Ep12: Finally the 4-month cycle explained! | BRS/WWC System

[Acros]

Edit I misread question seems like your current balance will build up the support network nicely.

fritz had you quick cycled all set

Yes. I was wondering if I was doing everything right for the 4 month longer cycle that will ‘mature’ my tank to support corals.

 

[brandon429]

yes as I read the BRS method you are supporting bioslicks and early phasing of organisms that come and go but without all the coral in the way, allows basic hand-guiding if things start to build up and it also preps your surfaces for the films and biological signatures that cause corals to implant on rocks.


if I had just one tweak it would be this

go to someone's reef tank that has coralline on the back wall, tell them you're commandeering it and up-scrape with a razor and catch a bunch of flecks and put them in a baggie and if some limpets and a starfish ride in, so be it.

put the coralline portion of the scrapes in a blender of saltwater and drizzle up some coralline slurry and add that now, then keep waiting. if you got some limpets in the scrape/right to the tank lol

or that helix coralline in a bottle prob same thing/but id take the scrape by hand over that + pulverization.

also, next level: buy a bag of wiggling real true refugium pods and add those in as well.


not the kind that says pods for sale! and then you get a bag of water and the pods are the size of water bears / have to trust theyre in there.

im talking wiggling gammarids, stuff of nightmares by the thousands. size of baby rolly-pollies, clearly visible

those

 

[Acros]

yes as I read the BRS method you are supporting bioslicks and early phasing of organisms that come and go but without all the coral in the way, allows basic hand-guiding if things start to build up and it also preps your surfaces for the films and biological signatures that cause corals to implant on rocks.


if I had just one tweak it would be this

go to someone's reef tank that has coralline on the back wall, tell them you're commandeering it and up-scrape with a razor and catch a bunch of flecks and put them in a baggie and if some limpets and a starfish ride in, so be it.

put the coralline portion of the scrapes in a blender of saltwater and drizzle up some coralline slurry and add that now, then keep waiting. if you got some limpets in the scrape/right to the tank lol

or that helix coralline in a bottle prob same thing/but id take the scrape by hand over that + pulverization.

also, next level: buy a bag of wiggling real true refugium pods and add those in as well.


not the kind that says pods for sale! and then you get a bag of water and the pods are the size of water bears / have to trust theyre in there.

im talking wiggling gammarids, stuff of nightmares by the thousands. size of baby rolly-pollies, clearly visible

those

Thank you for the long reply.

I am planning to add coraline algae soon (maybe this weekend or next).

Does it matter if I add the pods to the display tank or the refugium? Should I feed them phyto or will they consume existing nutrients in the tank?

 

[brandon429]

they are active feeders and scroungers. a little fish food w help them the best, Id add to the display first/place we dont want to see dinos the most. running this BRS method for sure helps align your tank against invasive dinoflagellates, the scourge affecting about 60% of all new tank setups that skip this several mos bioslick biodiversity prep. it was a good idea they had, should save lots of reefs from startover losses and waste.

phyto would not be as helpful to them, sinking meatier fare would be. phyto isn't indicated this early on we should wait till some mouths are in there to capture it from currents. just my opinion on that one