Explain why Roberto can break the SPS rules and succeed?

[Graffiti Spot]

Read this article: https://fragbox.ca/secret-keeping-acropora-sps/

I think it pretty much SPS keeping. Let me know your thoughts.

The list of “easy acropora” is filled with corals that are not acropora, except for yongei. The intermediate acropora includes abros, which is a very difficult acropora to keep ime

But on topic, I have loved robertos tanks and threads ever since I can remember. I have never seen anyone keep such a clean tank so well. It’s certainly a statement of his patience and knowledge of hard corals needs. I have never seen him have coral issues or death problems. Just growth until he decides to try something new. Every tank of his was very different but each was done using his same methods. This is kind of a rare thing, most reefers like to try new things on each tank.
I dont think he is trying to keep any secrets from anyone or doing much of anything “behind the scenes”. People ran away from keeping corals like he does years ago which is a shame. I really don’t enjoy the dark colors people keep these days as much. He has given everyone the info on how he starts his tanks and I just think it takes patience time which a lot of people don’t have when starting a tank, experienced or not.

Either way I am ready for an update on his tank and am ready to get back to keeping some acropora myself again soon.

 

[LRT]

I love this thread. Idk why ideas in these successful out of the box thinking reef tanks aren't explored more honestly. The pros handed down a really great set of rules and param guidelines for us all to follow. When followed to best of our ability and stability is achieved its almost possible to be unsuccessful with reefing. Theres no saying we can't look at the rules and bend or tweak certain things to fit our particular reefing needs. Theres no saying any reefer can't take those same successful ideas and apply to own reefs across the board. For the life of me I cant understand why most peeps want to stay stuck in caveman mode and regurgitating same old stuff that has most reefers stuck with tanks full of algae and dinos when they should be full of healthy thriving corals as fast as the nature of our reefs allow.
Thank reefer gods for brs and the instastock tanks. Thank reefer gods for Roberto to show us it can be done with sticks. Both my main sources for inspiration for my current success and just glad there are folks showing it is possible to achieve what most consider impossible in this hobby.

 

[Ashy]

My theory is getting the corals in early is key, the dinoflagulates living in the corals will outcompete other algaes and dinos before they can take hold.

 

[jda]

After reading through his thread more (been a while) and seeing his responses here, my opinion has only slightly changed. First, he is smart, experienced and works hard. Second, he understand the real rules and follows them - chemistry and biology are pretty set in our lifetimes. The title about him breaking all of the rules are the non-real rules mostly from YouTube videos, infomercials and message board mobs might get broken, but those are not good rules anyway (usually).

If anybody wants take aways, I would offer this: get your eyes and hands on the tank as much as possible. I don't mean to put your hands in the tank all of the time literally, but pay attention, take notes and learn things. Automating and getting your eyes and hands off of your tank, especially when you are learning, is not smart, IMO. Second, read all of the older ReefKeeping, Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley and whatever articles that you can - learn the biology and chemistry of how things actually work.

 

[LRT]

After reading through his thread more (been a while) and seeing his responses here, my opinion has only slightly changed. First, he is smart, experienced and works hard. Second, he understand the real rules and follows them - chemistry and biology are pretty set in our lifetimes. The title about him breaking all of the rules are the non-real rules mostly from YouTube videos, infomercials and message board mobs might get broken, but those are not good rules anyway (usually).

If anybody wants take aways, I would offer this: get your eyes and hands on the tank as much as possible. I don't mean to put your hands in the tank all of the time literally, but pay attention, take notes and learn things. Automating and getting your eyes and hands off of your tank, especially when you are learning, is not smart, IMO. Second, read all of the older ReefKeeping, Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley and whatever articles that you can - learn the biology and chemistry of how things actually work.

This post made me think. Yes some of the most successful, out of the box reefs ive seen come from super seasoned, experienced hard working individuals that I can search back many years. Its even further beyond me now thinking about it in same way. Why on reefing earth are we scared to give out of box guidance to reefers when some of the most seasoned reefers have been refining and breaking all the old dinosaur reefing rules with extraordinary success.

 

[jda]

...but they haven't been breaking the dinosaur rules - hate that term, but let's use it. Most of the most successful reefs are 90% similar than different and nearly all of them use the dinosaur methods. I think that to most people, the thinking of the paradigm is reversed and they don't know that those dinosaur methods are really just a baseline to success - chemistry, biology and some physics.

This reef is mostly a dinosaur reef. Experience, patience, hands-on, fuge, T5s (at least for something), heavy import, heavy export, low residual building blocks. All old school techniques that have NEVER stopped working and are mostly unbeaten, or at least a dynasty. I don't see anything here that is bleeding edge or anything... and I don't seem him talking something away from nature to manage on his own.

 

[LRT]

...but they haven't been breaking the dinosaur rules - hate that term, but let's use it. Most of the most successful reefs are 90% similar than different and nearly all of them use the dinosaur methods. I think that to most people, the thinking of the paradigm is reversed and they don't know that those dinosaur methods are really just a baseline to success - chemistry, biology and some physics.

