Au Natural or Controlled Dose Cycling?

[LRT]

I've tried it both ways now but really digging the benefits(0 ugly stage) and total control of dosing chemicals.

Opened up to total control dosing freaks. I guess I fall into this category

Whats your take?

 

[terraincognita]

Are you talking about initial set up? Or in reference to what?

 

[LRT]

Are you talking about initial set up? Or in reference to what?

Cycling new tanks in particular.
Although since ive taken the controlled dosing approach I have stopped feeding the "tank" and concentrated fully on feeding "livestock" instead and continued to dose what is needed on top of that.

 

[LRT]

I'll get right into what gave me the idea for this in first place.
I recently upgraded my system and built 2 new identical tanks using rock from old healthy system.
In one (Tank 1).

Totally stocked with 3 fish and over 100 corals after 24hrs. Ammonia was gone so went for it.
I dosed Nitrates, Phosphates, Alk, Cal, Mag to keep params in constant check and locked in to old mature system params.
In the other(Tank 2)

I did nothing at all. Fed the tank and minimal livestock. 2 fish, bunch of cuc and some corals. Never again will I take that approach of allowing "nature" to take its course. I had nothing but issues in tank 2 with Phosphates bottoming out, dinos, turf algae you name it I didn't even check params for a cpl months.
Anyhow I deep cleaned Tank 2 not to long ago. Dosed Phosphates, keeping Alk constant. PH has stabilized and ugly phase has pretty much gone away with total control and dosing

 

[terraincognita]

I'll get right into what gave me the idea for this in first place.
I recently upgraded my system and built 2 new identical tanks using rock from old healthy system.
In one (Tank 1).

Totally stocked with 3 fish and over 100 corals after 24hrs. Ammonia was gone so went for it.
I dosed Nitrates, Phosphates, Alk, Cal, Mag to keep params in constant check and locked in to old mature system params.
In the other(Tank 2)

I did nothing at all. Fed the tank and minimal livestock. 2 fish, bunch of cuc and some corals. Never again will I take that approach of allowing "nature" to take its course. I had nothing but issues in tank 2 with Phosphates bottoming out, dinos, turf algae you name it I didn't even check params for a cpl months.
Anyhow I deep cleaned Tank 2 not to long ago. Dosed Phosphates, keeping Alk constant. PH has stabilized and ugly phase has pretty much gone away with total control and dosing

Great post honestly. Shows success in instant tank transfer.

I'm still working out how to put in words for others why this works 100% of the time if done right. You have to understand the concept of a "Reef Ecosystem", in order to get this.

But ultimately, if you have an established reef, you can transfer that reef with 100% success (if done right) into any old box with 4 sides that will hold water (and not have an effect on your parameters).

It's about not creating chain reactions in your activities of transferring and overly disturbing the natural established biome and ecosystem.

Anyway, there's so much to it, but pictures are worth thousands of words, if you can just show pictures of I did this, and this and this and this and then this. People can see "oh it works" without having to explain why or what. You can prove a point.

The problem always will remain however is then someone who does not understand enough of the "why and what" then trys to execute the "same thing" and completely botches it and then says "it didn't work"

Anyway. Rambling on. Glad you were successful, now you have another notch on your belt and better understanding.

just a quick tag to @brandon429 since I know he'll give you praise as well, and any thread's that help people start getting a better understanding about the deep complexities of reef biome is a worthwhile thread to me.

 

[LRT]

Great post honestly. Shows success in instant tank transfer.

I'm still working out how to put in words for others why this works 100% of the time if done right. You have to understand the concept of a "Reef Ecosystem", in order to get this.

But ultimately, if you have an established reef, you can transfer that reef with 100% success (if done right) into any old box with 4 sides that will hold water (and not have an effect on your parameters).

It's about not creating chain reactions in your activities of transferring and overly disturbing the natural established biome and ecosystem.

Anyway, there's so much to it, but pictures are worth thousands of words, if you can just show pictures of I did this, and this and this and this and then this. People can see "oh it works" without having to explain why or what. But then the problem is if you don't understand enough of the "why and what" then you can try to execute the "same thing" and completely botch it and then say "it didn't work"

Anyway. Rambling on. Glad you were successful, now you have another notch on your belt and better understanding.

just a quick tag to @brandon429 since I know he'll give you praise as well, and any thread's that help people start getting a better understanding about the deep complexities of reef biome is a worthwhile thread to me.

Thank you honestly I was just looking at your move thread and posted there with all of what I just did in mind!
To be totally honest its been super simple with tank 1
Dosing Alk started on Day 2.
Cal and Mag should have started at same time but I waited and by day 10 had already used 70 cal and 110 mag.
Nitrates and Phosphates had to stay locked in as close as possible.
Had a few wierd PH swings but don't think I would have experienced any of that had I been regularly dosing everything on day 2 or 3 or when it was needed.
Once params stabilized and balanced in to old system params its pretty much been on coast.
Currently going through the motions with tank 2. Wish I would have done it from start!
BTW if it wasn't for @brandon429 persistent cycling threads and pictures as well as brs confirming the possibility with there 48hr instacycle tank. I may not have tried it.
You most def can't say you can't when its been done.