Reef crystals

[tbrown]

I’m hoping that some folks who are pushing the limits on some hobby mantras (such as a tank needs to mature a certain number of months before one should try “X”) will help us determine how much is real and how much is reefer expertise. And if it is real, when can one violate it (such as an ocean rock and sand setup vs dry rock). I believe rtparty was one such person.

FWIW, I do not plan to wait long at all before putting such creatures into my tank. Assuming I can find a good one, first among these is likely to be a magnifica anemone.

My BTA was in my tank within a week or two. Started with homemade Aragocrete that I cured in freshwater for about a week and a half, then saltwater soaked with phosphates and nitrates and "used" water from the sump of my old tank, 40 pounds of Aragalive and 40 pounds of "used" sand from a bucket in my backyard... I used some LiveAquaria live Nitrifying Bacteria and MB7. Fish were started to be added at day 1, corals at day 3 or 4.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

My BTA was in my tank within a week or two. Started with homemade Aragocrete that I cured in freshwater for about a week and a half, then saltwater soaked with phosphates and nitrates and "used" water from the sump of my old tank, 40 pounds of Aragalive and 40 pounds of "used" sand from a bucket in my backyard... I used some LiveAquaria live Nitrifying Bacteria and MB7. Fish were started to be added at day 1, corals at day 3 or 4.

To be fair, your like the king of "this isn't how you usually do it, but it works for me!" :face-with-tears-of-joy:

 

[njmaddreefer]

It is! My alk has ran from 4.4 to 13.6 and never skipped a beat lol… the 4.4 was after 2 kalk over doses and my tank snowing for a week! It was nasty but the sps never skipped a beat and I didn’t lose a single piece! I believe it’s a myth! I think keeping it rock solid does more harm than good if you ask

Seriously, though, there’s not a lot of evidence of what sorts of alk stability matter, and to what extent.

For example, alk can vary over the same large range every day, or it can climb or fall day after day, potentially with different consequences.

T

Seriously, though, there’s not a lot of evidence of what sorts of alk stability matter, and to what extent.

For example, alk can vary over the same large range every day, or it can climb or fall day after day, potentially with different consequences.

Super interesting! What is the theory -corals adapt to the different types of fluctuations?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Super interesting! What is the theory -corals adapt to the different types of fluctuations?

if a fluctuation is fast enough, and regular enough, they do not need to respond to changes beyond just making sure they get what they need over a day or two without getting too much. Sort of like a person getting vitamins. They do not need to be trickling in all the time, but often enough to get what’s needed without so much it is toxic.

Slower changes will require adaptation, and organisms can adjust how many active transporters of a given type they have.

Problems arise when there is a sudden change up or down and organisms don’t adjust their intake fast enough to account for it, either taking in too much or too little.

Unfortunately, we do not have very much info on how fast their compensating mechanisms respond.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

if a fluctuation is fast enough, and regular enough, they do not need to respond to changes beyond just making sure they get what they need over a day or two without getting too much. Sort of like a person getting vitamins. They do not need to be trickling in all the time, but often enough to get what’s needed without so much it is toxic.

Slower changes will require adaptation, and organisms can adjust how many active transporters of a given type they have.

Problems arise when there is a sudden change up or down and organisms don’t adjust their intake fast enough to account for it, either taking in too much or too little.

Unfortunately, we do not have very much info on how fast their compensating mechanisms respond.

Seems solid to me. So stability is more or less, stability in the safe range for a majority of the time. Don't tank the alk to 5dKH and keep it there

 

[tbrown]

Seems solid to me. So stability is more or less, stability in the safe range for a majority of the time. Don't tank the alk to 5dKH and keep it there

I think "tanking the alk to 5" quickly would be the issue here. The alkalinity tanking would cause some pH spasms. Slowly dropping the alk to 5 over some time as an "oops" wouldn't be devastating. Keeping the alk at 5 would potentially slow growth significantly on all stony corals - maybe even cause a temporary stall.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

I think "tanking the alk to 5" quickly would be the issue here. The alkalinity tanking would cause some pH spasms. Slowly dropping the alk to 5 over some time as an "oops" wouldn't be devastating. Keeping the alk at 5 would potentially slow growth significantly on all stony corals - maybe even cause a temporary stall.

Well I was thinking tanking it quickly to 5 and staying there vs yoyo'ing around relatively quickly with the average being an acceptable range, let's call it 8dKH. As long as the average is fine and it occasionally goes high or low, but very briefly and doesn't last a long time. Maybe I'm completely misunderstanding though

 

[njmaddreefer]

if a fluctuation is fast enough, and regular enough, they do not need to respond to changes beyond just making sure they get what they need over a day or two without getting too much. Sort of like a person getting vitamins. They do not need to be trickling in all the time, but often enough to get what’s needed without so much it is toxic.

Slower changes will require adaptation, and organisms can adjust how many active transporters of a given type they have.

Problems arise when there is a sudden change up or down and organisms don’t adjust their intake fast enough to account for it, either taking in too much or too little.

Unfortunately, we do not have very much info on how fast their compensating mechanisms respond.

Thank you for explaining this. I appreciate the science behind it.

 

[Troylee]

Seems solid to me. So stability is more or less, stability in the safe range for a majority of the time. Don't tank the alk to 5dKH and keep it there

To me yes it’s safe to say it can bounce around a lot as long as it’s within a decent range.. I’d say 7-12 is acceptable as I’ve played with it in those ranges with no harm done.. and I’ve had it change drastically and fast but kept between those numbers and had no problems.