The Bacterial “Rip Clean” Method

[Subsea]

Posting not likely to continue as Spectrunm feed is gone.. I am on cellular in a remote location to towers.

 

[joefishtank]

I still have too much detritus

My tank looks healthy as normal

All my fish died so my ammonia probably went down I also grow GHA to keep my nitrates in check.

 

[joefishtank]

Is there some enzyme that eats detritus otherwise I probably need to do a physical rip clean at some point

 

[Dburr1014]

Is there some enzyme that eats detritus otherwise I probably need to do a physical rip clean at some point

This thread has a lot to read but we are trying out the TM reef actif.

 

[joefishtank]

I’m just going to do a physical removal when the time comes

This thread has a lot to read but we are trying out the TM reef actif.

 

[areefer01]

Is there some enzyme that eats detritus otherwise I probably need to do a physical rip clean at some point

Most siphon it out. Low flow power head or turkey baster to get it suspended and possibly over the overflow works as well. Also some use the small marinland canister filters while getting it dusted suspended and let it run to pull it out. Dirty in, filtered and clean out.

My personal opinion is that it breaks down and goes inert in time.

 

[taricha]

What I think would be awesome to know is which carbon source would be better to utilize for a specific Dino

It would be extremely difficult to make this question small enough and simple enough that a straightforward experiment would be convincing.
In other words, there's a lot of interacting pieces here and even a clearly distinctive result achieved by one hobbyist may not be replicable in another tank.

I think all of the troubles come down to the wild wild west of bacteria and know how to influence the ones you want vs the ones you don't really could help moving forward.

This idea of bacterial "good guys" and "bad guys" gives me pause these days.
If I told you that uneaten fish food in my tank is rapidly broken down by native bacteria from my sandbed - and that within a few days they essentially completely remineralize the organic fish food to simple inorganic ammonia, CO2 and PO4, leaving behind very little dissolved or organic particulate waste - then you'd probably say those are the "good guys".
But if I told you I sent those samples off for microbiome testing and got results with a lot of vibrios and bacteria related to fish pathogens, then you'd say those are "bad guys".
But maybe they are both? Pathogens that are good a rapid growth and breaking down organics.
Or maybe these sorts of criteria for "good" and "bad" guys isn't sophisiticated enough to apply simply.

 

[Subsea]

Is there some enzyme that eats detritus otherwise I probably need to do a physical rip clean at some point

Joe.
Because I sense you have a “sense of humor”
here is a Cajun/Aggie tale:

25 years ago, I hosted, Louisiana Reef Club quarterly event on 20 acre estate in rural west Louisiana 30 miles from Fort Polk. In addition to a “best boudin store in Louisiana” contest, I added RidX from a box to 220G sumpless system with 6” sandbed over Jaubert Plenum.

While somewhat of a “publicity stunt” to prove a point about “bugs rule”.

 

[Subsea]

After surveying outside. I decided to get wood fireplace up and burning. During that time, I speculate that algae blennie and/or the green mandarins jostled the patch about. I also have a Sallylight foot crab that easily could have tampered with the evidence.

 

[Subsea]

I love technology & science. Even though I am a dinasour with navigating some of network. the iPad has linked with the iPhone and the picture I posted with iPhone cellular is available to see more clearly with bigger screen.

I am fairly certain that an Asterina starfish is on flesh of scallop. The reason he flapped has jaws was to dislodge the intruder.

 

[areefer01]

After surveying outside. I decided to get wood fireplace up and burning. During that time, I speculate that algae blennie and/or the green mandarins jostled the patch about. I also have a Sallylight foot crab that easily could have tampered with the evidence.

On a totally unrelated note just got back from a week of diving and saw a flame scallop. One of those things in drift diving that you don't typically catch due to the speed of the current(s). Was pretty thrilled oddly enough.

 

[Subsea]

It would be extremely difficult to make this question small enough and simple enough that a straightforward experiment would be convincing.
In other words, there's a lot of interacting pieces here and even a clearly distinctive result achieved by one hobbyist may not be replicable in another tank.


This idea of bacterial "good guys" and "bad guys" gives me pause these days.
If I told you that uneaten fish food in my tank is rapidly broken down by native bacteria from my sandbed - and that within a few days they essentially completely remineralize the organic fish food to simple inorganic ammonia, CO2 and PO4, leaving behind very little dissolved or organic particulate waste - then you'd probably say those are the "good guys".
But if I told you I sent those samples off for microbiome testing and got results with a lot of vibrios and bacteria related to fish pathogens, then you'd say those are "bad guys".
But maybe they are both? Pathogens that are good a rapid growth and breaking down organics.
Or maybe these sorts of criteria for "good" and "bad" guys isn't sophisiticated enough to apply simply.

