborn Bryopsis outbreak. But my rear glass is about 65% COVERED in purple algae and noticed the sea sponges about 4 months ago. Had tons of those spiral white worms or whatever after about 2 months. Tropic Marin Pro Reef and no dosing currently but prob why im having LPS issues. Starting nitrate and phos dosing in the next few days as 4 fish is not keeping nutrients high enough. Id say I gotta be close to done with the uglies and seems to be maturing....or something

[@Avoiderrors]

What is your light settings.?

[@fishwateraquatics]

I have them at 80% blue and 50% white for the full spectrum during the day

[@Avoiderrors]

@@fishwateraquatics thank you soo much for your response. So you don’t have reds cyan and violet?

[@TheCasaReef]

I removed a sea sponge thinking it was a parasite🤦🏻‍♂️poor little guy should’ve done more research before jumping to conclusions

[@fishwateraquatics]

It’s ok it happens! I’m sure if you had one you will get more don’t worry:)

[@langstonr2805]

Same I ain't know what it was

[@BlueEyedJeepGirl]

I have heard so many mixed opinions on them! Some people say its from poor water quality.. got to love the internet. I just leave mine go 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@florenti1119]

Do u dose or do water changes if so How many times do You do water changes? I am new to the hobby and my tank is old now but its still has a lot of ugly brown on the rock (not hair algea) idk What i am doing wrong, my corals also stay the same size, they are not dying or anything but they never grow.

[@fishwateraquatics]

Great questions, how long has your tank been setup for? I did water changes once a month for the first year and fed my aquarium very little. I never dose either. Does the brown look like hair algae or is it a light coating on the rocks? Also, coral growth can depend on what type of coral it is, the fastest growing being gsp and xenia

[@fishwateraquatics]

Also, a lot of reef tank stuff is very situational depending on lighting, how much you feed, how much your bio load is, how established your tank is, filtration etc. maybe I’ll make a video covering all of that soon!

[@florenti1119]

@@fishwateraquaticsmy tank is a 17 gallon i only have 2 clownfish 2 hermit crabs and 2 torchus snails and its been 6 months, but i have done water changes really often like every week, beacuse i read somewhere that my corals will not grow if i dont replenish the elements from the salt that coral use to grow. It said there that its either every week water changes or dosing. Will my corals be fine if i do monthly water changes?

[@florenti1119]

@@fishwateraquaticsmy lights run 12 hours a day it wasent always like this but i recently increased the light to see if my corals will grow better. 10 hours 100% white and 100% blue and 2 hours 100 % blue and 5% white. I think since i did this the brown stuff grows better. And i forgot to mention that the brown stuff is not hairy at all is kind of like a hard, and its hard to scrap of the rocks. The glass is easier.

[@fishwateraquatics]

@@florenti1119 6 months is still relatively “young” for a reef tank. It’s still cycling so any algae or anything growing is pretty normal. You’re right about water changes replenishing trace elements, more water changes definitely won’t hurt anything. I would say start with every other week and see how the tank reacts before jumping to once a month. Also, try and run your lights for only 8 hours if you can, that will help with the brown stuff for sure! But being patient is most important!

[@alexpellman8637]

I would add the firefish before the other clown cuz when they pair up pry gonna try and kill any other fish you add in a tank that small. Also gas bubbles aren’t good because they can build up then release a bunch at a time and can cause a tank crash. You want things like a conch some nassarius snails and or a sand sifting star to help stir the sand bed

[@fishwateraquatics]

Thanks for the comment Alex! You’re right, I think I will add the firefish before the 2nd clown. Also, I have heard that the gas bubbles releasing all at once could cause a crash. This is interesting, I have always left mine and thankfully nothing has happened, but I do have stuff that sifts my sand so maybe that is why

[@Joel-Polley]

That's a myth

[@MrAntihero1001]

Hey man, how do you keep your nitrates up with just one fish? I’m struggling to get them above 0 in a 14 gallon with a pair of clowns . I was running a protein skimmer but have tried taking it out for awhile. My gsp has barely grown in months . Super clean tank u have there 🔥

[@fishwateraquatics]

Thank you man I appreciate it! I just keep my nitrates up by feeding regularly. Sometimes I put in more food than my fish eats so that breaks down into nitrates. Typically the more you feed, the more nitrates you will have:) hope that helps

[@Avoiderrors]

Feed a lil more

[@MiloTinCan]

Hi how old is this tank?

