Thanks Bill!
Thanks for chiming in Paul! I've read through alot of the thread on your tank, and your input is welcome (as I'm sure Bill will agree!)
I'll caveat everything I'm about to say with the fact that my 90 gallon tank is my experiment. Has been running for about a year now with a shallow sand bed, about 130 lbs of live rock from at least 3 separate different sources (some of which was as much as 3 years in an existing tank) an undersized skimmer (corallife CS125), no mechanical filtration, no GAC (I only run the GAC through a reactor for a few days when I clean the skimmer because it takes about a week for the skimmer to fully come back on line, it may not do anything, but it makes me feel better) and LED Tube lights. I do run a sump, but the only thing in the fuge area is some rock rubble on a small sand mound for possible pod population and to break the "fall" of the water through that chamber as it flows, no light. I don't dose anything, I do use RO/DI water, and I do water changes about 20% per month with reef crystals and ro/di water.
I think its important to note here, that as it pertains to Jake Adams' workshop, he did suggest varrying the "current", ie: moving the pumps from one side to another, or potentially having "quiet times" as well.
He also was a strong proponent of "storming" the tank. Which i agree with and have been doing for sometime, not to the extent of the diatom filter (which I read about in your reef central posts) but I have taken a powerhead to the tank.
As for feeding, I dont target feed, but I do "feed the tank" with the pumps on. I guess my logic has always been "the sea doesn't turn off at feeding time" but I see your point about corals feeding at "quiet times" with extended polyps, and that makes a great deal of sense. I think I am going to try moving one of the powerheads to the same timered circuit as my lights so that the tank "quiets down" at night. What do you think?
I don't think that the circulation will eliminate the cyano or the algae. What I do think is that it will give it less places to "settle" or take seed on the surface of things, as well as keep the detritus from settling too much in places where it can cause a problem. I don't think it will get it all, and that's why I have a few snails, crabs, etc in there to help take care of what the current doesn't. I personally, unlike many in the hobby, don't think you can completely eliminate all forms of algae, nor do I think you should. I also don't think our systems can or should be completely sterile nutrient free environments. What I'm trying to do is create a balance in the system, and still keep the algae and cyano etc from overtaking surfaces. At the point I switched the pumps, my sandbed surface was purple. Now it seems to be more spotty, and receding. I still get it a bit on the surface of my powerheads, and return line output lines, and even a little "settlement" of "stuff" on the back glass in one corner, but I'll take care of that when I storm next.
All in all, I've been happy with the progress of my experiment so far. I don't mind spots and places of "stuff" that others seek to eradicate like so much a plague, just don't want an algae farm like I had before.
I do need to increase the output of the powerheads I'm using, as I don't think I'm reaching 2/3 the length of the tank at this point, so I will see what happens when the two new powerheads come in.
(although, when I moved my blue spot naso tang into the algae covered tank, she make quick work of the hair algae, for some strange reason, and within a day or two, she had it completely cleaned off the overflow, the glass and the tops of the rocks. Now she doesn't touch the stuff, but the outbreak is not nearly as bad it was before. I think maybe she was just redecorating the first time... Who knows, shes strange. She also likes to be pet on the top of her head too, so...)
Thoughts and comments are welcome! I respect your tank, your experience, and your methods as your tank is living proof your doing something right!
Thanks for chiming in Paul! I've read through alot of the thread on your tank, and your input is welcome (as I'm sure Bill will agree!)
I'll caveat everything I'm about to say with the fact that my 90 gallon tank is my experiment. Has been running for about a year now with a shallow sand bed, about 130 lbs of live rock from at least 3 separate different sources (some of which was as much as 3 years in an existing tank) an undersized skimmer (corallife CS125), no mechanical filtration, no GAC (I only run the GAC through a reactor for a few days when I clean the skimmer because it takes about a week for the skimmer to fully come back on line, it may not do anything, but it makes me feel better) and LED Tube lights. I do run a sump, but the only thing in the fuge area is some rock rubble on a small sand mound for possible pod population and to break the "fall" of the water through that chamber as it flows, no light. I don't dose anything, I do use RO/DI water, and I do water changes about 20% per month with reef crystals and ro/di water.
Paul B said:
I think its important to note here, that as it pertains to Jake Adams' workshop, he did suggest varrying the "current", ie: moving the pumps from one side to another, or potentially having "quiet times" as well.
He also was a strong proponent of "storming" the tank. Which i agree with and have been doing for sometime, not to the extent of the diatom filter (which I read about in your reef central posts) but I have taken a powerhead to the tank.
As for feeding, I dont target feed, but I do "feed the tank" with the pumps on. I guess my logic has always been "the sea doesn't turn off at feeding time" but I see your point about corals feeding at "quiet times" with extended polyps, and that makes a great deal of sense. I think I am going to try moving one of the powerheads to the same timered circuit as my lights so that the tank "quiets down" at night. What do you think?
I don't think that the circulation will eliminate the cyano or the algae. What I do think is that it will give it less places to "settle" or take seed on the surface of things, as well as keep the detritus from settling too much in places where it can cause a problem. I don't think it will get it all, and that's why I have a few snails, crabs, etc in there to help take care of what the current doesn't. I personally, unlike many in the hobby, don't think you can completely eliminate all forms of algae, nor do I think you should. I also don't think our systems can or should be completely sterile nutrient free environments. What I'm trying to do is create a balance in the system, and still keep the algae and cyano etc from overtaking surfaces. At the point I switched the pumps, my sandbed surface was purple. Now it seems to be more spotty, and receding. I still get it a bit on the surface of my powerheads, and return line output lines, and even a little "settlement" of "stuff" on the back glass in one corner, but I'll take care of that when I storm next.
All in all, I've been happy with the progress of my experiment so far. I don't mind spots and places of "stuff" that others seek to eradicate like so much a plague, just don't want an algae farm like I had before.
I do need to increase the output of the powerheads I'm using, as I don't think I'm reaching 2/3 the length of the tank at this point, so I will see what happens when the two new powerheads come in.
(although, when I moved my blue spot naso tang into the algae covered tank, she make quick work of the hair algae, for some strange reason, and within a day or two, she had it completely cleaned off the overflow, the glass and the tops of the rocks. Now she doesn't touch the stuff, but the outbreak is not nearly as bad it was before. I think maybe she was just redecorating the first time... Who knows, shes strange. She also likes to be pet on the top of her head too, so...)
Thoughts and comments are welcome! I respect your tank, your experience, and your methods as your tank is living proof your doing something right!
