My Softy Gorgonian Tank

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
[I've got 5 Pacific oysters which I think help with the filtration, apparently they give off bacteria as a by product so again I hope this helps the coral and sponges fee.]

This is really neat. Tank Biofiltration on steroids!

[Phosphate is my biggest issue, trying to keep that under control is a pain :mad]

Of recent, I push my systems with ChaetoGrow and ammonia dosing each day. I suspect trace minerals used by macro are also used by other photosynthetic organisms. The increased up take of nitrogen and trace minerals by macro indicates a corresponding increase of phosphate uptake.
 
Last edited:

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My nutrient control is where I fall down, the tank and mainly sump was never really designed for mass filtration of nutrients, the tank was previously mainly SPS with some LPS

The sump isn't the biggest which is a problem, another problem is the amount of rowa I'm going through.

It's a simple design, filter floss, oversized skimmer, refugium that's as big as can be but not big enough and finally a aqua medic small reactor running rowa.

My SPS/LPS setup always had very low nitrate so I'm guessing my live rock is good at processing it.

I've recently been reading about criptic zone filtration and it's something I'd love to have, I done that much reading I wondered if my sponges in the display could take up some of the filtration load, I knocked my skimmer off for a day, plan was to leave it off longer, I decided it was a bad idea so I started to skim dry and not wet, seems that this was a stupid experiment as I tested my phosphate today and it was way higher than normal, it was 0.15 - 0.18, so I'm now back to skimming wet, I normally keep it around 0.08 - 0.1

Nitrate did get up to 80 at one point but it's now down to 30 which I'm happy at, I actually think the Pacific oysters had a lot to do with this.

I've got no real way of doing lanthanum chloride and I'm reluctant to do that anyway as I've read it can effect all the little critters so it's something I don't want to meddle with.

If you've got any thoughts on nutrient control that might help then please let me know.
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
[I've got 5 Pacific oysters which I think help with the filtration, apparently they give off bacteria as a by product so again I hope this helps the coral and sponges fee.]

This is really neat. Tank Biofiltration on steroids!

[Phosphate is my biggest issue, trying to keep that under control is a pain :mad]

Of recent, I push my systems with ChaetoGrow and ammonia dosing each day. I suspect trace minerals used by macro are also used by other photosynthetic organisms. The increased up take of nitrogen and trace minerals by macro indicates a corresponding increase of phosphate uptake.
Sounds interesting, unfortunately my refugium is small.

I've recently added a bit of macro algae to the display but it's only growing slowly so won't do much for nutrient export, it's more just to add to biodiversity
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sounds interesting, unfortunately my refugium is small.

I've recently added a bit of macro algae to the display but it's only growing slowly so won't do much for nutrient export, it's more just to add to biodiversity

For certain, your bivalves will consume nitrate. The owner of IndoPacific SeaFarm, Gerald Hesslinger, was instrumental in setting up clam growout systems with local island natives. He feed ammonia in growout open circulation troughs using ocean as the system. It revolutionized mostly fishing subsistence to a more diverse cash economy.

If you have the space, consider a remote refugium that processed inorganic & organic nutrients and feed live food to your nps & sponges. Some use a basement as a remote location.

I agree with live bacteria as an exudate from oysters, however, another source of live food would be a spawn from oysters. I see much advantage, especially as a sustainable source of live food, with oyster food web. I will link a fellow reefer on this site with an nps propagation system that begin using oysters less than 1 yr ago and within the last 60 days has embraced the “sponge loop” for nutrient management with emphasis on nutrient recycling. When I say nutrient recycling, I am growing desirables like corals, sponges, nps and Coraline algae.
In my earlier Reefing days, flame scallops never lasted
> 18 months with sea apples were < 2 years. I knew nothing during those days but I embraced biofiltration with Jaubert Plenum, 6” DSB and EcoSystem mud/algae refugium.


 
Last edited:

danieyella

unfriendly local swamp witch
View Badges
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
10,065
Reaction score
62,755
Location
Hernando County
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My nutrient control is where I fall down, the tank and mainly sump was never really designed for mass filtration of nutrients, the tank was previously mainly SPS with some LPS

The sump isn't the biggest which is a problem, another problem is the amount of rowa I'm going through.

It's a simple design, filter floss, oversized skimmer, refugium that's as big as can be but not big enough and finally a aqua medic small reactor running rowa.

My SPS/LPS setup always had very low nitrate so I'm guessing my live rock is good at processing it.

I've recently been reading about criptic zone filtration and it's something I'd love to have, I done that much reading I wondered if my sponges in the display could take up some of the filtration load, I knocked my skimmer off for a day, plan was to leave it off longer, I decided it was a bad idea so I started to skim dry and not wet, seems that this was a stupid experiment as I tested my phosphate today and it was way higher than normal, it was 0.15 - 0.18, so I'm now back to skimming wet, I normally keep it around 0.08 - 0.1

Nitrate did get up to 80 at one point but it's now down to 30 which I'm happy at, I actually think the Pacific oysters had a lot to do with this.

I've got no real way of doing lanthanum chloride and I'm reluctant to do that anyway as I've read it can effect all the little critters so it's something I don't want to meddle with.

