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08/27/2016, 05:57 PM | #226 | ||
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Jesse I'm not saying I'm Batman. I'm just saying nobody has ever seen me and Batman in a room together. |
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08/29/2016, 07:35 AM | #227 | |
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It is all about the bugs!
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Paul, You and I are dinosours to this hobby. My first book was written by Martin Moe in the mid 1960's. Just after putting a man on the moon, he said about the reef aquarium hobby and marine biology in general, "It's not rocket science, it is more complicated". I use the KISS principal. Keep it simple, stupid. The bugs know what to do. They self regulate complex nutrient pathways and produce food for reef inhabitants. In a previous career of waste water treatment, we stressed bacteria with low oxygen levels to promote phosphate uptake. In a recent thread, Advanced Topics, on this forum, it was noted that SPS corals survived thermal stress due to higher phosphate concentrations in their body mass. From my perspective, I am enjoying the ride. Patrick
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
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08/30/2016, 02:57 PM | #228 |
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Jaubert Plenum details
Jaubert Plenum uses a false bottom below sandbed. Until Julian Sprung and Charles Deelbric published Reef Aquarium Volume III, there was little substantiated literature that the plenum accomplished anything. The biggest reason that laboratory test could produce no differrenceis was because of the short duration of test.
This method uses bacteria to perform nitrification then in the depths of the sandbed denitrification chemistry. The use of large substrate, Caribsea Florida Crushed Coral, at 2mm-5mm provides a greater depth for reduced oxygen conditions. This means more faculative bacteria and more denitrification. The single most important thing about this method is to keep detritus from penetrating into sandbed. Janitors at the surface should include micro stars and the two pod brothers, amphipods and copepods. Everyday, I would stir the top 1" of sandbed with numerous feathers coming out to eat: feather dusters and sea apples. To complete the maintenance on this method the sand should be vacuumed once a week.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
09/04/2016, 06:06 AM | #229 | |
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From the MSDS for handling Calcium Carbonate "Personal Protection: Splash goggles. Lab coat. Dust respirator. Be sure to use an approved/certified respirator or equivalent. Gloves" and it has a health hazard of 2 (out of a maximum of 4)
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"Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek |
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09/04/2016, 07:53 AM | #230 | |
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Also, I have a little time before set-up, do you think I could jump start the cycling process by putting some of the substrate in a bucket with a powerhead and adding a piece of shrimp? The bucket would be outside so wouldn't be heated, would the bacteria be the same? Thank you for any feedback. |
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09/04/2016, 05:47 PM | #231 |
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Haven’t read the complete thread (booooo!) but how did we get from intelligent design to miracle mud? Is MM part of god’s plan?
Also, it was Shakespeare's character, Jack Cade in Henry VI, Part 2, not Plato, who wanted to kill all the lawyers. Just saying. |
09/04/2016, 06:03 PM | #232 | |
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Yes,I would say that miracle mud is part of God's plan. The reason that I used Plato was because it illustrated that the problem goes further back than Shaespeare's time.
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09/04/2016, 06:15 PM | #233 | |
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Also, with respect to putting substrate over MM, I am not understanding your goal.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
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09/05/2016, 05:19 AM | #234 | |
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The DSB worries me more than the plenum, maybe I'll consider jawfish - still very active and fun to watch. |
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09/05/2016, 05:47 AM | #235 |
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In effect my mud filter was a settling basin for detritus. Worms lived in this matrix and reproduced. I bought the set up used, so I don't really know what was in the mud. I kept it for 10 years until a red planaria infestation.
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09/07/2016, 03:39 PM | #236 | |
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In the situation that you mentioned, bacteria can take more than one path. Instead of producing enzymes to break down sludge, certain bacteria will absorb soluable nutrients instead. Cynobacteria embedded in coral will produce nitrate when other sources of nitrate are gone. Backup nitrogen source. Randy Holmes Farley discribes a biofeedback loop in which cynobacteria converts inorganic phosphate into organic phosphate. Then combined with nitrogen fixation produces nitrogen. Bacteria do it all. https://www.tlc-products.com/pdf/HOW...RIA%20WORK.pdf
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09/07/2016, 07:14 PM | #237 | |
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Thank you. I think I followed that. My take away with cyano (from this and other threads) is that it is not a simple as just removing NO3 and PO4 from your tank to rid of cyano and that chasing zeros can lead to unintended consequences and not the desired goal. Jason has a thread in which he is posting video and photos from his microscope. He just posted pics of detritus taken from his ATS. It was full of life. I wondered if we really want to remove all that life from our tanks. I suppose so, but I guess if it (the means of nutrient export) ends up in a bowl of ceviche, then perhaps that has better karma! |
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09/07/2016, 07:53 PM | #238 |
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Chasing zeros is not a goal and it has many unintended consequences.
