Week 42: Reef Tank Maintenance: 5 minutes a day can transform your tank: 52 Weeks of Reefing #BRS160

It's Week 42 of 52 Weeks of Reefing, and this week we are showing you how 5 to 10 minutes of work on your tank a day can equal years of success! We'll share what our daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly maintenance schedule looks like for the #BRS160.

Done well, maintenance can be part of the fun of owning a tank rather than a chore. It can also be the difference between a nice tank and an epic tank as well as a two year or ten year success.

Maintenance is generally broke up by how often it needs to be completed, i.e. Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and even Yearly. Here are some examples of tasks you may need to complete on your tank:

Daily: Quick wipe down of the glass, magnet clean glass, fish and coral feeding, a quick skimmer check, potential daily dosing of additives, and potentially running some tests, filter sock replacement, etc

Weekly: Additional tests, dosing weekly additives, emptying/cleaning filtration like protein skimmers, potentially weekly water changes, etc

Monthly: Filter media changes, potentially monthly water changes, checking and refilling automatically dosed elements/additives, monthly testing for slowly consumed additives like magnesium, cleaning powerheads and pumps, etc

Yearly: Bulb changes, a string of a few larger water changes spread out over the course of a few days to replace a large volume of your tank's water, cleaning your sump.

*Legal Stuff*
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[coralinealgae]

This is the best video series BRS has done yet. Great work.

[Captluke]

Thanks Ryan, my favorite part of work on Fridays are watching your weekly video!

[mcismfof]

Ugh this all happened in 2016 and I'm just now watching lmao feels like I'm going along with it the whole way, seriously can't get enough of brs vids and Ryan's easy to understand explanations another 10/10 from 2018

[justten]

Thank you Bulk Reef Supply for all the great information you provide. great service to the industry. I am in Australia but I will make sure I purchase something from you guys soon just to show my appreciation for the videos you produce.

[christopherbraxton]

I learned so much from these videos you guys keep it up being out of work has slowed my build down but we'll get it in there

[jakecarpenter]

I love ordering from Bulk Reef Supply. They are a no hassle business. Awesome great service!

[craigw]

Awesome video guys! these are so much more effective than reading crap online :) - my tank is fine, but it's always just fine and here I can see many steps I'm missing. Also, FYI - I got back into this hobby because maintenance is fun!

[shaunhill]

since July of 2015, I have done 3 30% water changes, tank is not a high demand tank, I had a huge algea problem that finally cleared up 3 months ago, levels are spot on except dkh, high 7, I use reef crystals, just added 2 acropora and an Acanthastrea on top of the few softies and trumpets I already had in the tank, also added more livestock 2 months ago, nitrates less than 2, thanks for hooking me up with Austin Aqua Farms, and also Battle Corals, will be getting me a Bliss this week

[caseyjones]

Just starting to plan my first saltwater aquarium, and wanted to thk you for all the great informative videos!!

[markkulyas]

This looks like a fun hobby with great reward, but also looks expensive and one heck of a lot of work.

[Mike__B]

I know this was visually shown, but having a physical (or phone reminder) calendar with reminder dates can go a long way to making you honest with your maintenance, keeping the box to your old bulbs and writing the date on them helps you remember when you actually installed them, and then something as simple as a piece of tape on your RO/DI canisters that says when the last time you replaced each component can do wonders. While I will agree actually testing things is ideal, but testing can very often be something that you slack on as well, at least seeing a date has helped me more often than than not to remind me to change (or at least test) various filters.

[MrJbbean]

I just find it easier to do than 300 ltr in one go. Keep up the great work guys I enjoy watching them in the UK

[CJSAQUARIUMS]

That rodi segment was right in time! Just ordered my kit for replacing my cartridges on my 4 stage. Wasn't sure if I needed to replace all 3 or just carbon and sediment. Been a full year since I've changed any of them and my di resin is bearly showing color change... Must have clean water where I live! Lol. Thanks again

[NYCityCichlids]

I'll be using some of these steps for my fresh water setups.

[mjc-thatsme]

Thanks for all the great content! I'm about 2 months in, no water changes or fish for month one. Now I change 30% once a week on a 20 gallon replacing with Narures Ocean. I have 2 blue green chromis and 2 clown fish that i added at month 2, they love brine shrimp but don't care for omega one pellets and flakes. So far the tank has been pristine with great perameters. Did I beat the ugliest or are they yet to come?

[MidEnginedFan]

I would recommend putting the tank heater in electronic recycling, particularly if they are electronic/digital. I know BestBuy does drop-off electronic recycling.

[JAM]

20% every 4-6wks on my 90gal. I've never tested my water other than salinity w/ refractometer. I used to have algae issues but I found that was from buying my salt & ro water from a LFS. Now that I have a BRS 6 stage RO system and make my own salt water etc.. No issues.

[juarezgames]

muito bom esse vídeo. com essas dicas o aquário fica lindo.muito grato

[muhammadmalik]

Please in future do a mushroom tank setup please. jawbreakers, bounce mushrooms, etc...

[sethtwilliamson]

Hard to believe there are only 10 more episodes already. I hope we'll get periodic updates as the tank matures.