What is the commitment level for an aquarium?

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📅🐠 Aquarium Commitment — Deep Ops Guide

🏳️ Disclaimer up front

This is a framework, not a rulebook. Everyone’s commitment varies with:
⏰ schedule • 🐟 stocking choices • 🤖 automation • 🧪 appetite for tinkering • 🏠 room conditions.
Use the numbers as starting points—then adapt to your life.

🧮 Commitment Formula (minutes per week)

Base by tank type

🟢 Freshwater low-tech: 40 min/wk
🌿 Freshwater high-tech (CO₂): 70 min/wk
🟤 Brackish: 70 min/wk
🔵 Saltwater FOWLR: 90 min/wk
🟣 Reef softies/LPS: 120 min/wk
🔴 Reef SPS-heavy: 180+ min/wk

Adders

➕ Volume >75g: +10 min / extra 25g
➕ Heavy/messy stocking (goldfish, cichlids, big predators): +20–40 min
➕ Multiple tanks: add ~80% of each additional tank’s base
➕ Active quarantine running: +15–25 min
➕ Manual salt mixing/top-off (no ATO): +15–25 min
➕ Lots of plants/corals (frequent trims/frags): +15–30 min

Subtractors (automation/tools)

➖ 🤖 Auto-top-off: –15 min
➖ 🍽️ Auto-feeder: –10 min
➖ 🐍 Sink hose/Python (no buckets): –10–20 min
➖ 🧲 Prefilter sponge on intake: –10 min
➖ 📳 Controller/alerts: –5–15 min

🔎 Reality check: brief daily touches beat occasional marathons.

📆 Task Cadence (what you actually do)

🗓️ Daily (2–25 min)

👀 Health scan • 🍽️ Feed (remove leftovers in 2–3 min) • 🌊 Confirm surface ripple & temp
🔬 Brackish/salt: top off (ATO ideal); quick salinity glance a few times/week.

🔁 Weekly (30–120+ min)

💧 Water change — fresh/brackish 20–50% (match temp; dechlor/salt); marine 10–25% with RO/DI
🧽 Clean glass • 🧹 Light substrate vacuum • 🧪 Test basics
🧲 Rinse prefilter in tank water (2 min, huge payoff)

🧰 Monthly (30–120+ min)

🌀 Filter service (stagger media) • 🔧 Powerhead/skimmer clean (marine)
✂️ Plant trims / coral maintenance • 🧯 Safety sweep (leak sensors, drip loops, heater check)

🗓️ Quarterly / Seasonal (45–180 min)

🧱 Canister/sump deep service • 🪞 Light lenses/quartz sleeves clean • 🧮 Meter calibration
🌬️ Dehumidifier/vent clean • Salt creep removal (marine)

🗓️ Annual (60–240 min spread)

🚰 RO/DI cartridge set • 🔥 Proactive heater replacement • 🧰 Spares audit (impellers, O-rings, air pumps)

🧭 First 90 Days (typical rollout)

Day 0–7: Setup, leak test, aquascape (3–6 hrs)
Week 1–4: Cycle—daily 5–10 min tests/logs until NH₃/NO₂⁻ = 0
Week 3–10: “Ugly stage” (algae/diatoms): wipe glass, keep calm
Week 4–12: Add livestock in waves; saltwater fish quarantine 2–4 weeks

🧩 Commitment by Popular Builds

Build	Daily	Weekly	Monthly	Notes
🟢 29g planted (no CO₂)	3–5m	40–60m	20–30m	Easy plants; HOB/canister
🌿 40g high-tech planted	7–10m	60–90m	30–45m	Trim/ferts/CO₂ tuning
🧱 55–75g African cichlids	4–6m	60–90m	30–45m	Bigger, cleaner WCs
🟤 40–55g brackish puffer	5–8m	60–90m	30–45m	Meaty diet; salinity watch
🔵 40–75g FOWLR	7–10m	60–90m	45–60m	Daily top-off; mix salt weekly
🟣 75–90g soft reef	10–15m	75–120m	60–120m	Alk/Ca/Mg; skimmer/ATO
🔴 120g SPS reef	15–25m	2–3h	2–4h	Tight stability & testing

(m = minutes, h = hours)

🤖 Automation Menu (time saved vs cost)

Automation	Saves/wk	Cost	Notes
🤖 Auto-top-off	15–25m	$$	Marine/brackish essential vibe; stabilizes salinity
🍽️ Auto-feeder	10–15m	$	Great for workdays & trips (dry foods)
⏱️ Smart plugs/timers	5–10m	$	Lights, CO₂, reminders
🧪 Doser (reef)	15–30m	$$–$$$	Stabilizes alk/Ca/Mg once tuned
🐍 Sink hose/Python	10–20m	$	Fast, spill-light water changes
📳 Controller/alerts	—	$$–$$$	Saves disasters: temp/leak/pH alarms

🧯 Emergency Readiness

⛽ Power outage: battery air pump, blankets for heat, plan for >4–8 hr events
🧪 Ammonia spike: binder conditioner, 40–50% WC, max aeration
🧴 Contaminant: large WC + fresh carbon/Poly-Filter, strong aeration
🏥 Disease: QT bin ready; finish full medication course

✈️ Travel Matrix

Away	Freshwater	Brackish/FOWLR	Reef
3–4 days	Auto-feeder, top off	ATO + feeder	ATO + feeder
7 days	Pre-WC, feeder, friend 1×	Pre-mix salt, ATO, friend 1×	Pre-mix salt, ATO, friend 2×
14 days	Friend 2×, checklist	Friend 2–3×, simple tests	Friend 2–3×, salinity/alk checks; pause dosing changes

🎯 Performance Targets

💨 NH₃/NH₄⁺ & NO₂⁻: 0 ppm
💧 Nitrate: fresh <20–30 ppm (discus/fry <10); reef often <10–20
⚖️ pH/KH stable; reef Alk 7–11 dKH, Ca 400–450 ppm, Mg 1250–1350 ppm
🌡️ Temp steady (fresh 72–82°F; reef 77–79°F)
🔄 Flow: fresh 4–8× turnover; reef 10–30× in-tank circulation

🧠 Species that Raise Commitment

🐠 Discus/Rams—warm, pristine water, peaceful tankmates
🧱 African cichlids—heavy waste, territory management
🐡 Puffers—meaty foods, beak wear (snails), vigilant water quality
🪸 SPS corals—daily alk stability, high light/flow, frequent testing

📦 Consumables Cadence

🧴 Dechlorinator / 🧂 salt: keep 1–2 months on hand
🧪 Test reagents: refresh 6–12 months
🚰 RO/DI filters: 6–12 months (watch TDS)
🧊 Carbon/polish media (if used): 4–6 weeks
🔥 Heater: proactively replace 12–24 months

🧷 Choose Your Style

Minimal: ATO + feeder; 20–30% weekly WC; simple stock
Standard: Full weekly routine; modest testing; QT new fish; logs
Meticulous: Controllers, dosers, data, strict QT, proactive parts

🏳️ Final reminder

This isn’t an end-all, be-all guide. Your ideal routine might be lighter or heavier. Start simple, automate where it helps, and refine until the tank is boringly stable and fits your life.