The Bacterial “Rip Clean” Method

[Subsea]

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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.

In the middle of third week of dosing full strength at 3 grams of biofloc dosing regime technology. This tank continues to get better with me doing zero maintenance on reef tanks as I clean up 1.5 acres of fallen trees from ice storm a week ago.

 

[Subsea]

Because we are talking ecosystem dynamics, let’s park at the food web of the “microbial loop”

[The microbial loop describes a trophic pathway where, in aquatic systems, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is returned to higher trophic levels via its incorporation into bacterial biomass, and then coupled with the classic food chain formed by phytoplankton-zooplankton-nekton. In soil systems, the microbial loop refers to soil carbon. The term microbial loop was coined by Farooq Azam, Tom Fenchel et al.[1]in 1983 to include the role played by bacteria in the carbon and nutrient cycles of the marine environment.]

[In general, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is introduced into the ocean environment from bacterial lysis, the leakage or exudation of fixed carbon from phytoplankton (e.g., mucilaginous exopolymer from diatoms), sudden cell senescence, sloppy feeding by zooplankton, the excretion of waste products by aquatic animals, or the breakdown or dissolution of organic particles from terrestrial plants and soils.[2]Bacteria in the microbial loop decompose this particulate detritus to utilize this energy-rich matter for growth. Since more than 95% of organic matter in marine ecosystems consists of polymeric, high molecular weight (HMW) compounds (e.g., protein, polysaccharides, lipids), only a small portion of total dissolved organic matter (DOM) is readily utilizable to most marine organisms at higher trophic levels. This means that dissolved organic carbon is not available directly to most marine organisms; marine bacteria introduce this organic carbon into the food web, resulting in additional energy becoming available to higher trophic levels. Recently the term "microbial food web" has been substituted for the term "microbial loop".]

PS: Just feed system frozen cubes and will shortly follow with live phytopkankton and 10ml of ammonia. Yesterday & tomorrow will be two live mussels, fresh shucked & diced

PSS: Note that first picture shows much ornamental & utilitarian seaweeds. Even if I didn’t dose live phytoplankton I lead DOC from seaweed to feed acteria that feed the system.

[In general, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is introduced into the ocean environment from bacterial lysis, the leakage or exudation of fixed carbon from phytoplankton (e.g., mucilaginous exopolymer from diatoms), sudden cell senescence, sloppy feeding by zooplankton, the excretion of waste products by aquatic animals, or the breakdown or dissolution of organic particles from terrestrial plants and soils.[2]Bacteria in the microbial loop decompose this particulate detritus to utilize this energy-rich matter for growth. Since more than 95% of organic matter in marine ecosystems consists of polymeric, high molecular weight (HMW) compounds (e.g., protein, polysaccharides, lipids), only a small portion of total dissolved organic matter (DOM) is readily utilizable to most marine organisms at higher trophic levels. This means that dissolved organic carbon is not available directly to most marine organisms; marine bacteria introduce this organic carbon into the food web, resulting in additional energy becoming available to higher trophic levels]

 

[Subsea]

Nutrient Management by “Old School” Reefer

@Kennya kudos to your support of The Coral Project. @Timfish followed a coral cloning project which showed dna changes, possible degradation, after successive generations of clones. Tim, Any more information on raising flame Angel fry? Thanks, I think the work that Jamie Craggs and team are...

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[Subsea]

The Great Oxidation Event on Earth occurred > 2 billion years ago and blue green Cynobacteria made it happen. Previous to the event, earths early athmosphere was methane & sulfur and all microbes were anarobial. Cynobacteria did two things to make earth habitual for people that breath oxygen & exhale carbon dioxide.& plants that breath carbon dioxide & exhale oxygen.

Cynobacteria break down water in two seperate processes. “Nitroven fixation” is the process in which bacteria chemistry converts free nitrogen gas molecule into NO4 which is absorbed into bacteria biomass along with other nutrients as a primary producer that moves carbon up the food chain. The second process is reduction chemistry in which bacteria seperate the chemical bond of NO4 and release N2 as a free gas to recycle back to athmosphete.

The two process discribed above require efficient gas exchange at water air interface to use gas constants of oxygen & carbon dioxide in water to seek Dynamic Equilibrium.

Without nitrogen fixation, planet earth would be brown, not green. One other process to cycle molecular nitrogen into a usable nutrient of NO4 is intense voltage in lightening, that’s why April showers bring May flowers

 

[Dburr1014]

System is coming up on 9 years.
75 standard, total volume is 100 gallons.
Full tank shot from just now, untouched.



