90g Frag Display 10g Refuge/sump Phyto Copepod Culture

[Dr Bluethumb]

Cycling:







To be continued...

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

I am going to attempt to make my micro the new macro, and to hopfully prove that less light can be fine if coral are fed right and that phytoplankton can potentially compliment or replace macro.

My assumption is that coral are part light loving and part food loving, this can be altered imo so that more food would mean less intense light may be given..

There will be no skimmer on this tank and I will be using tap water. My objective is to keep cost down, but at the same time I am still buying some of the bells a whistles.

Flow so far is a mag 7 and mp 10

L.R is about 150 lbs

2 1/2 DSB.

phosban reactor with aragonite which if need be can be replaced with GAC

lighting will be 180 watt of kessil lighting.

fish I will be adding pair of flame angels and a pair of marron clowns and 2 damsels which I can take the demsel out if inorganics are high.

This is mostly a coral proagation tank but it will be a display too, I am relying on phyto, cheato,mini cleanup crew, corals and sponges for the removal of organics and inorganics, 10% weekly water changes.

Once established and I am up to 5 plus cups of nannochloropsus oculata phytoplankton dosed daily I will attempt to add more fish.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

 

[EricTMah]

Great plan. @scubasteve runs his system with tap water as well.

I think your theory on more food and less light will work. You'll just need to monitor your no3 and po4 a little more closely with the extra addition on phyto and other coral foods.

Any idea what direction you're taking with the type of corals you're planning? Sps, LPS, softies?

Sony Xperia Z3

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Softies only high ends. As long as I can get them at a decent price. zoas,palys,shrooms of all types.

(disclaimer) I am not a doctor, but I play one on the interwebs, lol. Use all info with a grain of salt. I am here to learn too. I am going to post some diagrams up and info to try to sway people that it is possible to have a tank based on knowledge gained through biology/chemistry.


1st objective is to prove that if I use 180 watts on a 90G of led that even thou it is lower light, that the extra feeding will enable the corals dna to reshuffle and that the clade algae will switch to being less autotrophic and that the coral will become more heterotrophic through extra feeding.

My hypothesis is that all soft coral consume phyto either through their mouth or through their body through absorption. Once inside the belly it is broken down and absorbed by the cilia? which the cilia are responsible to also move water around inside the belly and to absorb food?

2nd Objective is to prove that phytoplankton can replace macro algae.

3rd Objective is to have a fantastic looking tank while using my knowledge in biology to keep cost down and keep things simple. Mind you I will still have some bells and whistles on the tank.

4th objective is to prove that phytoplankton nannochlorupsus oculata may be low in DHA but that it is still capable of fueling a healthy ecosystem.

5th objective is to culture copepods,coral,sponges,snails,worms,bactera,chittons,limpets,mini serpent stars, etc internally in the 90G

6th objsective is to culture another phyto high in DHA like Iso?

7th Objective is to keep organics super high while keeping inorganics some what low.

8th objective is to have the coral grow with a low fish biooad to prove that it is the phyto doing must of the work with the help of sponges and mini clean up crew fueled by the phyto.

9th to breed fish and propagate coral and sponges.

10th to rise the fish and sell coral,phyto,copepods,sponges,fish

to be continued....

 

[Nick James]

I think there is a need in Canada for cultured creatures like chitons, limpets, microsnails, sponges etc..

This way you can pick and choose what micro CUC members you add to your tank for diversity without getting any other surprises on LR from other folks.

I saw your posts on reefcentral in the past I believe.

Good luck.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Softies only high ends. As long as I can get them at a decent price. zoas,palys,shrooms of all types.

(disclaimer) I am not a doctor, but I play one on the interwebs, lol. Use all info with a grain of salt. I am here to learn too. I am going to post some diagrams up and info to try to sway people that it is possible to have a tank based on knowledge gained through biology/chemistry.


1st objective is to prove that if I use 180 watts on a 90G of led that even thou it is lower light, that the extra feeding will enable the corals dna to reshuffle and that the clade algae will switch to being less autotrophic and that the coral will become more heterotrophic through extra feeding.

My hypothesis is that all soft coral consume phyto either through their mouth or through their body through absorption. Once inside the belly it is broken down and absorbed by the cilia? which the cilia are responsible to also move water around inside the belly and to absorb food?

2nd Objective is to prove that phytoplankton can replace macro algae.

3rd Objective is to have a fantastic looking tank while using my knowledge in biology to keep cost down and keep things simple. Mind you I will still have some bells and whistles on the tank.

4th objective is to prove that phytoplankton nannochlorupsus oculata may be low in DHA but that it is still capable of fueling a healthy ecosystem.

5th objective is to culture copepods,coral,sponges,snails,worms,bactera,chittons,limpets,mini serpent stars, etc internally in the 90G

6th objsective is to culture another phyto high in DHA like Iso?

7th Objective is to keep organics super high while keeping inorganics some what low.

8th objective is to have the coral grow with a low fish biooad to prove that it is the phyto doing must of the work with the help of sponges and mini clean up crew fueled by the phyto.

9th to breed fish and propagate coral and sponges.

10th to rise the fish and sell coral,phyto,copepods,sponges,fish

to be continued....

No offense and always happy to see people who are willing to take the time to educate themselves as an integral part of their hobby.....
Many of the items you list have a great deal of published work already in existence. If you don't currently have access to journals you should be able to get access through your local library...or your old university faculty would likely be happy to provide you access...why reinvent the wheel...when people have been well funded to do it...lol

Bear in mind also that regardless of your level of success or not with your tank, lacking proper controls and protocols whatever your results are, any "evidence" will be no more than anecdotal...(although still welcome for consideration here...lol).

