25 yr old Jaubert Plenum decommission

[Subsea]

The concept of the Jaubert Plenum came from two independent sources. Bob Goemans coined NNR (natural nitrate reduction). Professor Jean Jaubert, curator of Monaco City/state aquarium is the namesake.

NNR refers to de-nitrifying bacteria in a reducing oxygen environment that scavage an oxygen molecule from NO3 to produce a free nitrogen gas molecule. This is the only true nutrient export mechanism that requires no equipment or human intervention. Bacteria rule!

However, I am not interested in exporting nitrate. Why should I remove a major nutrient in the game of life on earth? Redfield Ratio 106:16:1. I say, learn how to manage nitrogen and grow your reef.

Back to my 25 year old Jaubert Plenum at 6" deep with aroggonite substrate that is 3mm-5mm in diameter. Included with this 75G tank is a mud macro refugium. Three months ago, I turned out the lights on refugium, composted tomatoes with macro, added rock seeded with sponges and call it an"cryptic refugium". A refugium processes nutrients and feeds tank live zooplankton. Refugiums do not need light to process nutrients. Micro fauna and fana with snails & pods form food webs. IMO, with lights out in our reefs, there is more food available then with lights on.

So, now that I have discribed changes in 25 yr old refugium, the "œBig Change" is reducing substrate depth at 2"-3" instead of 6". It is a big job with inhabitants in the tank. I am about 70% complete.

 

[Jyetman]

Following - my 80 Gallon acrylic tank came with a built in plenum back in 2002 still in use today. Its been 8 years this time around and have never vacuumed the 3 - 4" aragonite substrate. Can't say good or bad result its just a difficult task vacuuming so I use the plenum excuse as a reason not too.

 

[Subsea]

With the right janitors, there would be no need to vacume. Detritus is food and janitors produce live food for tank. Janitor populations rise & fall with food supply and they feed tank. Directly to fish as amphipods & copepods. Directly to corals as larvae from Cerith sails, bristle worms, micro stars and the “pod brothers”.

My problem with sandbed janitors came about at year 23 with an infestation of Red Planaria which ended with the introduction a Red Planaria eating Wrasse.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/2285/hoevens-wrasse?pcatid=2285&c=15+1379+2285

No moresnails, bristle worms,microstars or p”

 

[djbon]

I have a non lighted sump with a bacteria driven twin reactor and more than half dozen of live oysters. No filter socks or skimmer. I would like to have a cryptic zones in the first compartment but the overflow run on it. Any idea subsea?

 

[Subsea]

In essence, cryptic means unlit. Cryptic sponges will form anywhere they want to, including the glass. Consider using eggcrate to establish surface colonization. With my change to an unlit cryptic refugium, live food production is the priority. Sponges are OK, but not the priority. I provide the right conditions then let Nature take its course.

If you are growing live oysters, you are on top of your live food game. Clams will grow on
inorganic nitrogen. I don’t know about oysters.

I would not be concerned with cryptic sponges for biodiversity if you are successfully growing oysters. I have had live clams for 7 years on Gulf live rock.

 

[Subsea]

I have a non lighted sump with a bacteria driven twin reactor and more than half dozen of live oysters. No filter socks or skimmer. I would like to have a cryptic zones in the first compartment but the overflow run on it. Any idea subsea?

There are more than 8,000 species of sponges. Differrent sponges eat differrent things. Cryptic sponges consume DOC. When DOC becomes a problem in my marine tanks, I use GAC.

 

[djbon]

Thanks subsea. I will create another zone using containers with plastic mesh in it.

 

[Subsea]

First Light

First Light

Thanks subsea. I will create another zone using containers with plastic mesh in it.

Interesting location. Where do you buy your live inhabitants from?

First light in tank. Chilli Coral feeds at night. Just did get Yellow Ball Sponge and Red Tree Sponge from GulfCoast EcoSystem.

 

[Subsea]

Chilli feeds at night

 

[djbon]

Interesting location. Where do you buy your live inhabitants from?

First light in tank. Chilli Coral feeds at night. Just did get Yellow Ball Sponge and Red Tree Sponge from GulfCoast EcoSystem.

You mean my corals/fish or critters as foods?

 

[Subsea]

You mean my corals/fish or critters as foods?

