Am I the only one?

[EdFink]

Hi all,

I've been running my BB system for 3+ years & have been very happy with it. Colors & growth have always been good.

I run a skimmer & do 10% water changes for export.

I don't use carbon, GFO, nitrate reducers, UV,ozone, filter bags, ect.

I feed just the fish, no other additives beyond calc/alk with a reactor. I've recently changed to 2-part which I'm liking better........less raw phoshate into the water.

I've never had a problem with corals lightening up.

Anyone else running this way?

[Loverotties]

No ,but congrads.

[APFish]

I am the same way. I haven't been runnning for three years but...

The only filtering that I do is that I have LR and a skimmer. I keep the tank clean with ceriths and astrea's I feed once a day, fish and corals. I probably take out a quart to quart and a half in a 85 gallon system and atleast that in the Fowlr 55. I dose kalk for my top off and do a water change once every month. Before I do a water change, the night before, I will blow all my rocks off with a power head. Maybe I too am just lucky. I think that when I went BB my whole idea was to simplify everything. I have quit dosing all the chemicals and just use good salt. I also resist the temptation to put my hands in the tank. I am placing my corals with epoxy to keep them still. It used to be a daily chore of picking up corals that didn't want to stay. After some deliberation, I decided that my hands were nasty and won't put them in there w/o gloves. I am extremely happy with everything to this point.

Rob

[Leonardo's Reef]

Can we see photo's of your tanks maybe?

[Viv]

I'm running your way. But I'm just a baby to BB. My tank is adjusting, as I am to having it this way...I must admit though its finally starting to appreciate what is going on....I never had polyp extension (Long) until the MH were fully on. Now I have extension with the actinics and much longer extension with the MH than I ever had before. Truthfully, I think my rock is still adjusting, but I am showing some pink coralline algae where there never was any...and there was none in the tank, but somehow its finally showing (so much for "you have to have it in your tank already for it to grow") unless you count green as being pink that suddenly turns pink after years of being green! I'm trying to do my tank completely BB, but I only have a few corals in it presently...If I had a fortune to worry about, and I saw them going under, I'd probably be adding sand to the sump, etc.!

[Casey]

Congrats!

[EdFink]

I wasn't posting to get compliments, but thanks. My intention was to share my method without all the extras. I thought maybe the extra export mechanisms were the cause of the lightening/starving of the corals.

Just trying to start a dialog using a more simplistic approach.

I think it's just striking the right balance with bioload & export. I don't have any good discernable full tank shots, but I can post pics of corals if you like Leonardo.

[APFish]

Bare in mind the fact that my uploading and digital camera abilities are still in their infancy. Please work...please work...

[APFish]

That's right I know, what I am doing... You thought that I was going to screw that up didn't you. LOL I can e-mail someone w/pics if these aren't clear. I know how to do that.

I have other pictures if you would like to see something in particular. At this point, I can't be more happy. Knock on wood... Today I am going to try a DIY skimmer on the 75 to "clean" up that area and get the HOB off, that I empty four times a day.

I see that I should have closed the window to reduce glare...And put some clothes on...Just playing.

Rob

[SPC]

Originally Posted by EdFink

I thought maybe the extra export mechanisms were the cause of the lightening/starving of the corals.

I watched a couple of TV shows on the Discovery Channel etc...over the past several weeks that dealt with coral reefs. Both shows pointed out that stony corals derive 90% of their nutrition from their Zooxanthellae. IMO as long as we get a little detritus up in the water column (not difficult in my tank ), and have adequate lighting, then no one should be concerend with these guy's starving.

I think it's just striking the right balance with bioload & export.

I couldn't agree more, Ed.
Steve

[Spanky]

Originally Posted by EdFink

Anyone else running this way?

[Spanky]

Originally Posted by SPC

Both shows pointed out that stony corals derive 90% of their nutrition from their Zooxanthellae.

coffee, I need coffee!

but the other 10% can vary between different prey. Don't forget that corals have cilia to sweep bacteria, that bacteria are considered prey, etc etc

Here's the biggest problem with this - that is comparing what's going on 'out there' with what's going on 'in here'.

For starters, you need to step back and look at the big picture.

'Out there' you are dealing with a situation where phosphate/s are limiting and tightly cycled. P and carbon are the limiting factors on bacteria's ability to multiply and also the quality of the prey.

'In here', you will not have P - and even with just decent alk levels - carbon limiting.

That might seem like a small factor, but it isn't. It's a huge factor.

[Viv]

Originally Posted by Spanky

coffee, I need coffee!

but the other 10% can vary between different prey. Don't forget that corals have cilia to sweep bacteria, that bacteria are considered prey, etc etc

Here's the biggest problem with this - that is comparing what's going on 'out there' with what's going on 'in here'.

For starters, you need to step back and look at the big picture.

'Out there' you are dealing with a situation where phosphate/s are limiting and tightly cycled. P and carbon are the limiting factors on bacteria's ability to multiply and also the quality of the prey.

'In here', you will not have P - and even with just decent alk levels - carbon limiting.

That might seem like a small factor, but it isn't. It's a huge factor.

I'm not sure I'm understanding. When you say carbon limiting, are you referring to a carbon cycle?

[SPC]

Originally Posted by Viv

I'm not sure I'm understanding. When you say carbon limiting, are you referring to a carbon cycle?

Viv, I think he meant ('In here', you will have P), unless he has found a way to run his closed system with no P .

When he say's limiting, he is saying that this element is in short supply in the animals environement and therefore they will have a hard time getting this needed element. So, on the reef for example, any P that comes around is grabbed quickly by many organisms, where as in our tanks this is not a problem due to the abundance (compared to the reef) of P.

How did I do Jerel?

[Viv]

OOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooh, Thanks!