The DSR Method (Dutch Synthetic Reefing)

[laverda]

It is always interesting to see other ways of doing things and to be honest simple is good. Looking at your sump is it safe to assume you are doing 3 or 4 things? EZ Carbon, Calcium, and Trace? I saw another container but it was large so assumed that may be top off. I know above when I was asking about it 4 channel dosing pumps are required. What is the 4th? Oh - going back and re-reading Buffer. I don't know what that is or does, sorry.

But again on the simplistic front we are talking lights, water circulation, over flow to sump, sump, skimmer, return pump. I think that is also all I see in that area. Again, I like that style. Going to go out on a limb and say it doesn't matter the type of lights other than meeting coral and/or fish requirements? Substrate, sand, live rock, etc - the basics are there. What I mean is there is no requirement of a refugium, UV, etc. Maturing of the tank is obvious along with measurements for initial trending to show use vs. what to enter in calculator, and off you go?

Personally speaking this is something that I'm going to try if/when my tank is more mature. I don't believe it is ready yet. It has the lights, skimmer, return, etc. but I am not seeing consumption of Calcium, Magnesium, or Alk. It seems to be holding steady while I work on reducing nitrates and phosphates. Nitrate 10 - 20 (red sea), Cal 415 (Salifert), Mag 1300 (Salifert), Alk 9 (Hanna), Phosphate 0.00 (Hanna 713 model - so probably .04). Hopefully this is something I'll be able to use in a couple months and really looking forward to trying it in a mixed reef.

Fan of this sub forum

Buffer is your Alkalinity basically.
In my opinion you nitrates are fine at 10-20. Be careful not to get them or you phosphates to low. I assume your doing water changes currently with a salt fairly high in Ca and ALK based on your numbers.
You don’t say how old your tank is, however I would start now. That way you can learn before you have a bunch of corals in your tank and possibly stress them out learning how much you need to dose. Just increase dosages as demand increases. The corals you have so far are not going to use much anyway.

 

[User1]

@laverda Thanks. I'm not trying to reach Nitrates of 0 to be honest. It was reading off the color scale chart using the red sea kit. Consistently over 50. Either I'm consistently doing it wrong or that is the number Usually once a month water change since much isn't really in the tank other than what I merged from a 40 breeder so light coral. The only concern I had is that the hammer corals I had do not seem to be doing has well and the same would apply to my rose bubble tip anemones. Usually they are pretty full and expanded but lately they seem to be on the smaller side (although interesting enough now actually have bubble tips compared to the normal longer flowing arms). So I just assumed it was related to either high or unusually high nitrates or phosphates due to new tank and/or pukani rock (phosphates).

The tank was started with instant ocean reef crystals but I'm going to switch to standard instant ocean this weekend - or that was my thinking. I just do not see the calcium or other elements being used. Just for fun I sent off a ATI water sample. I'm curious what the phosphates read there. I don't recall if they include Nitrate.

The tank is still maturing since April and just now starting to get some heavy green growth on the rocks with some form of algae. I'm actually glad because I expected it earlier. In any case no rush here but I do not want to cause trouble with current animals and what is in there coral wise is duller, shrinking, etc. Xenia was my key indicator. It is declining which I never thought would happen.

 

[glennf]

Use a kenia tree as indicator for you tank maturity

Xenia are kept best at no3/po4 1-2ppm/0,04-0,06ppm
They seems to shrink outside these parameters

Use cleaning crew to keep your tank free of nuisance algea.

Make sure you use the recommended testkits: http://dsrreefing.com/testkits/
Follow these recommendations http://dsrreefing.com/compactcalc/

 

[PANONHAS]

Use a kenia tree as indicator for you tank maturity

Xenia are kept best at no3/po4 1-2ppm/0,04-0,06ppm
They seems to shrink outside these parameters

Use cleaning crew to keep your tank free of nuisance algea.

Make sure you use the recommended testkits: http://dsrreefing.com/testkits/
Follow these recommendations http://dsrreefing.com/compactcalc/

Hi Glen, are there any Distributors for the DSR Reefng components in the United States? If boot how would he be able to order and implement the method?

Thank you.

 

[PANONHAS]

Sorry. Meant if so. Autofill on ipad.

 

[Skibum]

Sorry. Meant if so. Autofill on ipad.

