Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.

[cmm1970]

Poly Lab...a brief aside

Poly Lab...a brief aside

Sonny,
I don't want to hijack this thread. I'll post this little blurb about Polyp Lab and if everyone wants to talk about it more, I'll start a new thread or revive my old one from last year.

Here's the four bottles of product:

It is basically a carbon source like vodka, a bacterial culture like MB7, Amino Acids, and a fourth bottle they call "coral food".

For my 120, I dose 2mL of the carbon source a day and then four drops each of the three bottles of "stuff". It is a very simple regimen, but it looks like it benefits from Iodine supplementation.

I do weekly 5% water changes. Works well for me.

Here is a string that I started last year with the first round of Polyp Lab I ran. I then laid off the system for seven months and the tank deteriorated. I started it back up in June and have enjoyed revitalizing the tank. In the thread below, things got a little hot in the discussion because of a lighting upgrade I made at the tail end of three months with Polyp Lab. The nay-sayers blew me up and the thread died. Oh well...



Poly Lab String

So if you all want to talk about this more, we can revitalize the old string and leave Sonny's string alone.

Thanks Sonny!

Mike M

 

[trueblackpercula]

Mikem great looking tank
Michael Anthony

 

[SolarEclipse]

Great thread Sonny, i'm learning so much. I had no idea about all these amino acids and all that other stuff. I was wondering if you need a skimmer to dose Brightwell's MB7 or their Amino Acid product? Just trying to make my coral colors pop more.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15593204#post15593204 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SolarEclipse
Great thread Sonny, i'm learning so much. I had no idea about all these amino acids and all that other stuff. I was wondering if you need a skimmer to dose Brightwell's MB7 or their Amino Acid product? Just trying to make my coral colors pop more.

Hello and thank you.

I am glad that you are able to learn from all of the info on here. If you are looking to start up a carbon dosing method then you will need a skimmer. Without a skimmer the system will not work the way it is intended and you will likely kill off your inhabitants due to a lack of oxygen.

 

[solareclisped]

I was just wondering how you keep the sand from going all over the place? My vortech in my 90 gallon tank seems to make a mess of it. Is the sand you use larger sand or what?
Thanks
Gary

 

[SolarEclipse]

I am glad that you are able to learn from all of the info on here. If you are looking to start up a carbon dosing method then you will need a skimmer. Without a skimmer the system will not work the way it is intended and you will likely kill off your inhabitants due to a lack of oxygen.

Good thing I asked before trying it out, I knew not to with the vodka, but wasn't sure with all bacteria additives. Guess I will wait till I get my new set-up. Thanks again!

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15595122#post15595122 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by solareclisped
I was just wondering how you keep the sand from going all over the place? My vortech in my 90 gallon tank seems to make a mess of it. Is the sand you use larger sand or what?
Thanks
Gary

Hello,

I am not sure what type or size sand you use but I use Caribsea Seaflor Special grade which is a larger size sand. How high up is the Vortech?

 

[solareclisped]

It is about 6 or 7 inches from the top. The tank is 24 inches deep. My sand is smaller sized sand so maybe that is the problem.

 

[reefsahoy]

sunny, i got a few concerns and maybe you can help. when i dose vodka i dose like 0.5ml and mb7 like 4 to 7 drops depending if i can catch the drip rate fast enough. what i'm seeing is that if i skip dosing that brown diatom like algae does not show up on my glass for a few days but when i do dose i see it almost overnight. my skimmer doesn't skim alot of "stuff" out even when i dose and i know the skimmer is pretty good considering it's a bubble king mini 200. i feed the tank quite lightly, once a day sometimes everyother day and jsut enough food that the fish eats all of the pellets. i use an 6 stage rodi with 0tds measured out of it for refill. i don't run a GFO filter. so i'm alittle confused as to why when i do dose i get the algae. i'm almost considering abandoning the vodka/mb7 dosing and going back to GFO only. what do you think could be the reason?

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15595872#post15595872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefsahoy
sunny, i got a few concerns and maybe you can help. when i dose vodka i dose like 0.5ml and mb7 like 4 to 7 drops depending if i can catch the drip rate fast enough. what i'm seeing is that if i skip dosing that brown diatom like algae does not show up on my glass for a few days but when i do dose i see it almost overnight. my skimmer doesn't skim alot of "stuff" out even when i dose and i know the skimmer is pretty good considering it's a bubble king mini 200. i feed the tank quite lightly, once a day sometimes everyother day and jsut enough food that the fish eats all of the pellets. i use an 6 stage rodi with 0tds measured out of it for refill. i don't run a GFO filter. so i'm alittle confused as to why when i do dose i get the algae. i'm almost considering abandoning the vodka/mb7 dosing and going back to GFO only. what do you think could be the reason?

It is hard to say what the problem with the diatoms is, perhaps you are ODing on the MB7?

You may want to scale back the MB7 to 2 drops daily and see if that changes things up.

Other then the diatoms, dose everything else look good? No3 and Po4 low? Corals growing and colored up?

 

[reefsahoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15595915#post15595915 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
It is hard to say what the problem with the diatoms is, perhaps you are ODing on the MB7?

You may want to scale back the MB7 to 2 drops daily and see if that changes things up.

