albert_dao's 2012 Nano Contest Entry

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by nanoreefnewbie

Wow that is a quick cycle tank is looking great

Heh, thanks!

Cycling a tank is easy if you skip all of the uncured liverock/refugium BS

[nanoreefnewbie]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Heh, thanks!

Cycling a tank is easy if you skip all of the uncured liverock/refugium BS

Yea hey I'm on day 13 cycling and almost done I'm taking the patient route lol...starting too get the ugly brown gunna add clean up crew here next day or two..

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by nanoreefnewbie

Yea hey I'm on day 13 cycling and almost done I'm taking the patient route lol...starting too get the ugly brown gunna add clean up crew here next day or two..

Oh, yah, lol. I hated that. I use to cycle tanks by letting them sit and was subject to "ugly algae tank" syndrome like everyone else. Now I just rely on turbocharged bacteria and ceramic medias to insta-cycle the tank and keep algae from ever gaining a foothold.

The trade off is that I can't used uncured liverock, which I am okay with. I have a pretty good selection of reef rock which I scrub and dry out in between tank switch-ups.

That said, I am really warming up to this "mud flats" look with the river-worn, volcanic substrate and rocks.



**** Livestock addition: I almost forgot to mention this! Last night, I seeded the tank with roughly 20 large bristleworms and 15ish micro brittlestars. I also threw in a cube of chopped mysis to keep everyone happy. I am constantly surprised at how much food a tank with good bacterial ecology can handle. My previous tanks each received a cube of mysis every night with zero climb in nutrients or algae issues. I'd be hard pressed to run a tank using any other method.

[nanoreefnewbie]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Oh, yah, lol. I hated that. I use to cycle tanks by letting them sit and was subject to "ugly algae tank" syndrome like everyone else. Now I just rely on turbocharged bacteria and ceramic medias to insta-cycle the tank and keep algae from ever gaining a foothold.

The trade off is that I can't used uncured liverock, which I am okay with. I have a pretty good selection of reef rock which I scrub and dry out in between tank switch-ups.

That said, I am really warming up to this "mud flats" look with the river-worn, volcanic substrate and rocks.



**** Livestock addition: I almost forgot to mention this! Last night, I seeded the tank with roughly 20 large bristleworms and 15ish micro brittlestars. I also threw in a cube of chopped mysis to keep everyone happy. I am constantly surprised at how much food a tank with good bacterial ecology can handle. My previous tanks each received a cube of mysis every night with zero climb in nutrients or algae issues. I'd be hard pressed to run a tank using any other method.

I'm reply relying on my clean up crew too take care of the algea with that name proper on time water changes I'll control the algea..almost forgot tonite should be a good night for water change and add my diy skimmer

[Boxboy]

" Now I just rely on turbocharged bacteria and ceramic medias to insta-cycle the tank and keep algae from ever gaining a foothold.*"

Would really like to learn more about this, care to share?

[nanoreefnewbie]

I guess you would really love too know been you have too start all over hey boxboy

[JDigital]

Maybe I missed it, but how big is this tank Albert?

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by Boxboy

" Now I just rely on turbocharged bacteria and ceramic medias to insta-cycle the tank and keep algae from ever gaining a foothold.*"

Would really like to learn more about this, care to share?

Absolutely, first, some science:

Absolutely:

http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/1...urnalCode=ecol

http://jb.asm.org/content/85/6/1413.full.pdf

http://zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4656

A lot of our modern aquarium techniques are extrapolated from the known studies of microbial metabolisms and how to functionally control their cycles.

Let me know when you've got that reading out of the way and I'll elaborate how it's applicable to our captive systems sans jargon.

[Boxboy]

http://jb.asm.org/content/85/6/1413.full.pdf dont work, Ive box marked the other for tonight! Ill PM you when done reading

Yes I have to start over haha. O well..

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by nanoreefnewbie

I'm reply relying on my clean up crew too take care of the algea with that name proper on time water changes I'll control the algea..almost forgot tonite should be a good night for water change and add my diy skimmer

Ahh, I suppose my only argument against relying on a cleanup crew in a smaller tank is that you're not actually addressing the base causes of the problem. In a smaller tank, this can spiral out of control in short order.

It's sort of like coming home to your house, having it look like a dump, then cleaning it sparking clean each and every night. Sure, it gets the job done, but the real issue here is that you have a roommate who is a total slob, lol.

Water changes never a bad thing though