vidextreme

After 120+ days of my very first reef aquarium, I'm happy to present my humble tank to sgreef-ers. WARNING: Some of the following details may shock you(or some just 'meh'). - No water change (or atleast minimal like 1 time)- During the 120+ days, I only did partial water change once. (well techinically it was twice) Yes, folks, I think I did it! Proving my lazy-bottom and keeping a nano reef aquarium can live in harmony. With all the 120+ days, I estimated it's only 20% total water changed. It happened when I experimented using sugar for Nitrate reduction. One conclusion, I will never try that again. - Ammonia and Nitrite untraceable the live rock I got from Iwarna helped alot during the cycling period. - Nitrate level is... wait for it... wait for it... its 80-160ppm! Yes folks, I am torturing my fishes and corals. Haha... but seriously, it's either they are suffering while smiling or they are just 'high' with the nitrate levels. I know its too high, I guess that's why I tried the sugar technique(don't do it by the way). Trenta, my very first SPS coral, seems to be happy. Small polyps budding out on the tips every now and then. So I guess it acclimated. No corals death so far. (confirmed this with two different test kits) - pH 7.8-8.0 I'm pretty sure its my tank cover causing this. - dKH is 13 and 400ppm Calcium level - Aquarium: Boyu TL-450 15gallons Here's the videos and pics... Trenta... Oh, btw, regarding the Nitrate level. It was stable to 160ppm for weeks. After I started adding Brightwell Aquatics Microbacter7 and Reef Biofuel, the nitrate level is slowly going down. Now the test kit reads now its close to 80ppm but still above it. So, what do you guys think?

Question... Did you change ALL your equipment, even your tank? I just have this wild idea on what could be the problem. Could it be one or some of your equipment maybe leaking toxic chemicals to your tank? I don't know if this is a good example... I previously bought a water bottle in one of those night markets, I notice a distinct smell very similar to what you described. So anyway, I thought with constant washing and useage it will go away. But it didn't. Each time I store water there, after a few hours the water/bottle smelled like chemicals. I researched about this, and realized that some plastic materials, even food grade, can leak chemicals to the water. The same goes with aquarium equipment. Even the silicon sealant the aquarium maker use, they should use pure silicon, which is less reactive than other rubber and it should be aquarium graded. I agree with Digiman, well maintain activated carbon ensures in some of these chemicals are remove from your tank. Oh, another question... Are you using copper tubing in your house water supply?

You got me at "Hello" I mean the title.

IMO protein skimmers is still needed in this setup. Protein skimmers helps to collect small solid waste that can pass through other mechanical filters. These solid wastes are somewhat slower to breakdown. This also is helps through good gas exchange because of aeration and aggitation inside the protein skimmers. Plus, you also need to consider that there will be some weeks that we reefers are just too busy or too lazy (more on the latter ) to do water changes. Currently, I have a Boyu TL-450 15gallons nano reef. I replaced the stock protein skimmer with a Boyu WG-310 which fits inside the in-tank refugium/sump at the back similar to your tank (I think). I think you also need to consider to add a phosphate filtration (I use SeaChem Phosguard in a net bag) after the activated carbon filter. Carbon filters sometimes leak phosphates so this helps absorbs that before it gets into your main display. Also consider to add a bio filteration (bacteria that transforms ammonia to nitrite to nitrate) by adding SeaChem Matrix or any other products that supports prolifiration of these helpful bacteria. These products are actually just porous rocks and works like live rocks which houses these good bacteria. You may add this in a any stage of your filtration. (what I did is I put them also in a net bag and placed it after the protein skimmer). RE: wavemaker, it all depends on the tank, live rocks and corals layout if its not blocking the water current too much. Also consider that each of these pumps increases your overall temperature. RE: lights, not much I can help you with because I'm new to reefing (not with marine fishes though). But I only use the stock lighting 2x18W Blue/White compact fluorescent. Lastly, not all tanks are the same. So what works for me or others, may not work for you. I suggest you just slowly add things to your tank. Only add things when you're sure that you need them. Not unless your filthy rich which if thats the case, just fo crazy. hhehehehe

Welcome to the 'crazily addictive' hobby!

If you are using frequent water changes (as in 10-20% tank water 1-2x a week) then you don't need to add buffs(Calcium, Alkalinity(KH), etc) as this would most likely waste money. Most of the commercial sea salt mixes are designed to be balance in ionic substance and trace minerals. This is ofcourse depending on your tank residents if they consume much minerals in the water. But I agree with new_new, it's better to test your tank first before you put anything into it. I am on the other hand is still conducting my 'experiment' which is a "no water changes" so its critical for me to dose calcium and carbonate and some other stuff. So far my tank is running close to 2 months now with this 'experiment'...corals seems to be still happy.

Hi sanhas, Two purposes I know for the use of CO2 system to a marine setup... 1. If the purpose of the tank is to cultivate useful algae or seaweeds which CO2 are used for photosynthesis and growth reaction to red or orange light. This is also common for freshwater plants setups. 2. This is most common use for CO2 systems for reef keepers is for reintroducing dissolved calcium in the water, esp for hard corals, through the use of Calcium Reactors or any other media that would react to acidity or directly to CO2. How it works is really simple. In a nut shell (minus the technical terms), in order to dissolve calcium and carbonites stored in rocks or calcium reactors media, we need to increase the acidity. Hence by pumping CO2 in the water it increases acidity safely. With the right amount of CO2, the acidity is neutralized by chemical reaction to the media(calcium/carbonites). But usually this is done in a seperate chamber so not to affect the pH of the main tank. Google Calcium Reactors. Hope that helps, happy reefing!

