Cryptic/Benthic Zone

[gsxunv04]

I just encountered a 10g drilled tank and im going to plumb it into my system. I was wondering what i should do with it and first thought a frag/farm tank but thought a benthinc or cryptic tank would be cheaper(no light needed) and would be of more benefit to my system. what do you all think of the idea and what do i need in order to setup a cryptic tank?

 

[Sk8r]

Sounds real interesting. I'd say whatever you'd find on the sea bottom: sand, for starters. Probably tube worms, bristleworms, the usual under-rock crowd. There's a place that sells things like spaghetti worms and other cryptic sorts.

 

[greenbean36191]

Go with the frag tank. It will be more beneficial to the system.

 

[gsxunv04]

im leaning towaards that, i was just wanting something that would assist in stabilizing the water and reduce nutes and other DOCs if possible

 

[greenbean36191]

That would be the corals. They feed on the same things as sponges and tunicates, with the big difference being that at least under some conditions some corals are net consumers of nitrate. Sponges and tunicates on the other hand are always net producers of nitrate and their chemical defenses are much nastier.

 

[gsxunv04]

gotcha.

 

[BrokeColoReefer]

the only problem with a 10 gallon frag tank is that unless you keep most of the same species, you will have a hard time growing them out. The chemical warfare in close quarters can inhibit growth or just flat out kill the frags.

 

[mrfipp]

Have you considered a blend? perhaps have aragonite sand, with an uncirculated plenum beneath it. creates a low oxygen area that harbors bacteria which lower nitrites. also will help keep calcium up, by slowly breaking down the aragonite. and you can do frags right on top of it.

 

[ctripi]

Steve Tyree wrote a book regarding cryptic tank development and set-up called the "Environmental Gradient". Last I knew you can purchase cryptic fauna from the Reef Farmers website.

The problem with your set-up might be that I believe all the cryptic tanks Tyree wrote of were a sectioned part of the display tank. The key to a cryptic refuge was very.....obsurdly low flow that might be difficult to acheive in a remote vessel.

If you don't have a macroalgae refugium yet, I'd strongly consider the benefits of a chaeto-filled sump. Lighting can be as cheap as $6 spiral compacts from Lowes.

 

[gsxunv04]

mrfipp, i have actually been researching plenum's, but i have not heard to many good things about them, nor a clear description of how to set one up. i think im gonna set it up like you said but i was wanting a BB frag tank so i could easily siphon out waste that accumulates in it.


ctripi, i have a section of my sump baffled of and i keep chaeto in there. i keep it in a tumbling fashion so it grows thick and dense. I harvest a basketball size clump every two weeks and start over with just a few strands tumbling away in my fuge. i use a 5000k daylight bulb.

 

[alpha0r]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13048120#post13048120 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ctripi
Steve Tyree wrote a book regarding cryptic tank development and set-up called the "Environmental Gradient". Last I knew you can purchase cryptic fauna from the Reef Farmers website.

The problem with your set-up might be that I believe all the cryptic tanks Tyree wrote of were a sectioned part of the display tank. The key to a cryptic refuge was very.....obsurdly low flow that might be difficult to acheive in a remote vessel.

If you don't have a macroalgae refugium yet, I'd strongly consider the benefits of a chaeto-filled sump. Lighting can be as cheap as $6 spiral compacts from Lowes.

Where can you get this book? The publisher is out of stock and no online retailers have it.

 

[Aquarist007]

here is a thread on a plenum system
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1439556