In this episode of the Focus Reefing Podcast, JV sits down with Shaun (@somdtanks) to break down a nano reef that goes against a lot of what the hobby typically promotes.

No testing. No dosing. Minimal equipment.
And somehow it works.

Shaun walks through his LPS-dominant nano reef, how it evolved from an anemone tank, and why he’s intentionally kept things simple after decades in the hobby. The conversation dives into stability in small systems, evaporation challenges, lighting choices, and the tradeoffs between hands-off reefing and high-control systems.

This is a grounded look at what actually matters in reefing and what might not.

If you’ve ever questioned whether more gear, more testing, or more complexity is really necessary, this episode will give you something to think about.

Follow Shaun
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/somdtanks
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@somdtanks
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@somdtanks

Follow Focus Reefing
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/focusreefing
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@focusreefing

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Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4pXJjbTA9HuuNNvFaCjRZ6?si=dWEIjMhpSC-lPAf-2KkaZg
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/focus-reefing/id1872864213

Topics covered
Nano reef challenges
No testing reef tank approach
Water changes vs dosing
Lighting choices for small tanks
Anemone issues in nano systems
Keeping reef tanks simple
Old school reefing vs modern methods

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Welcome to the Focus Reefing Podcast.

In this episode, I sit down with Dean, also known as @irishshrimpguy, to break down his 120 gallon mixed reef and how he’s transitioned from LPS into SPS over the last year.

We talk about what actually drives success in reefing, consistency, testing habits, flow, lighting, and how to avoid getting overwhelmed by too much advice early on. Dean also shares his approach to keeping things simple, dialing in parameters, and building a system that works for him.

This episode is a solid look at what it takes to maintain a clean, stable reef and why consistency always wins.

Follow Dean on Instagram @irishshimpguy

Listen to the Focus Reefing Podcast on Spotify

Follow Focus ReefingInstagram: ⁠@focusreefing⁠Facebook: ⁠@focusreefing⁠YouTube: @focusreefing⁠

What do you do when your brand new reef tank shows up and it doesn’t even fit in the freight elevator?

In this episode, JV talks with Jonathan aka @social_reefer about running a 200 gallon peninsula reef in a New York apartment and what it takes to keep a big system stable without overcomplicating it.

Jonathan shares how he got into reefing during COVID, how he scored most of his setup secondhand, and why this hobby has more than one right answer if you commit to a method and stop chasing every new opinion online.

They cover lighting flow dosing and filtration plus the corals and fish that have survived the mistakes and the simple slip ups that can turn into a disaster fast.

Follow Focus Reefing on Instagram and Facebook @focusreefing

Follow Jonathan on Instagram @social_reefer and on YouTube @Social Reefer