New School Reefing and what your doing?

[scfurse77]

Just wondering what the you guys and girls doing for water quality in your tanks. I know that I've been told i am doing a lot of Old school things and need to stop reading stuff that people have been doing for 20 years. So I'm curious what everyone is doing these days and what makes there mixed reef aquarium the happiest.

Examples: Refugium yes or no?

What are you putting in your reactors? Carbon, Bio Pellets, Purigen, GFO etc..

Are you dosing any other products like iodine or any other trace elements?

Also curious of people cycle rates. I think most people say around 20 GPH for every gallon. So with a 50 gallon tank you want to push about 1000 GPH through your return pump. Is this new school???

 

[scardall]

I'm an old school person who uses Newer Technology as well. The basics have not changed, just how they are done. You'll still have similar type of different opinions expressed. 1) Refug-not new (yes-no= opinion) 2)(2 reactors) High grade Carbon (BRS) and GFO (high grade GFO or Rowas) BRS BRS= Bulk Reef Supply, a source. 3) Dosing products is up to you. For me alk,Ca,NO3PO4 X and maybe Mag./ trace elements if you want 4) what ever the rule of thumb is. I would guess it was 10 times you tank volume. 5) I use many pumps to get the proper flow for what I have in my Tank. I have been doing this for over 20 years. here's a part of my tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just wondering what the you guys and girls doing for water quality in your tanks. I know that I've been told i am doing a lot of Old school things and need to stop reading stuff that people have been doing for 20 years. So I'm curious what everyone is doing these days and what makes there mixed reef aquarium the happiest.

Examples: Refugium yes or no?

What are you putting in your reactors? Carbon, Bio Pellets, Purigen, GFO etc..

Are you dosing any other products like iodine or any other trace elements?

Also curious of people cycle rates. I think most people say around 20 GPH for every gallon. So with a 50 gallon tank you want to push about 1000 GPH through your return pump. Is this new school???

You are going to get as many different answers as their are reefers. A few techniques have mostly faded away (e.g., carbon denitrators) and some have become a lot more common (organic carbon dosing direct to the aquarium, for example).

IMO iodine and strontium have come and gone in popularity and I wouldn't dose them.

 

[scfurse77]

I understand there will be a lot of different answers and that's what i want.

 

[reeferfoxx]

This is a broad question that is subject to opinion. However, cleaning the sand bed comes to mind. Other than that, some members have been reefing since stonehenge was created. Best to get there advice. Some techniques they use, still might be used, however.

 

[scfurse77]

This is a broad question that is subject to opinion. However, cleaning the sand bed comes to mind. Other than that, some members have been reefing since stonehenge was created. Best to get there advice. Some techniques they use, still might be used, however.

Yeah that's a good point and i understand it's very broad and subject to a lot of different opinions. I'm just wondering what people's new techniques are maybe in the last 5 years. The more opinions the better.

But for example say your 35 years old and you started reefing at 25 years old and have had the same tank since then. And you had the opportunity to start fresh and get updated equipment. What would you do different now than what you would have done 10 years ago. Or even just 5 years ago??

 

[reeferfoxx]

Yeah that's a good point and i understand it's very broad and subject to a lot of different opinions. I'm just wondering what people's new techniques are maybe in the last 5 years. The more opinions the better.

But for example say your 35 years old and you started reefing at 25 years old and have had the same tank since then. And you had the opportunity to start fresh and get updated equipment. What would you do different now than what you would have done 10 years ago. Or even just 5 years ago??

I can't speak for experienced reefers as I've been in the saltwater hobby for less than 2 years now. Based on your new question, lighting comes to mind. The use of LEDs vs Metal halide or T5 for example, is growing exponentially.

 

[jason2459]

What's old is new...


I go with a combo

Carbon dosing with vinegar/vodka (tmz ratio) to reduce nitrates and maintain low phosphates

Skimmer to help remove excess bacteria exporting what they've consumed and anything else that attaches to the bubbles and provide aeration.

Very small amounts of ozone for a tiny zap that seems to help skimming (to much and it seems to hinder it among other potential issues). GAC as a precaution.

Some kind of algae harvesting to work with the carbon dosing to remove unwanted elements and nutrients. Currently running a Turbo ATS.

Reversed Under gravel filter to increase microfauna, pods, worms, sponges, etc plus it may help reduce nitrates.

A periodic (1-2x per year) typhoon with a diatom filter.

~1% daily automatic water changes (AWC) exporting whatever and importing stuff.

Limewater separate from ATO now that has stabilized alk lower and pH higher.

Add tiny amount of Mg to AWC saltmix.

 

[scfurse77]

What's old is new...


Thanks Jason! this is exactly what I am looking for. Great info!

 

[jason2459]

There's lots of methods out there and each has someone that has been successful using it.

Consistency in what you do is most important.

 

[iLLwiLL]

I've been looking into aqua forest recently. Seems like its a simplified hybrid zeovit/2 part ... Randy, do you have any thoughts on their products?

 

[trickyrich]

No sand bed is gaining popularity I have been bb from day one couldn't be happier

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've been looking into aqua forest recently. Seems like its a simplified hybrid zeovit/2 part ... Randy, do you have any thoughts on their products?

Sorry, no, I do not know much about it.