I ordered lots of his stuff from seaflower.nl They will work with you on shipping charges. I think it was 69 dollars when I ordered mine. I ordered lots of things in the 5000ML range so I wouldn't need to stock back up too soon. I didn't order things like calcium/alk/mg as those are easy to source @BRS. I did order the Iodine, Po4, NO3, K, B, Sr products however. I may have a more complete list earlier in this thread of my order if you're interested in checking exact amounts. Unfortunately there are no US distributors for this product line.

-Tom

 

[PANONHAS]

Thank for the information Tom. If you could PM me with more information I would be interested. How long have you been using it? Any pictures of how the setup looks. Sorry if you posted them here. I haven’t read through the entire post.

Thanks

Sergio

 

[glennf]

Hi Glen, are there any Distributors for the DSR Reefng components in the United States? If boot how would he be able to order and implement the method?

Thank you.

At this moment i don't think so.
I put all distribution and sales in hands of https://www.dvh-import.com
Doing so, i can focus on things i love, reefkeeping and sharing innovations.

 

[glennf]

Movie after first introduction of fish.

 

[Skibum]

Thank for the information Tom. If you could PM me with more information I would be interested. How long have you been using it? Any pictures of how the setup looks. Sorry if you posted them here. I haven’t read through the entire post.

Thanks

Sergio

Hi Sergio,

Sorry I did not replied earlier, I missed this one. I can PM you information, but it isn't anything that couldn't be posted publicly. What specifically did you want to know about DSR ordering from seaflower? As to your other questions, I've been running DSR for about a year now. Sorry about the bad picture, I don't have a filter and I generally suck at taking photos. I haven't performed a water change in 18 months.

 

[Skibum]

Hi Sergio,

Sorry I did not replied earlier, I missed this one. I can PM you information, but it isn't anything that couldn't be posted publicly. What specifically did you want to know about DSR ordering from seaflower? As to your other questions, I've been running DSR for about a year now. Sorry about the bad picture, I don't have a filter and I generally suck at taking photos. I haven't performed a water change in 18 months.

Couple of slightly better images.

 

[glennf]

Couple of slightly better images.

A cleaning crew may help you cleanup the rocks. Especialy urchins.
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=83.0

 

[glennf]

Clean rocks look much better and reflects more light, wich will benefit corals health and appearance

 

[Skibum]

Clean rocks look much better and reflects more light, wich will benefit corals health and appearance

A cleaning crew may help you cleanup the rocks. Especialy urchins.
http://dsrreefing.nl/forum/index.php?topic=83.0

Hi Glenn, I had my Tuxedo urchin banished to the sump. He kept knocking over frags. I suppose it's time to move him back in ;-)

 

[glennf]

Hi Glenn, I had my Tuxedo urchin banished to the sump. He kept knocking over frags. I suppose it's time to move him back in ;-)

I always fix the corals to the reef.
Only the ones on the sand are not fixed, but put on a larger base. So they can't knock it down.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I always fix the corals to the reef.
Only the ones on the sand are not fixed, but put on a larger base. So they can't knock it down.

What PAR readings do you target in your mixed reefs glenn?

 

[Skibum]

What PAR readings do you target in your mixed reefs glenn?

Hi Glenn,

I do fix corals, my urchin just liked to pick them up even epoxied! I'll redouble my efforts. As you may have noticed, I have some precipitation (CA Carbonate). Trying to figure out why as my Mag was 1500 and it still seemed to precipitate. What is your Calcium dosing schedule?

-Tom

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Hi Glenn,

I do fix corals, my urchin just liked to pick them up even epoxied! I'll redouble my efforts. As you may have noticed, I have some precipitation (CA Carbonate). Trying to figure out why as my Mag was 1500 and it still seemed to precipitate. What is your Calcium dosing schedule?

-Tom

You quoted me Tom. Better repost quoting Glenn

 

[Skibum]

I always fix the corals to the reef.
Only the ones on the sand are not fixed, but put on a larger base. So they can't knock it down.

Hi Glenn,

I do fix corals, my urchin just liked to pick them up even epoxied! I'll redouble my efforts. As you may have noticed, I have some precipitation (CA Carbonate). Trying to figure out why as my Mag was 1500 and it still seemed to precipitate. What is your Calcium dosing schedule?

-Tom

 

[glennf]

What PAR readings do you target in your mixed reefs glenn?

I did some measurements