Cryptic Zone Filtration
- Thread starter mr. bojangsjang
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mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Sorry if I upset you karlbob, but as far as terminology goes, I consider Agu's set-up as benthic due to the bottom dwellers living in it. I don't consider it "Cryptic" because it is illuminated. The bright green colour of the zooxanthellae in the anemone make it clear that photosynthesis is taking place.
In the huge expanse of the ocean, very little of the benthic zone is illuminated. I chose the term "cryptic/benthic" to include other systems like Agu's that may be illuminated or partially illuminated. The term "cryptic zone" was coined by Steve Tyree, and in doing so he was highly criticized by the RC resident experts of the time who claimed there was no such term and he had no right to make it up. Steve was banned from RC for defending the term "cryptic zone" as valid. It's too bad, as his comments would be welcomed here.
Personally, I think anyone has the right to define their ideas with a term that they deem appropriate. If science already has such a definition, then by all means we must adhere to it.
It's all right. I wasn't all that upset, and your explanation makes sense.
From what I understand, Agu doesn't consider the anemone section to be cryptic either. It sounded like the cryptic section was to the right of the anemones, and used a mat of Chaetomorpha to provide relative darkness below the surface.
Hmm, what would be better than "cryptic zone"? According to this Web site, the ocean zone between full sunlight and coal mine darkness is called the
If you painted the walls, floor, and lid of a tank pitch black, you could conceivably call it an aphotic zone filter, named after the darkest layer of the ocean.
From what I understand, Agu doesn't consider the anemone section to be cryptic either. It sounded like the cryptic section was to the right of the anemones, and used a mat of Chaetomorpha to provide relative darkness below the surface.
Hmm, what would be better than "cryptic zone"? According to this Web site, the ocean zone between full sunlight and coal mine darkness is called the
Maybe we could call them dysphotic zone filters.
If you painted the walls, floor, and lid of a tank pitch black, you could conceivably call it an aphotic zone filter, named after the darkest layer of the ocean.
bergzy
New member
this is essentially what my blue barrel achieves as it is opaque. i have a white 5g bucket lit for chaeto growth. the top layer of rock is stacked pretty tightly with smaller rocks to prevent as much light from getting in.
underneath the small rocks are large to very large pieces of live rock. there are three very large boulders in there of lace/pukani (marshall look a like) that would make any reefer drool.
i WISH i could see how much sponge and tunicate growth has taken place but the only way to do this would be to take apart the rock work just for a peek.
the only 'open' sump with a lot of live rock i have seen in real life was steve garrett's system of garrett acropolis. with 600+ pounds of awesome live rock in his sumps and the gentle flow through it...the sponge and tunicate growth has been phenomenal. his sump is covered with a light shield...so, it isnt completely dark/cryptic.
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15427478#post15427478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.wilson
... but I really like "Twilight Zone". It infers some kind of magical, other-worldly powers.
Or its the creation of the mighty Rod Serling. Perhaps a head shop.
Easier to remember than dysphotic.
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Are you using organic Marc Weiss products, KarlBob (the man with 2 first names )?
In Blue Planet, Richard Attenborough's script included the phrase "twilight zone" describing the very low light region of the ocean (even if its not scientific/Latin). Life there survives on marine snow / debris from the upper phototrophic zones.
I can't speak to the toxicity of sponges in a captive mixed-reef system, but I take Attenborough's gravitas (and the work of the Blue Planet / Earth team) as word.
But hey, if Steve T gets booted off RC for trying to label it, Im sure not going to take on The Powers That Be over it. :lol: None of my degrees are in marine biology.
)?In Blue Planet, Richard Attenborough's script included the phrase "twilight zone" describing the very low light region of the ocean (even if its not scientific/Latin). Life there survives on marine snow / debris from the upper phototrophic zones.
I can't speak to the toxicity of sponges in a captive mixed-reef system, but I take Attenborough's gravitas (and the work of the Blue Planet / Earth team) as word.
