Why its easier to grow sps in a fishbowl than in a normal reef tank

[brandon429]

The most important thing I know to do aside from the procedural steps above is to always create a pico reef you can fully take apart to get that one valonia bubble when it appears at the absolute lowest most inaccessible part of the aquascape. Be prepared to take apart the reef to burn off that first bryopsis, or if you get cyano. Reset-clean the whole reef to complement its health and vitality as often as you like. Blast feed it with hq frozen reef feed beforehand as a habit.

The CPR that runs the long term pico reef is feed/change most or all of the water...feed/change most or all of the water...usually about once a week

lazier works in intervals, and then sometimes do it twice over a couple days...be dynamic and never leave out the assertive phase picos like that best. Never use a sandbed that stores up waste, these are hands on systems


First time setup as a cookie jar reef:
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/377374-teto-the-2-gallon-cookie-jar-pico-reef/

 

[sil40sx]

I've read on one of those links, that they only use Heater during winter/cold weather.

Meaning water temp on hot days is similar to indoor temps. I can imagine temp swings are huge as well.

So I think most of the necessities are outweighed by big WC's weekly.

Also, majority of those vase tanks don't have filtration nor power heads.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed no filtration they are mainly bubbled


Pico reef science has also evolved into stilled reefing...no internal movement and the challenge to find benthic animals that can do it

All the early work was definitely motion reefing, creative ways to move water in a small vessel. But the biotope forum of nano-reef.com is the origination point for stilled-tank reefing and truly creative biotope micros...being different in reef keeping in every way possible

One of those old rules we were following became null again thanks to a pico reef mod

Search out: PJreefs.com that's legit science, I'm not affiliated with the site but I discussed the early science with him that's a legit biz. It's real science all documented at nr.com

http://www.pjreefs.com

It turns out natural microcurrents and other mechanisms may be at play to allow for fully-stilled reefing to work on a lesser scale, but it sure does work. every time we think we find the bare minimum that will work...

 

[brandon429]

 

[sil40sx]

Agreed no filtration they are mainly bubbled

The way I understand this, if reef tanks don't have fish or inverts to pollute the water, we can eliminate return pumps (mechanical filtration), power heads and skimmer? Or maybe use the skimmer instead of airstone for oxygen supply...

Im really intrigued. I have a 1.5g tank from my daughters beta fish last year, I'll set it up and move some of my corals (or buy SPS frags) this weekend and see how it goes. Bwahaha

 

[Mushroom Boy]

These are simply amazing! I'm in the process now of setting up a 2 gallon jar reef. Do you get a lot of salt creep from using an airstone, and if so how do you mitigate it? Anybody using a Hydor or similar pico pump rather than airstone? Opinions on one vs the other?

 

[brandon429]

You'll like it! These brainstorms might help begin a small pico-

The difference between power head vs air isnt a big deal, do either. We all have no trouble with salt creep due to inner diameter fitting lids.. The spray from popping simply drips back into the bowl.

A top resting lid would salt creep for sure.

The incoming air is vented out through imperfections in the lid interface. This in/out helps blast co2 out of the tank and air in... One bonus of the air mode

The power head circulates more of what's already in the tank, not usually a big deal until things get packed and old.

 

[Mushroom Boy]

Thanks for the info Brandon. I'll try and find an inner diameter lid. Mine is a cookie jar that came with a glass lid. I suppose I could try and grind part of the lid's lip to allow hose and cords in there.

 

[Jakepen]

So what do you suggest using for a lid to reduce evap? Right now I just dropped the glass lid on it, resting on top the cords, so it doesn't sit flush.

 

[brandon429]

dremel, and a diamond bit from home depot $12 I wouldhave two holes grommeted in that lid pretty quick! keep wet while lightly drilling the holes. I was able to drill out the bottom of api glass tubes without breaking them, that hobby glass should be ok too. have access to spare lids for clear reasons

but I think its drillable. we then cut/splice back the line items through the lid so it w sit flush. if you are bubble driven, you'll have to tap an air outlet too preferably opposite side of the lid where the bubbles pop.