Nutrient export and nutrient recycling are two differrent things. I prefer nutrient recycling where my nutrient sink is desirable like coral or fish.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
09/09/2016, 03:45 AM | #239 |
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06/05/2017, 04:15 PM | #240 |
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Hello! I've been searching the forum for current info regarding people's experience using the Jaubert plenum, and I've enjoyed your posts. I was hoping you would take some time to help me with a bit of guidance. Thanks in advance!
I'm currently running a 180 gal reef tank that utilizes a 30 gal refugium and a 60 gal sump. I have built a plenum in both the refugium and the sump. The display tank utilizes live rock that I made myself (2 parts FL crushed coral, 2 parts Special Grade Reef Sand, 1 part white Portland Cement). The refugium also contains a glass bowl with approx 2" deep Miracle Mud in which I have growing 6 red mangrove seedlings. The sump has a GAC media chamber, calcium reactor, and a protein skimmer. Lighting is via Orphek Atlantik V3 pendants. I was motivated to set up the plenum after reading Live Sand Secrets by Bob Goemans. However, I now find that the crushed coral substrate is fused together in the refugium. Interestingly, this does not seem to have occurred in the sump. The only major difference is that the sump is not lit. Have you experienced this issue? What might be the cause, and do you think it is a problem? I worry that the fused substrate might impede nutrient transfer. I noticed in one of your posts that you mentioned having a 20 yr old setup that utilizes such a plenum, but would not construct a new tank with one. Would you elaborate as to why, and would you recommend that I remove mine? My tank parameters are: NO3 2ppm PO4 undetectable using my Hanna colorimeter dKH 8.5 calcium 415ppm salinity 1.025 temp 24 deg C The tank setup is relatively new; July 2016. Fish were added first; corals only since Jan 2017. I am having issues with browning and poor polyp extension with some SPS. Certain frags have succumbed to RTN. Most LPS and soft corals are fine, with the exception of a couple of chalice corals that experienced local bleaching and tissue death. Some of my SPS are fine, but taking all of the symptoms together, including loss of 2 red collar snails and the semi-permanent retraction of a third, I feel there is something going on in the system. I am trying to troubleshoot and would like your experienced feedback concerning the system generally and the Jaubert plenum specifically. Thanks again for your time. |
06/06/2017, 11:02 AM | #241 | |
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"I chop up animals and glue them to rocks" Current Tank Info: System 1 Mixed Reef: 180g DT,180g Fuge, 120g Sump http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2611735 |
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06/06/2017, 11:46 PM | #242 |
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Yeah, I suspect that the SPS brown out is due to their new location under LED's. They came from under Halides at the store. These are an Orphek product and should have more than enough PAR to support SPS, especially where I have them at the top of the tank. Thing is, even with the color 'shift' that I'm hoping is temporary, some colonies are looking good with full polyp extension while others are obviously struggling and a few are showing tissue death around the base progressing upwards.
As far as what's new; pretty much everything. I've been continually adding stock to the tank over the past 3 months. It's the newer arrivals (which are loaded towards SPS) which are showing signs of stress. I caught my NO3 higher than I thought it was, at 10ppm. Five 30 gal water changes later (over a week) and the level is down to 2ppm. I've also started dosing Red Sea's NOPOX (basically carbon dosing) in order to establish and maintain healthy levels of denitrifying bacteria. Still looking into how to set that up with a dosing pump so that it doesn't evaporate out! If something I added to the tank introduced a disease, etc, I'd have no idea what. Just going to try to keep parameters healthy, clean, and stable. Fingers crossed that those under stress will adapt and recover.... |
06/07/2017, 07:23 AM | #243 | |
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"I chop up animals and glue them to rocks" Current Tank Info: System 1 Mixed Reef: 180g DT,180g Fuge, 120g Sump http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2611735 |
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08/28/2017, 10:55 AM | #244 |
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Volcanic sand
Update: Seem to have found the source of the problem...or at least something very concerning. Some at my LFS had expressed concern about black sand and had seen similar issues with their SPS (browning, lack of polyp extension, followed by tissue necrosis). After losing several more SPS frags and watching some small acan colonies suffer and waste, I decided to remove 80lbs of black sand from my tank (CaribSea live black sand).