If you've got any thoughts on nutrient control that might help then please let me know.
What about an algae turf scrubber? I have one on order myself because I feed heavy and my nutrients trend high. From reading and talking it seems like a good option for control.
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For certain, your bivalves will consume nitrate. The owner of IndoPacific SeaFarm, Gerald Hesslinger, was instrumental in setting up clam growout systems with local island natives. He feed ammonia in growout open circulation troughs using ocean as the system. It revolutionized mostly fishing subsistence to a more diverse cash economy.

If you have the space, consider a remote refugium that processed inorganic & organic nutrients and feed live food to your nps & sponges. Some use a basement as a remote location.

I agree with live bacteria as an exudate from oysters, however, another source of live food would be a spawn from oysters. I see much advantage, especially as a sustainable source of live food, with oyster food web. I will link a fellow reefer on this site with an nps propagation system that begin using oysters less than 1 yr ago and within the last 60 days has embraced the “sponge loop” for nutrient management with emphasis on nutrient recycling. When I say nutrient recycling, I am growing desirables like corals, sponges, nps and Coraline algae.
In my earlier Reefing days, flame scallops never lasted
> 18 months with sea apples were < 2 years. I knew nothing during those days but I embraced biofiltration with Jaubert Plenum, 6” DSB and EcoSystem mud/algae refugium.


Thanks for the information, I was reading about the sponge loop a few days back, it sounds like an excellent concept, I know my red tree sponge seems to be constantly shedding which is what I believe to be some kind of carbon that feeds the lesser lifeforms.

When I was reading about the sponge loop my main concern about me doing it in the DT was the turbidity of the DT water and how desirable sponges cope with the turbidity.

The oysters spawned when they went into the tank, I've since read that you can induce spawning with a change in temperature, I was thinking when I do a water change to drop the oysters into the fresh salt water While it's cold for a few hours and then pop them back into my system, hopefully this will encourage a spawning event.

Again thanks for the info and help, it's much appreciated.

Sorry @Matt Whittle if the thread has gone off track from what is a very nice tank
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What about an algae turf scrubber? I have one on order myself because I feed heavy and my nutrients trend high. From reading and talking it seems like a good option for control.
It's space that I simply don't have unfortunately, I did consider this and a algae reactor sitting outside the sump but in truth it would probably have to go outside my cabinet
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's space that I simply don't have unfortunately, I did consider this and a algae reactor sitting outside the sump but in truth it would probably have to go outside my cabinet

I installed a diy algae reactor as a pod refugium which gravity feeds to display. Pods are not damaged and are a sustainable replenishment into display tank. Complete cost under $150. My dream upgrade on 120G would be an overhead display refugium gravity feeding back to display tank.

image.jpg image.jpg
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I installed a diy algae reactor as a pod refugium which gravity feeds to display. Pods are not damaged and are a sustainable replenishment into display tank. Complete cost under $150. My dream upgrade on 120G would be an overhead display refugium gravity feeding back to display tank.

image.jpg image.jpg
Very nice that, I've definitely got lots to consider and ponder
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
[When I was reading about the sponge loop my main concern about me doing it in the DT was the turbidity of the DT water and how desirable sponges cope with the turbidity.]

Does turbidity decrease viewing quality in display tank? I would expect oysters to clean up turbidity.
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Definitely doesn't decrease viewing quality, maybe it wouldn't be an issue.

Because my lights are turned down so low I do have lots of visible sponges that have started to appear all around the rock work, I've got plenty of dark areas within and around the back of the rock tower that I imagine will have even more sponges on
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Please explain turbidity in your tank.

This is definition in Oxford dictionary:

turbidity:
noun

  1. the quality of being cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter.
 

Craigdoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2019
Messages
88
Reaction score
186
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So what I was referring to was the sudden influx of small particles of food into the DT when I feed, although small there to big for sponges to even think about consuming, I had read that lots of small particles in the water can potentially block a sponges porocyte, therefore increasing the chance of it starving.

I've no idea if this is true or not
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So what I was referring to was the sudden influx of small particles of food into the DT when I feed, although small there to big for sponges to even think about consuming, I had read that lots of small particles in the water can potentially block a sponges porocyte, therefore increasing the chance of it starving.

I've no idea if this is true or not

Hard to say. I do not think it is anymore of a problem than cyno or film algae. Just now the Orange Tree Sponge is showing spots of cynobacteria, which require vigorous tooth brush action to remove.
 
OP
OP
M

Matt Whittle

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 26, 2019
Messages
21
Reaction score
97
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know the thread has taken off in different direction but I thought I post an update photo of the tank. It has gone through a few tweaks scape and coral wise.
20210228_192140.jpg
 
OP
OP
M

Matt Whittle

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 26, 2019
Messages
21
Reaction score
97
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Matt,
How long did it take to accumulate so many corals?
Since it is a soft coral dominant tank I just put the gorgonians up top where the receive around 150 to 200 par and the rest of the tank is around 50 to 75 at the bottom sand bed. Using maxspect razors running 80% blues 60% white most of the duration.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top