Jackson's Old School 200 IM Nuvo Ext

[jackson6745]

For those that like to scroll, here’s 3 weeks of a rr rainbow splice that I got from reefapalooza

 

[Perry]

Thanks Perry! I appreciate the good words buddy. I always have the input from videos in my head, particularly the content from your old cube which was run more natural.

Here I am with a bare bottom system that gets filtered hard, probably too hard, and it makes me think of your system and even my old sandbed cube where things were more natural. Not to hate on bare bottom, but there’s a level of instability to it that I find annoying. I don’t mean typical parameter swings, that’s stable. I mean types of swings that I can’t can’t test for.

In my old sandbed system I could basically do whatever I wanted and the corals were fuzzy and happy the next day, in this system if I suck up the detritus from the sump, clean out my external overflow while kalk pasting aptasia, do a larger than normal water change, or get low on nitrates and or phosphate, I see this polyps suck in right away and I’ll see the alk climb a bit. It’s short lived but makes me second guess my approach. Somehow I seem to be filtering out available foods for the corals whether it be available nitrogen, aminos/micro-fauna, or planktonic life.

I’m probably overthinking this but having success different ways in the past make me know something is missing. My old system used to nurture sensitive corals into bullet proof versions of themselves from the time they were added. This system can be hard on smooth skins at first, especially if I give too much light. Anyway, I think I’m going to be pluming in another tank to the system to use as a refugium with rock and sand in the hopes of having it crawling with all kinds of pods and bugs etc.

Sorry for the long response, but your old system with All those nice smoothies has me thinking lol.

Richard,
I get it, and think that the sand part of the reef is best served to be aesthetic and less functional, unless...The tank is too clean, and could use a buffer in sand. The question is, are you willing to commit to constant additions for clean up, usually at least every 6 months? The amount of life needed for each layer of the sand to thrive is an investment, and diversity becomes key. Typically, flow is inhibited, I find the scenario longterm, not ideal for acropora. Now, run for aesthetics, you can use less CUC, and can siphon each water change, for my style, I find this tedious, I prefer bare bottom considerably more for stable input versus output, I find that the balance is better for acropora keeping, then using different organic inputs for targeted color performance.
Do you currently use socks, roller, or detritus trap/mechanical? If so, before sand, pull the socks, and service from the sump with a bucket top vac, this way you force detritus to the sump, as typical bb style, but allow the detritus to exchange between the two, but ultimately gathering in the sump. Easy peasy for me, I guess it depends on how much stuff in the sump. I believe for acropora keeping, longterm, that this is the easiest to ensure that corals have access to foods in the particulate range for feeder polyps.
What you are doing is amazing, but I totally get where the sand sort of separates from a coral grower, to a hobbyist. I believe that in a perfect world, without space constraints, the more the better. I would love to design an acro show tank, that feeds a LPS/Softy tank, that goes to dark cryptic fuge, to a lit fuge, to a filtration zone, and return back to acro. I would use the LPS tank for sand, and a dsb in the lit fuge, with an emphasis on zero predators. Allowing for massive micro life and spawning. To me, this would be my dream, lol... Anyway, the sand brings a "feel good" mentality and zen, however, every time I pull a sandbed, I swear NEVER to sand again...

My Take

 

[jackson6745]

Richard,
I get it, and think that the sand part of the reef is best served to be aesthetic and less functional, unless...The tank is too clean, and could use a buffer in sand. The question is, are you willing to commit to constant additions for clean up, usually at least every 6 months? The amount of life needed for each layer of the sand to thrive is an investment, and diversity becomes key. Typically, flow is inhibited, I find the scenario longterm, not ideal for acropora. Now, run for aesthetics, you can use less CUC, and can siphon each water change, for my style, I find this tedious, I prefer bare bottom considerably more for stable input versus output, I find that the balance is better for acropora keeping, then using different organic inputs for targeted color performance.
Do you currently use socks, roller, or detritus trap/mechanical? If so, before sand, pull the socks, and service from the sump with a bucket top vac, this way you force detritus to the sump, as typical bb style, but allow the detritus to exchange between the two, but ultimately gathering in the sump. Easy peasy for me, I guess it depends on how much stuff in the sump. I believe for acropora keeping, longterm, that this is the easiest to ensure that corals have access to foods in the particulate range for feeder polyps.
What you are doing is amazing, but I totally get where the sand sort of separates from a coral grower, to a hobbyist. I believe that in a perfect world, without space constraints, the more the better. I would love to design an acro show tank, that feeds a LPS/Softy tank, that goes to dark cryptic fuge, to a lit fuge, to a filtration zone, and return back to acro. I would use the LPS tank for sand, and a dsb in the lit fuge, with an emphasis on zero predators. Allowing for massive micro life and spawning. To me, this would be my dream, lol... Anyway, the sand brings a "feel good" mentality and zen, however, every time I pull a sandbed, I swear NEVER to sand again...