In OTF Aquarium Farm (63 Pasir Ris Farmway 3), though a freshwater equipment, I got some submersable LED lamps. They're quite easy to fit in small tanks because the LEDs are placed inside an airtight test-tube like casing. It comes with different light colors such as pure-red, pure-blue, pure-pink, pure-green, pure-white and two special ones that might interest you interms of wide light color spectrum that maybe equivalent to PAR that you may need. These two special types are red-green-blue light and the other is interchangeable colors which automatically shift colors in one of its mode. Although these are not intended for reef keeping, I find it helps some of my seaweeds interms of its growth when I started using it so I guess its well enough for photosynthesis and growth to kick in. The name of the product is Mei, Artistic LED Electronic Submerged Lamp (hehehe I just admire the naming effort). It comes with different sizes as well, the smallest is 18cm and I think they even have a foot+ long. The price when I got it was $12 for the ordinary ones and $15 for the automatic color change. Here's their site www.otf.com.sg I sounded like a sales rep there for second hehehheh. Anyway, hope that helps. happy reefing!

alms for some chaetos/cheatos...

Anyone else got some spare chaetos? pretty pls?

Thanks for the input. Of course, no offense taken dude. Actually, just to clear things up, the main reason I'm doing this is not just to make it work but to understand a possible simpliest minimal balanced marine tank system. It's not suppose to be a display tank, rather a tech tank. I guess for me, I prefer to fail but to understand rather than being successful with a stroke of luck (I don't believe in luck anyway) but not understanding how did it come about, this is my joy. After finding and understanding that simpliest minimal balanced system, then I'll make my display tank (ofcourse after having the funds for it too). I'll give you an example... let's say an increasing nitrate problem. For me there are two ways of solving this problem. One is to introduce a component that will neutralize that problem. I prefer to start with a biological component first, say a cyano-algae or a mangrove. If it the problem is still persists then thats the only time I'll introduce a mechanical/chemical means. But only in that order, because anything that is nature driven has its way of self-sustaining, self-adjusting and self-maintaining as long as all its life support stuff are there. Nature has its way of solving problems. The second way of solving this, aside from neutralizing, is preventing or elimating/isolating the source of the problem. Maybe I have too many fishes or have the wrong species mix. Maybe its my lighting that over expose or over oxyginate the water that forces the nitrate bacteria to retreat deeper in the live sand. The idea is the start with the simpliest system. For all we know, I'll end up water changing and having a sump tank and will the apparatus-maximus just to make it work, at least at that time, I know. Anyway, this is just an idea how I'm going to handle this 'experimento'. I think it's kinda subjective if we are truely giving our 'pets' the optimal care. I think we barely scratched the surface on understanding these wonderful creatures on how they survive and/or thrive.

haha you've beaten my 12 bucks filter.

Wow! Maybe you got some pointers or even some hunch how did it work for you? Awesome!

Hey dude, Thanks for the encouragement bro. Yes there's so much factor I have to consider. The welfare of lifestocks are duely noted. That's why I hope to start small, so that way, less heart aches. Of course, I won't be doing this if I don't believe it will work. I've seen this happening(not yet for reefs), some of the reefers here had similar stories. I know it won't be an exact science due to the fact that I don't have the best-est of equipment and sophisticated probes to measure every minute variables. But this time, it won't be as random as before. The idea of a fully-balanced closed-system (semi in this case) and understanding how it (if would it ever)works would be my own great personal achievement. Btw, I'll probably head to Pasir Ris Farmway-goodies this sunday. Cheers!

Yup. That's why I don't bet 4D.

Just to let you know my friend, I'm doing some intensive reading (behind my boss' back) while @ office regarding photosynthesis of different types of algae. Oh just for a snip-bits, did you know that blue light helps carotenoid pigments(red pigments) contained in algae to form good protection membrane against over photon exposures? This just to show that its not only intensity that is important but also light color(or frequency).

No pain, no gain! Even the minority of 4D winners wouldn't have won if they don't bet, right? hahahah Of course, this time around it won't be as random or unmonitored as before. I believe that in order for us to understand a complex system is to start with the simpliest indivisible complexity. I plan to start to with nothing but live sand first. Probably placing a very small live rock just to introduce the happy-good microbes. I would rely heavily on natural means of balancing pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates etc. I'm a firm believer that the best way to simulate nature is by natural means (kinda redundant, aye?). The only un-natural component I'll be including are protein skimmer+aeration and light source. The rest of the filtration will be handled by clams, oysters and seaweeds, similar to my old tank. I won't be using any mechanical filters. except for emergency purpose only. Eventually, I'll put bigger live rocks, then corals and then fishes or other crustaceans. I hope I'll be consistent on monitoring the variables in the tank. Right now, I'm still researching on how I'm going to do this. If you guys have any inputs, ideas, concerns and/or suggestions you could give, I would gladly appreciate them.

That's clear as 'daylight'. Thanks! I personally saw coral 'bleaching' in action in some places I snorkel, it was horrible. Increasing water depth and ocean acidification are to blame including us, humans.

For post-freshwater and marine-converts, I found this video very informative about the difference between freshwater filtration vs saltwater filtration... Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Just try to survive with videos intro. hhehehe But hey, I'm a newyorksteelo believer! Check out his other videos as well.

Hi LemonLemon, That was fascinating! Thanks for adding this information. I totally agree we must first identify these helpful algae and their photosynthetic mechanism. In the light of the discussion, if I may throw a guessing question... if a specific coral has good supply of algae/zooplanktons for food and dissolved calcium can it survive even without sunlight? Or do corals have other use for sunlight aside for their symbiotes? Regarding phytoplankton (plant-like-planktons) and zooplanktons (animal planktons), I get the feeling now that doing excessive mechanical water filtration and water changes can also harm the reef by removing those microbes.