Intelligent Design / Natural Filtration
- Thread starter Subsea
- Start date
As much as cynobacteria is considered a scourge in the reef hobby, without cyno our oceans would be dead and our athmosphere would be methane gas.
Since the dawn of time, Earth had a methane and probably sulfur gas athmosphere with all the volcanic activity. Differrent bacteria consumed the sulfur and methane. Cynobacteria bridged the gap between bacteria and photosynthic organisms. Cyno converted methane gas into oxygen.
Nitrogen fixation is the process in which bacteria convert free nitrogen gas into nitrate, the major nutrient required to grow. Legumes are land plants that facilitate this process using bacteria. Eco friendly farmers rotate crops by growing legumes and plowing into the ground as green manure.
In the oceans, nitrogen fixation is primarily accomplished by cynobacteria. Nitrogen gas is able to fertilize ocean life because of this process.
Since we are talking about natural processes between athmosphere and ocean, let us focus on carbon dioxide. Earth is a carbon based planet. Everything on earth has carbon in it. In our reef tanks, carbon comes in with the food or we can dose carbon. In the oceans, carbon enters the water as a saturated gas, then through photosynthesis it is assimilated in biomass of algae. Phytoplankton is the largest consumer of carbon dioxide. It is also the bottom of the food chain in the ocean and in reef aquariums.
Dynamic equilibrium is a term that describes these self regulating process that drive oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide exchange between ocean and athmosphere. That is why I am comfortable with using natural filtration in my reef tanks.
Since the dawn of time, Earth had a methane and probably sulfur gas athmosphere with all the volcanic activity. Differrent bacteria consumed the sulfur and methane. Cynobacteria bridged the gap between bacteria and photosynthic organisms. Cyno converted methane gas into oxygen.
Nitrogen fixation is the process in which bacteria convert free nitrogen gas into nitrate, the major nutrient required to grow. Legumes are land plants that facilitate this process using bacteria. Eco friendly farmers rotate crops by growing legumes and plowing into the ground as green manure.
In the oceans, nitrogen fixation is primarily accomplished by cynobacteria. Nitrogen gas is able to fertilize ocean life because of this process.
Since we are talking about natural processes between athmosphere and ocean, let us focus on carbon dioxide. Earth is a carbon based planet. Everything on earth has carbon in it. In our reef tanks, carbon comes in with the food or we can dose carbon. In the oceans, carbon enters the water as a saturated gas, then through photosynthesis it is assimilated in biomass of algae. Phytoplankton is the largest consumer of carbon dioxide. It is also the bottom of the food chain in the ocean and in reef aquariums.
Dynamic equilibrium is a term that describes these self regulating process that drive oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide exchange between ocean and athmosphere. That is why I am comfortable with using natural filtration in my reef tanks.
Thank you for subscribing and for the encouragement.
There is no doubt that I have ruffled some feathers of proponents of differrent reef keeping methods.
I say viva la difference.
Nano sapiens
New member
The 'Natural Method' is the original and goes back a lot farther than many people realize. The first accounts of marine organisms being kept in a 'natural environment' go back to tha late 1800s in England. The first that we would recognize as 'reef tanks' go back to the 1930's (at least) in Indonesia. The first that wrote about it for a major publication was Mr. Lee Chin Eng in the 1950's, so he gets a lot of the credit.
Doesn't mean it's 'better' than other methods since good results can be had using many different strategies, but it by far the oldest.
s@ndm@n
In Memoriam
It goes much further back than that, people started doing to keep food alive and fresh. the Romans used the natural system too.
Nano sapiens
New member
Very true, but I was referring to our hobby of ornamental fish/inverts.
s@ndm@n
In Memoriam
The. Chinese did that first
Nano sapiens
New member
Freshwater, yes. 'Our hobby' is Marine...
Timfish has a Lee Chin Eng system set up for 19 years. He has links to it on this site.
Water air interface
Water air interface
I have open tops on all of my too many tanks, for the reason described above. I use carbon dioxide exchange to promote dynamic equilibrium with pH control and buffering. It is also a form of natural carbon dosing. During lights out when reverse phyto synthesis uses oxygen, it is critical to supply oxygen to fish and bacteria. The use of a surface skimmer with cascading water to a sump enhances this process. On my ecosystem mud filter, I use bioballs to accomplish this and to break up detritus where it settles on top of mud filter to feed worms and things. Yes, it is spongy to the touch. Because of an infestation of red planaria, I removed my lights and have a dark refugium. I know this goes against opposite phytosyntic cycles methology.
IMO, a Supreme Being created this earth using Intelligent Design. With lights out, reduced pH will dissolve more calcium carbonate to replenish trace elements used by photosynthic organisms as they grow.
