Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.

[platax88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356633#post15356633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lowredranger
I understand that the algae will die off but I currently have a section in my sump filled with live rock and chaeto. I was figuring the chaeto would die off but to keep the rock area mainly for pod production for the fish.

Is that not feasible if you do not have any algae for the pods to eat?

I may be wrong here, but i would suggest against it all together. This area will become a sink for detritus. Also, with vodka/mb7 dosing you will find that you can feed your tank WAY more so pods for the fish should not be a big concern (unless you got some mandarins or other fish that rely on pods).

But let the master answer ... sunny watcha think??

 

[mcrist]

I see no reason why having a refugium wouldn’t work with MB7/vodka dosing if it was only used for pod production. The little critters should find sufficient detritus to survive.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356633#post15356633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lowredranger
I understand that the algae will die off but I currently have a section in my sump filled with live rock and chaeto. I was figuring the chaeto would die off but to keep the rock area mainly for pod production for the fish.

Is that not feasible if you do not have any algae for the pods to eat?

As platax88 has stated, leaving in LR alone could become a nutrient sink. If you would like to keep LR in there I would build a small platform out of PVC and eggcrate to allow water to easily flow past the entire area. The platform will also allow for easier removal of accumulated detritus.

I dont have any LR in my sump but I still have many pods running around eating up the detritus. If you already have LR and sand in your main display then I wouldn't worry too much about LR in a fuge.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356694#post15356694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
I see no reason why having a refugium wouldn�t work with MB7/vodka dosing if it was only used for pod production. The little critters should find sufficient detritus to survive.

I dont have a fuge setup but I do have hundreds of pods in my sump eating up whatever waste they can find. As long as you place the LR correctly you wont have any nutrient issues. The only problem is you wont be able to grow any algae.

 

[platax88]

Hey guys ... does the MB7 bacteria that we add actually eat detritus? Is our skimmer and manual removal the only means of exporting it? I go BB and blast away with flow and minimal rockwork so i dont have an issue with it... just wondering

 

[Lowredranger]

Well to explain a little better I have a 280g tank with about 150lb of live rock and a 120g sump with about 150lb of live rock. I wanted the open aqua scape look so I went with more rock in the sump rather than adding it all to the tank. I have about 320lb of sand in the main display and 0 in the sump.

Only a 1/4 of the rock was live when initially put in the tank. It has been up and running for a couple months, I transferred all of the contents from a Solana.

I originally started with the 500ml of MB7 and ran out so i am currently waiting for the 2L bottle to arrive. I started the Vodka dosing this past week just to get started.

I do plan to have 2 mandarins and possibly a leopard wrasse and pipe fish so i was really concerned about the pod production.

I was under the impression that the pod population along with other critters and the MB7/Vodka dosing would take care of any problem of having detritus in the sump.

Thanks for all the help Sunny I just want to make sure this ends up right before I get too far down the road.

Jason

 

[tas5tas]

Best solution for detritus in the sump is to throw a koralia in there to keep everything suspended. I have a #3 in my skimmer section under the skimmer stand, a #3 in my return section, and a #4 in my refugium. Just makes for extra food for my SPS as nothing settles anywhere in the tank or the sump.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356776#post15356776 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lowredranger
Well to explain a little better I have a 280g tank with about 150lb of live rock and a 120g sump with about 150lb of live rock. I wanted the open aqua scape look so I went with more rock in the sump rather than adding it all to the tank. I have about 320lb of sand in the main display and 0 in the sump.

Only a 1/4 of the rock was live when initially put in the tank. It has been up and running for a couple months, I transferred all of the contents from a Solana.

I originally started with the 500ml of MB7 and ran out so i am currently waiting for the 2L bottle to arrive. I started the Vodka dosing this past week just to get started.

I do plan to have 2 mandarins and possibly a leopard wrasse and pipe fish so i was really concerned about the pod production.

I was under the impression that the pod population along with other critters and the MB7/Vodka dosing would take care of any problem of having detritus in the sump.

Thanks for all the help Sunny I just want to make sure this ends up right before I get too far down the road.

Jason

I have a Tunze 6045 in my sump that helps keep detritus in suspension, but even with that I still have some that accumulates.

With the LR in the sump your best bet is ensure that the rocks get proper flow. The pods can and will eat the detritus but your system will usually more waste then the pods can handle.

The MB7 will also help to eat up the detritus but not all of it. My system is super clean, I have the Tunze in the sump, and I still get a nice accumulation of detritus once a week.

