Here is my possible Triton build so far + questions, please advise

[mcarroll]

I realized after a few hours of reading that this crazy ******* is my kind of scum ;-)

Well said!

(And I admit I'm a fan.)

 

[mcarroll]

I guess the best answer to this is that I am running under the assumption that overall coral is much more difficult to keep alive and happy than algae by itself. But, now that you say this it would seem like you are suggesting that there are coral options that are hardy enough that they are no more difficult than possibly even "nuisance" algae.... possibly? Or perhaps not enough harder given the level of equipment and knowledge I am starting with. There is also the chaeto in the refugium, depending on when you start to employ that in the process.

I think this used to be the case before there was much understanding of the calcium and alkalinity thing in stony corals.

Most corals we want are much more persistent than most algae we can grow. Most algae are pretty ephemeral, so can be hard to keep around. (You see the obvious exceptions around, but some folks

Get comfortable with @Randy Holmes-Farley's big calcium and alkalinity articles at Randy's Reef Chemistry Articles. That's a big list. Of course read them all when you have time, but I would prioritize these:

• Chemistry and the Aquarium: What is Alkalinity? ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
• Chemistry And The Aquarium: The Relationship Between Alkalinity And pH ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
• Chemistry And The Aquarium: How To Select A Calcium And Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
• An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

If you're willing to learn a little about your fish and their requirements and be there every day to drop something into the tank for them, then you're able to take care of corals too.

Corals are much, much easier than fish.

Corals don't jump.

Corals don't have personalities.

There's no mystery about how much of what you need to add to the tank for Corals – you can test the water for it!!!

Just some fun and obvious ways they're easier.

 

[TbyZ]

Consider Paul B's example as one of the ultimate high-fish-load tanks. You would be well-served by substituting as much of his system for what you have planned as possible.

Although Paul doesn't measure NO3 or PO4, he did have it measured once at a LFS.

Paul claims that his NO3 is 160ppm & his PO4 is 2.0 ppm.

Do you recommend this mcarroll ?

 

[mcarroll]

Paul claims that his NO3 is 160ppm & his PO4 is 2.0 ppm.

Do you recommend this mcarroll ?

Hm. Good question!

I would not recommend dosing your N and P levels up there in one shot.

But I do recommend learning from it. I'm trying to!!

I mean the example does bring some questions to mind, eh?

Like...

If N;Mask3 and P;Mask4 are the boogeymen they've been painted up to be in our hobby, why doesn't @Paul B's tank just catch on fire and sink to the core of the earth?

Or at least why doesn't it turn into an algae farm and kill all his fish and corals?? It should, right???



Either that or most of what we know about nutrients is....uh....less than optimal.

Consistency – not "ultra lowness" – is the key to nutrients.

Nutrients can be as high or low as they need to be as long as you take your time getting there.

Large algae blooms and "eutrophication" happen when there is a large spike in nutrients.

They do not happen just from everyday levels of nutrients.

 

[TbyZ]

Hm. Good question!
I mean the example does bring some questions to mind, eh?

Like...

If N;Mask3 and P;Mask4 are the boogeymen they've been painted up to be in our hobby, why doesn'tPaul B's tank just catch on fire and sink to the core of the earth?

Or at least why doesn't it turn into an algae farm and kill all his fish and corals?? It should, right???

I don't think NO3 & PO4 are boogeymen unless they're too high or possibly, too low.
I had an acropora die in a week because the NO3 was 60+ & PO4 was 3.0 +.
That acro would last no longer in Paul's tank, & as Paul says "I keep no delicate SPS corals at this time".
Are Paul's figures correct? I question their accuracy.
I don't want to upset Paul, & I know what his response would be when I say that a tank shouldn't be let get to that stage.
There's is no good argument to have NO3 & PO4 at his apparent levels.
Water changes, or, increased filtration.

 

[jcl123]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19yWKqF77hbBL9T9PpBwks1LUByFuvusm

Hello all,

OK, here is a new version of the design:
- I eliminated the sumps being connected with just PVC pipes, so that I don't risk a problem if they got clogged
- Instead, although the three sumps are connected with bulkhead fittings, there is an overflow at the top just in case, which would make noise if it ever got used.
- I simplified as much as possible, so it is more or less three basic boxes

-JCL

 

[mcarroll]

I don't think NO3 & PO4 are boogeymen unless they're too high or possibly, too low.
I had an acropora die in a week because the NO3 was 60+ & PO4 was 3.0 +.
That acro would last no longer in Paul's tank, & as Paul says "I keep no delicate SPS corals at this time".
Are Paul's figures correct? I question their accuracy.
I don't want to upset Paul, & I know what his response would be when I say that a tank shouldn't be let get to that stage.
There's is no good argument to have NO3 & PO4 at his apparent levels.
Water changes, or, increased filtration.

But would they do well if the levels were more consistent and if they'd grown up from frags like that?

If you're totally indoubt that it's possible, then maybe check out Rich Ross and the 200K gallon stony reef at the Steinhard Aquarium. He's done at least one MACNA, so you can see his talks in the youtubes.

I'd also suggest checking out the nutrient-related journal articles I've collected in the Coral and Nutrients sections on my blog.

 

[Paul B]

I don't want to upset Paul, & I know what his response would be when I say that a tank shouldn't be let get to that stage.

There is not much of a chance to do that. Paul doesn't get upset talking about fish, he told me so.

Oh Wait..... I think the algae in my tank is on fire and the tank seems to be sinking to the center of the earth

I am going to pour myself a big glass of Merlot as I sit by the hole it made and I can watch it descend.

 

[chefjpaul]

Remember, Paul's tank has been maturing for 40 years, he didn't raise or get a quick nutrient spike in the first few months or probably even years, it's an ecosystems that took time and works for his inhabitants.

 

[mcarroll]

Paul has mentioned that he started as a beginner too.

 

[chefjpaul]

Paul has mentioned that he started as a beginner too.

Exactly. Take a 20, 30, 40 year old aquarium and its established ecosystems and compare it to a 1 - 2 year sterile tank.