Tale of Two Cities or Phoenix Rises

Subsea · Dec 3, 2022

Pardon my use of classic literature in the title of this thread. It comes with my age at 75 years young. I have operated marine aquariums for 51 years, thus a companion thread “Nutrient Management by Old School Reefer”.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nutrient-management-by-“old-school”-reefer.784640/

This economy stand was set up with two 55G economy tanks to receive 40lbs of diver collected live sand & 200 lbs of live rock from Gulf Live Rock.

Gulf Live Rock.com

gulfliverock.com

Bottom tank was removed 2 years ago and set up 48 hours ago.

Top tank has been set up for 3 years. For biological filtration, a reverse flow undergravel filter pushes 300GPH into plenum and up thru 2” of aroggonite substrate. Also included in biological filtration is a fast flow cryptic refugium in a cannister filter. I rely on cryptic sponges for biochemistry in balancing out DOC. DOC from coral is mainly lipids & proteins while DOC from algae is mostly carbohydrates/ glucose/ sugar.

That was 3 years ago. I moved much of diver collected rock into 75G & 120G display tanks at 25 years mature and 5 years mature. Now I am thinning out GSP covered live rock to sell to LFS in Austin. Just 48 hours ago, I mixed salt with 55G of 1000’ we’ll in Trinity Aquifer. I added a little of dry aroggonite substrate and a handful of live sand from established tank. When I added large GSP covered live rock I saw pods a swimming and mini stars shaken loose from live rock. The mini stars get into Gracilaria Hayi and are easily transferred between tanks.

blaxsun · Dec 3, 2022

Sounds like a very interesting filtration system!

Subsea · Dec 3, 2022

blaxsun said:
Sounds like a very interesting filtration system!

During my first 30 years of Reefing, I worked in deep water drilling on a 28 on / 28 day off work schedule. I designed system to feed itself with multiple nutrient pathways. Display was Jaubert plenum with 6” sandbed with remote extended refugium in garage consisting of two 55G macro/pod refugiums and two growout tanks with 4’ by 8’ by 1’ high. During those early days, natural nitrate removal was a goal.

Now with mature systems, I dose ammonia to keep up with nitrogen demand. Because I do minimal water changes I use cryptic sponges to recycle DOC into detritus & DIC. Detritus feeds the microbial loop that moves organic carbon up the food chain as live food for hungry mouths.

Cryptic refugium & DOC Recycling Using Sponge Loop & Microbial Loop

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2435.12758 Summary Corals and macroalgae release large quantities of dissolved organic matter (DOM), one of the largest sources of organic matter produced on coral reefs. By rapidly taking up DOM and transforming it into...

www.reef2reef.com

PS: With this type of nutrient management I keep sea apples & flame scallops.

Subsea · Dec 4, 2022

In front of Christmas, I decided to add reds & greens as I thin out 75G tank for Spring Cleaning on sand bed, then add 10 lbs of dry aroggonite to to make up for sand removed to seed biodiversity of micro fauna & fana.

blaxsun · Dec 4, 2022

Subsea said:
During my first 30 years of Reefing, I worked in deep water drilling on a 28 on / 28 day off work schedule. I designed system to feed itself with multiple nutrient pathways. Display was Jaubert plenum with 6” sandbed with remote extended refugium in garage consisting of two 55G macro/pod refugiums and two growout tanks with 4’ by 8’ by 1’ high. During those early days, natural nitrate removal was a goal.

Now with mature systems, I dose ammonia to keep up with nitrogen demand. Because I do minimal water changes I use cryptic sponges to recycle DOC into detritus & DIC. Detritus feeds the microbial loop that moves organic carbon up the food chain as live food for hungry mouths.

PS: With this type of nutrient management I keep sea apples & flame scallops.

If you can keep flame scallops you're doing tons of things right!

Subsea · Dec 5, 2022

blaxsun said:
If you can keep flame scallops you're doing tons of things right!

Best I can tell, I have maintained individuals up to 2 years. Not sure of their normal lifespan in the wild. I attempted electric flame scallops from the Pacific with little success. I do well with Caribbean Flame Scallops which I attribute to uncured diver collected live sand and live rock. My systems simulate Caribbean mixed garden lagoons. In every system, the focus is on recycling nutrients into multiple nutrient pathways.

Even though bottom tank was made wet less than 7 days ago, hardy softies are added to this 55G tank as I thin out from 25 year mature 75G tank that is overgrown with GSP covered live rocks.

For me, Christmas colors are red & green, with GSP and Caulerpa Prolifera reflecting differrent colors of green and several red macros from Gulf of Mexico. Bortacladia is a deep water macro collected in 30’ to 130’ of water. When I get it from the divers, it is a dark burgundy. When acclimated, it turns fire engine red in brighter light. Red Grape bushes were moved into top tank.

Subsea · Dec 5, 2022

Opened up area to vacume sand bed in preparation for bringing in more aroggonite substrate. This sandbed was set up 25 years ago as a Jaubert Plenum. Five years ago, substrate was reduced from 6” to 2” and 300 GPHr flow was pumped into plenum up thru the substrate.

Subsea · Dec 5, 2022

blaxsun said:
If you can keep flame scallops you're doing tons of things right!

Yes, I like flame scallops even when they go where it suits them regardless of my wishes to view. I actually thought I had lost this most recent Caribbean flame scallop. I had not seen him in 3 months and then to be surprised at how much he had grown, as I moved live rock around.