You, Hans and I are saying the same things differently.

B

On a totally unrelated note just got back from a week of diving and saw a flame scallop. One of those things in drift diving that you don't typically catch due to the speed of the current(s). Was pretty thrilled oddly enough.

Where do you dive? Are you allowed to collect?

My first marine tank in 1972 was a Galveston Bay theme with oyster cluster having numerous live oysters with barnacle filter feeders collected from the Intracoastal Waterway, I collected natural sea water on coming tide at Galveston jetty and from the jetty, I found Qurlyque Anemone

After surveying outside. I decided to get wood fireplace up and burning. During that time, I speculate that algae blennie and/or the green mandarins jostled the patch about. I also have a Sallylight foot crab that easily could have tampered with the evidence.

Lights just went out on this tank, so I turned them back on for update pictures. Black cyno patch looks like it is losing the fight. There may have been several reasons for decline of black cyno, including dittivotrs or opportunistic organisms Maroon cyno has small consolidated patch.

A small maroon patch is in a separate area. Picture makes it look black. Tank color rendition is 10K

 

[areefer01]

Where do you dive? Are you allowed to collect?

I was in Cozumel. I am not a collector. I do not believe any collection is allowed in the area as they are all designated as marine reserve and/or parks. One neat thing they are doing is closing sections of the reefs off from divers and rotating what is available when. It has actually made a huge impact as there can be a lot divers in the area for weeks on end so by closing it gives the animals and reefs time to recover.

Most of my diving is in the colder waters of California so when I get a chance to dive warm I don't pass it up

 

[Subsea]

I was in Cozumel. I am not a collector. I do not believe any collection is allowed in the area as they are all designated as marine reserve and/or parks. One neat thing they are doing is closing sections of the reefs off from divers and rotating what is available when. It has actually made a huge impact as there can be a lot divers in the area for weeks on end so by closing it gives the animals and reefs time to recover.

Most of my diving is in the colder waters of California so when I get a chance to dive warm I don't pass it up

I snorkled in Cozumel in the late 1970. It was an eye opener and I continue to nuture what I love.

I would love to check out tide pools on NW Pacific Coast.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is there some enzyme that eats detritus otherwise I probably need to do a physical rip clean at some point

This thread has a lot to read but we are trying out the TM reef actif.

Maybe the premise was clarified better in the many earlier pages I did not read, but Reef Actif is not an enzyme and won't itself break down detritus in any way.

 

[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.

Lights just came on. Overall, everything is picking up with different colors of coralline beginning to show up

 

[joefishtank]

Maybe the premise was clarified better in the many earlier pages I did not read, but Reef Actif is not an enzyme and won't itself break down detritus in any way.

I was imagining something else for terrestrial plant roots. There was a product I don't remember the name but a quick google search said cannazym is the enzyme I was maybe thinking of. I was told it had an enzyme that eats dead roots.

I don't think Reef Actif would do anything noticeable in my tank. I think taking out my rocks and coral and using a net to scoop out the detritus would. I also think my GHA keeps my ammonia and nitrates down so there's no immediate reason to do a rip clean at this time. I also think it's out competing other nuisance algae.

I don't think a "bacterial rip clean" is going to be as effective as an actual rip clean on my tank. I haven't noticed any bubble algae since the last time I tore down my tank to remove it. I left the GHA so it is out competing it. I eventually need to take out all my rocks to remove the vermitid snails.

 

[joefishtank]

Lights just came on. Overall, everything is picking up with different colors of coralline beginning to show up

Can you do a side by side comparison of the same area? Day zero and show some new coralline algae growth?

 

[Dburr1014]

Thanks Subsea for that read!

Last night I added my 1/4 dose after lights out. That was my 2nd dose. This time I turned off the skimmer for an hour to let the actif settle in and not get skimmed out.
This morning I peaked in the sump and noticed some cyano staring to form with the tell tale bubbles.

I think shutting off the skimmer for an hour or 2 after dose is the way to go while doing treatment just so it's not immediately skimmed out.

3 day in a row with 1/4 dose after lights out.
I missed a patch of cyano when I cleaned my refuge. The other patches that were returning don't have any bubbles.
I will leave these undisturbed and see how it progresses.

 

[Subsea]

Can you do a side by side comparison of the same area? Day zero and show some new coralline algae growth?

I don’t have the time to get that detailed, but you can do it