Treat the LR in the sump as you would in the display and you should be fine.

 

[mcrist]

Live rock in the refugium/sump will cause a detritus buildup but what if you suspend the rock with egg crate and add a pump like already stated above to create additional flow? Do you think that would work or would detritus still build up?

 

[platax88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15357057#post15357057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
Live rock in the refugium/sump will cause a detritus buildup but what if you suspend the rock with egg crate and add a pump to create additional flow under the rock? Do you think that would work or would detritus still build up?

I still think that no matter how much flow is added, as sunny mentioned you will always get detitus settling ... now with LR in such cramped quarters it will be a PITA to keep clean and the added effort to remove rock would make it easy to slack and not keep as clean as you should. Not worth it IMO ... seems like its more appropriate with a different setup and not the ULN environment we are trying to accomplish.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356772#post15356772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by platax88
Hey guys ... does the MB7 bacteria that we add actually eat detritus? Is our skimmer and manual removal the only means of exporting it? I go BB and blast away with flow and minimal rockwork so i dont have an issue with it... just wondering

The MB7 will aid in breaking down detritus but not all of it. your skimmer and manual removal are the next best things.

Place a decent powerhead in the sump in order to keep the detritus in suspension so that you corals can feed off of it and aid your skimmer in removing it.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15357057#post15357057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcrist
Live rock in the refugium/sump will cause a detritus buildup but what if you suspend the rock with egg crate and add a pump like already stated above to create additional flow? Do you think that would work or would detritus still build up?

If you position a small powerhead under the platform you should get virtually no detritus accumulation. With the rocks on the platform you could also shake the platform from time to time in order to free up any waste. Once a month I would also take a powerhead to the rocks to free up and accumulated waste.

 

[naz42]

Would it help to put a small clean up crew(Hermit crabs) in the sump?

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15358538#post15358538 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by naz42
Would it help to put a small clean up crew(Hermit crabs) in the sump?

Nope. The crabs probably wouldn't have enough to eat and may get into your pumps.

If you can find someone with bristle worms place them into your tank and allow them to multiply. They are probably the best cleanup crew around.

 

[Reefer08]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15356510#post15356510 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
If you are dosing MB7/Vodka correctly the algae in the fuge will die off within a month. The dosing does such a good job that the algae runs out of nutrients to grow and slowly dies off.

Keeping a fuge is really not an option with carbon dosing.

How about sponges? Im dosing zeovit and im thinking of adding a cryptic zone with tons of sponges and also dose "Sponge Power" to raise their filtration capabilities. Steve Tyree uses a cryptic zone on all his tanks.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15359852#post15359852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefer08
How about sponges? Im dosing zeovit and im thinking of adding a cryptic zone with tons of sponges and also dose "Sponge Power" to raise their filtration capabilities. Steve Tyree uses a cryptic zone on all his tanks.

I dont think it could hurt to try out a cryptic zone. I am not sure how well it would work but its worth a shot.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15359852#post15359852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefer08
How about sponges? Im dosing zeovit and im thinking of adding a cryptic zone with tons of sponges and also dose "Sponge Power" to raise their filtration capabilities. Steve Tyree uses a cryptic zone on all his tanks.

I dont think it could hurt to try out a cryptic zone. I am not sure how well it would work but its worth a shot.

 

[SunnyX]

OOPS..Triple post!

Oh well, I am glad that RC is back up again!

WOOT!!!

 

[mnml]

Amen to that. I was going through withdraws :lol:

 

[Lyfey]

Sonny, I did a full set of tests last night on my 75g mixed reef everything was good except my nitrates were around 15-20. What would you say would be the best way to reduce them, I am setting up water tonight for a few days from now for a 30 gal water change. I have alot of LR in my sump and in the display, I also just set up a new sandbed about 2" and seeded it with sand from my system that was alive for about 18 months. Where do you think the nitrates came from?

Temp ~ 79
SG ~ 1.0255
Nitrate ~ 15-20
Nitrite ~ undetectable
Phosphate ~ undetectable
Ca ~ 460
DKH ~ 10
Ammonia ~ undetectable
PH ~ 7.9 elos kit
all else are older API (9 months old kits) elos 1 month old
I have a nice strong CUC, 30 lbs of LR in sump and about 85 lbs in display.. Got a little algae problem (turf and briopsis) its minor. Green stuff on glass gets pretty bad. What do you think? btw I just did a 30 gallon water change last weekend.
thanks
-Chris