This reef is mostly a dinosaur reef. Experience, patience, hands-on, fuge, T5s (at least for something), heavy import, heavy export, low residual building blocks. All old school techniques that have NEVER stopped working and are mostly unbeaten, or at least a dynasty. I don't see anything here that is bleeding edge or anything... and I don't seem him talking something away from nature to manage on his own.

Right on i was reffering to the more set up tank, let sit forever cycled and ready for livestock but only to allow tank to be overgrown with algae and dinos within a few months.
Because that's the safe approach and most commonly suggested course of action especially from the old dinosaurs around here.
Agreed. I see a supremely fine tuned, dialed system from a man that obviously has it all put together. Also 100% agree that its not rocket science and the fundamentals have been followed to the T. Basic fundamentals the old school guys passed down at that.

 

[Muffin87]

No silicate load, no ugly phase.

I don't think what people call "the ugly phase" is limited to diatoms. Actually I think diatoms are the least of the problems. GHA and such are generally the biggest annoyances

 

[Rmckoy]

Feed heavy and export heavy ?
Calculate what’s going in and export that to maintain stability

 

[Reef and Dive]

I don't think what people call "the ugly phase" is limited to diatoms. Actually I think diatoms are the least of the problems. GHA and such are generally the biggest annoyances

Well… that’s just about what people call “ugly phase”.

If we are talking about the brown bloom that occurs around 2-4 weeks after the tank start and goes away on it’s own this is definitely a diatom bloom microscopically confirmed.

If the bloom of algae and cyano that often happens over the next months, then ok, but to me they are not at all so frequent.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Methods like Roberto's are providing clues to a very good way to populate a new system. Everybody can take from it what they will. Personally, I see the benefit of strategically populating a new tank with a balance of nutrient users and producers of my selection rather than waiting for nature to provide random users after nutrients become elevated. I would certainly consider his process if I were starting a new build.

 

[Miami Reef]

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[Miami Reef]

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[Midrats]

And not a snail in sight!

 

[ReefGeezer]

I’m starting a new SPS tank soon, and I’m already inspired about how I’m going to handle it. I am young, but I planning on using the dinosaur methods (T5, NSW levels). 50% coral plus 50% blue plus.

The worst thing (IMO) is steering away from NSW levels. That’s that corals adapted to and they will likely not die by replicating the ocean. Also learn from why corals are bleaching these days and DONT do it to your acros. I think I read online that high temps and high c02 are the main reasons for coral bleaching?

The tasks Roberto and others perform are not rocket science but the understanding it takes to implements them is close to that. The establishment of nutrient control has been the focus of this thread, but it is really the easy part. Establishing and maintaining the required stability in a new system takes a real understanding of what is happening and a lot of work.

 

[flagg37]

In all likelihood, he's just troll'n y'all. It's all a ruse; he just photoshopped the whole thing and says that everything is perfect.

Come to think of it, was he the one that said his skimmate smelled like perfume? Even if it wasn't him, I'm sure if you asked him it would.

 

[Muffin87]

If the bloom of algae and cyano that often happens over the next months, then ok, but to me they are not at all so frequent.

People don't share them because they're afraid of algae-shaming XD

 

[Cory]

I guess this throws the "keep your hands out of the tank" rule then?

 

[brahm]

In all likelihood, he's just troll'n y'all. It's all a ruse; he just photoshopped the whole thing and says that everything is perfect.

Come to think of it, was he the one that said his skimmate smelled like perfume? Even if it wasn't him, I'm sure if you asked him it would.

Ha it’s funny you say that but he does do things to make his tank pop in photos, ie remove power heads, really clean things up which you’ll see in his candid photos. Why not though trying to make things appear really clean? Kudos to him for putting in that effort! I wish I had done more of that a lot of my old tank photos were so dirty and never really did my tank justice.

I agree folks keeps saying he broke the rules seems guys like me and other folks who have been at it for a while and never really stuck to simply accepting things, are sitting here going noooit’s really odd that reefing has been on this wonky little trend lately and then somebody shows an example of the norm and people are like what’s that mind blowing!

His tank isn’t a heavy in heavy out tank, it’s a feed bareeely enough tank which is why the colours are pastel.

One thing that comes with experience is an eye for detail within your own tank, being able to look at your specific coral sps and recognize when the pe is a little off, or the skin looks a little tight or maybe the colours shifted a bit. having had dealt with similar things enough time to recognize it, and know when you need to intervene or when to leave it alone.

The other day I was looking at this super fuzzy green milli I have compared to all my other Millis it’s waaay hairer, to anyone one else it would have looked happy relative to all the other similar corals. but, I know when I was able to see a tiny bit more of the skin then usual so..I basted it and poof a aefw flies off . No bites yet, no discoloration, no other tale tale signs. Or, I had another milli that was a bit pale relative to normal basted it, dipped it no aefw, that means I need to look at what and where in my tank I’ve been feeding. This Milli is more sensitive or maybe not in the best spot to capture food. (Eventually I’m going to add some pumps perpendicular to my current ones to resolve this) so I changed that up and shortly after it starts to get deeper colours.

Stuff like that comes with time, for some people faster than others. I was on the slower side, I had get to a point where I stopped districting myself with shiny things and find a set of husbandry guidelines that matched my attention span and effort level commitments

 

[jcolliii]

Discipline. And BB probably helps against the uglies.