Please see the attached pic. This is a Tunze rare earth magnet used to mount powerheads on glass up to 1/2". Think there are any metals in the sand?? That was over 2 weeks ago and things are starting to come back. A goni that had spent its entire time withdrawn has extended again. Unfortunately, a couple of SPS's were beyond help and have since succumbed. The acan colonies are looking better though. I used one packet of the Two Little Fishies MetaSorb (removes several metals and medications from aquaria) and it turned slightly orange/red. I replaced it with a second packet recently. |
09/27/2017, 08:52 AM | #245 | |
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Seaweed salad
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Soy sauce Sesame seed oil Lime Juice When I make a cevicee, I use tomatoes, hot & sweet peppers, onions and a cruncy vegetable like celery of zucinni. Add Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning and lime juice to taste. This a vetetarian chevichee. Then I make a sushi dish with a firm fish or shrimp. Don't use Cod Fish. While I like Cod cooked, it gets rubbery with the lime juice marinade. Then the third dish is the seaweed in a bowl of cold salt water. When prepared with 3 separate dishes people can taste as an individual serving or mix & match. Enjoy the abundance of the ocean.
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09/27/2017, 09:23 AM | #246 | |
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BJ, No I would not change out Jaubert Plenumn. The differrence between a Jaubert Plenum with a coarse DSB and a standard DSB is not only the grain size but the populations that flourish in a fine substrate, mainly worms. The Jaubert Plenumn uses faculative bacteria and performs denitrification, nitrate molecule turned into a free gas molecule to be exported at the water air interface. The DSB uses micro fana and flora to recycle nutrients and feed the tank. Jaubery Plenumn will also feed the tank but not to the same extent. Your set up sounds solid and you should have great results. I can not over emphasis the importance of GAC. It is the only thing that removes DOC from the bulk water. I do not suscribe to the EPA montra that "Dilution is the solution to pollution". The reason that I would not set up another Jaubert Plenumn is because if neglected they will becomer a problem. To maintain a Jaubert Plenumn with coarse substrate, I would recommend bristle worms, Cerith Snails, Nassarius Vibex Snail and both amphipods and copepods. The main reson that I would not set up another DSB is that there are other nutrient export mechanisms that are easier to maintain. I like 1" sandbeds with decorative macro in the display tank.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout Last edited by Subsea; 09/27/2017 at 02:31 PM. |
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09/27/2017, 09:31 AM | #247 | |
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Iron in Miracle Mud
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BJ, Some years ago, before adding Miracle Mud to a system, a good friend used a magnet and found iron particles. At the time, we thought this was a bad thing. I now add Flourish Iron to all my marine tanks. I have seen it green-up green macro algae and on my Gracilaria Hayi tumble culture it changed color from an off red to a dark burgendy in less than two days.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
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09/27/2017, 01:48 PM | #248 | |
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The vendor approach to this hobby involves more and more equipment that targets a specific area. Like most things, there are multiple/cascading effects to consider when making changes. I have found that the bacteria know what to do. Remember the margarine commercial, "It is not nice to fool Mother Nature".
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09/27/2017, 02:02 PM | #249 | |
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Lol
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Paul, I do not know if you are posting on this site anymore. If you get this message, thank you for the laugh. Patrick
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
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09/27/2017, 02:28 PM | #250 | |
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Living bacteria
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I buy a few live clams, mussels, oysters from the HEB seafood counter.They break open a sack and sell me as few or as many as I want. I usually get enough at one time to last a week. If the bi-nalve is slighly open, do not buy them.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout Last edited by Subsea; 09/30/2017 at 07:21 AM. |
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