Is the New Minimalist aquascape causing issues in reefs

[sixty_reefer]

Just wondering what’s everyone thoughts on the subject, is minimalist aquascapes and the new slim towers and crazy looking structures giving us enough surface area for bacteria to live and thrive?

they do look beautiful and some times defying gravity but can they be more effective than the old big LR walls?

would the lack of surface area be helpful for dinoflagellates to thrive?

 

[Little c big D]

Just wondering what’s everyone thoughts on the subject, is minimalist aquascapes and the new slim towers and crazy looking structures giving us enough surface area for bacteria to live and thrive?

they do look beautiful and some times defying gravity but can they be more effective than the old big LR walls?

I think they use alot of things to mitigate the lack of surface area in DT by adding rock or other porous things to their sump. I do think this would add a level of difficulty with a BB tank. But you can easily make up for surface are in the sump

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

It makes no impact and if anything improves surface area in many ways. I ran two experiments in cycling and found that in larger chunks at 2 lbs per gallon cycling took longer and ammonia nitrification took longer after the 3 week mark compares with another test of 1 lb per gallon of smaller chunks and rubble. The smaller chunks cycled significantly faster and seemed to process ammonia faster after the 3 week mark.

 

[blaxsun]

I think so, yes.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

No, it shouldn’t have a noticeable effect unless there’s poor upkeep or crazy over stocking.

every single surface in your system can house the all important bacteria. On top of that, all one need do is just add some form of biomedia to their sump or back chamber.

 

[sixty_reefer]

It makes no impact and if anything improves surface area in many ways. I ran two experiments in cycling and found that in larger chunks at 2 lbs per gallon cycling took longer and ammonia nitrification took longer after the 3 week mark compares with another test of 1 lb per gallon of smaller chunks and rubble. The smaller chunks cycled significantly faster and seemed to process ammonia faster after the 3 week mark.

Not necessarily just big chunks but the amount also

 

[sixty_reefer]

No, it shouldn’t have a noticeable effect unless there’s poor upkeep or crazy over stocking.

every single surface in your system can house the all important bacteria. On top of that, all one need do is just add some form of biomedia to their sump or back chamber.

Can the bio media be as good as live rock?

 

[Onewolf]

My biggest issue with the NSA fad is the lack of fish habitat.

 

[ccole]

My biggest issue with the NSA fad is the lack of fish habitat.

I agree. I started out light on rock and added quite a bit more later. My fish seem much happier with the increased number of caves and places to hide.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Can the bio media be as good as live rock?

yup. In fact some of the ceramic media out there is even more porous than live rock.

it won’t have the biodiversity of a maricultured rock ala KP aquatics, but once bacteria has had a chance to establish itself, it’ll work just fine

 

[vtecintegra]

My biggest issue with the NSA fad is the lack of fish habitat.

Agree. NSA sucks for fish. Been saying it to myself for months while everyone raves over their NSA. Finally, BRS acknowledged it in a video yesterday. Almost every fish deserves a couple of holes or caves to sleep or hide in.

 

[X-37B]

I have a minimalist scape but not the open branch type.
I have about 80lbs of rock in my 120. I use a 7" filter sock and an oversized skimmer and thats it.
Heavy in/out.
15 fish in my 120. Lots of swimming space and enough places to sleep at night.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I don’t know about the surface area being sufficient or not , I guess it would depend on how large the structure is and the type of material. Even some rock is so solid and dense that only outer surface is active, one reason I don’t care for some of the man made rock, you can look at it and see it’s not really porous.
But like mentioned you can add rock to sump area

 

[youcallmenny1]

I just went from a chunky 'scape to a pair of liferock trees that are definitely in your minimalist category. After the cycle I can tell you that no, the filtration is just fine. It devours nutrients just the same. I do use 2 boxes of marinepur balls in the sump but I don't think that's really what's doing it.

 

[EugeneVan]

I like the minimalist aquascapes and I think my power blue and power blown tangs enjoyed it so much. Lots of open water for them to swim in my 210 gal. I also have a birdsnet coral that provide sleeping place for 7 green chromis to sleep at night.

 

[mike89t]

I have a Quarantine Tank with no Live Rock and only a sponge filter and it is running fine with zero issues.

 

[tharbin]

With today's bio-media I don't think you need to worry too much about surface area but unless you're stocking Bluefin Tuna I think you need at least one more hole/crevice/cave in your tank than you have fish.