I have a 55 gallon aquarium filled with nothing more than about 70lbs of live rock. I have been using this tank as a staging area to house livestock heading for the zoo display. There has been no livestock in it save a couple of snails and crabs for a few months now. I only add a ver tiny bit of mysis perhaps weekly to maintain the nitrobacter bacillum in the live rock. What is puzzling is that the skimmer on this tank pulls far more gunk out of this tank than the very same skimmer did on a 75 gallon fully stocked mixed reef tank. Also, I have a fair amount of hair algae taking hold in the 55 gallon tank. So my question is, what can be providing the nutrients to maintain such continuing skimmate production and algae formation? Skimmate production has not eased after about 3 months. One note, I never do water changes. At this point, the whole thing has become an experiment just to see what happens.
puzzling observation
- Thread starter drbronx
- Start date
Capt_Cully
Active member
Is there any surface skimming? Won't proteins accumulate at the surface and decrease oxygenation. Perhaps there is a self perpetuating cycle of sorts going on with constant die off and equillibration.
I dunno, just takin a shot in the dark.
Any lights on it?
Sand bottom?
Critters?
I dunno, just takin a shot in the dark.
Any lights on it?
Sand bottom?
Critters?
The lights are a double strip of NO flourescents, probably a bit on the overdue for change side. There is a large powerhead providing plenty of surface agitation. There is no substrate and the only critters are a couple of snails and crabs. I don't believe there have been any deaths among those. The live rock is all very mature rock, thus not containing visible ocean born cryptic organisms, just some corraline algae. Alot of it is base rock that has been colonized by corraline algae from the other rock. No sock on either system. !Quite a puzzle. I'm wondering for nhow long this process can continue.
Capt_Cully
Active member
sounds a bit primordial
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