The Bacterial “Rip Clean” Method

[Garf]

For a few days since the thread got quite some unexpected response I have been thinking of ways to make the concept more visual to all understand the basics of a bacterial “rip clean”.

last night I set 2 experiments to try and demonstrate it visually.

experiment 1
Decomposition of a shrimp in a small vessel

• Duration 18 hours
• 5 grams defrosted cooked shrimp
• 100 ml tank water collected just after dosing reef actif


Results:

• Shrimp weigh 5 grams
• ammonia 0 ppm
• nitrite above 1 ppm

comments:

There was no weight loss, visually the shrimp still looked fresh, there was a cloudiness of the water in the vessel although ammonia was 0 ppm.
I was hoping to have an ammonia reading to illustrate this part of the test that would show the results of slow decomposition is ammonia. It seems that somehow the carbon source transformed all the ammonia to nitrite. It’s a small vessel and so many tings can go wrong I will hope that @Lasse could chime in as he’s the most versed person I know in bacteria knowledge.

pictures and videos experiment 1

0 hours beginning of experiment

18 hours end of experiment

18 hours end of experiment

18 hours ammonia 0 ppm

18 hours nitrite 1ppm plus

18 hours video experiment 1

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Experiment 2
Decomposition of a shrimp in a reef tank

• Duration 18 hours
• 6 grams defrosted cooked shrimp
• 25 gallons reef tank (currently at full dose of actif)

results:

• shrimp weight 3 grams (lost 3 grams)

comments:

The shrimp was left on a corner of the system for 18 hours, today at the end of the experiment the shrimp had obvious signs of advanced decomposition (see pics and video) and it lost 3 grams in weight

pictures and videos experiment 2

0 hours before it was added to the sys

18 hours after being added to the system

shrimp in the system 18 hours (before being removed for weight check

video of 18 hours texture and composition

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the test only had a duration of 18 hours due to the advanced decomposition, if I were to leave it for longer I would be able to remove the shrimp from my system for observation.
Also note that this shrimp would be the equivalent to a small fish or around 4 to 6 cubes of frozen brine decomposing in a system

My bet is you've got some little critters coming out at night and filling their faces.

 

[sixty_reefer]

My bet is you've got some little critters coming out at night and filling their faces.

Did you had a chance to look at both videos? Both shrimps are full After the 18hours, the only difference is that one melts away once touched and the other don’t.

 

[Garf]

Did you had a chance to look at both videos? Both shrimps are full After the 18hours, the only difference is that one melts away once touched and the other don’t.

No, but I will now

Edit -Coming up as private on my phone.

 

[sixty_reefer]

No, but I will now

Look at the nitrite test on Test 1, that illustrates how much ammonia is released from slow decomposition, tell me what you think, hopefully lass can explain how it was converted instead of staying in the ammonia form.

 

[Subsea]

So 6 hrs into “lights on” small cyno mat & Aptasia were vacuumed to waste along with a few beneficial spaghetti worms. Other small patches, probably diatoms, were removed from base of live rock. Completed a 7 gallon gravel vacume to waste.

At 10 hours into first day of light, added 250ml of phyto.

 

[brandon429]

I honestly believe the title of this thread should be changed from 'rip clean' in quotations, an equivocation to rip cleaning posts, into 'bacterial enhancement'

this is getting views with the same expected turnaround rates and outcomes we earn with elbow grease.




I feel that moniker can be added back once we get this additive, or a Dr. Tim's additive, turning a reef like this:

into this, within the timeframes of this thread not as a past example added here:

we did that job in 24 hours, it wasn't a one year ago post I dredged up to apply to my rip clean threads, we did that on demand live time.


notice how there isn't a rock still totally blanketed in hair algae

this experiment is still very good still and I'm anticipating seeing some outcomes.



this should not be listed as a rip clean thread until it becomes one, a few pages of examples

In trade, if it works, I'll link this on page -1- of our rip clean thread as a viable alternate means, giving readers a choice. That's fair bones business right there

 

[Garf]

Look at the nitrite test on Test 1, that illustrates how much ammonia is released from slow decomposition, tell me what you think, hopefully lass can explain how it was converted instead of staying in the ammonia form.

Very believable, probably the equivalent of a decomposing labrador in a 100gallon tank. I imagine 18 hrs is enough time for bacteria to almost instantaneously convert ammonia, when using old water.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Very believable, probably the equivalent of a decomposing labrador in a 100gallon tank. I imagine 18 hrs is enough time for bacteria to almost instantaneously convert ammonia, when using old water.