Remember to have fun and enjoy....

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

It's important to educate, so more people can join the exciting world of marine biology.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

I think there is a need in Canada for cultured creatures like chitons, limpets, microsnails, sponges etc..

This way you can pick and choose what micro CUC members you add to your tank for diversity without getting any other surprises on LR from other folks.

I saw your posts on reefcentral in the past I believe.

Good luck.

Thanks and I agree I am getting back into the hobby after a few years and now I wish i could just do as you suggest and pick and chose a mini clean up crew and sponges etc

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

No offense and always happy to see people who are willing to take the time to educate themselves as an integral part of their hobby.....
Many of the items you list have a great deal of published work already in existence. If you don't currently have access to journals you should be able to get access through your local library...or your old university faculty would likely be happy to provide you access...why reinvent the wheel...when people have been well funded to do it...lol

Bear in mind also that regardless of your level of success or not with your tank, lacking proper controls and protocols whatever your results are, any "evidence" will be no more than anecdotal...(although still welcome for consideration here...lol).

Remember to have fun and enjoy....

I am doing the fun part of the hobby (for me) and that is to put everyones work together like a puzzle and make it my own, then test it in real life to see if it works. And also to try to bring costs down and make it simpler for others. All the while sharing my experiences in hopes that the hobby spreads.

 

[nathan]

I find this to be a very fascinating thread... im curious how this will work out for you. Please keep us informed both good and bad . Good luck with your experiment!

 

[AdInfinitum]

I am doing the fun part of the hobby (for me) and that is to put everyones work together like a puzzle and make it my own, then test it in real life to see if it works. And also to try to bring costs down and make it simpler for others. All the while sharing my experiences in hopes that the hobby spreads.

A good approach...because the last thing this hobby needs are more scientist "wannabes" who confuse hobbyists by spewing opinions as facts without any real understanding of the difference between anecdotal evidence and solid scientific results/fact. Unfortunately this hobby attracts both ends of the spectrum from people with genuine academic backgrounds to internet fakers with no clue....but for the aspiring hobbyists they can be impossible to distinguish in a venue like this...

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Another disclaimer I have autism, adhd I am 1 in 1 000 000, please do not attempt. 12 years in the hobby is what you need in order to have husbandry like i have.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

The end of my last experiment:



Stacked the cash from selling this $70 Australian recordia Yuma to $1000 by his lonesome. Wish i could find him again for the same price that I sold him for. Thats ok I will buy more at triple the price and aquaculture for 1/3rd the price, if I have to. it to late now to turn back

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

A good approach...because the last thing this hobby needs are more scientist "wannabes" who confuse hobbyists by spewing opinions as facts without any real understanding of the difference between anecdotal evidence and solid scientific results/fact. Unfortunately this hobby attracts both ends of the spectrum from people with genuine academic backgrounds to internet fakers with no clue....but for the aspiring hobbyists they can be impossible to distinguish in a venue like this...

It's called adaptation not evolution. The coral has multiple clade algae in them, they are simply reshuffling their algae so that another clade algae is dominant. Thus, they require less light once adapted.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Another previos experiment this is called bacterial infection of the gut, it is solved by simply slicing the rare, exotic and often sick Australian Recordia Yuma in half. Then gently blow his rotten guts out with a turkey baster and aquarium water. Then let heal. very simialr to H-pylori in humans.

Please if your sensitive to experimentation on animals please turn away:









Sometime good men have to do bad things for the better. All these animals survived by the way. If left it would of died if untreated.

My old hypothesis was that a shoom does not require a mouth to regrow. looks like it was solved:



Here is a piece that I cut into 8. It had no piece of mouth, it was all body, but it simply regrew one.

 

[scubasteve]

I am doing the fun part of the hobby (for me) and that is to put everyones work together like a puzzle and make it my own, then test it in real life to see if it works. And also to try to bring costs down and make it simpler for others. All the while sharing my experiences in hopes that the hobby spreads.

Anything is possible with the right research and knowledge. I have been running my tank with treated tap and zero water changes for quite a few years now in an sps dominant reef.... Why some ask and my response "to prove you can". All I did was use things to do the job they evolved to do perfectly over millions of years. Ecosystems are just a big continuous chain but if you have one broken link the rest are useless. If you do some digging U of G has alot of good info but finding what you want is not easy(you would think a university search engine would run perfectly). Univ of Auckland New Zealand and Australia's queens univ are both world leaders in marine biology and marine ecology and their list of studies and experiments seems never ending. If you really need hard to find info and can't seem to find it just send an email to the contact for which ever department and they are usually very happy to point you where to go or send it directly to you. Just don't expect a response the next day lol.

Good luck on your venture... Mine unfortunately is coming to an end soon since I'm building a log cabin up north and plan on being off grid in 2-3 years and I just can't afford a solar array big enough to support a reef tank lmao.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Sounds like we have the philosophy. I look forward to your return from off the grid.

I would like to get info from Universities if anyone has them.

I'm a simple person but love biology and I am just getting into chemistry and geology. If I was not into this hobby I would be a person with a high school diploma @ the grade 10 basic level.

I may not have University education but I did study biology for some time.

I hope to be able to teach the basics to a few people that way they do not have to labour hard to achieve the knowledge I have.

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

Coral:





Sponge:

 

[Dr Bluethumb]

I think there is a need in Canada for cultured creatures like chitons, limpets, microsnails, sponges etc..

This way you can pick and choose what micro CUC members you add to your tank for diversity without getting any other surprises on LR from other folks.

I saw your posts on reefcentral in the past I believe.

Good luck.

In my life time I hope to see sponges replace skimmers and micro to replace macro algae.