[@fishwateraquatics]

A little over 3 years old

[@thatstonerr7738]

I got a canister that is filled with sea sponges lol got a year maturity on it 125 gal system

[@fishwateraquatics]

That’s awesome! Love to hear it :)

[@lindawilliams7264]

How old is your tank

[@fishwateraquatics]

It’s been running for over 3 years now

[@reef.villain]

yo dude that's a crazy infestation of spirorbids

[@fishwateraquatics]

Yeah it’s a good amount for sure. They come off the glass pretty easily so it’s not to hard to take care of

[@Danimalpm1]

Yeah, I had these just as bad on my back wall and in the rear chambers of my AIO but they’ve started to disappear almost as quickly as they appeared, at least on the back wall.

[@riotpb10]

@@fishwateraquatics That isn't a good thing. I thought it was corraline at first but if they are infact spirorbid worms that means you have too high of nutrients. Stop acting like you know everything and spewing false information. This tank is doomed.

[@SenorTucano]

Try using a tripod to steady your camera.

[@fishwateraquatics]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, I need to invest in a tripod and I could use a better camera too:)

[@SenorTucano]

@@fishwateraquatics it will help you particularly with your close ups

[@hypanusamericanus9058]

I have thorny oysters popping up everywhere in my tank. FREAKING OYSTERS.

[@fishwateraquatics]

That’s sweet!

[@IceNein763]

When it no longer gets carded while buying beer.

[@fishwateraquatics]

😂

[@cowleysmobilewelding]

I probably have close to 1000 pineapple sponges in my tank currently

[@fishwateraquatics]

That’s sweet!

[@mattheb01]

I oddly enough had hundreds of pineapple sponges when I first set up my reef. As it matured they disappeared and now have coralline, pods, beneficial bristleworms and Spirorbid worms. Before the pineapple sponges was hydroid jellyfish.

[@cowleysmobilewelding]

@@mattheb01 I've been told the sponges eventually go away

[@mattheb01]

@@cowleysmobilewelding I take back what I said. I just found the tiniest pineapple sponge hidden in a crevice. Looks like after all this time there's still a few hiding.

[@jonniefast]

it's difficult to get the clowns to pair up Be prepared to have a back up plan lol Sometimes they just won't get along 😢

[@jonniefast]

watching the tank come alive at night is my favorite There are so many little critters that move around Tiny starfish worms etc

[@fishwateraquatics]

Luckily my clowns are getting along nicely, they are both hosting the anemones so I think I got lucky

[@fishwateraquatics]

But yeah everything loves to come out at night to play!!!!

[@victormontalvo4364]

How many clowns fit in your tank?

[@fishwateraquatics]

For a 20 gallon I would suggest only keeping 2

[@whitedro8]

You need way more rock

[@jril3982]

Too much misinformation here. More study is required.

[@fishwateraquatics]

Hey thanks for the comment, I think this video gives you a good general idea of what to look for. What part are you thinking is misinformation? Just curious if I can try and clear anything up for you or maybe I didn’t explain something correctly.

[@jril3982]

@@fishwateraquatics pretty much all of what you noted as indicating a mature tank does not. I suggest you do more research or get a bit more experience. Sorry to be blunt.

[@christineschultz3176]

Just to let you know sea sponges hitchhike on live rock corals with rock anything like that so they probably came from live rock you got or a coral was rock. They just don’t by themselves. Your tank is just beautiful.

[@Crawdoodle]

@@jril3982he’s right though. Sponges and coraline are indicative of a maturing and stable tank