One year of Bacteria Powered Growth

SunnyX · Jun 20, 2023

One year of growth.

Aquarium details here: https://www.reef2reef.com/showcase/reefsite-rimless-reef-4-0.464/

I post video's daily on Instagram (@Reefsite), and have multiple threads here on R2R detailing my methods.

Any questions....let me know!

-Sonny

What I dose

brandon429 · Jun 20, 2023

I've seen that growth color, rate and quality without adding extra bac though? Isn't the feed doing the growth

- excellent reef for sure

SunnyX · Jun 20, 2023

brandon429 said:
I've seen that growth color, rate and quality without adding extra bac though? Isn't the feed doing the growth

- excellent reef for sure

Yes, my reef is carbon dosed, hence, the title of the thread. Thanks for stopping by.

-Sonny

brandon429 · Jun 20, 2023

On second view, comparison between shots your rates seem much faster fill in

bump

Kfactor · Jun 20, 2023

SunnyX said:
One year of growth.

Aquarium details here: https://www.reef2reef.com/showcase/reefsite-rimless-reef-4-0.464/

I post video's daily on Instagram (@Reefsite), and have multiple threads here on R2R detailing my methods.

Any questions....let me know!

-Sonny

What I dose

thats insane!

Troylee · Jun 20, 2023

Insane tank man! Hope I’m as cool as you in a year!!! I’m trying and following your foot steps like I’ve always done! I just need to figure out a zeo reactor..

ronnie · Jun 20, 2023

Troylee said:
Insane tank man! Hope I’m as cool as you in a year!!! I’m trying and following your foot steps like I’ve always done! I just need to figure out a zeo reactor..

I hope I’m as cool as Sunny in my next lifetime lol

Kato · Jun 20, 2023

Fab tank @SunnyX. Can you post a few of your parameters? Your profile mentions dKH of your tank at 10 if I read it correctly. Wondering if that is still accurate?

I run a very similar setup also with good results. But close to natural seawater levels. I'm not using the Zeolites though. Wondering if it makes a big difference (have you tried not using it for a while?)

SunnyX · Jun 21, 2023

Kato said:
Fab tank @SunnyX. Can you post a few of your parameters? Your profile mentions dKH of your tank at 10 if I read it correctly. Wondering if that is still accurate?

I run a very similar setup also with good results. But close to natural seawater levels. I'm not using the Zeolites though. Wondering if it makes a big difference (have you tried not using it for a while?)

Hello!

I am closer to 8DKH now. 10 was good for a while, but getting and maintaining that level can be problematic in a carbon dosed system.

My PH sits around 8.2, with a target if 8.4. Temperature around 80, and specific gravity 1.026.

Unfortunately I cannot provide any other parameters as I do not test for anything additional. I monitor my DKH and adjust my dosages of AFR as needed. Perhaps one of these days I will send my water out for an ICP test, just for fun. I have never really monitored my nutrients, and played it by observation alone. If the glass/sand is becoming dirty at a faster pace then I know to increase or dial back certain things. Its not scientific, but works much better for me than chasing numbers.

-Sonny

chipchipbro · Jun 21, 2023

When would you recommend to start using NP Bacto Balance? I did now reach my target level of nutrients and wanna quit dosing Carbon by C+. Can i just switch to Bacto Balance?

Daniel@R2R · Jun 21, 2023

Beautiful reef!!

MnFish1 · Jun 21, 2023

SunnyX said:
One year of growth.

Aquarium details here: https://www.reef2reef.com/showcase/reefsite-rimless-reef-4-0.464/

I post video's daily on Instagram (@Reefsite), and have multiple threads here on R2R detailing my methods.

Any questions....let me know!

-Sonny

What I dose

One thing thats fascinating is looking at the tank after a year - the new things that are in the second picture and the old corals, etc are 'gone'. It's a very nice tank. My strong guess is that the success you're having doesn't relate as much to the supplements as you suggest. But - to each his/her own

Makara23 · Jun 21, 2023

Stunning, clean reef!

Is there a reason to constantly add bacteria daily? If bacteria has everything it needs (you're adding carbon), it should grow and self-maintain. Once it reaches equilibrium, the amount added would be the same amount dying because there's only so much resources. Is this not correct?

Troylee · Jun 21, 2023

Makara23 said:
Stunning, clean reef!

