Sonny's Rimless Shallow Reef.

[soccerbag]

Sunny,

Tank is looking great! I don't know that you have covered this or not, but curious how often you are dosing your strontium? How often and how much?

I know the strontium tests on the market are awful so I'm guessing you just have a maintenance dose and stick to it? Total water volume in your system?

Thanks!

 

[tas5tas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15567922#post15567922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by soccerbag
Sunny,

Tank is looking great! I don't know that you have covered this or not, but curious how often you are dosing your strontium? How often and how much?

I know the strontium tests on the market are awful so I'm guessing you just have a maintenance dose and stick to it? Total water volume in your system?

Thanks!

He's dosing 1 teaspooon daily.

 

[soccerbag]

Thanks tas5tas - sorry if that was repetitive. That's what I needed.

Craig

 

[SunnyX]

Well, I am back from Chicago! I wanted to visit some reef shops but didn't really have a chance too. The trip went well and I got to see the Shedd Aquarium once again. I am now back and ready to answer questions again!

Lots of crazy stuff going on this fall. I am coaching a junior football team and will be heading back to school soon.

Work, school, reef, coaching......... :spin2:

I guess it will be worth it in the end.

 

[tas5tas]

Sonny, you did at least get to eat some pizza I hope. If not it was a wasted trip!! LOL I am planning on going back next year and to a few Cubs games. I miss home.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15568125#post15568125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tas5tas
Sonny, you did at least get to eat some pizza I hope. If not it was a wasted trip!! LOL I am planning on going back next year and to a few Cubs games. I miss home.

Yes, I ended up going down to Giradino's and ate a pizza. Man, it was delicious!

I plan on going back this fall, probably in a month or so. Ultimately, I would like to move out to Chicago once I am finished with school. There is just something about city life and Chicago that I find appealing.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15563180#post15563180 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoCube-boy
Is there a big benifit of dosing vodka in the tank? I have read a lot things you guys posted and it seem you guys like it.

Well, the vodka has made my job as a reefer much easier(and cheaper! ). I no longer have to use large amounts of GFO or waste money and time on excessive water changes.

Read THIS article and then come back here with questions.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15565285#post15565285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MrSandman
Hey Sonny,

Awesome tank and this thread is one heck of a read! Anyways, i'm really curious about your method and have a question. In regards to using MB7, is there a specific reason you chose that one? There are many other "bacteria in a bottle" manufacturers like superbac and TLC so i'm just curious if there was something in MB7 that made you choose it? Or do you think any of these other brands will work just as well?

Secondly, what are your thoughts on running UV along with your method? Have you tried it? Do you think its counterproductive? Would it kill that bacteria that you've put in? Reason i ask is because i've been running a UV sterilizer for about a year (got it via some trades) and i feel it has helped make the water clearer and slows down the amount of film that grows on my glass.

Hello and thank you.

I choose MB7 because it was available locally at my fish store. I have not tried too many other bacteria's but they have all worked about the same. If you are looking to dose bacteria I would go with whatever is easier for you to find.

Concerning UV, it will kill off some of the bacteria we are trying to keep so I wouldn't run one when dosing bacteria. The combo of MB7/vodka will get your water clearer then UV ever could.

Good luck and thanks for following along. :thumbsup:

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15567282#post15567282 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imisky
hey sunny,

i have a 30g system that ive been dosing VSV for a year and 8 months now and i recently started to dose MB7. my maintenance dosage for the tank right now is:

0.25ml of VSV
2 drops of MB7

the question i have is im starting to get a bit of diatom on my very SSB ( its less then 1cm). im thinking to stop the dosage of the VSV for a while and just dose MB7. What would you recommend.

Has anything else changed in your setup? You could try dosing only vodka and MB7 and see if that makes a difference.

I get diatoms once in while as well. Usually they pop in for a day or two and then disappear for months.

Weird.....

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15567867#post15567867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crazyfrog
hi sunny!

your thread is overwhelming! :thumbsup: for us who just tagged along can you quickly summarize how you lower down your nutrients?

thanks in advance!

I am working on a guide with a couple reefers and hopefully will have it available soon.

This is what I am dosing now:

After water displacement I figure the entire system volume is 140-150gl total.

