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

[Charles Washington]

Because it is lesser salt water....The more you have the more you have to deal with...

I perfer both because its a Challenge 2 me...Hate the game not the player....Challenge!!!!

 

[VR28man]

Let’s build one here, a vase is actually easier than a fishbowl for finding a lid that fits on the inner diameter opening of the vase and that special fit inside the top lip of the vase stops the evaporation + stops salt creep and the salinity will balance out to needing topoff only once or twice a week. Total salinity stability inherent.

[snip]

Thanks! I'm going to go through this, this has me intrigued.

One question: how do you mount the lights over the bowl? It seems you just gave a fairly clear cover on top of the vase, and you just run the light like a foot or something like that on top of the vase?

(as an aside: if you used one of those tiny tanks like at Petsmart, you'd need to retrofit a new LED, it seems. It seems they also aren't as airtight as your vases? I mean a tank like this: https://www.chewy.com/aqueon-led-mi...MI7MW9pL625gIVDm6GCh1vzgMhEAQYASABEgKNDfD_BwE )

Anyway, mulling through a few concepts:

1. a lagoon patch reef pico - run a DSB, seagrass, and 1-2 hard corals on a piece of rock. This is not an easy tank: very few seagrass tanks exist, and

2. a tank for the office - animals are theoretically banned in the workplace (but one office had a decent sized tank before, and my co-worker keeps a betta) and any supplemental lights have to be approved by the building manager (I can't imagine a ~10W light would be too much). I also have to walk like one km from my car to the office. Maybe a Walstad FW tank with a shrimp would be easier here. Hmmm.............

 

[brandon429]

It’s ok to try square tanks but the lids resting on a rim inner diameter typically won’t seal like round fluted vase necks. It means more evap but with a custom fitted full plastic lid you can try it, salt creep is also a challenge in square tanks so bubbling isn’t used, powerhead still work but change dynamics vs positive pressure air exchange, pick one and assemble mainly water changes keep anything alive

 

[fish farmer]

Agreed it's a test of their adaptation, like when they fragment in less desirable places barely workable but still hang on

What survives that life is Darwin gtg

This little tabletop system from another thread was made back in 05ish mass color wasnt happening back then, just growth was the goal

The awesome colors is the 2010+ work from the groups of keepers

Is that a chaeto refuge in the back?

How often did you water change this system? Did the chaeto lengthen the time between water changes? Was it lit with the same light as the reef?

 

[brandon429]

I really miss that system, it was the first non evaporating sps lps reef of any size. Three years ran was always at .023

Sealed, never topped off, that’s why there’s a grungy silicone seal all caked up but hidden when the canopy was on which was to seat a custom glass lid. I ended up selling that setup but I still have two more of the leftover systems one is a planted tank at my job, those micro aquariums were salesman demo mini models for oceanic big tanks. A Lfs had three one day I bought them all on the spot and haven’t seen any since.

A quarter of inside was sectioned with cheap black plastic wall.

A small power compact shined from behind forward on that back wall 24x7 I just left it pumping w no dark phase. Did have to harvest it out, it would compact in tightly.


Sealed doesn’t mean lid never raised or serviced... that let oxygen and co2 back out if any imbalance happened, but for a week or two between changes it was sealed and had condensation on the lid from 100% humidity in the air gap above the water column

how much carbon the plants uptook I’m not sure it was enough to support sps in balance.
I’ll try to find another set of pics showing the rear setup thank you for inquiring!

It would not be hard to build a full size sealed reef, mini modeling is scaling what works on the big time as well. In 04 we didn’t have leds, lights ran too hot to seal tanks but they don’t nowadays.
Old prototype see how the little compact in back hits the plants

I took this system apart, gutted lights plants rocks and sand and put into the demo tanks since I knew sealed reefing would work for sure. Then I bought tons of random $10-$40 frags and tweezered them into place then fed/changed water till they plated in place

After a couple years in new all in one system .5 gallons total volume.

First led array for picos, it worked poorly lol

Found the rear shots of mini sealed system see how the lines for heater and pump run cleanly through grommets- cut/re splice back through

 

[VR28man]

Old prototype see how the little compact in back hits the plants

I took this system apart, gutted lights plants rocks and sand and put into the demo tanks since I knew sealed reefing would work for sure. Then I bought tons of random $10-$40 frags and tweezered them into place then fed/changed water till they plated in place

Very cool. what were the plants? Caulerpa?

Also, where did you get the custom lids from?

 

[brandon429]

I cut out an acrylic template then took to a glass shop they had it ready with grommet holes all set, really neat because acrylic warped under those hot power compacts. It was sometimes chaeto and sometimes any caulerpa the store had, the going theme was using any plant to produce o2 during the dark phase at the front

 

[VR28man]

I cut out an acrylic template then took to a glass shop they had it ready with grommet holes all set, really neat because acrylic warped under those hot power compacts. It was sometimes chaeto and sometimes any caulerpa the store had, the going theme was using any plant to produce o2 during the dark phase at the front

allrighty then, I have a 90% concept. We’ll see when I get time to write it up, but i’m liking it.......

 

[b4tn]

Ok I’m going to start sourcing parts to do this. Would love to have a little pico for my living room. Any recommendations on air pump and stone?

 

[brandon429]

Maritza the vase reef has improved the method where it’s any air pump you want, with the lid interface being the most important design so your top off is hardly required but they don’t use air stone. It’s straight bubbling for larger bubbles, more water movement with less air and it’s less salt creep. If you like air stones small bubbles I used regular tube end air stones for years it’s a matter of pref.

