Davis Family "Reef Tank"
MISC NOTES
MISC "ORP"/"Ozone" Notes
ORP and the Reef Aquarium - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/index.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/redox.htm
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What, another strange concept like love, pH and the "deficit" to contend with? Not necessarily. What did aquarists do before the popularization of this measure of water quality? Did their tanks turn into bouillabaisse? No; then again their successes, and knowing the reasons for their failures were more limited. Re-Dox (Re as in "real", Dox as in wiener dogs) like pH, can give valuable insight as to change in the suitability of your water, particularly with "reef set-ups" whose organisms are more Redox sensitive. What: Redox is short for Reduction Oxidation. Having taught high school level chemistry, I pride myself in being able to describe bizarre phenomena to wide (interest and background) audiences. Let's try a few definitions. Redox is a measure of a systems capacity to oxidize material. Defining terms with other unknown abstracts doesn't help much. Put another way, Redox is a classification category of chemical reactions. The helpful acronym OILRIG, Oxidation Is Losing, Reduction Is Gaining; losing and gaining what? Electrons. You may remember from Science classes that the bulk of chemical interactions around us are proton donor/acceptor (sometimes called acid/base) in nature. Redox reactions are fewer and slower by comparison. In reduction-oxidation reactions one chemical species loses, another gains electrons. Redox potential is a value (number) defining how much gaining/losing a system might do; an oxidizing environment (one's we want) has a positive value. Biological Importance: I like John Tullock's definition of Redox offered in "The Reef Tank Owner's Manual" ...a measure of the ability of a system to eliminate wastes". Not totally accurate scientifically, but very valuable as a subjective description. Redox is eminently important as an indicator not only of a system's capacity for cycling waste, but indeed of chemically supporting fish, plant, and invertebrate life. There are both oxidation (e.g. biological conversion of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates) and reduction (ridding systems of nitrate aka denitrification, bio-phosphate PO3) that must occur readily in a truly closed system to support (macro-) life. Measuring: Redox is measured indirectly as the ability of an aquatic system to conduct electricity, in millivolts (mV, 1/1000 of a volt). Hence the term Redox potential, or, if you will, ORP for, you guessed it, Oxidation-Reduction Potential. Testing can be done periodically, but ORP can change so rapidly that in order to fully benefit, most people who are so inclined, monitor it on a continuous basis. Take a look at the hobby magazines and the several "reef" tomes. There's seemingly no end to the ads and infomercials promoting the special devices called Redox monitors and controllers. What a boon for the electronics trade. These digital display units are attached to a probe that you place in your system or filter reservoir. Millivolt data may be just displayed, recorded, sent along to a fancy doser to slurp enhancing-enhancing fluid into your system, or to a switching-mechanism to turn off/on your ozonizer. "Good" Redox Values: Can you get too much of a good thing like Redox? Definitely. Redox potentials above 400 mV are dangerous to life. Ideally you want a range of @ 350-390 mV. Most properly set-up and maintained systems display an average of 300-340 mV, some vary down to the 200's but most writers agree, values below 300 mV are to be avoided. Redox fluctuates in the wild and in captive systems throughout the day. As respiration and photosynthesis increases/decreases Redox tends to drift downward during the day, reversing the trend at night. Hopefully, from all this you can see that Redox values by themselves are worthless. Drain cleaner and bleach solutions have very high Redox values. Would you add them to your system? To me the real worth in Redox (and actually all test gear values) is being able to tell whether something is amiss, or about to be so. Knowing what your systems usual ORP signature is during an interval, seeing a sharp (@50 mV) or steady (5-10 mV) change per day should lead you to further investigation (and reaction). IS there "something" dead/decomposing in the system? Did a "little helper" pour in a whole packet of food? Is your protein skimmer on the skids? Reserve/Resistance to Change: Here again, as with pH and alkaline reserve we are talking about the various influences that serve to produce a positive reduction-oxidation potential and those which tend to drive it down. Natural and artificial seawater displays a resistant to downward shifting of both. Captive systems, being overcrowded and overfed lose Redox potential with accumulation (and reduction) of wastes, loss of dissolved oxygen (usually transient), respiration, proliferation of microbes.... As with pH, the aquarist wants to promote activities that add to