Good poll question Daniel, I'd add one caveat. I'd would agree that “... we don't keep fish/corals; we keep water;” however, it seems as if we are kept occupied by water. The export list and chores involved would seem to support this.
1)
So how many different types of nutrient export are you using?
13 = 3 human + 2 mechanical + 3 biological + 2 chemical + 2 unintended
2)
How is this working out for you?
So far, so good, we are still aquarists and not insane …. I think ….. However, we are always learning and astounded at what we do not know …..
Export for my son's 20 gallon long breaks down this way :
Human export:
1.
Water Changes – 10% bi-weekly
2.
Pump & Reactor Cleaning – Every 2 months first with citrate for calcium deposits and the H2O2 for algae
3.
Glass Cleaning – Beyond scraping, the lid is cleaned weekly with citrate for calcium deposits.
Mechanical:
4.
Sponges – Three different pore sizes of sponges remove detritus and excess food in canister filter.
5.
Floss – Floss in a reactor and the canister filter removes water borne algae, detritus and excess food.
Biological:
6.
Sand substrate – Aragonite sand with beneficial bacteria (started at 4” however the fish rearrange it to 2-5”)
7.
Media – Mostly Biohome Ultimate with some Biohome BioGravel
8.
Plants – 7 mangroves and 2 pathos
Chemical:
9.
Lanthanum chloride (Tropic Marin Elimi-Phos Rapid) – Used for phosphate spikes at 0.5 ml/week in the canister filter before the reactor. This allows the precipitate to be filtered out in the canister filter or reactor.
10.
Granular Ferric Oxide (GFO) – Used weekly in a reactor with carbon to lower phosphate.
11.
BRS Bulk Premium ROX or bituminous carbon – Used weekly in a reactor with GFO to remove organics.
Unintended Export Methods:
12.
Algae – Green algae consumes the system's left over nutrients. It is unfortunately great at that ! Like a nagging voice, it reminds me that something in the tank is out of balance.
13.
Snails – These invaders hitchhiked into our home from plants for a freshwater aquarium and decided to join the salty tank for meals. They consume nutrients 2 ways. First, they consume the nitrogen nutrients in the water column. Second, they consume algae.
This list would seem to imply I am a major player in the import & export business. However, much like James Bond and the British Secret Service's "Universal Exports," it is all just a cover. Bond just wanted to enjoy the beach in the Bahamas with the beautiful girl. We're in it for the corals.
That is my story, and I'm stick'n to it,
Jim
