Tank Trials: Ultra Low Maintenance Tanks | BRStv Investigates

[randyBRS]

ULM Tank Trials Ep-22: What's next for BRS Ultra Low Maintenance | BRStv

The time has come to let the three BRS ULM tanks run their course and find out just how little maintenance is required to keep them running. We'll circle back for a full update in a few months, so won't bore you with week-by-week updates on video, but stay tuned here and on Ryan's Instagram page for regular progression updates!

Ryan IG: www.instagram.com/ryanbrs

 

[revhtree]

Oh man I'm excited! Can't wait to see BRS and the "WWC Method!"

 

[Retro Reefer]

We'll circle back for a full update in a few months, so won't bore you with week-by-week updates on video

I have really enjoyed this series and for one wouldn’t be bored at all with weekly or even daily updates .. Or better yet how about setting up a live video stream so we can checkout their progress at our leisure?

 

[Nicolo]

Looking forward to checking BRS out in September in person

 

[Sunny Goold]

Yep - I love the ULM series and concept. My only issue with it is that I'd love to see more. What specifically? More assessments of the pluses and minuses - To see some of the testing results (like nutrient, pH, Alk, Calc and Mag levels) - A bit more on the growth of the corals etc. Also I feel like the tanks may be a little small (especially for SPS).

Anyhow the next series should be a cracker - I am just more of a fan of ULM - because as Ryan says one of the biggest problems with tanks is keeping up the maintenance and so reducing the workload as much as possible has got to help. Also a lot of people (most reefers I would say) spend more than a week away from their tanks and so an approach that means that isn't an issue is, in my view, one of the best ways to get new reefers into the hobby and staying.

I think I'm going to get a lot of great tips from the WWC Method - I am especially interested in learning more about their lighting method (I think they use a more daylight setting (as opposed to the blues) with LED. This will be awesome

 

[randyBRS]

Looking forward to checking BRS out in September in person

We can't wait to show you around! I'll be sure to clean the BRS160 glass.

 

[clark griswold]

ULM Tank Trials Ep-22: What's next for BRS Ultra Low Maintenance | BRStv

The time has come to let the three BRS ULM tanks run their course and find out just how little maintenance is required to keep them running. We'll circle back for a full update in a few months, so won't bore you with week-by-week updates on video, but stay tuned here and on Ryan's Instagram page for regular progression updates!

Ryan IG: www.instagram.com/ryanbrs

What? Nooooooooooo! Please keep us updated on the ULM progress more often than every months. Come on BRSTV at least one update a month. Personally I like the weekly and would watch daily if available.

 

[Booger McMoron]

I’m new to this marine reef hobby so please don’t shoot. I have some questions though. Aren’t you arguing over a water system or column that has a limited supply of elements and nutrients in a tank and a water supply that has an infinite amount of both? So while an element or nutrient may be low, if it is infinite in supply doesn’t that make the argument for a tank moot?

 

[Ryanbrs]

I’m new to this marine reef hobby so please don’t shoot. I have some questions though. Aren’t you arguing over a water system or column that has a limited supply of elements and nutrients in a tank and a water supply that has an infinite amount of both? So while an element or nutrient may be low, if it is infinite in supply doesn’t that make the argument for a tank moot?

I am assuming you are talking about the finite supply of nutrients in a reef tank vs infinite supply in the ocean.

In the most tanks, there is a finite supply of nitrogen or phosphorus sources like nitrate and phosphate however it is consistently maintained at levels higher than seawater. The end result is there isn't an infinite supply in a reef tank but there almost always a much higher consistent availability. Considering how low the ocean levels are this may be true even with many ultra-low nutrient tanks.

However, this doesn't address organic sources of nitrogen and phosphorus like pray or organic particles which many corals are capable of capturing. While we make steps towards providing these types of organic nutrient sources to the tank it is a very difficult do well for many species of corals which are particular about the types of particles they can capture.

I think one of the arguments that's made here is maintaining unnaturally high nitrate levels compensates for the lack of captured organic sources of nitrogen. That may be accurate but just because it sounds right doesn't make it right. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence pointing in both directions.

 

[GregOyeah]

is there any update on the nitrate dosing on the 160?? Has it helped out with the cyano? still too early to tell?

 

[clark griswold]

Oh ULM series how I miss thee. Withdrawals after only 2 weeks.

 

[randyBRS]

is there any update on the nitrate dosing on the 160?? Has it helped out with the cyano? still too early to tell?

As it stood last week, after running the weekly tests with the HACH DR3900, there really hasn’t been much of a change from a Nitrate/Phosphate standpoint. Nitrates remained undetectable, but there was a slight decrease in Phosphates from an average of 0.16ppm to around 0.13ppm.

I do have to say that the Cyano is still there in some places, but from a person who interacts with the tank on a daily basis, it does seem to be subsiding as compared to months before. Also, I continually mention to @Ryanbrs and @Zack@BRS how the growth has seemed to explode and the colors really seem to be much fuller and richer lately. Not sure if I can chalk it up to the nitrate dosing directly, but it is absolutely noticeable.

 

[Ryanbrs]

So as I mentioned in the last video we have been running into some challenges on the SPS tank and lost quite a few of the frags. Chemistry and lighting seem to be stable and spot on and I have just never run into an ongoing issue like this before. Happens to all of us

Today we started to look at pests as a potential problem. Honestly, I don't think that's it either but I did think some of you might enjoy looking at some of the macro shots we took while trying to hunt down causes.

Looks like a spider of some kind, there were quite a few of these but none of them were on or near live tissue.

 

[Ryanbrs]

Unknown

 

[Ryanbrs]

Most concerning where these small red specs which did look like they were eating tissue but they were only in some isolated areas and much smaller than your typical "little red bug"

 

[mattgsa]

I loved the ULM series. I too hope you come out with updates it the future, just like you do on the 160.

 

[Ryanbrs]

and just some pods which were fun to watch

 

[clark griswold]

So as I mentioned in the last video we have been running into some challenges on the SPS tank and lost quite a few of the frags. Chemistry and lighting seem to be stable and spot on and I have just never run into an ongoing issue like this before. Happens to all of us

Today we started to look at pests as a potential problem. Honestly, I don't think that's it either but I did think some of you might enjoy looking at some of the macro shots we took while trying to hunt down causes.

Looks like a spider of some kind, there were quite a few of these but none of them were on or near live tissue.

So would coral quarantine have been a more ULM approach long term in hindsight? I'm really curious about the LPS tank. Any quick vids on that one?

 

[Ryanbrs]

So would coral quarantine have been a more ULM approach long term in hindsight? I'm really curious about the LPS tank. Any quick vids on that one?

Well, I guess but we added them all at the same time so the tank was essentially a quarantine tank. I don't think it was pest related because we couldn't find any signs of a major infestation that could cause this scale of loses.

 

[clark griswold]

Well, I guess but we added them all at the same time so the tank was essentially a quarantine tank. I don't think it was pest related because we couldn't find any signs of a major infestation that could cause this scale of loses.

True hadn't thought of it like that. Keep us posted. Very curious how it turns out.