oxidation potential, and stave off reductive effects within reason. Can You, Should You, How To Change Redox: Yes, probably not, read on. Yeah you can definitely do several things to raise and sustain high Redox. Most all of these are "just" common sense proper installation and maintenance items. Should you react to/alter any given value? Not really, unless you see a precipitous drop within one day, or a steady loss over a several days, there really is probably nothing wrong with your system. Redox can be altered upward, easily. Oxygen sounds a lot like oxidation for good reason. A great deal of measurable oxidation potential is due to oxygen concentration. Oxygen levels below saturation? Change your airstones, crank up the flows, ORP will rise. The biggest Oxygen high can be gotten from the use of ozone (O3P), and the most dangerous. Misused (too much, improperly with a poorly engineered protein skimmer) Take care if utilizing this strong oxidizer; ozone is probably the biggest culprit of pegging a system over 400 mV. It can kill. Looking for a "natural" high? Try algae (e.g. Caulerpa), adequate amounts of "live rock", to some degree "live sand". Removing organics through tuning up your skimmer, chemical filtrants, cleaning filter media, vacuuming substrates... reduces reductive influences, effectively raising ORP. Dittos for cutting back on feeding or bio-load (under-crowding). Really desperate (this is intended to be "tongue in cheek")? Lowering temperature will increase gas solubility. The increased oxygen concentration will raise ORP, as will reducing the metabolism of your livestock. You could drop your pH (do not do this, I'm only trying to make a point), move your probe to an area with more brisk circulation, or even get a new one. Even new probes are notoriously variable in their within group readings. Conclusion: Is it absolutely critical to know what Redox is, measure and manipulate it to be a successful marine aquarist? Do you need to understand the nature of carbon-carbon bonds and what 'octane' means in order to burn gas in your car? No to either. If you have the money, interest and patience to look beyond such standard test as pH, temperature, specific gravity and nitrogen processing, Redox is on (of very many) that can grant you insights into what's "going on in your water", and what you "might do" to incrementally improve conditions. Meters, dosers and switches cost real money (a few to several hundred dollars), require calibration and some maintenance. This might be "peanuts" compared with the livestock and emotional investment you have in your system. You'll have to decide for yourself whether this expensive "tool" fits your philosophy and "tool-box". Despite all the seeming statements to the contrary you do want a higher, as opposed to lower, ORP. Higher oxidation potential accelerates oxidation of ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, conversion of organic PO3 to inorganic phosphate, PO4. |
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marphysf.htm -
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Ozone: Sometimes called the "purest form of oxygen", ozone, O3 is a highly unstable tri-atomic molecule. It's the smell that's so fresh after an electric storm, the crispness in the air in and around large electric motors; it can be a boon to you in "burning" up organics and microbes, raising pH, dissolved oxygen and Redox, and most importantly, boosting the efficiency of your protein skimmer. How It's Made: By an ozonizer, through a process called ozonolysis; okay, sorry to be so smart-alecky. Older, low-production units utilize a germicidal lamp, such as those in U.V. sterilizers. The higher yield, more modern models use a corona discharge (electrical) method of making ozone. How It's Applied: The optimal application of ozone is through your skimmer, with the water's discharge back to a sump (usually a filter) for mixing, out-gassing, and chemical filtration before return to the main system. Dedicated air: feeder systems to skimmers come in two formats, pressurized air and venturi. With the latter air is drawn in by partial vacuum, the first involves an air pump. What type? A strong, quiet, dedicated one; that is one that is only operating the skimmer. This is necessary to avoid "adjustment headaches", a condition you will get if you chintz and try to gang other outlets with your not-so-dedicated skimmer air pump. Whether you have a pumped air or venturi delivery, you should utilize a good check valve to prevent "back-siphoning" through capillation, and ozone resistant tubing. If you are or become a total fanatic, you can even increase your ozone production efficiency with an air dryer. Let me hasten to add that, yes, ozonizers work fine without air-dryers (but better in low humidity air), and double-yes, protein skimmers work fine without ozonizers (though not as "efficiently"). Ozone Dangers: Numerous authors cite the need for carbon filtration, venting to prevent ozone poisoning of livestock, and even hobbyists (!). These fears are largely unfounded. Though I would not directly introduce