Is there a reason to constantly add bacteria daily? If bacteria has everything it needs (you're adding carbon), it should grow and self-maintain. Once it reaches equilibrium, the amount added would be the same amount dying because there's only so much resources. Is this not correct?

Heavy import, heavy export! Keeps it all fresh and clean..

Kato · Jun 21, 2023

SunnyX said:
Hello!

I am closer to 8DKH now. 10 was good for a while, but getting and maintaining that level can be problematic in a carbon dosed system.

My PH sits around 8.2, with a target if 8.4. Temperature around 80, and specific gravity 1.026.

Unfortunately I cannot provide any other parameters as I do not test for anything additional. I monitor my DKH and adjust my dosages of AFR as needed. Perhaps one of these days I will send my water out for an ICP test, just for fun. I have never really monitored my nutrients, and played it by observation alone. If the glass/sand is becoming dirty at a faster pace then I know to increase or dial back certain things. Its not scientific, but works much better for me than chasing numbers.

-Sonny

Yep makes sense, often use the same. Especially around bacto balance vs zeofood. I did do an ICP and no3 is 1 and po4 0.03-0.05. I do run a refugium as well though and that alone is a good way to measure nutritents relatively.

I know there's a lot of discussions around using Zeolite. But I'm intrigued to perhaps give it a try. Like to experiment. Very happy with my growth and colors too, but part of the fun within this hoppy is experimenting. I just have a hard time understanding why it would help scientifically (vs just having a bunch of rocks you stir daily to release whatever bacteria buildup there is. And then have a refugium to take the excess ammonia that turns into nitrate. I'm not convinced that taking out ammonia earlier in the cycle does much. But I could be wrong so I will have to try it out I think.

Seems zeolite reactor should be after skimmer.

Rest is the same here:
bacto balance
zeofood
zeobak
All for Reef
Kalkwasser
And homemade snow once in a while

PH is 8.05->8.3 over a 24h period (moved kalk to night time recently to try and not get under 8)

SunnyX · Jun 21, 2023

MnFish1 said:
One thing thats fascinating is looking at the tank after a year - the new things that are in the second picture and the old corals, etc are 'gone'. It's a very nice tank. My strong guess is that the success you're having doesn't relate as much to the supplements as you suggest. But - to each his/her own

Hello,

I only add corals to the system once, and all corals shown in the first image are present in the second. The corals have also been fragged a few times now already to shape them as required for aesthetic purposes. Your assertions that there are inconsistencies in the corals is bold and ill advised. I would expect these comments from social media and novices, but am surprised to hear it here on R2R.

Concerning my methods, they are the same as I have been employing now for decades; carbon dosed.

The only difference in this system versus past ones are the Zeolites, allowing for a steady stream of bacteria fed to the system daily. Without a doubt, this is the best growth that I have ever had with corals and I attribute it to the daily release of bacteria.

Troylee · Jun 21, 2023

SunnyX said:
Hello,

I only add corals to the system once, and all corals shown in the first image are present in the second. The corals have also been fragged a few times now already to shape them as required for aesthetic purposes. Your assertions that there are inconsistencies in the corals is bold and ill advised. I would expect these comments from social media and novices, but am surprised to hear it here on R2R.

Concerning my methods, they are the same as I have been employing now for decades; carbon dosed.

The only difference in this system versus past ones are the Zeolites, allowing for a steady stream of bacteria fed to the system daily. Without a doubt, this is the best growth that I have ever had with corals and I attribute it to the daily release of bacteria.

Which reactor are you using? So many to choose from idk what’s best lol..

MnFish1 · Jun 21, 2023

SunnyX said:
Hello,

I only add corals to the system once, and all corals shown in the first image are present in the second. The corals have also been fragged a few times now already to shape them as required for aesthetic purposes. Your assertions that there are inconsistencies in the corals is bold and ill advised. I would expect these comments from social media and novices, but am surprised to hear it here on R2R.

Concerning my methods, they are the same as I have been employing now for decades; carbon dosed.

The only difference in this system versus past ones are the Zeolites, allowing for a steady stream of bacteria fed to the system daily. Without a doubt, this is the best growth that I have ever had with corals and I attribute it to the daily release of bacteria.

LOL - bold and ill-advised? I said you had a great tank - some of the original corals have not grown as fast as the new version. It's actually pretty common for someone to start out with xxx corals - and then certain corals outcompete. IMHO - you can attribute your (obvious) success to anything you want. And I can say - as bold and ill-advised as I want to that it's amazing how some corals have out competed the others. Right?