The Bacterial “Rip Clean” Method

[Graemesreef]

I'm planning on starting with Reef Actif next week (have 2 bottles on order). Can you help me understand your dosing regimen? I'd like to mimic it in my tank.

Specifically, I'm looking for clarity on:

1. Your dose. My tank is 225g. Does this mean my "maximum" dose is 5 grams?
2. It looks like you are starting at 75% of maximum dose (1.5 grams with your max being 2 grams). Do I have that right?
3. How frequently will you dose?
4. Will you stick with the 1.5 grams or adjust at some point?

FWIW, my tank is battling cyano and a little bit (but growing) algae issue that looks to me like GHA. Again, I think it could be valuable for me to mimic what you're doing, @Subsea so we have n = 2 for this "experiment"

If I'm not crazy I broke it down as 1 gram per 44 gallons. Amount and frequency is totally up to what your striving for and how quickly.

 

[Subsea]

Three hours into light cycle on second day after half dosage protocoal started. Water clarity remains stellar and the sandbed vacuumed yesterday remains clean of nuisance algae.

Things observed during this second light cycle after first dose of 1.5 grams. I should note that I continue feeding heavy to this system. Today was 6 frozen cubes of 3 different foods, yesterday was 250 ml of phytoplankton and 2 live mussels and tomorrow will be 250ml of phytoplankton and 2 live mussels.

The Caribbean Gorgonions are flying “full polyps out” for all day and the flame scallop has feed all day
Water clarity continues to be stellar.

When lights go out, I will add 1.5 grams to system.

 

[Subsea]

I'm planning on starting with Reef Actif next week (have 2 bottles on order). Can you help me understand your dosing regimen? I'd like to mimic it in my tank.

Specifically, I'm looking for clarity on:

1. Your dose. My tank is 225g. Does this mean my "maximum" dose is 5 grams?
2. It looks like you are starting at 75% of maximum dose (1.5 grams with your max being 2 grams). Do I have that right?
3. How frequently will you dose?
4. Will you stick with the 1.5 grams or adjust at some point?

FWIW, my tank is battling cyano and a little bit (but growing) algae issue that looks to me like GHA. Again, I think it could be valuable for me to mimic what you're doing, @Subsea so we have n = 2 for this "experiment"

Yes, I am running 75% of maximum recommended dose and I dose every 2 days for simplicity., thus over time, this slightly increases system concentration of bioflock.


PS: I looked at your hammer garden video: Magnificent

 

[Subsea]

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This marks the start of documenting Reef Actif protocoal. I estimate that 120G display holds 130G of water.

This is the third day and second dose was administered. I prefer to measure dry weight with scale. I added 3g in first and second dose.

Lights on now for one hour with water clarity stellar after 5 hours since second 3 gram dose. I will soon do a better glass cleaning.

 

[Subsea]

So 6 hrs into “lights on” small cyno mat & Aptasia were vacuumed to waste along with a few beneficial spaghetti worms. Other small patches, probably diatoms, were removed from base of live rock. Completed a 7 gallon gravel vacume to waste.

So 6 hrs into “lights on” small cyno mat & Aptasia were vacuumed to waste along with a few beneficial spaghetti worms. Other small patches, probably diatoms, were removed from base of live rock. Completed a 7 gallon gravel vacume to waste.

Day 4.
Lights on 10 miinutes after second dose at 1.5 grams of bioflock

 

[sixty_reefer]

Day 4.
Lights on 10 miinutes after second dose at 1.5 grams of bioflock

Have you noticed any signs of the Cyanobacteria so far?

 

[Subsea]

Have you noticed any signs of the Cyanobacteria so far?

No increase in Cyno. Slight increase in glass film algae, but less than previous days.

Yesterday, I feed 6 cubes of frozen stuff. Today will be two live mussels and 1 cup of phytoplankton. These mussels are 4 days removed from sea food market and need to be used up. Normally, I freeze half of bag when I first purchase to maximize freshness. However, the bulk of this bag will be used to make a stock for a catfish & shrimp courtbuillion .

 

[Subsea]

Lights on now for one hour with water clarity stellar after 5 hours since second 3 gram dose. I will soon do a better glass cleaning.

