Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef

[Nano sapiens]

Some pods+phyto would probably bump those numbers up

Plenty of benthic pods and mysids, so all is well

 

[ramona]

I just received a bacterial microbiome report from Aquabiotics for this 12g nano reef. The main take-away points are:

1. Diversity & balance higher than 50th percentile of tested reef tanks
2. Balance Score (Correlation with Typical Abundance) shows similarities and differences compared to the 'typical' reef tank
3. Huge relative abundance of Pelagibacteraceae (Gram-negative, rod-shaped, free-living Bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), aerobic & chemoheterotrophic, previously called SAR11, thought to be the most abundant bacterial group in the ocean worldwide. Well-adapted for life in the low-nutrient waters of the open ocean. Require reduced sulfur compounds, glycine, and dissolved organic carbon for growth). Distant runner ups: Hyphomicrobiaceae (Gram-negative Bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), mostly rod-shaped, some free-living, Mostly aerobic & chemoheterotrophic, some photoheterotrophic, Extremely diverse, widely distributed and highly abundant in marine habitats including open ocean, sediments, and algal biofilms. Degrade sulfur-containing compounds (e.g. sulfite, DMSP). Many use methylated amines (MA) as primary nitrogen source) & Rhodobacteraceae (Gram-negative Bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria), mostly rod-shaped, some free-living, Mostly aerobic & chemoheterotrophic, some photoheterotrophic, Extremely diverse, widely distributed and highly abundant in marine habitats including open ocean, sediments, and algal biofilms. Degrade sulfur-containing compounds (e.g. sulfite, DMSP). Many use methylated amines (MA) as primary nitrogen source)
4. Typical ammonia−oxidizing microbes (with the exception of Nitrososphaeraceae (0.00026), which apparently is not typically registered in samples).
5. Nitrite−oxidizing Nitrospiraceae lower than typical
6. No Cyanobacteria species found
7. No Fish pathogen species found
8. No Coral pathogen species found

From the tst reports I've seen online, there appears to be a general trend of decreasing diversity with age. This tank actually has a higher diversity (66%) compared to the 50th percentile. This is interesting because the only additional bacteria are from occasional new specimens (~ once a year, perhaps) and weekly feeding of live earthworms from the compost heap.

Could you please elaborate how you use the live earthworms? I have 2 clowns in a nano tank, I wonder what to watch for if I try to feed them the earthworms. Thank you.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Could you please elaborate how you use the live earthworms? I have 2 clowns in a nano tank, I wonder what to watch for if I try to feed them the earthworms. Thank you.

Sure. I just pick out the small ones from my compost heap, then I cut them into bite-sized pieces and feed. No need to worry about cleaning them, but you can rinse them off if you feel the need. I feed them about once a week or so. LPS and mushrooms like Rics and Rhodactis like them, too!

 

[Nano sapiens]

'Photo dump'

Pulsing Xenia is one of the corals I've always liked, but just never got around to keeping. These polyps have never stopped pulsing since I first put them into the tank. As long as they stay on their island and don't spread, I'll be a happy camper

Blastomussa are the one coral I've had challenges keeping in this nano tank. Some died within a week or two from brown jelly (propagation cuts not healed fully, most likely), and some I had look good for 6-8 months before wasting away (even with 2-3x/wk feeding). Since my Acans are doing great, I decided to give a Blasto one more try.

Speaking of Acans (officially Micromussa lordhowensis, now), I'm really pleased with the three colonies I have right now. Some of the polyps exposed to more light are really rainbow colored, but I just couldn't get them clear enough to post. The blue striations in the 2nd pic's large polyp are quite unexpected, but super cool

 

[Nano sapiens]

Recent Feb FTS:

Let's see...NO3 has gradually dropped down to 4 ppm (was 50+ a few months ago) and the inhabitants are looking quite content again. PO4, as usual, is undetectable, but enough inorganic and organic phosphate is available to provide for rich coral coloration and moderate growth.

Couldn't really ask for more from such an old reef aquarium...

 

[Tahoe61]

One of my favorite tanks.

Thanks for the update.

 

[Nano sapiens]

One of my favorite tanks.

Thanks for the update.

Thanks for dropping in!

 

[ramona]

My favorite too, love it, simple and serene, what not to envy?
Could you remind us how is your current set up and maintenance please? Thank you.

 

[Nano sapiens]

My favorite too, love it, simple and serene, what not to envy?
Could you remind us how is your current set up and maintenance please? Thank you.

Thanks for stopping in

Setup is still just the same basics as in the beginning: Live rock, live sand, heater, pump, pet-bottle ATOs and DIY LED lighting. Only additives are an occasional drop or two of iodine, Kalkwasser to supply alkalinity/calcium and occasional magnesium supplementation.

Maintenance consists of 10% WC weekly (5% 2/wk), sand bed vacuuming once a week with the WC, monthly blowing out of the detritus under and in the live rock and it's capture using a filter sock and removal of detritus from the rear chambers. I disassemble and clean the pump monthly to maintain consistent flow and clean the heater 2x/yr.

