I know bacteria is on surfaces…but will NSW help bacteria diversity?

Miami Reef

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My parameters are fully stable. No algae. I’m even getting coralline algae on my power heads and back wall.
Salinity 1.026
Alk: 11
Cal: 460
Phosphates .04
Nitrates 5-10ppm
Magnesium 1350
temp 78

So why do I need to wait 1 year for certain corals? I think the general conscious is because there is a micro fauna/biome that needs to establish.

Can adding NSW help me get more bacteria in my tank? I hear people talking about adding mud…where can I find this mud?

Help me understand exactly what I’m waiting for.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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My tank was running for a few years but 2 months ago I took out all the rocks, dipped them in bleach for 5 seconds, then aquascaped them dry for 1 week. I didn’t get any high nitrates and only a small ammonia rise, but I honestly believe that the bacteria didn’t die because I see that Xenia corals popped out of the rocks. I never added xenia in the new build.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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How can I know if a tank is mature without a time frame. I have experience and I test my water very consistently. I want to increase my biodiversity in my tank, because that’s the only variable that I’m not certain I completely have yet.
 

Grumblez

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I dont see why you couldn't do a tester coral or to, I think the big thing you want to avoid with SPS is large flucations in phosphate and nitrate, someone correct me if I'm wrong.


I've never seen a review or any sort of "science" on the nutri sea water but some people at a LFS I used to live near called it Crack water and swore by it.
 

Paul B

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If you dipped your rock in bleach for 5 seconds, you killed the bacteria. or at the least gave them a really good headache. Using NSW will not hardly increase your biodiversity but adding mud will. You are in Florida so drive down to the keys, near some mangrove trees and collect a handful of mud. It's probably illegal so maybe walk through the mud and empty your shoes into your tank. I doubt anyone would arrest you for a handful of mud but thats just me. I collect mud all the time here in New York but here there are no laws against that unless I backed up a dumptruck to a beach.

You should add that mud all the time anyway and use NSW if you can.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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As much as I’d love to go mud collecting it’s probably not going to happen with me. I think the live rocks I added has enough biodiversity to spread on its own. And I also used ocean direct sand which is unwashed sand from ocean. “Live sand” is normally dried and sifted with added bacteria from bottles with dormant bacteria. This ocean direct is literally pumped from ocean and bagged directly. It has all of the ocean bacteria.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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And I’m not going to waste my money on NSW water if there’s no bacteria there. Might as well just be patient and let the bacteria grow on its own.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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Theres millions of suspended bacteria in reef water, especially cycling bacteria. Here’s proof

cycles a 200 gallon all dry setup by only adding reef water, no hard surfaces. 20 days. No feeding no dosing or anything, reef tank water.



and that’s aquarium water, imagine the ocean. Much more available bac. Very diverse

mud is diverse to, but that doesn’t mean a few ounces of clean source ocean water isnt.


I saw a video from MACNA that unequivocally said reef water had no filter bacteria. looks like under alternate equivocation, they do :)
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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also handy

if we take time to read aquabiomic's post history, dna sampling of water and surfaces, we see that any tank getting an initial inoculation just streamlines into whatever that unique home environment fosters within about 2 years. we aren't maintaining diversity, but they'll happily sell us initial boosts for it.

the best thing you can do is keep detritus waste out of the system by design and will/work, feed exceptional quality and availability, have strong export and refreshment of current water and itll cruise. maintain that nice rock scape and caves even when the uglies hit one day I hope they dont, its perfect now. if that was my reef I'd have a uv sterilizer meant for a ten thousand gallon pond on it. doesnt mean it has to be turned on, just plumbed n ready for the drop.
 

LRT

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There's a spotlighted reef here that was full of sticks and such after only a month or 2.
I dont see why you don't get a known oldie but goodie and give it a shot.
I just instacycled an 80 gallon frag tank and put 4 fish and close to 100 corals in it less than 24 hrs.
About to try a stick or 2 myself;)
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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I see absolutely nothing wrong with moving up reefing timescales its the futuristic way. this is coming from a guy who used to wait 59 minutes per song download, fingers crossed it wouldnt drop after 99% wait, in 1997 on dialup. Im glad they've progressed internet speeds and quick stocking is very 2021 the boomers w have to accept.

thats not an offensive thing to say if someone is indeed a boomer btw. im not one, but were I to have been it would not be an outlandish claim.
 

ReefGeezer

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Pardon my Boomer mentality here. The term Biodiversity gets used a lot. I believe the term refers to promotion of different strains of bacteria, planktonic life, pods, sponges, tube worms, sea squirts, and etc. It should be noted that bacterial diversity really doesn't refer to the strains that are responsible for denitrification or nutrient export. It is more about bacterial and planktonic life that helps form the base of the food chain. You would most likely find a diverse population of that life in sea water if you collected in in the right spot. Same goes for PaulB's mud. Either is likely to add things. Both would need a booster from time to time.

Personally, being in Kansas, live rock is my best bet to add diversity. I replace a few pounds of my original dry rock with it from time to time.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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I will admit. I have sps, LPS, many tangs, and bubble tip/carpet anemones And my tank is 2 months old. It’s super stable and I think I’m doing a really good job.
 
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Miami Reef

Miami Reef

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I didn’t get an ugly stage. And there’s coralline growing at a really fast rate. I think I cracked the code.
 

LRT

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Check out Robert Dinaldi build thread. Its the one that was recently spotlighted.
 

LRT

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Matter of fact brs set up and filled a tank in 48 hours as well ill try to find link but guick Google search will help there.
 

elorablue

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Add whatever corals you like and want to add. It's your tank not the internets. I just added my first Acropora a few days ago into my 3 month old tank. I didn't feel it necessary to ask permission. Your tank looks great >go for it!
 

Paul B

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And I’m not going to waste my money on NSW
Why would you spend money on NSW. Drive to a beach and collect it like I do. It's free and no one owns it so they can't charge you for it or tax you.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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you are for sure doing a good job the corals are well fed and huge and so are the fish. its dang good and clear reef for having just installed new rock, and a new sandbed and still be totally clear and cloudless. that is easy to do on a nano, not on a huge reef
 

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