Where are my other peeps running the original Berlin or Jaubert system....I'm curious how it's working for you....

[CanuckReefer]

90 g, No sump, no refugium, ,HOB Skimmer runs minimal here, as does the UV, lots of live rock (estimate 75 lbs), stir up the sand bed often, lots of powerheads to move water efficient, polishing power head with floss filter... over 10 years with this, and nitrates /phos are often undetectable. Softie /LPS tank.
@revhtree needs to do a feature on these methods imo.
Here is mine in a few images. More on request. And please show yours. Thanks for any input....

 

[Tamberav]

The simplest tank I know of is @WV Reefer

Her tanks are just rock + flow + light. No sump, no skimmers, nada.

Build Thread - WV Reefer’s 75 Gallon Big and Dirty

This tank was established in June 2017 and is about to turn a year old. It was formerly a planted freshwater tank, but then I just had to have another reef so it was converted. :) Build Info- BRS Dry Pukani Rock CaribSea Fiji Pink Sand Equipment: VorTech MP40 x 2 Aqueon Pro 200 Heater...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[WV Reefer]

90 g, No sump, no refugium, ,HOB Skimmer runs minimal here, as does the UV, lots of live rock (estimate 75 lbs), stir up the sand bed often, lots of powerheads to move water efficient, polishing power head with floss filter... over 10 years with this, and nitrates /phos are often undetectable. Softie /LPS tank.
@revhtree needs to do a feature on these methods imo.
Here is mine in a few images. More on request. And please show yours. Thanks for any input....

I totally agree.......”dirty” tanks get no love.
Your reef looks great.

The simplest tank I know of is @WV Reefer

Her tanks are just rock + flow + light. No sump, no skimmers, nada.

Build Thread - WV Reefer’s 75 Gallon Big and Dirty

This tank was established in June 2017 and is about to turn a year old. It was formerly a planted freshwater tank, but then I just had to have another reef so it was converted. :) Build Info- BRS Dry Pukani Rock CaribSea Fiji Pink Sand Equipment: VorTech MP40 x 2 Aqueon Pro 200 Heater...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks for the shout out!

 

[Subsea]

I will claim Jaubert Plenum & DSB for 20 years. Five years ago, I removed 200lbs of substrate reducing sandbed depth to 1.5” with a reverse flow undergravel filter on top. Thank you @Paul B

On bottom is 30G EcoSystem mud/macro refugium. First chamber is filled with reef rubble breaking up detritus to settle in mud bed which has increased in depth 1/2” in 25 years and feels spongy to the touch.

"Mulm" in a reef tank

I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be p...

wamas.org

[I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be propagated or grown in the dark. I realize most people would immediately get out the sponge, razor blade or grenade to remove it but there is a word I like to use to describe those people. That word is "wrong". Mulm is a natural product that you will find in the sea all over the world. Our tanks run on bacteria, algae and a food chain. Bacteria and a food chain are dependent on having a place to reproduce. Mulm is the perfect place. Rocks and glass are flat surfaces that are only two dimensional. Mulm makes these places three dimensional allowing much more space for bacteria and microscopic organisms to grow and do the macarana. (Then love to dance) Pods, which are needed for any small fish also need to eat and their numbers are directly related to how much food they can get their hands on (or whatever pods use to eat with) The more food, the more pods, the more pods, the easier to keep smaller fish. Larger fish such as copperbands and angels also eat pods.
Many people try to keep fish such as pipefish, mandarins or other dragonettes in a sterile tank and while feeding them a couple of times a day with tiger pods or some other expensive food. Those types of fish will not live for long in such a tank and they certainly won't spawn which I consider the "only" criteria to determine the state of health for any paired fish.
Mulm (after a while, maybe a few years) should grow on the back and sides of glass as well as under rocks.
Here in this picture of my clingfish, the mulm appears green. It is really brownish and that fish is on the side of my tank. I brightened up the picture and turned it sideways because it was in the dark and the fish was hard to see.
There is a thick layer of it on the back of my tank where my mandarins and pipefish like to hunt. My long spined urchin also grazes there most of the time as there is not much algae in my tank for him to eat. He is many years old as are the mandarins and pipefish and they are dependent on this food source.
A sterile tank IMO is the biggest problem we have keeping certain fish healthy.
Sterile is good in an operating room but very bad in a tank.]

