Time for a summary
One year ago I had some goals with my aquarium
Esthetical goals
I want to have a piece of the nature in my living room – technical devices – I have seen at my work for my whole life – I do not need them in sight in my living room
I´m rather pleased with the outcome after a year – still things that should be better but – yes – Check on this goal.
Biological goals
Filtration systems
The main reasons for having good filtration systems is for me to create a stable system – a system that’s allowing mistakes and based on a good bacterial base. In water, at particles, in the gravel, in the filters and so on.
I try to combine all of my experiences since I start with aquariums back in the early 70:ties.
I did want as many different system to handle the question of nutrients in so many different ways as possible. First aim was to look at the nutrients (from the food to the fishes) as resources – not as problems. But there must always be some safety with all systems – and sometimes – failsafe.
I have at least 8 different pathways to handle the nutrient input in the system
Production pathways
1. Corals of different types
2. Benthic microalgae as food for different grazers like snails, hermit crabs, fish, crabs and prawns
3. Bacteria – production of bacteria (including both autotrophs and heterotrophs). The autotrophs will be grown automatically because of nitrification – the heterotrophs by adding organic carbon (vodka, sugar and vinegar) the bacteria is food for corals, sponges and other organism that filtrate the water
4. Macro algae for nutrient export
Export - chemical, biological and technical
1. Take away phosphate through GFO or Al based pathways
2. Denitrification through a reversed flow DSB
3. Skimming through a skimmer
4. Oxidation through peroxide dosed by an Oxidator (for take away complexed organic yellowing compounds)
This complexed systems will for sure create one problem with time – lack of nitrogen – especially through the macros and denitrification. Of that reason I have been aware that the whole system will be driven by adding nitrate sooner or later. I think that I am at that point for the moment.
Yesterday I discover that I had zero in nitrate – caused of a dosing pump that had clogging. Around 21:00 I measured 0.13 ppm PO4 and 0 ppm NO3. I add some NO3 and one hour later I measured 12-14 ppm NO3. This morning (before the light of the DT was on but the reversed refugium with macros had light at this moment) I measured 0.06 ppm in PO4 and around 5-6 ppm as NO3. I have seen this before – when I read higher PO4 – adding NO3 will take it down.
As it is now – my DSB may not be necessary but I have some other goals with it and I´ll try to do some changes this fall. I want it to work like a not so effective lime reactor through adding carbon dioxide in the bottom. I want also to add CO2 in order to give the zooxanthella’s extra carbon during the light period and that the macros get some during night (and their light period)
My goals is also to stop using GFO and things like that and to stop skimming.
The last is more or less impossible without introduce some other equipment for gas exchange or – as I have done from today – just take away the skimmer cup and let the skimmer just work as an effective gas exchanger and as an simple but effective aerator
Organisms
1. Goal – plenty of sponges – check
2. Goal – plenty of other filtration organism – half check
3. Goal – variation of snails – own production of them – check
4. Goal – plenty of different hermits, crabs and shrimps – check
5. Goal – to have sand living sea stars to survive for a prolonged period – check
6. Goal – To have a production of pods – check
7. Goal – To introduce some dream species of fish – half check – one is still missing – Sunburst anthias
8. Goal – to have sea cucumber to survive and grow – check
9. Goal – to have non zooxanthella corals to thrive – not achieved. Have plans for how.
10. Goal – to have such a interesting system that I feel like I see something new every day – on its way
11. Goal – to have flatbed growing corals like montipora to thrive – check
12. Goal – at least have some colored pins (my name of some SPS like stagghorn

) to survive – check
13. Goal – to have a good mix of corals and let them fight for their places by them self – check
A long answer to a short question – but yes – I´m satisfied with the outcome after one year.
However – the growth is still not as good as I want and some corals do not grow at all. I have still problems and tasks to solve.
Sincerely Lasse