I don't have a whole lot of GHA, but what I have is hard for the CUC and
fish to get to. Here are some problem areas. In between and under some Coral which make it hard for them to eat.

As for my Sump here are a few pictures of the cyanobacteria that formed over this weekend in some sheets. This I'm going to clean up before I start. I don't want that to be staying in the system while I treat. I'm looking to Target the green hair algae and this would be a nice side effect if this would stay away. I have always had cyano and my sump since startup.

Last night was day 10 for dosing for me. After one week of doing quarter doses per max, I am now doing 3/4 doses every night per Max. This equates to 7 G per 100 gallon system volume.
Here are some photos after 10 days.



I have a couple of things to note, there are a couple of areas that the hair algae has receded are completely gone. One was directly under an SPS colony. The other one was on the back side of my clam, I wished I had taken a picture before but it's noticeably less hair than was before. This I'm having a hard time explaining. After I took these pictures I decided to yank some hair. Some of which I didn't notice any difference it was still hard to pull but then there were some areas where it came off very easily. I'm starting to think that actif may be having an effect on the hair. Hard to say 100% sure, we'll see what the next 10 days bring. After the 7 Days of 3/4 dose I will be going to 100% Max. Just so there's no confusion that would be nightly doing 50% instead of the every other day 100%.

On another note I also would like to say that I had a mishap with my DIY kalk reactor and it dosed pretty much a slurry after dumping in new kalk. I forgot to shut my pump off as I was filling it so I had one SPS colony pretty much rtn mostly but I think I got it to stop. this picture is from 3 days after the event and it's been like this for 2 days so I think it's halted. I'm deciding whether to cut it up or just leave it in place. I do have a rather large frag of this colony that I was going to bring to my lfs for credit. And when I say large I mean it's about 3/4 of this colony in size.

 

[brandon429]

what a strong contribution for the thread that's so well documented, nice progress! you will be able to recover that skin burn I'll bet.

 

[Subsea]

Last night was day 10 for dosing for me. After one week of doing quarter doses per max, I am now doing 3/4 doses every night per Max. This equates to 7 G per 100 gallon system volume.
Here are some photos after 10 days.



I have a couple of things to note, there are a couple of areas that the hair algae has receded are completely gone. One was directly under an SPS colony. The other one was on the back side of my clam, I wished I had taken a picture before but it's noticeably less hair than was before. This I'm having a hard time explaining. After I took these pictures I decided to yank some hair. Some of which I didn't notice any difference it was still hard to pull but then there were some areas where it came off very easily. I'm starting to think that actif may be having an effect on the hair. Hard to say 100% sure, we'll see what the next 10 days bring. After the 7 Days of 3/4 dose I will be going to 100% Max. Just so there's no confusion that would be nightly doing 50% instead of the every other day 100%.

On another note I also would like to say that I had a mishap with my DIY kalk reactor and it dosed pretty much a slurry after dumping in new kalk. I forgot to shut my pump off as I was filling it so I had one SPS colony pretty much rtn mostly but I think I got it to stop. this picture is from 3 days after the event and it's been like this for 2 days so I think it's halted. I'm deciding whether to cut it up or just leave it in place. I do have a rather large frag of this colony that I was going to bring to my lfs for credit. And when I say large I mean it's about 3/4 of this colony in size.

Your calculation for dosing rate needs better explanation, because I am confused. If dosage rate for 132G is one spoon or 3 grams every 2 days, how did you come up with 7 grams for 100G system and call that a 3/4 dose?

 

[Dburr1014]

Your calculation for dosing rate needs better explanation, because I am confused. If dosage rate for 132G is one spoon or 3 grams every 2 days, how did you come up with 7 grams for 100G system and call that a 3/4 dose?

In my first dose I measured the spoon and cleared tare. I then filled the spoon and leveled with Reef actif and my scale measured 2.5 grams. That was my calculation for max dose on 132 gallons. I know sixty_reefer (or maybe you, Subsea) measured 3 grams of full spoon.
That might be the confusion. I went with what I measured with my scale.
My 1/2 size dose would be 0.46 and full dose at 0.9 for DAILY additions. Double that if I went with every other day as you have been doing. I just chose to go every day instead, so it's halved.

Hope that makes it more clear.

 

[Subsea]

In my first dose I measured the spoon and cleared tare. I then filled the spoon and leveled with Reef actif and my scale measured 2.5 grams. That was my calculation for max dose on 132 gallons. I know sixty_reefer (or maybe you, Subsea) measured 3 grams of full spoon.
That might be the confusion. I went with what I measured with my scale.
My 1/2 size dose would be 0.46 and full dose at 0.9 for DAILY additions. Double that if I went with every other day as you have been doing. I just chose to go every day instead, so it's halved.

