DSB

[pacificbetta]

Well, I am not sure if this falls under "product review" but then it is not a product.....

Anyway, my power tripped on 30 Dec 2002. It went off at 0900hrs and I did not see it until 10pm.....

What I say in my tank is that the entire water went milky at first glance. After turning on the lights, it can be clearly see that the "milk" is actually rotifer sized and below plankton material. Apparently, when the power went off, the oxygen level in the lower half of the tank got depleted rapidly. As a result, many of the plankton swamped out to the upper 15cm of the tank. Even bristleworms started swimming.....

The result: the plankton material was so thick that I cannot see past 15cm of the water. What I normally saw at night is merely a very small (very very small) fraction of what I witnessed that day. Now I fully understand why my mysis shrimp population is growing so fast.

Intermediate conclusion:

Pros: DSB is a fantastic hotbed for breeding plankton material. My DSB is only 6mths old, imagine a 2-3 yrs old one......

Cons: Oxygen levels will deplete much faster with a DSB sicne the oxygen loading is now considerably higher. Which means mean time to tank crash for power failure is shorter.

Just thought I should share these observations......

EL

[Phang]

Hmmmmmmm..... interesting observation..

But the mass plankton in your reef might not be the result of the DSB breeding capabilities... more like due to power failure causing invertebrates/corals to mass spawn .....

Spoke to a fellow reefer before regarding this... that sometimes coral, invertebrates mass spawn when placed into harzardous circumstances in order to ensure the surviability of that particular species.....

It might be the power failure resulting in a situation that is unfavourable therefore resulting in this mass plankton development.

Anyone like to confirm on this theory.....

You are right though with the last 2 points... DSB is a extremely excellent place for organism development, not also to mention nitrate reduction...

and... with that mass plankton, your oxygen levels will definitely deplete quickly.....

[pacificbetta]

Should be zooplankton lah. Unless, coral "eggs" can swim independent of current.

[Achilles Tang]

Hmmm... interesting theory.

I cannot agree that a DSB alone is responsible for large amounts of planktonic life in any reeftank.

Planktonic life can be very well hidden in shallow beds of sand or liverock. They may have become very obvious when water circulation is low and when lights are on and they decide to breed during that time.

I just had my refugium taken off the water circuit and it sat for a few days surviving on oxygen given out by macroalgae. There were a lot of oxygen bubbles floating up to the surface. I saw a few 2cm bristleworms swimming around. On the third day, I noticed more than 20 baby bristleworms on the glass and a pod explosion. My seahorse also gave birth and my harlequin shrimp released its eggs (promptly eaten by the seahorses). I had nudibranch explosions and even saw a few large flatworms coming out (which of course I sucked out). All these happened in these 3 days... it was very very eye-opening!!!

What can I say about this? It's just the miracle of the marine ecosystem!

Hard to explain at times...

For DSBs, like with any media, oxygen levels will drop once circulation stops as aerobic bacteria and other living organisms consume oxygen and potentially... all marine life could be in peril. Which is why a large water surface is important and if you provide water movement, you can prevent very low oxygen levels in your tank.

Interesting... you have a mysis population? Can I get a sample from you... perhaps I can get a culture going asap?

[pacificbetta]

If you can show me how to catch mysis in a 2.5ft high tank when they are living in the bristle worm tunnels (without tearing apart my tank), I will start a mysis culture and split them with you when the culture matures. We are talking 100+ minimum starting population.......

If not have to buy "starter culture" from US again, very ex, must wait till next year since there is probably no bonus this year

Anyway, the point I was trying to raise is that there are a LOT of stuff growing in the DSB. Much much more than what u can see with a torchlight in the middle of the night. Imagine how many rotifers u need to block ur vision after only 15cm? The density is mind boggling......

BTW, guys don't "off" ur power just to see this event, it sets your DSB maturity back by a loooooooooong time.

[harlequin]

Have anyone thought of buying UPS for their main pumps just in case of a power failure ?

A 100W main pump on a 2kVa UPS should be able to go on for another 2 -3 hrs should there be a power trip.

[Achilles Tang]

If you can show me how to catch mysis in a 2.5ft high tank when they are living in the bristle worm tunnels (without tearing apart my tank), I will start a mysis culture and split them with you when the culture matures. We are talking 100+ minimum starting population.......

If not have to buy "starter culture" from US again, very ex, must wait till next year since there is probably no bonus this year

Anyway, the point I was trying to raise is that there are a LOT of stuff growing in the DSB. Much much more than what u can see with a torchlight in the middle of the night. Imagine how many rotifers u need to block ur vision after only 15cm? The density is mind boggling......

BTW, guys don't "off" ur power just to see this event, it sets your DSB maturity back by a loooooooooong time.

Just 'destroy' a small section lah... Dig them out... maybe at a corner of the tank.

Hmmm... I think I may be stepping on your toes here... but I think if you think they are rotifers, they would be of a species that aquaculturists are not able to breed successfully in saltwater... as the rotifers we are both culturing are actually brackish water... they don't grow well in normal 1.024 salinity, preferring 1.020.

I suspect they are a different kind of zooplankton.

Did you get a sample out and try to culture it seperately? If you did... I would like to also request a sample so I can try culturing it... maybe get an ID... I have a microscope... but it needs the bulb to be repaired.

Oh... I have to to 'correct' you on your last statement...

"Dun 'off' your power long enough to totally crash your DSB and wipe out all life in it"... dun panic the newbies.. "

[pacificbetta]

Mr AT the hearltess homewrecker, for a 100 mysis, I will have to destroy the homes of many bristleworms...... LOL

Some are definitely rotifers, but

For the rest of the zooplankton I was seeing, I think they should be feeding on the "bacteria plankton" class of food, microalgae appear too large for them. Many that I can see are about 1/30 the size of my current strain of rotifers, with even more smaller ones. My only sample I took was sent to a lab for some testing...... If results are good, I will may try to culture them.

[Achilles Tang]

Aiyah... bristleworm can make new tunnels anywhere they want.

Just do it!