This is part of what I was thinking, at least with the start of the cyanobacterial growth. NO3 is currently not detectable with the old Elos kit I have, but that doesn't mean it isn't higher than the...
Type: Posts; User: Amphiprion
This is part of what I was thinking, at least with the start of the cyanobacterial growth. NO3 is currently not detectable with the old Elos kit I have, but that doesn't mean it isn't higher than the...
Well, the death is still ongoing. Corals that were doing so well are now dying and/or dead. Ugh...
Neither have I. I'm honestly stumped. Lights are working fine as of this morning--just replaced them, too. They are the same 40w 2700K CFLs. No idea what happened, but the water has been changed...
Well, an update, but not a great one. Everything was going very, very well up until about a week ago. I checked the scrubber one day and noticed that it had completely turned to mush. Not sure what...
Don't know what the optics are. It is a flood light, not a spotlight--that was my mistake. Given that, the angle should be wider. Here are the exact lamps here:...
Was looking at some of the ~3000K (I think 24w) PAR38 spotlights at Lowe's and Home Depot earlier today and was wondering if anyone was using them? I was considering potentially replacing the current...
Pretty normal, in my experience, and it consists of algal cells, biofilm, detritus, etc. Depending upon how well you rinse the screen, you can have differing degrees of cloudiness. I try to rinse...
Well, yes and no. Sure, scrubbers can and do trap particles and to some extent can act as export that way and be supported by it. That is one of the adaptations of filamentous algae that gives them...
It's a bit different on reefs, since many corallivororous fishes are diurnal.
I agree that many factors affect polyp extension in general and that polyp extension or lack thereof can mean many...
Do all the elements in question necessarily need to be added back? What purpose do some of them serve? What concentrations are they present in artificial salt mixes to begin with? I think I'd rather...
That's interesting. I've always had great polyp extension with a scrubber, even on my last system.
Duh, I can't believe I didn't think about this. I guess I should've at least thought about the equation.
That's spot on with what I've been observing. One of many reasons why I'm reluctant to try a skimmer again.
FWIW, CO2 in the right situation can be limited pretty easily. I've always been able to...
I think they are as important in aquaria as they are in natural systems. It is low nutrients combined with aggressive herbivory that is conducive to coral growth. I think that is a better way to...
It certainly is strange at times...
I wouldn't say they are deficient in P, but rather require more effort and energy to access, which is why it is not the preferred route. Think of it as a...
Yup, I mentioned this on NR on a similar thread and it was glanced over. Not sure where and why so many thought that uptake was limited to inorganic P. Also, it should be localized activity, if not...
I'm not sure what all is contributing to success, as there are a lot of variables in there (not to mention that it sounds expensive), but results are impressive:...
Not sure :p. Vertical ones still have their superior features, namely sheer surface area vs. space consumed. I think enough precipitation can be induced in many cases with vertical scrubbers, if that...
Lol, it gets tricky, because the terms don't necessarily always imply relatedness. Bryopsis would more closely be a filamentous (or siphonous) macroalga, as is implied in your quote. Common Derbesia...
The main ones we deal with are microalgae. They are a linear assemblage of cells compared to the unicellular, multinucleate forms of algae like Caulerpa. Other algae are multicellular and colonial,...
Shouldn't be necessary and may not work as well as it may first seem, since it may be able to redissolve in such a situation. Precipitate granules should adhere to the algal strands themselves to...
Interesting. Where did the numbers come from? Adey? I'm glad to see quantitative analysis beyond the theory Adey proposed to occur. I had a good idea that this may have been occurring in my scrubber...
What are good trace metals vs. bad ones (other than calcium and magnesium, which we know are necessary)? Just because an organism absorbs a metal or a metal is found in seawater, it doesn't mean it...
I wish they were copepods...
Yes, females will brood young, bypassing any sort of planktonic stage altogether. One female can have dozens of young, so it does make it a bit difficult. I did catch...