This 120G display is one light cycle ahead of 75G tank On Reef Actif dosing of bioflock. This system has a MaxiJet 1000 pumping 250 GPHr into plenum with 2” aroggonite substrate. Air bubbler in display is to maximize gas exchange during lights out when both pH and oxygen are lowest. Low pH is of little concern, maximizing oxygen is the goal.

 

[Subsea]

This 120G display is one light cycle ahead of 75G tank On Reef Actif dosing of bioflock. This system has a MaxiJet 1000 pumping 250 GPHr into plenum with 2” aroggonite substrate. Air bubbler in display is to maximize gas exchange during lights out when both pH and oxygen are lowest. Low pH is of little concern, maximizing oxygen is the goal.

While I am dosing phyto in 25 year mature system, this system is on hold for phytoplankton dosing until, the system bacteria responds to bioflock. If I had grant research money, this is where a bacteria reef testing company can make this a scientific experiment. 5 year mature display

For those doing their own phyto cultures, I have found that to prevent phyto contamination, I first sterilize by boiling Aquifier water, then adding salt. Since I boil 20 minutes to disinfect, I use reef aquarium water and disinfect.

 

[Subsea]

Things observed during this second light cycle after first dose of 1.5 grams. I should note that I continue feeding heavy to this system. Today was 6 frozen cubes of 3 different foods, yesterday was 250 ml of phytoplankton and 2 live mussels and tomorrow will be 250ml of phytoplankton and 2 live mussels.

The Caribbean Gorgonions are flying “full polyps out” for all day and the flame scallop has feed all day
Water clarity continues to be stellar.

When lights go out, I will add 1.5 grams to system.

Because of evaporation contributing to low level in sump, air bubbles were pumped into tank, so I added 1G of RODI water and brought salinity slightly down to 1.027 specific gravity. I strive for 1.026 which is what the GOM is.

The Gulf of Mexico is very salty from salt deposits during early separation of continents due to plate tectonics.

 

[Subsea]

Day 4.
Lights on 10 miinutes after second dose at 1.5 grams of bioflock

Lights have been on for 6 hours with fish aggressively eating mussel juice & all of two live mussels, some was fed to 120G display.

@sixty_reefer
I will continue to treat both systems, 75G & 120G displays as in the past; balanced and well fed. Because of diversity of filter feeders at both the macro & the micro level in 25 year mature system with 75G display with 30G cryptic sponge refugium and mud filter that recycles nutrients to feed hungry mouths via the microbial loop, I will continue feeding live phytoplankton during daylight hours. I consider the live phytoplankton as one component of carbon dosing and “live food” in is both nutrients & carbon in, often requiring fish biology to complete the biochemistry.

There is a familiar storyline here with a Broadway musical, “Taming of the Shrew”. Instead of Professor Higgins lecturing an ignorant peasant girl, us scientist are feeding specific bioflock enzymes to control the system bacteria where Microbes Rule.

 

[Subsea]

To enable sustainable harvest of phytoplankton, I use boiled & sterilized display tank water, then cooled to 75 degrees. Today I removed 1 liter of phytoplankton from 4 liter jar that was 2/3 full. I added about 2 liters of sterilized salt water and 4 ml of Guillard f2 fertilizer with 7 days to next culture harvest.

PS: The last picture shows waster color 30 minutes after dosing'. In 3 hours the water clarity will be stellar.

 

[Eatfrenchfries]

I've been dosing phytoplankton and jomama juice (macroalgae juice combined with bacteria) to my systems for a few months now. Water clarity has gone up and gha is slowly being outcompeted. No more cyano or random blooms. Took the place of carbon dosing (vinegar/vodka) and PNS bacteria (home brew).

 

[sixty_reefer]

Lights have been on for 6 hours with fish aggressively eating mussel juice & all of two live mussels, some was fed to 120G display.

