Intelligent Design / Natural Filtration
- Thread starter Subsea
- Start date
AlSimmons
New member
No doubt...
I'm not sure if you started this thread or not, but what was mentioned above is the gods honest truth. Once you understand how the "cycle" works it's all gravy, salt or not...
Have you ever played chess before? Winning in 20 moves is good. Winning in 10 moves is much better. Ultimately you understand how the game works and that beauty becomes a tear... (love?)
My name is SPAWN! (cool comic)
I'm not sure if you started this thread or not, but what was mentioned above is the gods honest truth. Once you understand how the "cycle" works it's all gravy, salt or not...
Have you ever played chess before? Winning in 20 moves is good. Winning in 10 moves is much better. Ultimately you understand how the game works and that beauty becomes a tear... (love?)
My name is SPAWN! (cool comic)
Last edited:
No doubt...
I'm not sure if you started this thread or not, but what was mentioned above is the gods honest truth. Once you understand how the "cycle" works it's all gravy, salt or not...
Have you ever played chess before? Winning in 20 moves is good. Winning in 10 moves is much better. Ultimately you understand how the game works and that beauty becomes a tear... (love?)
My name is SPAWN! (cool comic)
I am the OP. YES, IT IS SIMPLE TO DO NATURAL FILTRATION.
AL,
Your last line is sheer poetry.
After begging for it, I finally was given enough Grape Caulerpa to set up a mono culture 55G tank. I an fertilizing this tank heavily with miracle grow and ammonia. I dose with vinegar, iron & iodine twice a week.
smatter
Active member
I would give a second thought on the miracle grow. It's made more for flowering plants. You're adding a lot of phosphorous and potassium that won't be used up by the caulerpa. Caulerpa is basically just greens. Look into Milorganite, (poop-in-a-bag). It's mainly just nitrogen.
Actually, macro has much more than nitrogen in it. When I grew Red Ogo for human consumption, I sent it off to be analyzed in a scientific lab. I expected the 30:1 nitrogen to phosphate. That is why I added ammonia to miracle grow, to more closely reach 30:1 ratio of nitrate to phosphate. What I did not expect from lab analysis was that sulfur had twice the concentration as nitrogen. The biggest surprise was that potassium to nitrate ratio was 5:1.
Analysis by Ward Lab
Kearney, Nebraska
Red Ogo Seaweed
Nitrogen @ 2.59%
Phosphorus @ 0..082%
Potassium @ 13.54%
Calcium @ 0.555%
Magnesium @ 1.163%
Sulfur @ 4.81%
Zinc @ 139ppm
Iron @ 107ppm
Manganese @ 20ppm
Copper @ 7.0ppm
The ratio of the constituents in the salt mix is not the same as the ratio of the constituents in the dry analysis of the seaweed. Even a fertilizer like miracle grow, has a 1:1 ratio of nitrogen to potassium. However, Red Ogo had a 5:1 ratio of potassium to nitrogen. That is a far cry from accepted dogma from the reef hobby community.
PS: Coming from a background of industrial waste water treatment, uptake of heavy metals by vascular plants is a normal to expect.
Micro nutrients like zinc and cooper are unique in how they trigger biochemistry as an enzyme in a complex chain of reactions. Some years back, a neighbor farmer was working with the corporate extension department to optimize his grass production to feed cattle. With the simple addittion of zinc, the other major nutrients were made available to grow grass for forage.
My first book was written by Martin Moe a PHD Microbiologist, he said in the early 1960's, "it is not Rocket science, it is more complicated".
The Jaubert Plenum system involves 4"- 6" of crushed coral at 2mm-5mm diameter. With a larger diameter substrate oxyen will penetrate deeper into sand bed depths. Faculative bacteria will be in a much larger zone with more denitrification bacteria chemistry.
provost_reefers
New member
Thanks for the great thread. I'm working on upgrading my tank and planned on a plenum but so many options out there. I love all the life a more natural tank supports. I'll keep reading! Skimmerless has always been the way I lean and have seen much more life swimming in my tank when not running a skimmer.
Welcome to reef central. I looked at your 90G set up. LPS & softies are easy and colorful. What kind of light? If you don't want pumps in tank, then use large pump to return flow from sump to display tank. Because I regularly use activated carbon, I use a canister filter to provide extra circulation at water surface in display tank.
provost_reefers
New member
I currently have 2 Aquamana full spectrum leds but don't really like the color. I'm looking at upgrading to the radions but they are a bit pricey. I appreciate the input on the flow, I want a lot of really soft, irregular flow.
On a 4' tank, I like the distribution on this 4' LED light bar at a very low price. Two 108W light bars at $68 each will cover your 90G tank in 12K lighting.
provost_reefers
New member
Hi there, I would love more info on the light bar, there was no link or brand.