 

[Jakepen]

dremel, and a diamond bit from home depot $12 I wouldhave two holes grommeted in that lid pretty quick! keep wet while lightly drilling the holes. I was able to drill out the bottom of api glass tubes without breaking them, that hobby glass should be ok too. have access to spare lids for clear reasons

but I think its drillable. we then cut/splice back the line items through the lid so it w sit flush. if you are bubble driven, you'll have to tap an air outlet too preferably opposite side of the lid where the bubbles pop.

Would a normal drill suffice? And I'm not sure about cutting and splicing. Could I etch out a notch in the lid so I could just turn the heater cord and fit it in the notch?

 

[brandon429]

sure its ok to experiment w any of that, I don't know about non diamond bits. salt creep is the only setback, what you should strive for in a bowl like that is a topoff requirement of every 4 days or so. any more often, and you are losing freshwater outside the norm for these bowls. we beat any large tank in this whole forum in terms of salinity control, in a fishbowl. savory little detail/they get all the good fish lol.

Using inner diameter-fitting lids is how we control the saltcreep. any mistakes in design or experiments wont kill anything, they'll just require more topoff than once a week.

 

[reefwiser]

Surprised no one makes a reef jar yet.

 

[brandon429]

pj reefs does, google those they are still with no circulation. pretty cutting edge for simplicity, I get no money from those sales but I endorse the biology. posts with coldwater or stilled tanks in the biotope forum at nano-reef.com show early work in stilled reefs, w no circ!

first it was not possible for corals to grow in jars said the greater hobby, then nr.com began experimenting to see if the rule of reef circulation was ever required, its not says tidepool biology with occasional refreshments.


https://www.nano-reef.com/featured/2017/natalia_la_loca-r119

her bowl is very much like yours Jake, that's where I get my topoff data from using these press fit type lids. the vases and reefbowls use inverted plastic lids from garden center, and literally do not rest on the top lip at all, they're true inner diameter lids and do a bit better on topoff and saltcreep control.

the lids you two are using are the press fit type that still rest on the surface lip, so experimentation is needed to control air levels/evap and salt creep

 

[Jakepen]

The press fit lids from garden center, is that a website or any gardening center near me? And do you just drill a hole for the cords?

 

[Jakepen]

The vinyl tubing Natalia used around the edge of her tank looks nice. Any ideas where to attain that?

 

[brandon429]

no but I think its just airline tubing, it started that way. she may have attained something from home depot but good airline tubing I thought was really nifty for her setup. I always cut and splice, because my air vents are up front of the tank where the bubbles don't pop. using a notch is totally OK, I think Nat did too, I don't think she's drilled and re spliced. its all pref, even your bowl just as is already beats the evaporation from a 100 gallon tank ill bet and some experimenting can improve upon that

 

[brandon429]

here's my cut and splice. the heater is only two leads inside the wire, like car stereo speakers very easy. the lid is from home depot, they're plastic potters lids 8 inches that we can set plants in to catch spilled water.

see how 100% of the lid will press on the inner diameter of the vase neck, that's the strongest evaporation control one can get. my little vase would do 9 days no topoff if I turned the air down really low, which for extreme vacations these can handle occasionally. clean some cyano off when you get back type of thing, no big deal in small container.


my vent holes aren't in this pic. after installing on my vase, I then just used a sewing needle to poke a few holes for positive air pressure vent on the front side of this lid, opposite of the grommets.

my three holes are heater, airline, and then backup airline mated to a batter backup pump for power outage times.

 

[Jakepen]

And you don't have a lid over that?

 

[brandon429]

No other lids other than that above

That one right there has been my lid approach since 01 it works so well no need to change

I ran it notched for a while, that worked ok too just a tad more saltcreep to wipe