Low, low, low Tech Saltwater Aquarium. Have Y'all Done It?

[DTC512]

Just like the title says, i've decided to experiment with some saltwater (first time venturing into the realm, but I do keep a 30g brackish tank).

Anyway, I setup a 10 gallon cube, filtered by a sponge and a mangrove. There's a heater, live rock, and the substrate= various densities of crushed coral + live sand.

The setup houses one saddleback clown (just his grow-out, don't worry, he will be moved to a larger setup as he matures), an emerald crab, and a candy-cane shrimp, + two bubble-tip anemones, species unknown to me, but they're a light-neon-green color (see attached pic.) 

Everything is housed under a Fluval Marine light. Water changes occur once a week with RO sea water, which is supplemented with Fritz.

All has been up and running for a bit over a month, and all seems well. 

So, the reason I'm posting: I have to ask...

Have any of you had similar success with such a low-tech saltwater set-up? Mine seems pretty perfect at the moment (hope I didn't jinx it.)

If so, any advice/tips would be much appreciated on how to maintain this tank's longevity. I truly love it, and can't really foresee any problems with it thus far... 

best,

DTC

Edited November 16, 2021 by DTC512

[Zenzo]

Yes, I had a super low tech saltwater tank running in my fishroom for about a year. It was a 20 gallon tank that was filtered with a sponge filter (Aquarium Co-Op Coarse Sponge). I had some live rock in it, a small wave maker, and that was it. I have a video or two about it up on my channel. 

[Andy's Fish Den]

I am doing the same thing right now. I have a 20 gallon with just a co-op sponge filter, about 20lbs of live rock and a small powerhead for water movement. The stocking right now is just a frostbite percula clownfish, but planning to add something, just not sure yet. I've done the full blown high tech reef tank before, so this will be a nice departure, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.  

[gardenman]

I did a long, long time ago, back when Nektonics was the king of the saltwater market. (Fortyish years ago now.) I had both a 20 long and a 29-gallon saltwater tank running for years. Both tanks had Nektonics under gravel filters (air driven) with the protein skimmer cup attached to the uplift tube. Back then dolomite was the standard marine substrate. Both tanks also had a small Dynaflo HOB that you had to use a siphon tube on for mechanical filtration. Both setups were about as basic as you could get and did very, very well. I kept a Rock Beauty and a Mandarin alive for about three years in my 29 with no trouble and both are said to be very hard to keep alive. I kept a steady supply of live brine shrimp and live bloodworms for them and they did great. I had a starfish who loved tubifex worm cubes. As soon as one would hit the water, the ends of his arms would point up and scan the area to find the cube and off he'd go in pursuit. Once he got to it, he'd just envelop it until it was gone.

I got out of the saltwater part of the hobby when both tanks sprang a leak a few weeks apart. The 29 leaked first and I shuffled the fish over to the 20 long while I fixed the 29, then the 20 long also sprung a leak and everyone had to go to the saltwater mixing bin as I frantically tried to get a tank ready for them, but they died in the bin before I could get a tank ready for them. The expense of restarting both tanks and restocking them both was higher than I could afford, so I went back to freshwater. I still have the coral, Nektonics UG filters, and Nektonics hydrometer in my basement should I ever decide to give it a go again.

[eatyourpeas]

My SW tank is kind of lo-tech. It does have a chiller instead of a heater, but other than a bucket filter that I call the V-Sump, an ACO powerhead and light, there is no other technology present. I do not even have an RO/DI unit. The tank has been running for a little over four months and I call it the “drama box”.

Inhabitants are Kelp crabs, hermit crabs, tide pool sculpins, anemones, a starfish, clams, mussels, brittle star, a newly found brittle worm, whelks, periwinkles, barnacles,  macro algae. Temp is 55F

Edited November 17, 2021 by eatyourpeas

[DTC512]

On 11/17/2021 at 12:04 AM, Zenzo said:

Yes, I had a super low tech saltwater tank running in my fishroom for about a year. It was a 20 gallon tank that was filtered with a sponge filter (Aquarium Co-Op Coarse Sponge). I had some live rock in it, a small wave maker, and that was it. I have a video or two about it up on my channel. 

Good deal, think our setups are similar enough.

Honestly, thank you all for your input. thinking this experiment will be a success after-all. Will keep any of y'all updated (just Dm and I'll make sure updates get to you.) 

 

[Biotope Biologist]

Looks like y'all have this well covered the only thing I would like to add is that if you want a bit more mechanical and biological "filtration" adding macros to the substrate will turnover the sand and make sure that no dead pockets come up and that all food is removed.

 

I believe this has become more common place especially now that keeping blennies and gobies solo has become more popular so they shouldn't be hard to find anymore.