However, I like the ornamental sponges that I get from the Gulf of Mexico.

Subsea · Dec 5, 2022

How do I feed closed system?

Before getting into live mussels, I wish to address
“Dynamic Equilibrium“. In September 1971, I entered The Texas Maritime Academy and choose as a technical elective Oceaneering 101. That was mt first introduction to how interconnected & interpendant planet Earth is. Gas solubility of N, O2 & CO2 drive alkalinity and nitrogen fixation which happens automatically in a process called “dynamic equilibrium“.

About 2 hours ago, I dropped a frozen mussel into bottom tank and saw a resulting froth on water within 15 minutes. Some of the detrivores that were introduced with live rock are eating mussel flesh. Night lights are submerged at 2.6W and they make GSP pop.

Top tank light draws 45W with color reduction of 12K. Bottom tank draws 145W of 5K color rendition. I will soon add a 4’ led bar to bottom tank with all actinic diodes at 45W.

As I moved out GSP live rock in 75G, Flame Scallop was seen in full display.

Subsea · Dec 9, 2022

Night viewing:

As I got up before tank lights on, I got a nice view of GSP under 2.6W of 50/50 blue/white submersible led.

Subsea · Dec 10, 2022

I have started a 4 liter phytoplankton culture to enhance diversity of invertebrates in both 55G tanks.

Bottom tank lights upgrade include replacing 5K PAR 38 lamps with 6K lamps and the addition of actinic 4’ led light bar.

Subsea · Dec 13, 2022

Top tank at 45W of led at color rendition of 10K Is used for low light display that has proved nicely for Bortacladia. I recently added Caribbean Flame Scallop and three different ornamental sponges from GulfCoast Ecosystem: red tree, yellow ball and orange elephant ear.

I am also using this tank as a recovery hospital, as I just added two deep water NPS gorgonions that require much TLC. Today, I should receive some janitor snails along with a red macro grab bag from live plants.

Subsea · Dec 17, 2022

As I finished first cup of coffee, while listening to Enya‘s “In Memory of Trees”, I visualized trees in the breeze. The transition to gorgonions & fronds of Caulerpa Prolifera and my favorite, Caulerpa Paspoidies undulating in the current was my vision in setting up my interpretation of a Caribbean lagoon as I add differrent players, including the little people that are the janitors in the CUC.

vlangel · Dec 17, 2022

Patrick, in the top right pic, what is the green leafy macro algae in the top left back of the tank? I think it's also in the 2nd image down from the left. I like how lush it looks.

My tank is also ready for Christmas sporting green and red, ha ha!

Subsea · Dec 17, 2022

Caulerpa Paspoidies

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

vlangel said:
Patrick, in the top right pic, what is the green leafy macro algae in the top left back of the tank? I think it's also in the 2nd image down from the left. I like how lush it looks.

My tank is also ready for Christmas sporting green and red, ha ha!

vlangel · Dec 18, 2022

Subsea said:
Caulerpa Paspoidies

Marine Plants in the Aquarium

macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for sale

www.marineplantbook.com

Thank you Patrick. That would have been a better choice than the caulerpa cupressoides I got in my last order. I still have some but it is definitely not thriving.

Subsea · Dec 18, 2022

vlangel said:
Thank you Patrick. That would have been a better choice than the caulerpa cupressoides I got in my last order. I still have some but it is definitely not thriving.

Dawn,
Ten years ago, I first grew Caulerpa Paspoidies & Prolifera in 150G display 30” deep with 1000W of MH at 6500 Kevin color retention. Both macros were lush until they went sexual. Caulerpa Paspoidies is my favorite. To control its intensely fast growth, this display is low light low circulation as in a mushroom tank. I just feed it a liter of phytoplankton. Live plants has some Paspoidie. They are closed until December 27.

Last picture is 25 year old tank, undergoing substrate addition. Thirty minutes ago, I dosed 2 liters of Tet phytoplankton. Water stained green but has cleared up dramatically. Typically I dose when lights are on, so that phytoplankton continues to grow in aquarium and thus absorb nutrients from aquarium water until phyto is consumed.

PS: Paspoidies just became available this week from live plants. The only other way I used to get Paspoidies was diver collected live sand from Gulf Live Rock.

vlangel · Dec 18, 2022

Subsea said:
Dawn,
Ten years ago, I first grew Caulerpa Paspoidies & Prolifera in 150G display 30” deep with 1000W of MH at 6500 Kevin color retention. Both macros were lush until they went sexual. Caulerpa Paspoidies is my favorite. To control its intensely fast growth, this display is low light low circulation as in a mushroom tank. I just feed it a liter of phytoplankton. Live plants has some Paspoidie. They are closed until December 27.

Last picture is 25 year old tank, undergoing substrate addition. Thirty minutes ago, I dosed 2 liters of Tet phytoplankton. Water stained green but has cleared up dramatically. Typically I dose when lights are on, so that phytoplankton continues to grow in aquarium and thus absorb nutrients from aquarium water until phyto is consumed.

PS: Paspoidies just became available this week from live plants. The only other way I used to get Paspoidies was diver collected live sand from Gulf Live Rock.

Thanks Patrick, I think I will give them a try.

Subsea · Dec 19, 2022

As I strive for compatible diversity, I added more Caribbean sponges (Red Tree, Yellow Ball and Orange Elephant Ear) and my favorite feather frond macro, Caulerpa Paspoides. C Paspoidies thrives in bright light some went into high light tank on bottom.