ozone into a system, the little that intended units produce is dissipated quickly when utilized in a skimmer. The worst that does occur with small ozone generators is increased corrosion of "rubber" materials in your system; well worth the many benefits. You, your fishes and house will not burn up or down, I promise. My Overall Ozone Opinion: The chemical degradation of large organic molecules, responsible for off-color, turbidity, low oxygen and some toxicities by ozone make it's small start-up and operational costs pale. If you're even vaguely considering an investment in any sort of meter, doser, denitrator, ultraviolet sterilizer... STOP, do not proceed to go; buy and use a small ozonizer in conjunction with your skimmer first. Almost all public aquaria utilize ozone with theirs; you should to. The chemical degradation of large organic molecules, responsible for off-color, turbidity, low oxygen and some toxicities by ozone make it's small start-up and operational costs pale. If you're even vaguely considering an investment in any sort of meter, doser, denitrator, ultraviolet sterilizer... STOP, do not proceed to go; buy and use a small ozonizer in conjunction with your skimmer first. Almost all public aquaria utilize ozone with theirs; you should to. Ultraviolet Sterilizers: Use in Filtration Systems Ultraviolet (U.V.) radiation is sometimes employed in water purification systems for tropical freshwater, marine, cool water and pond systems. U.V. sterilization can be very effective in reducing free-floating algae, bacteria and other microscopic planktonic organisms. A U-V sterilizer should be of limited value in a properly set-up and operated marine system. Too many people are of the opinion that zapping their water with a ultraviolet device confers some "holy grail" water quality improvement. This is not the case. An adequately sized U-V for the volume of water in a system and rate of post-filtered flow will improve water quality nominally in terms of lowering overall free-floating microbe levels. Additionally there is a slight improvement in dissolved oxygen, oxidation of metabolites, ozone production and skimmer efficiency. It is up to the individual aquarist to decide whether this incremental improvement is worth the cost in procurement, electrical consumption, bulb replacement and maintenance. |
<I would never recommend stray or residual ozone in the main display... a very precarious and difficult to monitor application. Inject ozone through a proper reactor or skimmer and pass all effluent water over activated carbon (changed regularly). If using two probes, I'd take at least one reading from the surface near the overflow. Kindly, Anthony Calfo WWM crew>
<UV is used germicidally to reduce the numbers of pathogens (but no guaranteed cure, mind you). It is simple and safe but requires very regular maintenance to be effective... needs prefiltered and clear water clarity from chemical filtration regularly), bulbs need to be changed every 6 months (they are dear in price) and the reaction chamber needs to be cleaned/flushed at least monthly. Ozone on the other hand has numerous benefits: germicidal, adjustable, imparts oxygen to water, improves clarity (clears discolorants to reveal icy blue water, improve Redox potential of the water (indirectly inhibiting algae) and more. However, it can be overdosed if not controlled. Must be used with a controller or at least watched with a Redox meter. Effluent water must be passed over carbon changed regularly. With extreme misuse can be a slight to moderate health hazard to people. If you are moving fish in and out frequently, or if your system has a heavy bio-load, I'd suggest an electronic (not corona discharge) ozonizer with a Redox controller and carbon chamber. If you are a casual aquarist with a central system that will not see frequent new entries (w/o quarantine)... then a UV may be safer and satisfactory. Kindly, Anthony>
Is it essential when running ozone, that the
returning water from the skimmer be run under carbon???? This seems like a
controversial subject. Thanks again. Lee
<Not essential in almost all cases... part of an ongoing "urban myth" in the
hobby (along with the lack of necessity of thermal acclimation, floating
livestock polyethylene bags... please stop me). There is so little O3 produced
by corona discharge hobby units there is exceedingly small likelihood of ozone
"poisoning" (and extremely tiny chance of "space poisoning" the area around the
aquarium/s it's used in...). If curious, get/use a conductivity or Redox meter
and measure the change in water quality in/about the use of this
ozone-generating device. Bob Fenner>
I have no controller or Redox monitor if I was
to run the
ozonizer for 4 hrs and the ph did not rise do you think it would be safe
to run it 24/7?<Hmm, I would continue your experiments for now... like eight
hours a day, then twelve... and monitor at least pH... once your organics that
can be, are oxidized, you may well experience a "jump" in pH... and more>
My question is what "size" ozone unit would
you recommend for my tank - 50, 100, or 200mg/hour?
