Looks like few eggs hatched, maybe? I did add 30 nerites snails 4 weeks ago.
But if moliken thinks it’s cerith i’ll go with that!
[quote=“Rosti, post:121, topic:2892”]
Looks like few eggs hatched, maybe? I did add 30 nerites snails 4 weeks ago.
But if moliken thinks it’s cerith i’ll go with that![/quote]
well, my id it wasn’t, but someone at reef-geeks said for sure, and i ended up w/ a couple hundred dwarf ceriths
[quote=“moliken, post:122, topic:2892”]
[quote=“Rosti, post:121, topic:2892”]
Looks like few eggs hatched, maybe? I did add 30 nerites snails 4 weeks ago.
But if moliken thinks it’s cerith i’ll go with that![/quote]
well, my id it wasn’t, but someone at reef-geeks said for sure, and i ended up w/ a couple hundred dwarf ceriths[/quote]
I did add 100 dwarf ceriths with 30 nerites, so it’s dwarf ceriths. thanks, cool. They are the best snails I bought.
Thought ceriths made trails and Nerites left sacs. Had some holidays spirits, so may not be… at the top of my game.
Animals like the snails often are qued by a change in chemistry to all reproduce at once. New additions may do it when added to the tank. Animals you’ve had longer may do it after a water change or chemical addition.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:124, topic:2892”]
Thought ceriths made trails and Nerites left sacs. Had some holidays spirits, so may not be… at the top of my game. [/quote]
I’ve never seen a cerith leave a sac, only trails.
(I know, its 3 am why’s he posting? lol just got back from plowing! ugh)
dwarf ceriths? nice size nerites? must’ve got em from john at reef cleaners? ha…
Funny, I ordered the same exact snails, and we have the same egg sacks in our tanks…i really thought it couldve been the limpets though.
[quote=“TimH07, post:126, topic:2892”]
[quote=“Gordonious, post:124, topic:2892”]
Thought ceriths made trails and Nerites left sacs. Had some holidays spirits, so may not be… at the top of my game. [/quote]
I’ve never seen a cerith leave a sac, only trails.
(I know, its 3 am why’s he posting? lol just got back from plowing! ugh)[/quote]
hey, tim, you musta made lotsa money. i don’t feel sorry for the 3 am post. get those AI’s now!
Your tank is looking good. Why did you decide to go skimmerless?
Perhaps you read this article and got enthused!
seems to work. I like the Balling method too. i might use some kind of cross between balling and two part harmony. not sure. But my preference might be going skimmerless with a plenum sand bed and fuge. I m still figuring out the difference between the two methods . I guess the balling system doses more trace and minor elements than just a straight two part system. I think I do a little of both.
Rosti, I read in another thread that your blue millie doesn’t have good PE. Have you tired moving it to other locations in your tank?
Is it the only SPS with no PE?
[quote=“houndsbayman, post:132, topic:2892”]
Is it the only SPS with no PE?[/quote]
Yes, and i didn’t tried to move it.
[quote=“Rosti, post:129, topic:2892”]
8 month old update, one month skimmer less. I think it’s working.[/quote]
What was your rationalisation behind removing a skimmer from your system?
Ok, I new I will have to answer this one at some point but I being working late a lot and didn’t want to give half fast answer. When I decided to set up this tank using Dr. Shimeks theory on deep sand beds (Sand Bed Secrets, the common-sense way to biological filtration by Dr. Ron Shimek) I did plan to use skimmer at all times. But almost all DSB tanks I researched had live rock stacked against back glass not allowing proper water flow or had sand bed filled with corals on top. When J. Sprung visited DRC (I wasn’t there, just watched his video few times) he talked about advection and large ripples on the sand that exist in nature but almost never seeing in home aquariums. Because of high flow requirements of reef tank (3 mp40s + return) and oolite sand particles I had to play with flow rates slowly and 4-5 month ago I noticed that my sand bed transformed to lows of 3 in to highs of 9-10. To make long story short, I felt that this maybe be the missing link (or key) to have complete nitrogen cycle and skimmer may not be necessary in future. I did try to remove skimmer and chemical filtration earlier ( I think at 5 month) but within a week discovered sand bed heavily covered in what appears to be diatoms. I returned skimmer and canister filter (chemical filtration) back on and added more snails to clean up, problem disappeared within few days. I think I missed important point of timing on maturity of DSB and Dry rock. Few books estimate it 7 mo to year. Canister filter still online with carbon and phosphate media changed monthly. As a precaution I increased my daily WC from 2 to 3% (4 gal), cut down on feeding little and live phytoplankton 3 times a week instead of daily.
One of the problems I had with using skimmer and bioactive salt is that system was running ultra low nutrients level causing macroalge collapses, I was afraid of oxygen starvation at night. I switched back to Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt. I do have to say that tank never looked so healthy and colorful, no signs of diatoms on sand bed. PH got to stable level in a week, 8.17 at night and 8.25 during day. The whole system became less complicated. Macroalge growth exploded, hence stable ph at night. ORP 355, temp fluctuates 72-73 at night to 74-75 day. So far 5 weeks into it everybody very healthy and no loses, just one blue milli frag will not show large polyps or any growth. Maybe sooner or later. Will keep you posted.
Thanks Ken for skimmer less link.
You are welcome , Rosti. Hmmm dont you think you are running the temp. a little bit too low? coral metabolism is proportional to temp. within their range of tolerance. you seem to have them at the very bottom of the range, maybe below at night. in the caribean, i have reef snorkled in 74 degree water in april. that was their low temp. in the summer they get up to mid 80s. your low temp doesnt leave much margin for error, or power loss in winter.
Yeah I’m with Ken on this one. I think while currently operating within acceptable temperatures if anything fails you could lose everything very quickly. I know Marty runs his tank oller then most 76ish but he isn’t keeping stony corals either. I will allow mine to fluctuate from 78-84 but I won’t run it any cooler then that in the winter. If there’s a power outtage temperatures can drop 2-3 degrees in an hour, so where I would be at 75 - you would be 69.
Just my opinion but I would raise it a few degrees if it were my tank.
Good points guys but I choose different method, I new that I must have refuge light on at all times and circulation pump running so i have large backups that will keep return pump and fuge lamp on for 10+ hours. Also 2 backups for MP40s.
As long as temp is above 70F I don’t think its a problem, lowest being recorded by RLK is 71.9F at night. During day because MH lamps on it hangs at 74-75F range. I absolutely don’t see any ill effect on live in tank. Added benefit is i don’t have to deal with heaters and it’s problems, and lower electric bill.
Tank looks real nice Rosti.
Keep us posted on the no skimmer thing. Theory is solid but I'm still unsure and gonna continue. I'm scaaaaaarrrrred not to run one. ;DVery beautiful tank, the pictures just don’t do it justice.