I assess the aquarium's condition on a weekly basis (general coral health, prevalence of algae and biofilms) and then determine from there if any additional changes to the maintenance routine are required. Once a month or so I'll test PO4 and NO3 and use the results to further adjust the maintenance routine, if required.

An hour or so maintenance per week is typically about all that's needed.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Mini update: All's well in nano land

A couple new additions (Duncan, Blasto, Neon Green Capnella and a 'kinda pink' Ricordia yuma):

It'll be interesting to see if there are any negative effects in the system from the Capnella (I'm hoping not as it's known to be one of the least toxic of the soft corals).


...and an over-achieving 6" diameter R. yuma:

 

[Wiskey]

Recent Feb FTS:

Let's see...NO3 has gradually dropped down to 4 ppm (was 50+ a few months ago) and the inhabitants are looking quite content again. PO4, as usual, is undetectable, but enough inorganic and organic phosphate is available to provide for rich coral coloration and moderate growth.

Couldn't really ask for more from such an old reef aquarium...

Thank you for the update! (even though I missed it when you updated) I love this tank and I hope mine is as nice one day. It's part of my slideshow of desktop backgrounds, I have 15 or 20 different inspirational tanks that cycle through all the time.

Whiskey

 

[Aqua Man]

Wow!

The voices in my head keep telling me that a reef doesn’t need to be complicated. Maybe I should listen.
Thank you for sharing

 

[Aqua Man]

@Nano sapiens 0 phosphate?! Low nitrate!?
I’m doing it wrong! Lol

 

[Nano sapiens]

Thank you for the update! (even though I missed it when you updated) I love this tank and I hope mine is as nice one day. It's part of my slideshow of desktop backgrounds, I have 15 or 20 different inspirational tanks that cycle through all the time.

Whiskey

That's nice to know! I've had 12 years fiddling with this one (they are all a work-in-progress), so just keep on going with yours until it meets your goals and expectations.

 

[Nano sapiens]

@Nano sapiens 0 phosphate?! Low nitrate!?
I’m doing it wrong! Lol

Interestingly, all these reef aquariums have their differences. Some naturally test undetectable PO4 and low NO3, some not. The testing only tells you what is in the water column at any point in time (down to test kit detection limits), but doesn't specifically say anything really about what is being assimilated constantly by the organisms. And PO4 testing (inorganic phosphate) only gives you a partial percentage of the total phosphate present since it doesn't include organic forms.

I feed the two fish daily and the corals specifically once or twice a week, so all that food is very quickly going into a lot of hungry stomachs and what comes out later is then assimilated quickly by filter feeders, bacteria, etc. If I wasn't feeding the aquarium regularly, then I'd expect that the very low nutrient numbers could very well cause issues. So, one could say that the aquarium is overall 'high nutrient throughput', but tests 'low nutrient in the water column', if that makes sense...

In addition to sound basic testing, the old school reefer adage 'look at your corals' color and health to determine the state of your system' is still a good one to follow

 

[Nano sapiens]

Wow!

The voices in my head keep telling me that a reef doesn’t need to be complicated. Maybe I should listen.
Thank you for sharing

Which of those voices you listen to is a personal decision

Having kept aquariums of one sort or another for nearly 50 years now ("Wow, has it been that long..." as he mutters to himself) I've found that the simplest method or solution that achieves a goal is typically the best one.

 

[revhtree]

Love it man!

 

[Nano sapiens]

Love it man!

Hey Rev, thanks for dropping in

 

[Aqua Man]

I hear the feed more is better. I don’t understand it though.
Why wouldn’t the nitrates just climb from all the food? Even more confusing is less food is more nutrients!? Lol
If you would like to see how I’ve been fumbling along, need a good laugh, please stop by my build. Your experience and insight would be very much appreciated.

 

[Nano sapiens]

I hear the feed more is better. I don’t understand it though.
Why wouldn’t the nitrates just climb from all the food? Even more confusing is less food is more nutrients!? Lol
If you would like to see how I’ve been fumbling along, need a good laugh, please stop by my build. Your experience and insight would be very much appreciated.

Two main pathways for nitrate utilization:

1. Reduction by denitrifying bacteria (NO3 converted to N2 gas, which then dissipates into the atmosphere).

2. Utilization by organisms (incorporated directly by corals, algae, bacteria, etc.).

Certainly, nitrates will climb if too much food is added too quickly for the system to be able to process and the remainder ends up in the water column. I had 6 fish in this little tank at one time (an online vendor sending me too many fish in an incorrect order) and I saw nitrates spike to ~50 ppm after 8 months or so. Clearly, too much bioload/feeding for 10g of water and a 10%/wk water change routine!

Underfeeding causes coral and other macro organisms to tap into their energy reserves and after that they go into starvation mode trying to survive. Bacteria need a certain amount of carbon and other elements to perform their functions (such as nitrification and denitrification). If they can't process, nitrate levels can rise from what's been previously stored in the system.

It's all about finding the balance between 'too much' and 'not enough' and then keeping the system at that balanced state long-term. Sounds pretty simple, but due to the dynamic nature of a captive reef system it doesn't always behave like we expect it to. The reef keepers job as I see it is to analyze/recognize potential problems via testing and frequent visual appraisals and then correct before anything becomes a major issue.