Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[atoll]

I gave up on cleaning the sump over 10 years ago and have not run mechanical filtration since. I used to throw a filter sock on the return and stir it up….

4’ long sump. This is a corner, an egg crate platform an inch off the bottom sits over most of it is covered with 30-50 pounds of rock. The rock is covered mostly in brown silt on the top exposed surfaces.

My nutrients levels are fine, if not a bit low. The system is over 20 years old now and has never been broken down.

Not arguing for or against, but rather just showing what I have.

Same. I decidedmany years ago detritus wasn't the villan it is made out to be. I do not employ form of mechanical filtration and haven't done so for many years. I would go as far as suggest detritus is generally a good thing not bad. My sump.is full.ofvarious animals and sponges. I have reported such with photos on here over the years.

 

[Jeroen254]

In Tank Flow

I got the two Tunze stream 6105 eco up and running. One on the back wall to the left of the left overflow, and one on the right side wall near the back (will be very hard to reach a magnet on the back wall right side once the hood is in place.

At 10 % they move the water very quietly. At 100% there’s is more noise, but I’m not sure I’d use that much flow. It’s a lot in an empty tank. I’ll have to see what flow looks good with creatures and rocks in the tank.

The Tunze web control allows lots of timing control of flow, so it will be easy to set flow low in the very early morning when quiet is preferred, and higher the remainder of the day.

Hi Randy, will you go in-depth on flow also? I find flow to be one of the hardest parts of the hobby. I'm sure we can learn from your knowledge/experience. Could you also elaborate on the low flow in the morning when needed and higher the remainder of the day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy, will you go in-depth on flow also? I find flow to be one of the hardest parts of the hobby. I'm sure we can learn from your knowledge/experience. Could you also elaborate on the low flow in the morning when needed and higher the remainder of the day?

That last part about low in the early am is purely a noise related comment and its impact on people who want quiet time then.

I don’t claim to have any special insight on flow and I encourage others to chime in with thoughts, but these are mine. I’ll have a lot more discussion once stuff is in the tank (starts next week with rock and sand) and I’m making decisions.

1. Optimal flow depends greatly on the creatures present. Those from the surf zone may desire, or at least tolerate, far more than those creatures from lagoons, for example.

2. Because optimal flow varies, a mixed tank (which I’m planning) provides extra challenges. Flow can be somewhat altered by placement of both creatures and pumps.

3. I am not sure of the rationality of low flow at night (unrelated to noise considerations). Good topic for discussion.

4. I’m also unsure how often a creature might like a flow direction change. Of course it may depend in the organism. Surf zone creatures may get a direction change with every wave. Lagoon creatures may only get direction changes with tides, so much longer times. Another good topic to discuss.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IME the noise they produce at any level diminishes after a few weeks of running in when new.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use blue monster teflon tape on everything but stainless. It is extra thick and very slick and a lot on a roll. If you are threading metal into plastic fittings they can stretch or even crack so it can be a good idea to put a hose clamp on the plastic first.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So you just have to run the site for people to respond to build threads. Don't need pics or a running tank even. Haha. Have fun with it

Not sure what point you are making or even whether you are directing that to me, but if so, it seems an unusual comment since I have answered tens of thousands of member questions during the years I did not have a tank.

There are many purposes to this thread, but two big ones are to help me and help those who may encounter similar issues in their own systems. I think it also will be interesting to those who just like the whole hobby of reefing and like to discuss the merits of various ways of doing things.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a trio of clowns in my elegance. But only two will come out right now for pics :)

Cool. I did not know they would choose an elegance. If I recall correctly, my juvenile was much less commonly seen. Is that true for you, or just coincidence in the picture?

 

[Featherweight]

Not sure what point you are making or even whether you are directing that to me, but if so, it seems an unusual comment since I have answered tens of thousands of member questions during the years I did not have a tank.

There are many purposes to this thread, but two big ones are to help me and help those who may encounter similar issues in their own systems. I think it also will be interesting to those who just like the whole hobby of reefing and like to discuss the merits of various ways of doing things.

Just remembering the recent thread about folks leaving because of lack of activity on build threads. And some back and forth about increasing engagement in build threads. This is the antithesis of people leaving or ignoring build threads. That's all.