 

[zoomonster]

Since stonehenge? Hell I designed it

I've been in hobby 25+ years and to me its about simplicity via automation and reducing unnecessary operating expenses with a future goal of a nearly self maintaining tank. I still use a 3-4"sand bed, refugium, lots of rock and ozone but most else above and below has changed. I run a calcium reactor and kalk mixer (via ATO) combo that takes care of calcium, magnesium, strontium and alkalinity and maintains a steady 8.2-8.35 PH range with it. 10# Co2 lasts me at least 6 months, Caribsea reactor media mixed with KZ magnesium lasts close to a year and all are reasonably priced. The Kalk mix is very cheap and I don't have to constantly be forking out cash for 2|3 parts or some other additives. IMO dosers and just about anything that needs to be dosed are obsolete but remain a lower cost startup while costing more long term. Vodka/vinegar dosing would likely be the exception but for the price of most good dosers you could buy a biopellet reactor. I'm sorry but if your dosing nitrate/phosphate somethings wrong. People go to extremes to eliminate the two and then have to add it back. Try feeding your fish and corals more.

In the process of going to a recirculating bio pellet reactor that will eliminate all sorts of things I've tried like carbon dosing, Aquaforest pro bio s, GFO etc. Years ago I even built and used a homemade carbon denitrator. The only real maintenance cost is occasionally adding more pellets as they wear. Nitrate and to a lesser extent phosphate has been my nemesis since my first tank. I've always used GAC but eliminated it mostly trying to heal a tang with HLLE and prevent it in others. Eventually I may go back to GAC using a high quality pelletized carbon.

Manufacturers and businesses love all the high markup "systems", additives, snake oil and other boutique items to keep you constantly spending money on consumables. I may keep a few things on hand but really you should not need much more than salt, amino's if you have SPS, some sort of coral vitamin additive and maybe a trace element product (water changes should handle that if you change water enough or use AWC). I'm now using Aquaforest aminos, coral V and I use Pohls coral vitalizer. I've tried a couple other AQ products and they won't be continued. If you hadn't noticed overpriced KZ is striking back at AF with 25% off products at least at BRS who does not sell AF.

As far as fish a few meds, variety of frozen/flake/pellet/nori/live food, selcon, garlic and some dried plankton mixes enjoyed by fish and corals alike.

For skimmers (that some will argue are not necessary) all I'll say is that things are SO much better now than my first which was a Saunders airstone driven skimmer and later with a Saunders ozone unit that always broke. Some of the others I used later like red sea etc. were not much better. Current is a Ozotech that has been in use 2+ years now w/o issue.

For flow less return flow (~5x) and more in tank flow via power heads. For a 200g I'm running a 1585gph Waveline DC6000 at about 90% power and my current reactor and CaRx are fed by it via manifold. Had mine running 24x7 2+ years now and no issue. The newer ones they really screwed up. One of the most burdensome tasks I did years ago was manual topoff. A good ATO made tanks so much less work and added stability.

Lighting ugh... I've used everything from regular fluorescent, HO, PC, VHO, T5, MH and LED and I still don't know what I want. I started this tank about 2 years ago with a new 6ft MH/T5 and it was great as it had been on previous tanks. This time around new issues related to heat and power in my new house so I switched to 5x Kessil A360WE's. It solved the issues and lowered my E bill but not really all that happy with coral color/growth. I've been pondering resolving the MH issues and to going back to my old fixture or maybe even a new one. IMO I think the hybrid's with T5/LED are the future but not sure the LED setups in the units available are there yet and aren't controller friendly. Like with my MP40's LED's offer the modern feat of being fully controllable and having programs that do different things at different times of day.

Good controller with redundancy for critical systems like heat and ATO! All I'll say is I've only ever owned Neptune from Aquacontroller II on.

 

[scfurse77]

Thanks zoomonster. Awesome info.

 

[scfurse77]

I'm an old school person who uses Newer Technology as well. The basics have not changed, just how they are done. You'll still have similar type of different opinions expressed. 1) Refug-not new (yes-no= opinion) 2)(2 reactors) High grade Carbon (BRS) and GFO (high grade GFO or Rowas) BRS BRS= Bulk Reef Supply, a source. 3) Dosing products is up to you. For me alk,Ca,NO3PO4 X and maybe Mag./ trace elements if you want 4) what ever the rule of thumb is. I would guess it was 10 times you tank volume. 5) I use many pumps to get the proper flow for what I have in my Tank. I have been doing this for over 20 years. here's a part of my tank.

Just curious you say you use a reactor for GFO and your also dosing NO3PO4. Shouldn't dosing the NO3PO4 take the need for the GFO reactor away? Or is the NO3PO4 mainly for nitrates?

 

[jason2459]

Just curious you say you use a reactor for GFO and your also dosing NO3PO4. Shouldn't dosing the NO3PO4 take the need for the GFO reactor away? Or is the NO3PO4 mainly for nitrates?

Any kind of carbon dosing, which is what redsea's nopox is, will weigh more towards reducing nitrates compared to phosphates. As bacteria, or all life that we know of, grow they mainly consume some type of C:N: P then trace amounts of other elements. Some refer to redfeild's ratio but that ratio can vary.

So, yes some people will still need some form of phosphate reduction and GFO is a relatively safe and effective way to do that. There are other ways as well.

 

[Nano sapiens]

IMO, 'New' does not necessary equate to 'better'. One can find outstanding examples of reef aquariums using 'original' methods as well as 'modern' methods. Simply a matter of choice.

Biology hasn't changed just because it's 2016 instead of 1996. What has changed is that we understand biological and chemical processes in more detail than we used to.