Hope that makes it more clear.

The difference between 2.5 grams & 3 grams is < 17%,

The ratio of 100 divided by 132 times equals .76 times 2.5 grams is 1.9 grams every two days Or .95 grams every day.

Yes, I understand Old School Math.

This is what is not clear:
[Last night was day 10 for dosing for me. After one week of doing quarter doses per max, I am now doing 3/4 doses every night per Max. This equates to 7 G per 100 gallon system volume.]

Where is your dosage rate in comparison to maximum recommended dosage.?


How much do you dose each night?

 

[Dburr1014]

The difference between 2.5 grams & 3 grams is < 17%,

The ratio of 100 divided by 132 times equals .76 times 2.5 grams is 1.9 grams every two days Or .95 grams every day.

Yes, I understand Old School Math.

This is what is not clear:
[Last night was day 10 for dosing for me. After one week of doing quarter doses per max, I am now doing 3/4 doses every night per Max. This equates to 7 G per 100 gallon system volume.]

Where is your dosage rate in comparison to maximum recommended dosage.?


How much do you dose each night?

I think I missed the decimal point.
Dosing 0.7 grams daily currently.
Or you could say 1.4 g every 2 days.

Monday I will start 0.9 g daily or 1.8 grams every 2 days. Close enough to full dose, close enough to your math.

 

[exnisstech]

my scale measured 2.5 grams. That was my calculation for max dose on 132 gallons. I know sixty_reefer (or maybe you, Subsea) measured 3 grams of full spoon.

I'd be comfy at 2.5 vs 3. I have a grain scale used to measure gun powder for reloading. After conversion I get 2.6gm per spoon.

 

[Subsea]

I'd be comfy at 2.5 vs 3. I have a grain scale used to measure gun powder for reloading. After conversion I get 2.6gm per spoon.

You guys with your laser eyesight can see a level spoonful with accuracy of 85%. Forty years ago, I used dial indicators and micrometers to measure down to the .001” when I aligned traction motors to ships propellers shaft. I can’t see so good anymore. It’s easier for me to multiply by 3 instead of 2.5.

 

[exnisstech]

You guys with your laser eyesight can see a level with accuracy of 85%. Forty years ago, I used dial indicators and micrometers to measure down to the .001” when I aligned traction motors to ships propellers. I can’t see so good anymore. It’s easier for me to multiply by 3 instead of 2.5.

This is the first cool scale I have ever owned so I'm having fun with it . Until I got it a postal scale was the best I had and worthless for measuring powder. I used to rebuild auto engines before it became more cost effective to buy a short block or long block than rebuild one. The mics I used were non digital as well. I love handing one to a young guy and asking him to measure something. Heck I learned to read mics in school. They even taught us to read maps and write checks and balance a checkbook. Now they don't even teach kids how to write. Oh the good old days. Sorry for the old guy ramble

 

[Subsea]

This is starting point of Dual 55G Skid tanks. Initially set up to process 200lbs of diver collected live rock & 50 lbs of live sand from Gulf Live Rock. The top 55G display is skimmerless, sumpless and fishless, with a powerful biochemical filter that uses a reverse flow thru 2” of aroggonite to perform powerful oxidation chemistry and the cryptic void in plenum is the habitat for the “sponge loop” that feeds detritus to the microbial loop and recycles POC back into the system as DIC which feeds photosynthesis that converts carbon dioxide into glucose.

In instrumentation, we call this ” a positive feedback loop”.

In Nature, we call this “Sustainable Maraculture”

PS: Top apex predators are Sally Lightfoot Crab and six Peppermint Shrimp.


Dual 55G tanks
Because this is a thread about bacteria and management of bacteria using diverse filter feeders specific enzymes, I will use liquid seaweed (inorganic carbon & little nitrogen) to favor growth for everyone and compliment that with phytoplankton as an organic carbon source.

There are no fish in this tank, I choose to favor amphipods & copepods as my gardeners, I can see them better than the bacteria. I also have much green macro algae and several red macros. Included in this tank are a variety of ornamental sponges, with my most recent joy two deep water NPS Gorgonions. The flame scallop is hiding and healthy.

I should note, that I occasional dose 5ml of ammonia when lights come on.