If you're getting visible bacterial mats, I would reduce the dosage, at least initially. If you are going to use a bacterial-driven system, I recommend skimming. I don't think it is necessary on...
It will make them inactive or drop off fish, but it won't kill them--not unless you dip for a long time. I tried that with a few test specimens and dipped them for about 1 hour. I put them back in...
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7234/full/nature07659.html
A good article. Suggests that there are species of algae that are able to exist in even the leanest P situations. This...
You may either have a different type altogether, like sphaeromatids, or one of the few relatively benign cirolanids. These have no problem latching on to my arm--haven't been bitten yet, but they...
I did speak with them and they were already fully aware of the situation. Never mentioned their presence for obvious, unethical reasons nor did the person really seem to be concerned. Said person...
Would've defeated the purpose of getting live rock to begin with. I'm hoping to preserve at least some of the diversity that was already there. Soaking in acid would produce some crazy expensive base...
Cirolanid isopods. The kind I have not only feed on fish as a micropredator/parasite, they also readily consume any carrion available, compounding their extermination. I can't actually release my...
I had a smaller species that grew very fast. It had a substantial biomass and reached a tipping point, subsequently dying. No clue why it died, but the amount of organics was huge. A large portion of...
Nor are abiotic factors taken into consideration, such as localized high pH, which would promote phosphate precipitation. The precipitates cling to the algae to an extent, thus allowing even more...
I don't use any higher end tests anymore. While it can be nice to get that narrower baseline, I don't find it necessary anymore nor worth the prices these kinds of tests command. It ties into my...
I think you'd really enjoy seagrasses. They've been a unique experience all unto themselves and a great one, at that. They provide a look that just can't be provided any other way. I think most of...
For some background, the tank will feature some coral and plenty of seagrass. I'm hoping for some hardier, fast growing corals for the rock structure. I'm thinking something like a couple of staghorn...
Agreed. It has more to do with the ubiquity of turf algae than anything else, not that corals like it. They are competitors that evolved side-by-side. I don't think corals have to like algae for them...
Yup, though I read the journal version. I don't mean for it to imply that phosphate is a good thing, only that basing a successful long term system or methodology on growth (or growth alone, really)...
Like in the thread on NR, we've known this stuff for a while, so I can't necessarily argue that. Some of FD's facts weren't quite right, like saying algae don't actually store P (they do) and,...
Agreed and this is kinda what I've ended up doing about a bunch of things. I had really been interested in the entire theory of algal scrubbing (or plant scrubbing in general) for many years. It just...
I contemplated a UAS, but I had already foreseen the potential salt creep issues. It also still seems like a bit of a work in progress and isn't as perfected as the waterfall scrubbers just yet. I've...
I'll have to experiment to see if I can replicate the same results I had before on my 75 with my particular design. It featured no standpipes, just bulkheads and fed directly to my skimmer (at the...
The other end doesn't need to be under water to create a siphon (you wouldn't be able to do water changes with a plain vinyl hose if that were the case). In this case, it just needs to have some sort...
Okay, after measuring the dimensions of my overflow box on my 40g, I won't be able to incorporate a 3rd hole. That shouldn't be a huge problem, because I'll be taking plenty of precautions as already...
Good to see you here, too. I can pick your brain, since you've now been using scrubbers longer than I have (and done much more with them, at that).
So in the video, you've basically set up a loop...
Full beananimal design won't work for me, since I am restricted to a corner overflow box. A slight modification with an added third drain, however, should work well enough. 2 of these extra drains...
A third drain is doable. I may well incorporate one as a further failsafe, in addition to using some sreen to block potential unwanted guests from even making it into the overflow to start with. Even...
It won't be at the bottom, but within a sealed overflow box.
Oops, I should've clarified. Sorry about that. I don't know what they used to be called, as I used them many years ago, too, but they call them speed drains or "herbie" speed drains now. They were...
I know it is often encouraged that one use a dedicated pump for their scrubber, but I am running out of electrical real estate and I don't think my landlord would appreciate an overhaul of the...