@sixty_reefer
I will continue to treat both systems, 75G & 120G displays as in the past; balanced and well fed. Because of diversity of filter feeders at both the macro & the micro level in 25 year mature system with 75G display with 30G cryptic sponge refugium and mud filter that recycles nutrients to feed hungry mouths via the microbial loop, I will continue feeding live phytoplankton during daylight hours. I consider the live phytoplankton as one component of carbon dosing and “live food” in is both nutrients & carbon in, often requiring fish biology to complete the biochemistry.

There is a familiar storyline here with a Broadway musical, “Taming of the Shrew”. Instead of Professor Higgins lecturing an ignorant peasant girl, us scientist are feeding specific bioflock enzymes to control the system bacteria where Microbes Rule.

Phytoplankton always has been one of my favourite way to add beneficial nutrients to the system, everything is looking good in your system. Have you noticed any downfall so far?

 

[Subsea]

Phytoplankton always has been one of my favourite way to add beneficial nutrients to the system, everything is looking good in your system. Have you noticed any downfall so far?

Everything is stellar, all at the same time.

I will also experiment in another system with using liquid seaweed as a nutrient with nitrogen. In the past, I used ammonia when needed. I presently add Guillard f2 fertilizer to phytoplankton..

 

[Subsea]

I've been dosing phytoplankton and jomama juice (macroalgae juice combined with bacteria) to my systems for a few months now. Water clarity has gone up and gha is slowly being outcompeted. No more cyano or random blooms. Took the place of carbon dosing (vinegar/vodka) and PNS bacteria (home brew).

Homemade brew: macroalgae juice combined with bacteria becomes JOMAMA JUUCE. I love it. I recently bought liquid seaweed BioXtreme.com

 

[Eatfrenchfries]

Had too much macroalgae no one wanted so I needed to find another use for it. I read about JOMAMA JUICE from a thread on R2R and tried it. Began to culture my own bacteria to mix with macroalgae exudates from my tanks to make a blend for filter feeders. Awesome way to recycle nutrients and create diversity in your tank.

 

[Subsea]

Phytoplankton always has been one of my favourite way to add beneficial nutrients to the system, everything is looking good in your system. Have you noticed any downfall so far?

No downfall that was not there before: film algae on glass and brown film on substrate, probably diatoms as ground water is full of silicates because Edwards Aquifier was an ancient inland sea that was full of diatoms. I cater to sponges in all of my mixed gardens.

 

[Subsea]

Had too much macroalgae no one wanted so I needed to find another use for it. I read about JOMAMA JUICE from a thread on R2R and tried it. Began to culture my own bacteria to mix with macroalgae exudates from my tanks to make a blend for filter feeders. Awesome way to recycle nutrients and create diversity in your tank.

If you would, please link the thread. Did the author refer to his NPS as “children of the sea”.

On another tank, I am feeding both live phytoplankton and liquid seaweed. Considering system dynamics I see all three as compatiable. Liquid seaweed feeds inorganic nutrients to algae & coral. Phytoplankton feeds invertebrates & filter feeders live nutrients absorbed from the brine during photosynthesis. Bioflock targets certain bacteria to outcompete nuisance algae.

@sixty_reefer
As I read the FB post, the author referenced enzymes in biomass of filter feeders. I find that very heartwarming because my vision is to have a filter feeder habitate mixed garden with lps & softies.

 

[Subsea]

We need to understand that this method will only reduce ammonia by reducing organic compounds that will release ammonia if they stay in the system to rot for long periods of time and slow down the growth of nuisance algae or prevent the growth of algae by introducing a effective competition method. It’s not a miracle cure is just a way to use bacteria at working efficiently without having to do much work. It’s not a just do it once and it’s all gone it’s a way of reefing.

What I so much like about nutrient management using bacteria,”it is a sustainable process, as long as the bugs are feed”, as pointed out earlier. In my case with a mature system of diverse filter feeders in place, a “RIP clean“ is undesirable. I do not want clean & sterile in these systems. Yes, I have stellar water clarity in this 25 year old system, however if you did a “bug test“, you would see the “microbial loop” which moves living organic carbon up the food chain.


If my hands on maintenance was more rigorous, I would not see GHA & diatoms.

As a Laissez faire reef keeper, I do not fret diatoms & hair algae, which in moderation are easily controlled by herbivores.