Daily
CA: 110ML
ALK: 110ML
Strontium: 1 Teaspoon
Lugols: 1 drop
MB7: 14 drops
Vodka(80 proof): 2ml

Weekly
MG: 110ML
AA's: 6 drops(twice a week)

Monthly
30gl Water change Reef Crystals
Carbon replaced (3-4 cups in a mesh bag)

 

[Lyfey]

Sonny I am on day 4 now of dosing MB7 on my ~90gal Net. I am dosing 3 1/2 capfuls of MB7 and 1 drop lugols daily right now. I want to start vodka asap due to water clarity issues along with the fact that I have a garbage t5 fixture and desperately needs the clarity. Why do you reccommend to wait the full 2 weeks of dosing MB7 before the start of vodka. Could I start vodka dosing this weekend? Tomorrow will be day 5.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15568648#post15568648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lyfey
Sonny I am on day 4 now of dosing MB7 on my ~90gal Net. I am dosing 3 1/2 capfuls of MB7 and 1 drop lugols daily right now. I want to start vodka asap due to water clarity issues along with the fact that I have a garbage t5 fixture and desperately needs the clarity. Why do you reccommend to wait the full 2 weeks of dosing MB7 before the start of vodka. Could I start vodka dosing this weekend? Tomorrow will be day 5.

The reason why we wait two weeks before adding vodka is to allow proper time for the good bacteria to seed the tank. You could start up vodka now but you may risk having an outbreak of red cotton or cyano. If you are really having issues with water clarity then you may want to add some carbon to your tank.

 

[JCR's Reef]

When diatoms appear in your tank, do you do anything differently that day to rid them? Or do you stick with your normal dosing?

 

[troylee]

wow i just got turned onto this thread from a friend "keeperz" great job and wonderfull looking tank i hope some day mine looks like your guy's, i just set the big boy up like a month and a half ago....i have been wanting to start vodka dosing and after reading this im leaning more towards it......keep up the great work!!!!!!:thumbsup:

 

[Lyfey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15568830#post15568830 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
The reason why we wait two weeks before adding vodka is to allow proper time for the good bacteria to seed the tank. You could start up vodka now but you may risk having an outbreak of red cotton or cyano. If you are really having issues with water clarity then you may want to add some carbon to your tank.

Ok I see where your coming from on the bacteria seeding situation. I was running 2 bags of chemi-pure (sitting in my drain compartment of my sump) when the cloudiness got really bad I replaced those two old bags with one brand new bag. Cloudiness is still there.

I lost my decorator crab that I have had for almost a year. His name is Rocky RIP

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15569156#post15569156 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCR's Reef
When diatoms appear in your tank, do you do anything differently that day to rid them? Or do you stick with your normal dosing?

I stick to the normal dosing. After a couple days the sand is white again. I will be looking into why they come and go and see if I am causing them to appear via feeding or change of temperature.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15569259#post15569259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by troylee
wow i just got turned onto this thread from a friend "keeperz" great job and wonderfull looking tank i hope some day mine looks like your guy's, i just set the big boy up like a month and a half ago....i have been wanting to start vodka dosing and after reading this im leaning more towards it......keep up the great work!!!!!!:thumbsup:

Glad you could join us! Hopefully this thread can be of some help to you in your journey into bacteria/vodka dosing.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15569426#post15569426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lyfey
Ok I see where your coming from on the bacteria seeding situation. I was running 2 bags of chemi-pure (sitting in my drain compartment of my sump) when the cloudiness got really bad I replaced those two old bags with one brand new bag. Cloudiness is still there.

I lost my decorator crab that I have had for almost a year. His name is Rocky RIP

Did the cloudiness appear when you started dosing MB7 or was it present before? How are your parameters?

RIP Rocky. :sad1:

 

[aquariumclown]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15568564#post15568564 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
I am working on a guide with a couple reefers and hopefully will have it available soon.

This is what I am dosing now:

After water displacement I figure the entire system volume is 140-150gl total.

Daily
CA: 110ML
ALK: 110ML
Strontium: 1 Teaspoon
Lugols: 1 drop
MB7: 14 drops
Vodka(80 proof): 2ml

Weekly
MG: 110ML
AA's: 6 drops(twice a week)

Monthly
30gl Water change Reef Crystals
Carbon replaced (3-4 cups in a mesh bag)

Great run down Sunny. Question, where do you get Strontium from or what brand?

 

[imisky]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15568508#post15568508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
Has anything else changed in your setup? You could try dosing only vodka and MB7 and see if that makes a difference.

I get diatoms once in while as well. Usually they pop in for a day or two and then disappear for months.

Weird.....

nothing has changed within the setup i'll give only vodka a go and see what that dose but should i be increasing the dosage to compensate for the other 2 carbon sources by dosing a little more or stick with my 0.25ml dosage.