My Take

Thanks for your input Perry. I know if I added sand in the display I would instantly regret with flow needs and limitations and added maintenance. It Would certainly look pretty though. I thought about a cryptic fuge, but I currently have an ice cap drop in algae scrubber in my sump that keeps me keep nutrient levels from trending upward. Adding the remote refugium/micro fauna tank should allow me to remove the scrubber and then I could fill that chamber with rock.

I currently run 300 micron mesh socks that a changed weekly so mechanical filtration is not aggressive. I will remove them completely.

When I do water changes it only from the sump. I use one of those sicce zero utility pumps that suck the sump almost empty.Do you think I should actively remove detritus down there or just leave it alone mostly?



Disco pic just for the heck of it lol

 

[REEFRIED!]

I’m with Perry in terms of long term success with acro dominate tanks. Your thoughts about sand adding a small buffer to things like cleaning detritus, large water changes etc. makes sense also.

I currently run a bare bottom acro dominate system and love it for the typical reasons. I can blast it with flow, detritus builds in a few easy to siphon areas, it’s definitely less work than maintaining decent looking sand. However I absolutely hate the look of it. I have a somewhat floating aquascape and I feel like sand would create so much more depth and help to see the floating effect more clearly, especially in pictures. I also have a yellow corris wrasse and have a small Tupperware with sand for him. Twice a day he makes a mess entering and exiting and those small sand particles fly around the tank constantly. I feel if there was sand in the tank they would settle more easily. Your tank looks amazing as it is mostly clear on the bottom. Mine has little areas with 10-20 pieces of sand in it. Looks like crap. I have actually been thinking of putting sand in my tank!

Either way you tank looks amazing. Nice work.

 

[jackson6745]

I’m with Perry in terms of long term success with acro dominate tanks. Your thoughts about sand adding a small buffer to things like cleaning detritus, large water changes etc. makes sense also.

I currently run a bare bottom acro dominate system and love it for the typical reasons. I can blast it with flow, detritus builds in a few easy to siphon areas, it’s definitely less work than maintaining decent looking sand. However I absolutely hate the look of it. I have a somewhat floating aquascape and I feel like sand would create so much more depth and help to see the floating effect more clearly, especially in pictures. I also have a yellow corris wrasse and have a small Tupperware with sand for him. Twice a day he makes a mess entering and exiting and those small sand particles fly around the tank constantly. I feel if there was sand in the tank they would settle more easily. Your tank looks amazing as it is mostly clear on the bottom. Mine has little areas with 10-20 pieces of sand in it. Looks like crap. I have actually been thinking of putting sand in my tank!

Either way you tank looks amazing. Nice work.

Thanks! I used to have a sand container for a Coris wrasse as well. I know what you mean lol. I actually have a 100g frag tank plumbed into this display tank. Hmmmm….. maybe I’ll put sand in that one lol.

 

[Perry]

Thanks for your input Perry. I know if I added sand in the display I would instantly regret with flow needs and limitations and added maintenance. It Would certainly look pretty though. I thought about a cryptic fuge, but I currently have an ice cap drop in algae scrubber in my sump that keeps me keep nutrient levels from trending upward. Adding the remote refugium/micro fauna tank should allow me to remove the scrubber and then I could fill that chamber with rock.

I currently run 300 micron mesh socks that a changed weekly so mechanical filtration is not aggressive. I will remove them completely.

When I do water changes it only from the sump. I use one of those sicce zero utility pumps that suck the sump almost empty.Do you think I should actively remove detritus down there or just leave it alone mostly?



Disco pic just for the heck of it lol

Hey Richard,
I would treat the sump detritus as a maintenance effort, leave it settle, do not disturb, and allow bacteria to render it to inert. When you schedule a water change, simply remove with your zero pump. I treat in tank detritus differently, I create a siphon a few times per week, and run through filtration. I think it matters under light, not so much in the dark, just a hunch. That said, a mature system as presented, should, at some point require no real effort as far as filtration goes. The corals, become the filtration. So, the idea of a modification to filtration, as you go from mini-colonies to full on colonies, as the trend suggests, removal may allow for a more natural organic processing. Remember, what goes in versus what gets rendered down to virtually nothing. Think of this as a garden, as it matures, as the micro-biome matures, it becomes a self running system. Food to fish = organic inputs, the necessary nutrients for all life survival. I fear we may over filter our systems, specifically as they become mature. Well done, your tank is an inspiration!

