25 year old 75G Jaubert Plenum on top with 30G EcoSystem Mud/Macro

[Subsea]

As I feel more comfortable with the diversity of food webs to recycle nutrients, I just did add deepwater gorgonions to two systems. Each was placed in lower light area with good circulation. Each system has phyto makeup. I have decided to dose organic carbon to grow bacteria. However, I will not skimout these bacteria. Like most things, I am confident that it is a “Question of Balance”.

https://www.live-plants.com/redtreegorg.htm

https://www.live-plants.com/yellowfinger.htm


While this requires more research on my part, I am strongly considering using a uv sterilizer on this system. Because protein skimmers remove only bacteria that are hydrophilic, I consider foam fractionation destructive to diverse bacteria populations. Ken Felderman research on carbon dosing reef tanks postulated that excessive skimming could be reason for “old tank syndrome” which is a symptom of lack of diversity in the microbial loop.

My thoughts on using a uv sterilizer is that it is indiscriminate, uv ruptures bacteria membrane “spilling bacteria guts into tank”. However, instead of using a protein skimmer to remove nutrients that grow coral, I prefer to frag and sell coral for nutrient export.

Laissez sonnets roulee,
Patrick

 

[Subsea]

Green Mandarian made an Epic trip from 75G Jaubert Plenum on top thru three stages of 30G EcoSystem cryptic refugium beginning with first chamber of live rock rubble in wet dry filter, then passing thru coarse mesh poly fiber screen into third section with return pump.

In second the last picture, I attempted to get picture of Sea Apple feeding tentacles, but he withdrew them when I brought in candle light. Flame Scallop has been in tank for 10 months.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Green Mandarian made an Epic trip from 75G Jaubert Plenum on top thru three stages of 30G EcoSystem cryptic refugium beginning with first chamber of live rock rubble in wet dry filter, then passing thru coarse mesh poly fiber screen into third section with return pump.

In second the last picture, I attempted to get picture of Sea Apple feeding tentacles, but he withdrew them when I brought in candle light. Flame Scallop has been in tank for 10 months.

what type of softy is this & has it spread much in the time you've had it?

 

[Subsea]

what type of softy is this & has it spread much in the time you've had it?

Pulsing “Red Sea” Xenia. It is very prolific and grows at least “as fast as” GSP which covered back wall of 75G tank from the size of an orange to 6 square feet in 5 years.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Pulsing “Red Sea” Xenia. It is very prolific and grows at least “as fast as” GSP which covered back wall of 75G tank from the size of an orange to 6 square feet in 5 years.

Oh ok , i didnt recognize it as that.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Green Mandarian made an Epic trip from 75G Jaubert Plenum on top thru three stages of 30G EcoSystem cryptic refugium beginning with first chamber of live rock rubble in wet dry filter, then passing thru coarse mesh poly fiber screen into third section with return pump.

In second the last picture, I attempted to get picture of Sea Apple feeding tentacles, but he withdrew them when I brought in candle light. Flame Scallop has been in tank for 10 months.

Sounds like one heck of a wild ride! Hope he was okay.

 

[Subsea]

Sounds like one heck of a wild ride! Hope he was okay.

His tumble ride happened one week ago. I had turned on lights in cryptic refugium to take a picture of sponges, tube worms and Chilli. Mandarin was silhouetted in third compartment with return pump and was very disoriented, which allowed me to catch by hand. Mandarin was eating immediately with alert hunting behavior. I was most concerned about damage to slime coat allowing infectious disease. After one week, all is good.

 

[Subsea]

Mandarin was always a runt, yet he is tough. I love his inquisitive nature and his “no fear” attitude. With lumbering hunks of fish swirling about during feeding, Mandarin comes into the open to see “what’s it all about”. While stirring sand to feed recently introduced Sea Apple, Mandarin came out to feed in stirred up sandbed and pecked my hand. The nip was very gentle, not at all like the fiesta Blue Yellow Tailed Damsel. My biggest concern prior to introducing Mandarin was damsel aggressions. Damsels have completely ignored Mandarin.

I am “tickled pink” that Sea Apple is flying his feathers as he feeds on stirred up food. Both Sea Apple & Flame Scallop are nestled next to each other in a darkened cave. This light does not do justice to these beautiful filter feeders.

 

[najer]

Mandarin was always a runt, yet he is tough. I love his inquisitive nature and his “no fear” attitude. With lumbering hunks of fish swirling about during feeding, Mandarin comes into the open to see “what’s it all about”. While stirring sand to feed recently introduced Sea Apple, Mandarin came out to feed in stirred up sandbed and pecked my hand. The nip was very gentle, not at all like the fiesta Blue Yellow Tailed Damsel. My biggest concern prior to introducing Mandarin was damsel aggressions. Damsels have completely ignored Mandarin.

I am “tickled pink” that Sea Apple is flying his feathers as he feeds on stirred up food. Both Sea Apple & Flame Scallop are nestled next to each other in a darkened cave. This light does not do justice to these beautiful filter feeders.

Love that last pic, gorgeous creatures!

 

[Subsea]

I have always been partial to filter feeders. Fifteen years ago, I had moderate success with both Flame Scallops (18 months in display) and Sea Apples (2 yrs in display). The Sea Apple that I have now is one month in tank. He was not healthy looking when I got him. Only in the last three days have I seen feeding tentacles. I got three Flame Scallops 10 months ago from Live Aquaria. They were spectacular in shipping bags and have not backed off of spectacular. Unfortunately, during scallop jumping time, one jetted up into suction intake and was removed from the gene pool. I sometimes did not see them for weeks. Both have been stationary for two months.

