The BB movement

[jay24k]

I never understood the whole debate IMO. It's like guys comparing cars.

Bottom line is what do you like better? I have corals in my half DSB half SSB that are as bright/colorful as ANY BB. And I'm sure there are some that have corals as bright/colorful as my tank.

If you take care of your tank and do it right, you won't have problems. I do a waterchange every 2 weeks although lately it's been once a month. To make up for my laziness, I do a 50 gallon every 6 months. I scrape corraline off my glass about every 2 to 3 weeks and I have to clean my glass every 3 days or I can begin to tell.

I have a calcium reactor which suits me fine (6x18) and have a ton of sps in my tank all growing very very fast.

My maitenance is adding fresh RO and feeding. It doesn't get simpler then that. To me, BB isn't as natural however there is one guys tank on here (name is something to do with a bat or his avatar is. I believe his tank cracked and he moved to a different size) whose BB didn't appear to be BB at all because the front was covered with corals.

So to me, do what you want. If you like sand, go for it. You can keep SPS just fine.

 

[FastFish720]

Well since we wanted pictures, here is the start of my BB tank:

 

[jay24k]

One hell of a sick tank man. Very nice.

On a side note...I can't even see the water in it
I can't even imagine the amount of flow that is going to be in that.

 

[FastFish720]

Thanks, the tank is a 4'x4'x9" and will have a water level of about 8" so the volume is around 80 gallons. It will be linked with another tank of the same size and will have a closed loop on the back side with a sequence dart (3600gph) and then the front side will also have another dart as the return split 8 ways. The tank has a 3/8" bottom and 1" thick acrylic sides. In total there are 18 holes. Each hole will have a true union ball valve connected to it. The skimmer is a www.reefmania.net PS-8 skimmer. Dual RC sedra pumps. The sump is 4'x2'x16" and was my custom design. It has routed out pieces instead of baffles.

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7057098#post7057098 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FastFish720
Well since we wanted pictures, here is the start of my BB tank:

Awesome! Can;t wait to see it full....

Later,

Jim ( The guy full of BS )

 

[Wiskey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7055548#post7055548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jay24k
To me, BB isn't as natural however there is one guys tank on here (name is something to do with a bat or his avatar is. I believe his tank cracked and he moved to a different size) whose BB didn't appear to be BB at all because the front was covered with corals.

You are talking about JustDave, under his name it says "W the Wombat" He has (had) a spectacular tank.

Whiskey

 

[jay24k]

That would be it. Really nice tank. Never noticed it was BB.

 

[MiddletonMark]

It is/was BB, though he keeps a tray of sand for his sand-needing wrasses I'm pretty sure.

Can't wait to see his new tank, his last one was incredible.

 

[Wiskey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7058614#post7058614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
It is/was BB, though he keeps a tray of sand for his sand-needing wrasses I'm pretty sure.

Can't wait to see his new tank, his last one was incredible.

Did you see what he was planning to do with his new tank? It is a really cool idea, I can't wait to see it put together.

Whiskey

 

[jsweir]

gcarroll - just because I have a bb tank doen't mean I have to give up wrasses. Gobies - I can't speak for, but my wrasses (six line and yellow coris - soon to be more) have adapted to the bb well. The yellow coris lays down in the crack between the glass and the starboard like it is in a coffin - kinda funny to see. I have to agree on the pods - Not sure if it is a lack of sand or more predators, or interceptor, but my pods never made it back to the amount I had before. I used to see baby cleaner shrimp swimming all the time, not anymore - I do love having the ability to vaccuum the bottom easily which I couldn't do without sucking out sand before....My rock is clean as a whistle now and have many sponges growing everywhere. I still vote for BB and yes - I did post a pic in your thread - here it is again. I just think each method has it's pros and cons - each individual just has to choose their poison....

 

[RichConley]

As to the guy posting "BS!"

Its valid, pointing out a picture of the GBR where you can't see sand is silly. Its surrounded by thousands of miles of sand.

Not that it has anythign to do with how you should keep your tank, but posting that picture is silly and misleading.

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7058892#post7058892 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
As to the guy posting "BS!"

Its valid, pointing out a picture of the GBR where you can't see sand is silly. Its surrounded by thousands of miles of sand.

Not that it has anythign to do with how you should keep your tank, but posting that picture is silly and misleading.

Someone posted that "not having sand is unnatural". My purpose of posting this pic is to show a NATURAL reef view without sand. I am using this photo to mirror my Reef Tank, without SAND.

My purpose of keeping my reef BB is because I like it. I like the outcome, the ease of maintenance, and ultimate control of "My Reef". I am a DSB and SSB flunky.. Couldn't make it work. I always had High Nitrates, Brown Corals, STN and RTN issues... Since dumping my Sand in my display and Fuge I have had "0" problems. No BS!