 

[jackson6745]

Hey Richard,
I would treat the sump detritus as a maintenance effort, leave it settle, do not disturb, and allow bacteria to render it to inert. When you schedule a water change, simply remove with your zero pump. I treat in tank detritus differently, I create a siphon a few times per week, and run through filtration. I think it matters under light, not so much in the dark, just a hunch. That said, a mature system as presented, should, at some point require no real effort as far as filtration goes. The corals, become the filtration. So, the idea of a modification to filtration, as you go from mini-colonies to full on colonies, as the trend suggests, removal may allow for a more natural organic processing. Remember, what goes in versus what gets rendered down to virtually nothing. Think of this as a garden, as it matures, as the micro-biome matures, it becomes a self running system. Food to fish = organic inputs, the necessary nutrients for all life survival. I fear we may over filter our systems, specifically as they become mature. Well done, your tank is an inspiration!

You’re a wise man. I appreciate the insight. Thank you Perry

 

[Perry]

You’re a wise man. I appreciate the insight. Thank you Perry

Wise, lol, likely not very. What happens when 3 of your several interests/hobbies collide? I was lucky enough to find a correlation between human health, the soil network/gardening, and reefing. The same commonality was rooted in the micro-biome, it was more trippy than anything else. I appreciate your kind words, quite a compliment coming from an OG like you brother!
Best :)

 

[jackson6745]

No mechanical filtration, dryer skimming, reduced algae scrubber photoperiod, 20lbs of live rock added into sump, and smaller percentage of water changes…… seeing changes already, PE improving and alk consumption has increased a lot in just the last 2 weeks. I think my hunch of over filtering the system may have been correct.

Anyway, this particular coral (Reef raft Starfire) has been exploding. It really stands out in the tank. I took this pic with an Olympus tg-7 with an orange filter clip over under AI blade lighting only.

 

[ReefLaw]

What is your treatment strategy for when you run into white bugs?

 

[jackson6745]

What is your treatment strategy for when you run into white bugs?

I’m not a fan of interceptor chews with all the flavoring and prazi, but I do the like product from coral collectors “debug”. I treated the system several times with that product and never saw adverse effects. It does get a little pricey treating a large system, so I utilize a 25g qt tank for new corals and run bug treatments in there.

 

[jackson6745]

Summer went well. The tank has been cruising a long. I ended up removing the algae scrubber since I was bottoming out on nutrients. I got my hands on a frag of Tyree Purple Monster back in July. It has settled in and really started growing. Happy to have this one back. Hopefully I can grow it out and make a frag for a back up colony :). I finally got a sheet of brown photo gel so colors are pretty much exactly what I see in person.

 

[fishface NJ]

Everything looks great!

 

[jackson6745]

Everything looks great!

Thank you!

 

[JumboShrimp]

That's some very healthy growth on everything-- you definitely have the 'salty' thumb for undersea gardening.

 

[Z Burn's Reefing]

@jackson6745 - are you growing out a pearlberry like you had in your 115 cube many years ago? At least I always thought it was a pearlberry...I remember that thing just glowed!

 

[jackson6745]

That's some very healthy growth on everything-- you definitely have the 'salty' thumb for undersea gardening.

Thank you very much. Still very confusing and humbling at times after almost 3 decades in the hobby. I guess that’s what keeps it interesting.

 

[jackson6745]

@jackson6745 - are you growing out a pearlberry like you had in your 115 cube many years ago? At least I always thought it was a pearlberry...I remember that thing just glowed!

I have one growing in the center on the right side. It was one of those corals that didn’t do much when I got it. After a year it started waking up. It’s about 3 1/2” now and growing. Color is good. I can’t wait for it to table out like in my old tank. There’s so many fake pearlberry out there today. I have 2 others that turned out to be some variation of the vinh lol.

I had to move this raising reef blue flame away from the pearlberry due to touching and it became very happy. I’m hoping that this tables out and becomes the centerpiece of the reef.

 

[reef’r]

No mechanical filtration, dryer skimming, reduced algae scrubber photoperiod, 20lbs of live rock added into sump, and smaller percentage of water changes…… seeing changes already, PE improving and alk consumption has increased a lot in just the last 2 weeks. I think my hunch of over filtering the system may have been correct.

Anyway, this particular coral (Reef raft Starfire) has been exploding. It really stands out in the tank. I took this pic with an Olympus tg-7 with an orange filter clip over under AI blade lighting only.

If you ever frag this I’m first in line

 

[Reefering1]

2nd...