 

[baslewprime]

The tank has seen little change in 25 years. Jaubert Plenum was designed to use facultative bacteria in a low oxygen environment to perform denitrification biochemistry. Substrate was 6” deep with false bottom making a Plenum under substrate. Plenum performed well until the introduction of Melanarious Wrasse to control Red Planaria, which unknown to me eliminated my detrivore crew. With a 6” dsb with 25 years of detritus, I made the major decision to vacum sandbed down to < 2”.
After removing several hundred pounds of substrate while syphoning out over 500G of water over a two week time period, I now have a thriving mixed garden with ornamental sponges and ornamental macro along with numerous other filter feeders including flame scallops and numerous fans & feathers that I have no clue to the name, but I consider it a healthy bioindicator.

So, water flow from top to refugium goes into rock rubble first chamber (wet/dry) where gas is exchanged and detritus is broken up and settles into large second compartment with mud. In 25 years, I have never replaced mud. The depth in mud filter has increased in depth from .75” to 1.5”. It felt spongy to the touch and was crawling with worms. When I converted from macro refugium to cryptic refugium, I turned out the lights, composted tomatoes, added eggcrate in mud bed so rock was clear of mud, seeded cryptic sponges and have been very pleased. The flow thru this refugium is much higher than recommended by Steve Tyree.

Flow in my tank is supplied in tank with one HOB at 400GPHR and one Cannistar filter at 300GPHR.
Flow from refugium is 500GPH.

Lighting is supplied by three 4’ BMI 108W bars with a color spectrum of 12K.

Fish include:
Blue Damsels(7)
Flame Angel
Coral Beauty
BiColor Dottyback
Green Mandarin
Blue Chromis
Banggi Cardinalfish
Melanarious Wrasse
Sailfin Blenni

Sponges include:
https://www.live-plants.com/orangesponge.htm
https://www.live-plants.com/elephantearsponge.htm
https://www.live-plants.com/yellowball.htm

Softies:
GSP
Yellow Colonial Anemone
Xenia
Green Sinularia
Cabbage Leather
Red Mushroom

Ornamental Macro
Bortacladia (Red Grapes)

Chemical filtration is seldom used, but due to some cynobacteria, I am using phosphate resin and GAC.

wonderful tank keep it up

 

[Subsea]

I recently added two NPS, deep water gorgonions:
https://www.live-plants.com/yellowfinger.htm
https://www.live-plants.com/redtreegorg.htm

Both have extended their feeding polyps. Picture taking is difficult in their darkened tunnel, but I am working on it. I am not sure how Sea Apples move. I see rows of attachment tentacles.

 

[najer]

I would love one but I think my puffer would kill it, very nice.

 

[Hot2na]

this is in a standard 75 gal tank ? 48x18x21 ? if so with 6" of substrate that leaves you with approx 15" of height above the substrate ...am I missing something ?

 

[Subsea]

this is in a standard 75 gal tank ? 48x18x21 ? if so with 6" of substrate that leaves you with approx 15" of height above the substrate ...am I missing something ?

I no longer have a 6” DSB over Jaubert Plenum. It is first paragraph of first post. Void under eggcrate is 3/4”, so with 1/2” of eggcrate plus about “2 of substrate that means
21” less 3.25” leaves 17.75” above substrate. What was the question?

@Hot2na
PS: I reviewed this thread and see that you asked about Plenum construction. Eggcrate, inexpensive light diffuser, lays on top of 1/2 pvc with fiberglass screen mesh on top of egg crate. Substrate is CaribSea Crushed Coral @ 2mm-5mm. The coarse substrate was to increase low oxygen (favulative zone) conditions over larger volume of substrate surface area.

On my newest build at 120G, I pump into Plenum.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/



[The tank has seen little change in 25 years. Jaubert Plenum was designed to use facultative bacteria in a low oxygen environment to perform denitrification biochemistry. Substrate was 6” deep with false bottom making a Plenum under substrate. Plenum performed well until the introduction of Melanarious Wrasse to control Red Planaria, which unknown to me eliminated my detrivore crew. With a 6” dsb with 25 years of detritus, I made the major decision to vacum sandbed down to < 2”.
After removing several hundred pounds of substrate while syphoning out over 500G of water over a two week time period, I now have a thriving mixed garden with ornamental sponges and ornamental macro along with numerous other filter feeders including flame scallops and numerous fans & feathers that I have no clue to the name, but I consider it a healthy bioindicator.]

 

[Subsea]

I would love one but I think my puffer would kill it, very nice.

Your puffer would have an expensive cucumber salad.

 

[Chrisfish]

I love this thread!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge and of course your beautiful pictures.

 

[Subsea]

Thank you for the compliment and the encouraging feedback.

 

[Subsea]

Both deep water gorgonions NPS are flying their flags as they feed continually.

Chilli has been in cryptic refugium for ten months. During that time, I have noted that extended feeding polyps coincided with actual darkness, which is when zooplankton comes out on the reef.
.

 

[Hot2na]

my experience with plenums over the last 25yrs was that a 4" layer of substrate over the plenum grid was necessary to achieve denitrification.Many conversations with Rick Greenfield @ carib sea have supported that thought...maybe you have so much organics accumulated in your substrate that you are able to denitrify with a shallow bed..???