Other then the diatoms, dose everything else look good? No3 and Po4 low? Corals growing and colored up?

yeah every thing looks good. corals growing and coloring up, water clear, the few time i've checked po4 undetectable, havent checked for no3 cause the rocks are mature (6 years or more) and tank running now for 1 1/2 months and because corals looking decent. polyps are out etc. i was considering scaling back on mb7 but i figure 2 drops is like nothing.

 

[Lyfey]

Sonny! Katie is the best woman ever! hah she bought me a Vortech Mp40w for my birthday yesterday It will replace the 3 Koralia 4's I have in my standard 75. I will install it tonight, any advice when I do and what difference will I expect? I am stoked beyond belief!

another note, I added 40 lbs of your special reef grade sand to my tank and I gotta say it is some great stuff! It is a larger grain and I will never go back to sugar grain after using this. I added the sand on the left side and right side about 1-2 inches and left the middle open with the older sugar grain style exposed. I am trying not to mess with the bacterial culture of my sand already if you know what I mean. Props on your sand choice, how did you end up finding it? I also have not been able to test the water and I am unsure if it is still cloudy because I just added all that sand the other night and even after rinsing the 40lbs about 15 times, It still turned my tank to milk Thank you on the great advice! So back to the topic of the vortech!!

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15596939#post15596939 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lyfey
Sonny! Katie is the best woman ever! hah she bought me a Vortech Mp40w for my birthday yesterday It will replace the 3 Koralia 4's I have in my standard 75. I will install it tonight, any advice when I do and what difference will I expect? I am stoked beyond belief!

another note, I added 40 lbs of your special reef grade sand to my tank and I gotta say it is some great stuff! It is a larger grain and I will never go back to sugar grain after using this. I added the sand on the left side and right side about 1-2 inches and left the middle open with the older sugar grain style exposed. I am trying not to mess with the bacterial culture of my sand already if you know what I mean. Props on your sand choice, how did you end up finding it? I also have not been able to test the water and I am unsure if it is still cloudy because I just added all that sand the other night and even after rinsing the 40lbs about 15 times, It still turned my tank to milk Thank you on the great advice! So back to the topic of the vortech!!

Congrats on the Vortech and happy birthday! :celeb1:

Be sure to follow the instructions when installing the Vortech. I say that because us "men" never actually read any instruction. Idealy, you will want to place the Vortech 4" from the surface and off center depending on where the other pumps are placed and pointing in your tank.

I played around with quite a few sand brands and sizes before finding the special grade. It really has made life easier and I no longer have to worry about sand shifting or storms.

 

[Lyfey]

I was wondering about the placement of the overflow on the 75 gallon tanks. Its a standard overflow that is slightly to the left of center. Would placing the mp40 on the left side inhibit its ability to perform rather than placing it on the right side of the aquarium? Since the overflow is off center, it creates a difference is tank volume next to the powerhead. Im not sure if that makes any sense..

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15597767#post15597767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lyfey
I was wondering about the placement of the overflow on the 75 gallon tanks. Its a standard overflow that is slightly to the left of center. Would placing the mp40 on the left side inhibit its ability to perform rather than placing it on the right side of the aquarium? Since the overflow is off center, it creates a difference is tank volume next to the powerhead. Im not sure if that makes any sense..

I would try it out and see if it creates any splashing noise or issues with the overflow. You probably will have to move the the Vortech around a few times in order to get the right flow specifically for your setup.

Good luck!

 

[Joel A]

Sunny- Did you get my PM?

 

[reefrad]

sunny i'm a little confused. can MB7 and vodka each cause a diatom bloom?

i started the well described conservative vodka dosing regimen in combo with 10ml of MB7 daily on my 90G. i am now 2 weeks in and at 2ml vodka daily. have a diatom bloom on my glass and sand. i thought this was supposed to prevent such blooms.

what should i do? scale back on the vodka? on the MB7?

thanks!

 

[reefrad]

sunny i'm a little confused. can MB7 and vodka each cause a diatom bloom?

i started the well described conservative vodka dosing regimen in combo with 10ml of MB7 daily on my 90G. i am now 2 weeks in and at 2ml vodka daily. have a diatom bloom on my glass and sand. i thought this was supposed to prevent such blooms.

what should i do? scale back on the vodka? on the MB7?

(RODI water, my readings have always been 0 including a hannah meter reading but i'm assuming the nutrients were in algae)

thanks!

 

[tastingSalty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15605619#post15605619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefrad
sunny i'm a little confused. can MB7 and vodka each cause a diatom bloom?

i started the well described conservative vodka dosing regimen in combo with 10ml of MB7 daily on my 90G. i am now 2 weeks in and at 2ml vodka daily. have a diatom bloom on my glass and sand. i thought this was supposed to prevent such blooms.

what should i do? scale back on the vodka? on the MB7?

(RODI water, my readings have always been 0 including a hannah meter reading but i'm assuming the nutrients were in algae)

thanks!

Others can confirm, but I'm pretty sure that you should scale back the vodka.

 

[reefrad]

when you say 'scale back' what exactly does that mean? go down to 1ml? stop altogether? what is to prevent this from happening again when i increase the dose? also, what should i do with the MB7?