Tell me more about your tank. For certain you are producing live food to keep oysters alive. I know nothing about bacteria reactor. Tell me about it.

I was just reading about a patented process for marine aquarium bacteria. Due to differrent bacteria growth rates, aggressive bacteria (not necessarily bad) can dominate. I know nothing about bacteria species, but these people at TLC do:

https://www.tlc-products.com/productscience/

 

[Subsea]

I was curious about your location. Are reef aquariums common?

 

[karimwassef]

Following

 

[djbon]

I will update on my setup (very simple actually) but you are right about live foods as I have seen my water turn greenish a few times when only on blue light, possibly phyto or something. The whole system is on closed loop without any mechanical filters, skimmer or UV filter. I have small wavemakers in the sump compartments, on 1 hour on/1 hour off. Every hour all the goodness in there will travel back into the display to be consumed by corals and fishes. I believe there is more than detritus in it, as my 7 green chromis, mandarin fish, sun corals, 3 different sub species goniopora and NPS dendro are thriving without much feeding (fishes are fed 2 times daily).

 

[djbon]

I was curious about your location. Are reef aquariums common?

I am from Sabah, the island of Borneo. We have several pristine diving sites (Sipadan is one of them). Surrounded by south china sea and sulu sea, Borneo is blessed with coral reefs (coral reef triangle). Most of my corals (especially Acros) came from nearby beach. I bought my live oysters from local farmer market, 25 medium sized for slightly over USD1 . I will be on coral hunting this week (lowest tide exposing reefs sites for easy selections).

 

[Subsea]

I will update on my setup (very simple actually) but you are right about live foods as I have seen my water turn greenish a few times when only on blue light, possibly phyto or something. The whole system is on closed loop without any mechanical filters, skimmer or UV filter. I have small wavemakers in the sump compartments, on 1 hour on/1 hour off. Every hour all the goodness in there will travel back into the display to be consumed by corals and fishes. I believe there is more than detritus in it, as my 7 green chromis, mandarin fish, sun corals, 3 different sub species goniopora and NPS dendro are thriving without much feeding (fishes are fed 2 times daily).

I am all about recycling nutrients and food webs that feed the tank. The energy from sump wave maker is increasing food production for display. What inverts are living in your sump: amphipods, copepods, snails, worms and the list goes on ?

 

[djbon]

Back to my setup, I have a DIY build thread for my bacteria driven reactor. Look for Dnovan's nitrate destroyer. I believe most of my planktonic bacteria comes from this reactor. It's a carbon induced reactor, initially for nitrate control but surprisingly it provides some kind of extra foods for the whole tank as well.

I built an algae through from a 4" pvc pipe cut in half lenght wise, capped on both sides. It was plumbed directly on the return section inside the canopy, and lighted by the display main fixtures. Works wonderfully, and full with pods that goes directly into the tank.

Non lit sump is full with sponges, and detritus. Small wave makers in the sump (alternating on/off every hour) stirs all the goodness back into the display.

Live oyster has been living in the return section compartment for mire than several months. Occasionally they spawned, releasing tiny eggs all over the system (no skimmer, socks or other mechanical filters). SPS loves it very much.

As mentioned on my other post above, I witnessed a "phyto" or planktonic occurrence several times where the water column turned into greenish hue (under heavy blue light this event is clearly visible). It could be coming from the reactor as I feed the reactor with VSV.

 

[Subsea]

Would you agree, that bacteria and phyto are the foundations for every food chain in the marine environment?

 

[djbon]

I am all about recycling nutrients and food webs that feed the tank. The energy from sump wave maker is increasing food production for display. What inverts are living in your sump: amphipods, copepods, snails, worms and the list goes on ?

Worms (a few types, some is swimming in screw motion), copepods, amphipods, a lot of tiny duster worms, sponges and a couple of snails (vietnamese farmer hat ). A lot of other tiny critters in there, thousands of tiny dust moving on the glass panels.

 

[djbon]

Would you agree, that bacteria and phyto are the foundations for every food chain in the marine environment?

100% agreed. These are the most abundant foods in the wild. I can clogged my reactor within 2 hours of heavy VSV dosing, which i intentionally do every month. Best way to keep a healthy bacteria mass in the reactor.