Later,

Jim

 

[anthworks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7060416#post7060416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JMBoehling


My purpose of keeping my reef BB is because I like it. I like the outcome, the ease of maintenance, and ultimate control of "My Reef". I am a DSB and SSB flunky..

Later,

Jim

I think a DSB tank is easier to maintain. Just my 2 cents.

 

[gcarroll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7060416#post7060416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JMBoehling
My purpose of keeping my reef BB is because I like it. I like the outcome, the ease of maintenance, and ultimate control of "My Reef". I am a DSB and SSB flunky.. Couldn't make it work. I always had High Nitrates, Brown Corals, STN and RTN issues... Since dumping my Sand in my display and Fuge I have had "0" problems. No BS!

Jim, I'm curios if you saw a need to upgrade your skimmer when you changed to bare bottom. I have heard this is a must.

 

[JMBoehling]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7061523#post7061523 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gcarroll
Jim, I'm curios if you saw a need to upgrade your skimmer when you changed to bare bottom. I have heard this is a must.

I have a Deltec AP600 on my 90, with a 20 gallon Fuge and a 20 gallon sump. This skimmer has worked very well on my setup. I am remoiving about 1/2 collection cup a day of very nasty skimmate.

I run a "Modified Barebottom" with Chaeto in my fuge, as most true BBer's don't use Fuges. I like the Macro algae because is makes a great place for my Pods and Mysid Shrimp to live and breed and I think Macro's are great natural means of exporting nutrients. The fuge and Chaeto also keep my PH from fluctuating in the evening as i run the lights 24/7 on it. I also run carbon and ROWAphos in tandem fluidized filters 24/7.

This is what has worked successfuly for me.


Later,

Jim

 

[solbby]

I'm surprised that this debate is still raging on (what a waste of time?). Everything that could possibly be said has been already.

Why not discuss something more interesting like how zoox and the coral host are unable to grow without each other.

http://www.jstor.org/view/09628436/ap000103/00a00040/0

 

[jsweir]

How do you manage to keep Chaeto alive? Everytime I try it fades away within about 3 weeks....

 

[MiddletonMark]

Solbby - got a link that works for the rest of us?

 

[gcarroll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7061672#post7061672 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JMBoehling
I have a Deltec AP600 on my 90, with a 20 gallon Fuge and a 20 gallon sump. This skimmer has worked very well on my setup. I am remoiving about 1/2 collection cup a day of very nasty skimmate.

I understand that this is what you have but is it the same skimmer that you had when you ran a sand bed?

 

[solbby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7061732#post7061732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
Solbby - got a link that works for the rest of us?

opps, sorry. I forgot about the acedemic licence.

I'm not sure if this will work either.
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/...fy/contributions/w/l/j/w/wljwlqwjnuqeyb4e.pdf

Regulation and control of intracellular algae (= zooxanthellae) in hard corals


R. J. Jones, D. Yellowlees

Abstract:


To examine algal (= zooxanthellae) regulation and control, and the factors determining algal densities in hard corals, the zooxanthellae mitotic index and release rates were regularly determined in branch tips from a colony of a staghorn coral, Acropora formosa, recovering from a coral 'bleaching' event (the stress-related dissociation of the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“algal symbiosis). Mathematical models based upon density-dependent decreases in the algal division frequency and increases in algal release rates during the post-bleaching recovery period accurately predict the observed recovery period (ca. 20 weeks). The models suggest that (i) the colony recovered its algal population from the division of the remaining zooxanthellae, and (ii) the continual loss of zooxanthellae significantly slowed the recovery of the coral. Possible reasons for the 'paradoxical' loss of healthy zooxanthellae from the bleached coral are discussed in terms of endodermal processes occurring in the recovering coral and the redistribution of newly formed zooxanthellae to aposymbiotic host cells. At a steady-state algal density of 2.1 x 106 zooxanthellae cm-2 at the end of the recovery period, the zooxanthellae would have to form a double layer of cells in the coral tissues, consistent with microscopic observations. Neighbouring colonies of A. formosa with inherently higher algal densities possess proportionately smaller zooxanthellae. Results suggest that space availability and the size of the algal symbionts determines the algal densities in the coral colonies. The large increases in the algal densities reported in corals exposed to elevated nutrient concentrations (i.e between a two- and five-fold increase in the algal standing stock) are not consistent with this theory. We suggest that increases of this magnitude are a product of the experimental conditions: reasons for this statement are discussed. We propose that the stability of the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“algal symbiosis under non-stress conditions, and the constancy of zooxanthellae densities in corals reported across growth form, depth and geographic range, are related to space availability limiting algal densities. However, at these densities, zooxanthellae have attributes consistent with nutrient limitation.