Water air interface
I have open tops on all of my too many tanks, for the reason described above. I use carbon dioxide exchange to promote dynamic equilibrium with pH control and buffering. It is also a form of natural carbon dosing. During lights out when reverse phyto synthesis uses oxygen, it is critical to supply oxygen to fish and bacteria. The use of a surface skimmer with cascading water to a sump enhances this process. On my ecosystem mud filter, I use bioballs to accomplish this and to break up detritus where it settles on top of mud filter to feed worms and things. Yes, it is spongy to the touch. Because of an infestation of red planaria, I removed my lights and have a dark refugium. I know this goes against opposite phytosyntic cycles methology.
IMO, a Supreme Being created this earth using Intelligent Design. With lights out, reduced pH will dissolve more calcium carbonate to replenish trace elements used by photosynthic organisms as they grow.
smatter
Active member
I removed the skimmer so now the tank is essentially a glass box with a Tunze 6040 and a heater. The surface looks like a Jacuzzi so I think gas exchange should be adequate. The TLC bacteria arrived yesterday and was dosed. They recommended not using a skimmer or UV. I will report my observations.
s@ndm@n
In Memoriam
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Lavoisier
Premium Member
I will read de Goeij article next week. In the mean time, the summary points to sponges such as halisarca caerulea as fundamental DOC, POC, N and P processors. I have set up a 140g cryptic tank on my 1100g system (3 years old and counting) and am wondering if I should be taking active steps to increase the sponge population in the cryptic tank or will the sponges populate themselves? Any thoughts?
The recommendation to not using a skimmer or uv was during establishment of bacteria during first 24 hours. However, if you choose to go skimmerless, it would be prudent to only unplug skimmer. Consider the skimmer as an insurance policy.
smatter
Active member
The tank is a 15g Cadlights Zen 20x13x13 illuminated by a Nanobox DUO plus M. Live rock consists of 15# of Tampa Bay Saltwater 2.1 rock with a one inch layer of Tropic Eden Reeflakes sand. Water circulation is provided by a Tunze 6040 electronic propeller pump. A Cobalt Aquatics 75w Neotherm keeps the tank at 79 degrees. Evaporation is replenished by a Spectrapure Litermeter which administers 850ml of limewater daily in 150 small doses.
Since there is no surface skimming employed, the Tunze 6040 really shines as it is designed to be mounted vertically with the flow directed at the surface. It does a good job of mitigating most of the surface film. What little bit it leaves behind I ladle out daily when I do a 1-2 liter water change.
It has been set up for a few months and I plan to keep primarily LPS and soft corals. There are three frags in there now, a golden torch, an ORA red goniopora, and an ORA neon green finger leather. There are also some unidentified zoas that came with the live rock along with lots of tunicates, sponges, and other life. An azure damsel and shark-nosed goby are the two fish.
I suppose I could put the skimmer back in except that I kind of like the idea of not skimming out any good stuff. I also like the lack of visual clutter. In September Tunze is releasing a very small internal surface skimming filter. I plan to run it empty most of the time with some intermittent carbon use and some occasional mechanical for routine detritus removal.
Since there is no surface skimming employed, the Tunze 6040 really shines as it is designed to be mounted vertically with the flow directed at the surface. It does a good job of mitigating most of the surface film. What little bit it leaves behind I ladle out daily when I do a 1-2 liter water change.
It has been set up for a few months and I plan to keep primarily LPS and soft corals. There are three frags in there now, a golden torch, an ORA red goniopora, and an ORA neon green finger leather. There are also some unidentified zoas that came with the live rock along with lots of tunicates, sponges, and other life. An azure damsel and shark-nosed goby are the two fish.
I suppose I could put the skimmer back in except that I kind of like the idea of not skimming out any good stuff. I also like the lack of visual clutter. In September Tunze is releasing a very small internal surface skimming filter. I plan to run it empty most of the time with some intermittent carbon use and some occasional mechanical for routine detritus removal.
OllieNZ
New member
Have you seen the eheim skim 350?
smatter
Active member
@OllieNZ I have access to one that my buddy isn't using anymore. They do work great. I'm taking care of his tank next week while he's on vacation. Maybe I will borrow it from him until the Tunze 3161 is released.
Perhaps I will redeploy the Mame skimmer too for a little insurance as Subsea suggested. It is a lot less aggressive than the 9004 and it just looks damn good
Perhaps I will redeploy the Mame skimmer too for a little insurance as Subsea suggested. It is a lot less aggressive than the 9004 and it just looks damn good
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@OllieNZ I have access to one that my buddy isn't using anymore. They do work great. I'm taking care of his tank next week while he's on vacation. Maybe I will borrow it from him until the Tunze 3161 is released.
Perhaps I will redeploy the Mame skimmer too for a little insurance as Subsea suggested. It is a lot less aggressive than the 9004 and it just looks damn good
For a tank that small, I see little need for a skimmer that can be easily managed with partial water changes.