I’m now open ended no stone, enjoy the extra current power is why. *reefbowl keepers and bubblers know that over time white bacteria plaque up the end output slowly over time, and one day magically your air stops.

When you are on vacation it’ll be at no other time.

So to prevent, affix to your end bubble tube a 4 x or a 3x airline splitter

Those little plastic hard connectors for four way or three way airline intersections
Put one on the end. If one tube blocks out, two more open ones exist and you can clean it out when it changes.

**buy oversized air pump and tamp it down. Don’t buy weak air pump to control the top end. My air pump is 100 gallons rated, for a vase.

Make a bleed line output off to the side of your main input bubble line

using those connectors and air restrictor roller connectors for air

*adjust your bubbling by the rotary bleed line, that controls your evaporation rate. Turn bubbles down low for vacations that vase system will go almost two weeks no top off. Always find ways to match light intensity to bubble rates

*your air bleed output makes annoying hiss= connect a three foot section of tube nicely rolled up tight and round it like a stand for your air pump to sit on, tuck it up under the pump as a cushion to sit on and the air vent will be silent.

When using less bubble rates to get less evaporation, lower the max lighting intensity your corals are adapted to, bleach prevention learnings over the years. Max bubble rates commands tip-off every four days approx, that’s full light ability.

If you go with an air stone, changing that out does not stop clog. It still happens in the last quarter inch of the tube due to air/water contact. I use open end bubbling so that my 4x connector prevents air stoppage, an air stone setup eventually clogs.

 

[fish farmer]

Maritza the vase reef has improved the method where it’s any air pump you want, with the lid interface being the most important design so your top off is hardly required but they don’t use air stone. It’s straight bubbling for larger bubbles, more water movement with less air and it’s less salt creep. If you like air stones small bubbles I used regular tube end air stones for years it’s a matter of pref.

I’m now open ended no stone, enjoy the extra current power is why. *reefbowl keepers and bubblers know that over time white bacteria plaque up the end output slowly over time, and one day magically your air stops.

When you are on vacation it’ll be at no other time.

So to prevent, affix to your end bubble tube a 4 x or a 3x airline splitter

Those little plastic hard connectors for four way or three way airline intersections
Put one on the end. If one tube blocks out, two more open ones exist and you can clean it out when it changes.

**buy oversized air pump and tamp it down. Don’t buy weak air pump to control the top end. My air pump is 100 gallons rated, for a vase.

Make a bleed line output off to the side of your main input bubble line

using those connectors and air restrictor roller connectors for air

*adjust your bubbling by the rotary bleed line, that controls your evaporation rate. Turn bubbles down low for vacations that vase system will go almost two weeks no top off. Always find ways to match light intensity to bubble rates

*your air bleed output makes annoying hiss= connect a three foot section of tube nicely rolled up tight and round it like a stand for your air pump to sit on, tuck it up under the pump as a cushion to sit on and the air vent will be silent.

When using less bubble rates to get less evaporation, lower the max lighting intensity your corals are adapted to, bleach prevention learnings over the years. Max bubble rates commands tip-off every four days approx, that’s full light ability.

If you go with an air stone, changing that out does not stop clog. It still happens in the last quarter inch of the tube due to air/water contact. I use open end bubbling so that my 4x connector prevents air stoppage, an air stone setup eventually clogs.

I was thinking about this today. Since you are using an air pump for circulation, could you use a riser tube (UG filters come to mind) to make an air lift. Granted you wouldn't be lifting above the water, but could it be used for directed flow, possibly set up to whirlpool water around a circular container?

 

[cil311]

Why do they grow so well with no flow? The usual flow flow flow for SPS does not apply?

After diving in the Red Sea I am absolutely convinced that flow is not as crucial as some people claim. Where we dove the water was absolutely still and there were huge, bright gorgeous SPS colonies.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed, PJ reefs has made a business selling semi sealed picos that do not use heating or circulation

They’re not sps inclusive but I’d be curious to try some red monti in one I bet it would grow

 

[brandon429]

Really strong collective works here from friends at nr.com

Loungeview Pico – An Old School Cheerleader

www.nano-reef.com

Look how he repeatedly brings the bowl back using reef cpr, access, total cleaning vs partial action and hesitance

In pic one, you are seeing the point at which many large tankers consider an impending crash or take down, it's going eutrophic

Follow up pics are restoration of oligotrophic condition by simple blast cleaning organics all at once with full water change

 

[Hyde2406]

Are you using just regular magnets? Are they covered with silicone? Also could you use less sand? Other than those I'm down and ready to try!

 

[brandon429]

Those magnets I'm enjoying so much, it's the plastic coated ones and they haven't rotted out for years and years, good little frag holders

For sure sand is optional. You could leave it all out for sure

 

[Hyde2406]

Those magnets I'm enjoying so much, it's the plastic coated ones and they haven't rotted out for years and years, good little frag holders

For sure sand is optional. You could leave it all out for sure

Where do you get magnets like that? I don't think I've seen them anywhere, are they on Amazon? I'm so excited to start my jar!

 

[Hyde2406]

These are what I've found, nothing looks small enough

 

[brandon429]

Found em

D84PC-BLK - Plastic Coated Magnet | K&J Magnetics

www.kjmagnetics.com

 

[Hyde2406]

Found em

D84PC-BLK - Plastic Coated Magnet | K&J Magnetics

www.kjmagnetics.com

Thank you so so so so much!