 

[Projects with Sam]

Same. I decidedmany years ago detritus wasn't the villan it is made out to be. I do not employ form of mechanical filtration and haven't done so for many years. I would go as far as suggest detritus is generally a good thing not bad. My sump.is full.ofvarious animals and sponges. I have reported such with photos on here over the years.

In the freshwater world I think its called malm and its somewhat sought after in ones tank. My somewhat sketchy understanding is that its organic matter that has already leached its nitrates and phosphates into the water column so now its mainly habitat for bacteria and pods.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just remembering the recent thread about folks leaving because of lack of activity on build threads. And some back and forth about increasing engagement in build threads. This is the antithesis of people leaving or ignoring build threads. That's all.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. :)

 

[twentyleagues]

In the freshwater world I think its called malm and its somewhat sought after in ones tank. My somewhat sketchy understanding is that its organic matter that has already leached its nitrates and phosphates into the water column so now its mainly habitat for bacteria and pods.

Mulm. And its as controversial there as it is here. I dont mind it and years ago stopped running socks in a reef tank. I still use them in my fresh tanks currently but more to catch some of the particulate. Most of my tanks tend to have some level of mulm in them. I have breeding populations of scuds (fresh water pods in at least 3 tanks and my reef has a ton of pods in the sump and mysid shrimp too. I regularly see the mysids scanning through the mulm in the sump I'm sure they are hunting, what for no idea but there is plenty of stuff to find. In the fresh tanks that dont have predators of the scuds they are thick in the mulm.

 

[rishma]

I stopped running floss and socks because it’s a hassle. Stopped just to avoid the maintenance. Now I’ll say I am creating an environment for critters :)

 

[atoll]

In the freshwater world I think its called malm and its somewhat sought after in ones tank. My somewhat sketchy understanding is that its organic matter that has already leached its nitrates and phosphates into the water column so now its mainly habitat for bacteria and pods.

Exactly. I think BRS did a look into detritus and concluded that unless it is removed within a day or so then it became more or less neutralised nutrients wise. They also concluded that much more research is required into detritus than theybwere able to conduct. However, I don't see the marine reef trade running to do any meaningful research any day soon, they could end biting the hand that feeds them. Imagine if detritus was found to be more beneficial than negative. A lot of equipment designed to remove it etc would stay on the shelves.

 

[atoll]

I stopped running floss and socks because it’s a hassle. Stopped just to avoid the maintenance. Now I’ll say I am creating an environment for critters :)

You are.

 

[dwest]

Cool. I did not know they would choose an elegance. If I recall correctly, my juvenile was much less commonly seen. Is that true for you, or just coincidence in the picture?

Strangely mine prefer the elegance over the BTA’s that used to roam my tank. I think you are right about the juvenile although I’ll have to observe more. Funny that I was wondering if I still had a trio then I saw a third head pop out just as I was typing this :)

 

[atoll]

Strangely mine prefer the elegance over the BTA’s that used to roam my tank. I think you are right about the juvenile although I’ll have to observe more. Funny that I was wondering if I still had a trio then I saw a third head pop out just as I was typing this :)

BTAs are not natural hosts for commons and Perc's. Mind you neither is an elegance but at least an elegance may look similar to a Magnifica an anemone the clowns prefer.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Return Pump

I ordered a Jebao DEP-10000 just now. It will become the primary return pump, assuming it functions as nicely at the 8500 in place now.

I like the Jebao 8500 and it will become a backup pump or be used for other future uses. I got a 10000 today since I’m not sure how the tariff situation will impact them, and it was only a little more than the 8500 from Amazon.

If future issues arise, I’ll proceed to get the Sicce 7 or 9, but for now, the price couldn’t be beat on the Jebao. :)

 

[SomeHappyFish]

Can't wait to see how the lights will look!

 

[rishma]

Do you ever plan to run ICP? Notably absent from your response about testing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you ever plan to run ICP? Notably absent from your response about testing.

Not until the tank has been running for a while. At that point I may run a tank water test, and an RO only (no DI) test to assess the suitability of skipping the DI in my situation. My assessment of my water supply data (which is quite extensive) suggests that only chloramine and silicate (3 ppm) are a concern. In that setting, RO only may be perfectly adequate. :)