To be honest I wasn’t expecting for experiment 1 to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrates. The goal was to show Brandon that results from small vessels are inaccurate due to become fairly fast depleted in o2 and co2 depending on what’s being tested for and show inaccurate information on what’s being tested Vs a large volume of water that is much harder to deplete both o2 and co2. The only outcome expected was slow decomposition due to o2 limitation and ammonia rise.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

My term I like to use for this method of reef keeping is bacteria based reef keeping. When you focus on taking care of the bacteria everything else will fall into place. Brandon still doesn’t understand that this isn’t a magic bullet solution. It’s a way of keeping a reef continuously clean of unwanted detritus by using bacteria. That is all basically. You can and still will get some algae depending upon the rest of your keeping and feeding practices. But if you stop feeding the tank and keep carbon dosing eventually you would kill every single thing in your tank from clean water.

 

[Swede Reef]

In case anyone needs Reef Actif, it is available at Saltwateraquarium.com. They just sent me a in stock notification.

Cheers

 

[beesnreefs]

In case anyone needs Reef Actif, it is available at Saltwateraquarium.com. They just sent me a in stock notification.

Cheers

Thanks! Just ordered two bottles

 

[Subsea]

My term I like to use for this method of reef keeping is bacteria based reef keeping. When you focus on taking care of the bacteria everything else will fall into place. Brandon still doesn’t understand that this isn’t a magic bullet solution. It’s a way of keeping a reef continuously clean of unwanted detritus by using bacteria. That is all basically. You can and still will get some algae depending upon the rest of your keeping and feeding practices. But if you stop feeding the tank and keep carbon dosing eventually you would kill every single thing in your tank from clean water.

I like Bugs Win

 

[Cina05]

have you tried the preferred dealer stores locator?



it not the most popular product although it seems that they are about somewhere

Thanks for the preferred dealer link, i wasn't aware of that. Those stores are all about an hour from me, but I signed up for restock notifications on saltwateraquarium.com and got a response today that they had limited quantities in stock so I ordered some. This is an interesting thread. A lot of good info. and discussion!

 

[Subsea]

Please keep updating this pictures and any other observations you see whether they are positive or negative.

Three hours into light cycle on second day after half dosage protocoal started. Water clarity remains stellar and the sandbed vacuumed yesterday remains clean of nuisance algae.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Three hours into light cycle on second day after half dosage protocoal started. Water clarity remains stellar and the sandbed vacuumed yesterday remains clean of nuisance algae.

That’s impressive, you have a very mature system that may be in advantage over others (were bacteria just needs a little push) , please carry on updating, we would like to see if you will have to build up to full dose before the Cyanobacteria is fully gone.

 

[Subsea]

That’s impressive, you have a very mature system that may be in advantage over others (were bacteria just needs a little push) , please carry on updating, we would like to see if you will have to build up to full dose before the Cyanobacteria is fully gone.

That’s impressive, you have a very mature system that may be in advantage over others (were bacteria just needs a little push) , please carry on updating, we would like to see if you will have to build up to full dose before the Cyanobacteria is fully gone.

To clarify a point about me going to 1/2 dose protocoal.
Actually, I am dosing at 50% of maximum dose. This 75G display has many diverse filter feeders at 25 years mature.

Also, with respect to dosing three times a week, I dose every 2 days.

 

[nuxx]

Just read the entire thread, super interesting.

Would have love to try on my tank when it had some of these issues :/

 

[Subsea]

Member Tanks

Show off your tank and document your progress.

www.reef2reef.com

This marks the start of documenting Reef Actif protocoal. I estimate that 120G display holds 130G of water.

This is the third day and second dose was administered. I prefer to measure dry weight with scale. I added 3g in first and second dose.

 

[Subsea]

To clarify a point about me going to 1/2 dose protocoal.
Actually, I am dosing at 50% of maximum dose. This 75G display has many diverse filter feeders at 25 years mature.

Also, with respect to dosing three times a week, I dose every 2 days.

I recalculated, the maximum recommended dose. Using 90G as system volume then 90 dIvided by 132 is 68% of 3 grams, therefore maximum dose for my system is 2 grams. I dose 1.5 grams for this system.

 

[beesnreefs]

I recalculated, the maximum recommended dose. Using 90G as system volume then 90 dIvided by 132 is 68% of 3 grams, therefore maximum dose for my system is 2 grams. I dose 1.5 grams for this system.

I'm planning on starting with Reef Actif next week (have 2 bottles on order). Can you help me understand your dosing regimen? I'd like to mimic it in my tank.

Specifically, I'm looking for clarity on:

1. Your dose. My tank is 225g. Does this mean my "maximum" dose is 5 grams?
2. It looks like you are starting at 75% of maximum dose (1.5 grams with your max being 2 grams). Do I have that right?
3. How frequently will you dose?
4. Will you stick with the 1.5 grams or adjust at some point?

FWIW, my tank is battling cyano and a little bit (but growing) algae issue that looks to me like GHA. Again, I think it could be valuable for me to mimic what you're doing, @Subsea so we have n = 2 for this "experiment"