Note the last picture of muscle shell on sand bottom. Twenty four hours ago, I took live mussel from r

I continue to feed system with live phytoplankton, live mussels, liquid seaweed and 5ml of ammonia dosed twice a day during photosynthesis.

I haven’t cleaned inside glass in two weeks with large amphipods boldly eating brown film algae 2 hrs into photoperiod.

 

[Dburr1014]

You guys with your laser eyesight can see a level with accuracy of 85%. Forty years ago, I used dial indicators and micrometers to measure down to the .001” when I aligned traction motors to ships propellers. I can’t see so good anymore. It’s easier for me to multiply by 3 instead of 2.5.

LOL, I don't see so good without my glasses. Every year they get worse.

Only to the .001? I would have thought to the .0002 +/-.0001, one thousands is a big tolerance. I have built live machine tools for many years to that tolerance. Now I work as a machanic on machines that build airplane engines.

 

[Subsea]

This is the first cool scale I have ever owned so I'm having fun with it . Until I got it a postal scale was the best I had and worthless for measuring powder. I used to rebuild auto engines before it became more cost effective to buy a short block or long block than rebuild one. The mics I used were non digital as well. I love handing one to a young guy and asking him to measure something. Heck I learned to read mics in school. They even taught us to read maps and write checks and balance a checkbook. Now they don't even teach kids how to write. Oh the good old days. Sorry for the old guy ramble

Thank you. It made my day.

Add this one:

40 years ago, car operating manual showed how to adjust backlash and valve adjustment on the camshaft.

Today, the manual tells you not to drink the battery acid.

 

[exnisstech]

@Subsea And preperation H is not too be taken orally

 

[Subsea]

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

Lights on 5 minutes ago. Cleaned glass yesterday prior to adding a Caribbean Flame scallop.

ps: he is in there, I just can’t find him without moving large rocks.

 

[Subsea]

This is starting point on Reef Actif protocoal in 75G display tank set up for 25years with one move 11 years ago, system incudes a 30G cryptic & mud refugium and the beginning of nutrient recycling with detrivores in a 2” deep sandbed of aroggonite at 2-3mm in diameter. I will put daily post in my build thread, so as not to clog up the OP’s thread.

During lights out, I mixed 1.5g of dry weight powder (half of TM maximum recommended dose of Reef Actif) into 250ml cup of tank water, after mixing for 15 seconds, I poured all contents into high flow area of tank and rinsed out wet powder still in cup. All pictures were taken after first light on first day of modified biofock protocoal.

PS: First picture was prior to cleaning the glass. On third and fourth picture note the dark maroon spots on sandbed, that is an actively growing patch of Cynobactera.

The last picture shows two nuisances that are unnecessary in the diversity of this complex ecosystem and I will “Practice the Art of ReefKeeing“ with a syphon hose to waste.

In the Art of Reefing, everybody has a job.

With the exception of loss of flame scallop, this display continues improving each day independent of Reef Actif. Somewhere in this long thread, an individual asked @Randy Holmes-Farley what was his recommended treatment for GHA: his immediate response was herbivores: today I receive beaucoup janitors to help get my system “tidied-up”.

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Yes, it’s true that @sixty_reefer first post implied “bactetia enhancement” when he started this thread. I say put the system on the auto pilot of “Dynamic Equiibrrium”. Some choose to use the term “state of statis” if which I take great exception.

Nothing in Nature is static. Similarly, in our reef tanks, systems fluctuate with enviromental conditions. When I hear Old Tank Syndrome, I say “DEFINE THE TERM”. In the Science of Thermodynamics & Physics the term entropy means

Entropy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

[Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics.]

[Entropy is central to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of isolated systems left to spontaneous evolution cannot decrease with time, as they always arrive at a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, where the entropy is highest.]

For me, using the second law of thermodynamics, I see Dynamic Equilibrium as my preferred way to emulate nature.

In forestry ecosystems, old tank syndrome is represented by a “climax forest” of which the Giant Sequoia/Redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest of USA are the classic example of “old forest syndrome”.

 

[joefishtank]

@Subsea you say equilibrium and thermodynamics I say look at all these white sponges and ditritus under my rock

You keep using big words I don’t understand I would appreciate if you could do a tl;dr thats short for too lazy didn't read. And you summarize all your key points so that someone with a lower understanding of science could still understand the point you're trying to make. Like you tried to compare it to a forest but I don't get how a forest is similar to a tank or "old tank syndrome".

More to the point of this thread. I don't think a bacterial rip clean is nearly as good as physically removing algae and ditritus (in my tank at least). You guys say it helps but I don't have the same algae problems you guys have.