 

[CanuckReefer]

I totally agree.......”dirty” tanks get no love.
Your reef looks great.



Thanks for the shout out!

Your tank looks outstanding. Love all the diversity. I'm jealous of several things you have in there. The Gorg particularly, looking at getting one myself soon. I do have an Orange Tree Gorg but it seems to be gradually fading. The feeding requirements likely.

Dub V! We are down several times every fall btw, quite a few friends in the area now....I'm actually a Mountaineer football season ticket holder.

 

[CanuckReefer]

I will claim Jaubert Plenum & DSB for 20 years. Five years ago, I removed 200lbs of substrate reducing sandbed depth to 1.5” with a reverse flow undergravel filter on top. Thank you @Paul B

On bottom is 30G EcoSystem mud/macro refugium. First chamber is filled with reef rubble breaking up detritus to settle in mud bed which has increased in depth 1/2” in 25 years and feels spongy to the touch.

"Mulm" in a reef tank

I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be p...

wamas.org

[I think one of the most important, and least understood or mentioned things in a reef tank is "mulm". That stuff that grows in the dark portions of a tank if it is set up long enough. "Mulm" is a combination of algae, sponges, bacteria, pods, worms, detritus, poop and any thing else that can be propagated or grown in the dark. I realize most people would immediately get out the sponge, razor blade or grenade to remove it but there is a word I like to use to describe those people. That word is "wrong". Mulm is a natural product that you will find in the sea all over the world. Our tanks run on bacteria, algae and a food chain. Bacteria and a food chain are dependent on having a place to reproduce. Mulm is the perfect place. Rocks and glass are flat surfaces that are only two dimensional. Mulm makes these places three dimensional allowing much more space for bacteria and microscopic organisms to grow and do the macarana. (Then love to dance) Pods, which are needed for any small fish also need to eat and their numbers are directly related to how much food they can get their hands on (or whatever pods use to eat with) The more food, the more pods, the more pods, the easier to keep smaller fish. Larger fish such as copperbands and angels also eat pods.
Many people try to keep fish such as pipefish, mandarins or other dragonettes in a sterile tank and while feeding them a couple of times a day with tiger pods or some other expensive food. Those types of fish will not live for long in such a tank and they certainly won't spawn which I consider the "only" criteria to determine the state of health for any paired fish.
Mulm (after a while, maybe a few years) should grow on the back and sides of glass as well as under rocks.
Here in this picture of my clingfish, the mulm appears green. It is really brownish and that fish is on the side of my tank. I brightened up the picture and turned it sideways because it was in the dark and the fish was hard to see.
There is a thick layer of it on the back of my tank where my mandarins and pipefish like to hunt. My long spined urchin also grazes there most of the time as there is not much algae in my tank for him to eat. He is many years old as are the mandarins and pipefish and they are dependent on this food source.
A sterile tank IMO is the biggest problem we have keeping certain fish healthy.
Sterile is good in an operating room but very bad in a tank.]

Another beautiful reef! Nice work...

 

[stanleo]

My 20 gallon in my fishroom only has some rock, one power head, HOB filter, light, and heater. I do fifty % water change weekly and the giant hermit I keep in there seems to like it. Not much to look at but it does well, very little algae issues and sand is clean. Only has some kenya trees in it but I am going to frag some of the other corals in my big reef that has all the bells and whistles to this tank when I get the gumption. The only tests I do are for salinity. Aquascaping it to look pretty is kinda pointless with that crab. He's a bull dozer.

 

[CanuckReefer]

My 20 gallon in my fishroom only has some rock, one power head, HOB filter, light, and heater. I do fifty % water change weekly and the giant hermit I keep in there seems to like it. Not much to look at but it does well, very little algae issues and sand is clean. Only has some kenya trees in it but I am going to frag some of the other corals in my big reef that has all the bells and whistles to this tank when I get the gumption. The only tests I do are for salinity. Aquascaping it to look pretty is kinda pointless with that crab. He's a bull dozer.

That bulldozer looks like he's got personality lol... awesome that you can manage the method in your 20g system!