But hey, if Steve T gets booted off RC for trying to label it, Im sure not going to take on The Powers That Be over it. :lol: None of my degrees are in marine biology.
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I'd never heard Marc Weiss Organic products before, but I looked them up. They sound interesting. Do you use any of them?
I don't typically add many supplements. I try to stick to bi-weekly (often becomes weekly due to laziness) water changes to keep the minor elements in line. I do add relatively small amounts of PhytoFeast, though.
There's a story behind the two first names, which is told here.
I don't want to stir up an old quarrel, either. Whatever people want to call this technique, it's an interesting angle on refugia and biological filters.
I don't typically add many supplements. I try to stick to bi-weekly (often becomes weekly due to laziness) water changes to keep the minor elements in line. I do add relatively small amounts of PhytoFeast, though.
There's a story behind the two first names, which is told here.
I don't want to stir up an old quarrel, either. Whatever people want to call this technique, it's an interesting angle on refugia and biological filters.
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Im just razzing you about the abuse of the term "organic" as well as overpriced bottles of mystery fluid, black box supplements... Marc Weiss snake oil with nice labels.
But I want to know more about the benefits and setup of my 150g rubbermaid sump as a, uh, not brightly lit area, to cultivate different organisms.
But I want to know more about the benefits and setup of my 150g rubbermaid sump as a, uh, not brightly lit area, to cultivate different organisms.
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Im planning to use the rubbermaid trough as a sump. I'm going to grow chaeto in a dedicated tank aside from that, so anything goes. I have many pounds of mature rock with sponge life now...
I just want to ensure Im doing the right thing in setting this up, that I set it up the right way, etc. I'm overplanning this probably, but I don't want any mistakes in this new build...
I just want to ensure Im doing the right thing in setting this up, that I set it up the right way, etc. I'm overplanning this probably, but I don't want any mistakes in this new build...
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Definitely will contribute when I have more to show, brotha !
crazzyreefer
New member
I ran a 72, without water changes for 10+ years, medium fish load, feed once a day only. the nitrates were off the chart but I had vary good coral growth rates and color, I started to leave the system alone because it was my test tank for filter research, after testing a new design I would have to get it back to a neutral state prior to my next test. after a while I just decided to not place any filters on the tank. I had extreme sponge growth both in the main tank and the sump, the main tank was taken over by giant (2") round black sponges that went up to the waters surface. Pod population was also of the charts, other than the Nitrates being high, the rest of the tank numbers were in line, I didn't do any additives and only tap water.
NOW I DONT RECOMMEND THIS! DO NOT TRY TO REPLICATE, I dont speak of this system often because its not for the fain of hart, I had lost the tank when record heat killed off most of the fish and corals, the tank turned cloudy, and I still did nothing... leave it alone... was all I kept telling myself... and it did clear in a few days, some corals were dead but the rest came back stronger.
Sponges are a filter, different sponges grow in lit vs unlit areas, I always had strong flow and lighting. It took years to grow the many sponges that entirely engulf the live rock and gave the tank its natural filter. The only ting that killed the sponges was fine sediment, it seemed to clog the pours and they melted quickly.
One thing they don't do is remove nitrates, and the organic ammonia was kept at .09-.04 throughout the entire time the tank was up. It was truly a balanced system.
NOW I DONT RECOMMEND THIS! DO NOT TRY TO REPLICATE, I dont speak of this system often because its not for the fain of hart, I had lost the tank when record heat killed off most of the fish and corals, the tank turned cloudy, and I still did nothing... leave it alone... was all I kept telling myself... and it did clear in a few days, some corals were dead but the rest came back stronger.
Sponges are a filter, different sponges grow in lit vs unlit areas, I always had strong flow and lighting. It took years to grow the many sponges that entirely engulf the live rock and gave the tank its natural filter. The only ting that killed the sponges was fine sediment, it seemed to clog the pours and they melted quickly.
One thing they don't do is remove nitrates, and the organic ammonia was kept at .09-.04 throughout the entire time the tank was up. It was truly a balanced system.
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