Nutrient Management by “Old School” Reefer

[Subsea]

I have 2 swallowtail angels in my 150. Hoping the larger one will turn male some day. So far a very peaceful system at 9 months.

Do the colors change when a female becomes male?

What do your angels eat?

 

[X-37B]

I feed a mix daily equal to about 7 frozen cubes.

Yes the male changes color.

Cubes:
Brine
Mysis
Marine algae
Cyclops

Larrys
Chopped prawns

Esv dried phyto is mixed like this once a day. 1 scoop. They recommend 10, lol

I do feed a 50 and a 35 nem.system with small amounts of the mix.


First mix today was
Brine
Mysis
Larrys

Second mix
Brine
Mysis
Larrys
Marine alge
Phyto

One more feed later similar to 1.

 

[Subsea]

It’s one form of nutrient recycling that I am not found off. A long time resident serpent starfish starting eating on an anemone that was damaged on pump suction screen.

I was treating a small tank for Cynobacteria infestation when I noted that a recent purchased purple anemone was sucked into pump suction screen. Turning pump off and removing screen allowed me to easily remove anemone. I decided to put this slightly damaged anemone in 75G display tank. A short time later, I no longer saw anemone. Earlier, Sailfin Tang had moved feather dusters around to his liking and as I got out a flashlight, I saw Serpent Starfish dragging anemone to its lair. It surprised me as to how much it took to pull anemone out of starfish mouth. Starfish was removed to 120G tank and purple anemone is recovering.

 

[Subsea]

A friend on RC has been doing Sea Grasses for some years, recently posted that Sea Grasses were more efficient at removing low nutrients from bulk water and would be a better match for low nutrient SPS than macro algae. Any thoughts @Lasse or @Sallstrom

Considering Mark Levin & @Paul B have nitrates > 50ppm, I see little concern with high nitrates.

Considering the culture of vendor induced products to take the place of an informed hobbiest, I say “Houston, we have a problem”.

Patience is a virtue to be embraced. Wisdom is discernment combined with an application of knowledge. For certain there are many methods to operating a reef tank successfully. I choose Laissez Faire and Microbial Overlords.

__________________
As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance,
our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey

The name of the place is “I like it like that”.

https://www.boomplay.com/lyrics/90473952

 

[Subsea]

I have decided that the sponge cleaning tank is this 30G tank which was treated for flatworms 30 days ago. With no fish, it is loaded with pods & small blue leg hermits that eat diatoms from sponge follicles.

 

[Subsea]

Red Tree Sponge: Cleaning Station
Left fork has three large amphipods and right fork has a small blue leg hermit crab



Because I am revamping 75G tank, all sponges needing to be manicured are moved on over to 30G tank.

Now that I have removed 60% of green star polys and 80% of established live rock, the Sea Apple is scrambling for higher ground.

 

[tripdad]

What has been your experience with the sea apple? Easy? Hard? Any worries?

 

[Subsea]

I find sea apples easy. While I have plenty of live pods, apples feed of frozen mysis shrimp as well, along with mandarin dragonet.

 

[Subsea]

Place the appropriate amount of MIRACLE MUD®into Chamber #2 of the EcoSystem Aquarium® Filter. Level it to create an evenly distributed, 1-inch thick mud bed when packed down (at least 1 to 1.5 inches of dry Miracle Mud), to ensure adequate denitrification takes place.

The term “mud filter is misleading. Filtration implies that something is removed. Instead of “remove & export”, the micro fauna & fana “in the mud” are the source of the microbial food web that recycle carbon up the food chain.

Initially, the miracle mud was to replace trace minerals and provide a matrix for denitrification bacteria. Over the next 20 years; the mud depth increased by 1/2”, felt spongy to the touch and was crawling with worms & pods.

Changeover to cryptic refugium included adding live rock on top of mud filter. Eggcrate was used to lift rock above mud layer.

 

[vlangel]

Place the appropriate amount of MIRACLE MUD®into Chamber #2 of the EcoSystem Aquarium® Filter. Level it to create an evenly distributed, 1-inch thick mud bed when packed down (at least 1 to 1.5 inches of dry Miracle Mud), to ensure adequate denitrification takes place.

The term “mud filter is misleading. Filtration implies that something is removed. Instead of “remove & export”, the micro fauna & fana “in the mud” are the source of the microbial food web that recycle carbon up the food chain.

Initially, the miracle mud was to replace trace minerals and provide a matrix for denitrification bacteria. Over the next 20 years; the mud depth increased by 1/2”, felt spongy to the touch and was crawling with worms & pods.

Changeover to cryptic refugium included adding live rock on top of mud filter. Eggcrate was used to lift rock above mud layer.

The ecosystem filter is exactly the sort of aquariums my boss at the lfs set up and those are the type of aquariums that I serviced. They worked well and were relatively maintenance friendly.

 

[Subsea]

Ten days ago, I received 40 lbs of diver collected maricultured live rock from Gulf Live Rock. In talking with Dan after he returned from collecting. He told me the water temperature was 53 degrees. I forgot to ask, at what depth was temperature recorded.

I spread rock between three systems: 75G at 25 years mature, 120G at 7 years mature and 150G Rubbermaid growout tub at 6 months setup.

 

[Subsea]

Post in thread '25 year old 75G Jaubert Plenum on top with 30G EcoSystem Mud/Macro'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...h-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/post-4918020

A friend made this video some years ago.

 

[Subsea]

While I can’t identify which snail species these eggs are, the fish don’t care: they see caviar.