OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
I have spent the last 1.5 hours going through this very interseting thread that Mucho has started. It hss been very informative as to what to look for and possibly treat, an asset to those of us that are just starting out dabbling with zoo's.
I am new to RC as of today, but have had salt for the last 10+ years. I am starting a new tank after a catostrophic loss over a year ago do to equipment failure, and have chosen the husbandry of zoo's.
For my new project I have a 46gal bow with about 65lbs of tonga branch, 2" bed of Flordia's finest sand with approx 1" of Carib agro. To this for filtration I added a 18" CPR refugium with a maxi-jet 1200 for flow, and 18watts of 10k lighting 24/7. Lighting for the tank equates to a dual 96watt PC with 10K and 03 actinic on for approx 11 hours a day. A pair of Maxi-jet 1200's provide flow thoughtout the tank easily with the openess of the Tonga rock. This set up has been empty for approx 1 year with only the addition of 2 Saddle back clowns, macros to the refugium, small serpent stars, and pods approx 6 months ago. All rock was uncurred straight from the box approx 48 hours out of the ocean.
I provide regular feedings every 2 days for fish and critters of mystsis and cyclopeeze.
With addition of 2 - zoo colonies, 1 pulsing xenia, 2 ric's, and a sarcophyton frag 2.5 months ago. I started adding Reef buffer and Reef builder as prescribed 2 times a week along with Lugols.
All is well ohmmmmmmmmmmmmm
My point is this.
I have taken a painful amount of time and worked very slowly to develope a window to my ocean. Making small changes over long periods of time to allow the tank to reach its own Homeostasis, not to my manipulation. These animals have been around for millions of years and have flourish over oceans until mans hand changed its Homeostasis. If my tank perameters are dead on then I dont mess with the inhabitants, I let them run their course. I have had small colonies of zoo's that have had the same symptoms that I read today. In the past I have paniced and dip and added chemicals, changed this and that, and watched polyp after polyp die. I am now more apt to watch and evaluate than to act, and my success has increased. Not only with this so far, but with other tanks I have had in the past.
If I am aquascaping and I brush that rock too close and cut myself my body begins to flush the wound by bleeding. The area becomes red and mildly inflamed allowing more blood flow. As more blood flow moves to the wound white blood cells and platelets move in leaking out of the wound forming an ugly crust to stop the bleeding and form a bacterial barrier over the injured site to fight off any potential infection. Over the next few days to weeks. The wound goes from bad, very painful leaking a yellow/white clear fluid (white blood cells), to the edges growing together to a state of healing ,or equalibrim, or Homeostasis.
Could this be the same type of white growth that you see on your corals from time to time. Can this small animal have an immune system that can fight off foreign bodies by its self without out our manipulation? Could this be the answer the Mucho's LSF phenomenon?
Maybe or maybe not. I too am a man that knows everything about nothing. I know their are 100"s of ways to reef and obtain the same results. I know what has worked for me in the past, present and, with the luck of the reef gods, the future.
Thank you to all for a site to visit, read, learn, succeed, and fail, and to share these experiences with others.
For whats its worth.....
