Mojoreef's Water Treatment Methods

[mojoreef]

actually TG I havent done a vac since the gravel removal. the bags when in the sump dont ever get close to fill for the 2 days or so they are in thier. Once I forgot about the bag and left it in thier for over a week and it still wasnt full. but I would not recomend leaving it in thier it would create a bacterial trap.


Mike

[tankgirl]

Thanks Mike!!! Good info! I use 50 micron sacks and they tend to get clogged fairly fast, so I wondered about the smaller particle-size 5 micron filters. What about algae on the glass and stuff that sticks to the rocks - how do you deal with that?

[RogueCorps]

Originally posted by mojoreef
Nikki Alot of folks are always talking about fish poop and detritus being a food source and it is for sure, but if it is allowed to just sink to a plenum or dsb or to the LR it is only a food source for that and not for the things (like corals and such) that you want to feed.

Mike

Hey Mike, The things that are fed in a substraight system, as I understand it, range from bacterial, to amoebas, rotifers, nematodes, etc. and fill the range of critter sizes up to larger pods. I do believe in the "food web" idea, that you want to feed the little things, so that they can be food for larger things. I really think it's a good way to provide a variety of food sizes for many animals that we keep like very particle size specific feeding SPS. Do you feed with a plan accounting for different food sizes?

-Rogue

[Maxx]

RC,
I love it when you post on threads like this, because you always ask questions froma viewpoint that I havent even considered. Not that others don't as well, but you ALWAYS make me think in different directions than I'm accustom to. I appreciate it, please keep it up.
Nick

[tankgirl]

Hey Maxx, I forgot to mention - I love the AquaC's, they're incredible skimmers, tho' the breakin period is sometimes incredible too.

[Maxx]

Yeah, I like em too, but I have two HOB skimmers (Remoras) due to manufacturer screw up....so I was definately planning to run both of them on the 58. According to the literature, they are rated for up to a 75 gallon tank...so two should do fine. But it never hurts to dbl check.
Nick

[wildcat]

Mojoreef,

where did you get the bag adapter?

[Curtswearing]

I don't know where he got his, but I ordered mine from Here

[mojoreef]

TG

What about algae on the glass and stuff that sticks to the rocks - how do you deal with that?

No algae on the rocks or glass TG beyond corraline, and for that I use a magnet once a week.

RC

Hey Mike, The things that are fed in a substraight system, as I understand it, range from bacterial, to amoebas, rotifers, nematodes, etc. and fill the range of critter sizes up to larger pods. I do believe in the "food web" idea, that you want to feed the little things, so that they can be food for larger things. I really think it's a good way to provide a variety of food sizes for many animals that we keep like very particle size specific feeding SPS. Do you feed with a plan accounting for different food sizes?

RC I think you will find the populations of the critters you listed to be not that much, but regardless lets go with the fact, say that the DSB is thriving with them for arguement sake. Most of the critters you have listed are part of a food cycle one feeding upon the other, and this is real nice but thier is a reason that they are in the sand, it protects them from preditation. The top line preditor in the sand would be the worms and the pods (not including stars or gobies and such). So this food web is a great benefit to those topline critters but not really to your corals, now I am sure thier is a possibility that a zooplankton (which I dont believe a dsb produces) and some pods may make it up passed all the fish , and crabs and duster and worms and such and be available to a coral or anenome but I believe that to be slim to none
Regardless of all of that RC Natural food sourses such as pods, zooplankton, phytoplankton, nematodes and so on really kind of suck from a nutritional point of view. The nutritional valvue of all of these critters lies in thier meat, problem is that only about 40% to 60% of thier bodies contain the meat. Personally I perfer to replace that meat source with actual meat from a blend of shrimp, scallop, and fish meat. I blend it so that it comes out is a multitude of sizes from microscopic to fish size bits. This way when the coral and or critter uses the energy to capture the prey they are getting 100% meat and not all the shell, antenii, legs and so on.
One more point RC on the natural food source. Yu have very little control over it, it will rise in population and die off with out you having any say in it. This translates to more water quality issues. A dsb is in a constant state of flux with populations being born and dieing off, with each die off comes nutrients, great for the cycling of the bed and bad for the critter we keep that do not like nutrient ladened water. When I feed my tank and do not rely on these natural fluxes, I control the quality of the food, and how much goes in and comes out. Its like serving dinner and then cleaning up after the meal. Dont worry about the SPS they farm thier own bacteria when they need nutrients to suppliment thier carbon production.

Mike

[mojoreef]

WC that is where I got mine to, from aquatic eco systems


Mike

[Scooterman]

[tankgirl]

I've got a really good picture so far. So after the micron bag, does the tank water go to the charcoal filter for polishing a couple days a week, or to the sump?

Also, what brand of charcoal filter do you use, and how often do you change the media, please?

Finally, dumb question; what kind of algae scraper do you use? I scrub like a maniacal cartoon and still can't get coralline off without a hard plastic scraper. Is your tank glass or acrylic? Thanks!

[mojoreef]

TG the bags are right at the first chamber of the sump. the chemical filter are plumbed completely seperate, thier is a small mag 5 also in the first chamber it pumps up to a 3/4 inch line that houses all the inline probes for my octopus controller, at the end of the line thier is a couple of gate valves. one way off the gate valve is to return that water to the sump direct, close a valve and opening another changes the flow so instead of going directly to the sump it goes throught the filter and then to the sump.
For carbon I use proline. and i change it about once every 3 months based on using it for 2 days every couple of weeks.
Mostly i use a large magnet, tigershark I think, I also use a peice of acrylic for the spots that dont come off with the mag.


Mike

[tankgirl]

Great! Thanks, Mike!!
Guys always get that incredible training so they can build rocket ships out of odd stuff in their pockets. Forgive my ignorance, but you're doing a fantastic job of explaining stuff. I've managed to piece everything together, so far, except the octopus controller? What does that do?

[mojoreef]

TG a octopus is basically a computorized controler that runs all the functions of the tank (aquacontroller is another brand also). Its would take a bunch to explain it so let me just give you a couple of links

Aquacontroller
octopus

Mike