<For how large a system, amount of livestock... about the same "size" as gallons
of system as a rule of thumb. 50 mg/h for a fifty etc.>
I figure inj 10mg/hr of ozone per 25 gallons.
Is this correct??
<About right, safe>
From your articles you are very emphatic that
the "fear" of ozone is
unfounded since the levels of Ozone in use are so minimal and that UV, while
beneficial, is not the best "bang for the buck".
<That is correct... that is, it is my opinion (shared by some, not all) that
although UV sterilization per se is valuable as an adjunct to improving water
quality in captive aquatic systems, ozone (and even ozone-generator dryers... to
remove moisture ahead of the air's use in the ozone reactor) are better... ahead
of UV use in value... but both are fine tools...>
Bob,
Am interested in your opinions on ozone generators. Are they useful or just
another gizmo and do they reduce nitrates, phosphates etc at all.
Cheers, Scott
>>
Very useful... IMO a better choice in more settings than ultraviolet
sterilizers... For increasing D.O., Redox, reducing DOC's (dissolved organic
compounds)... eliminating color in the water, lowering TBC (total bacteria
counts)... overall water quality improvement ... my further plug for this
technology can be found here: Home Page
Bob Fenner
An ozonizer improves water quality by increasing dissolved oxygen content, raising Redox potential, oxidizing dissolved organic compounds, reducing total bacteria count (don't know about viruses...), and bumping off algae... Just in passing will mention that there are western European countries which use ozone as their sanitizer, skipping (actually quite toxic) chlorine containing compounds...
Maybe not need, but an ozonizer is a great
adjunct to enhancing water quality... increasing Redox, dissolved oxygen,
reducing overall microbe populations in your system, helping to keep the water
clean/clear...I would get it way ahead of a ultraviolet sterilizer myself...
Bob Fenner, who says yea
My 240 gallon tank is currently running at 375
mv to 398 mv without my Clearwater ozone generator turned on (last several
days).
<very fine>
The ozone is set to turn on at 345 mv.
<And your hi-point is set for just under 400 I presume?>
If I understand it from Bob's book, that over 400 mv is dangerous to the life in
my tank.
<rather... it's the high end of the safe zone. Agreed>
In case I do not use ozone, is it worth to buy
an ORP monitor?
<Yes! very much so... and excellent measure of water quality in general.>
From the reading I have made so far, it seems that it is a good tool to check
every moment your system's overall well-being, and take the appropriate actions
when something seems to go wrong.
<Quite correct.>Calfo
The ORP was 240 when I first hooked it up
Saturday according to the pin point probe. I have read on your site to have the
exit water out of the skimmer to go over carbon. <Not really so important - the
AquaC EV series of skimmers is very efficient, and with all likelihood 99.999%
of the O3 is used up by the time it leaves the skimmer.>
<There seems to be a lot of urban myth about Ozone generators going awry and causing havoc - I think these are mostly hearsay and where problems were caused, it was due to oversizing of the generators, and/or poor monitoring on the aquarist's part. Again, at 30ml/hr you're going to find it hard to get into trouble. Cheers, J -- >
<The best defense against disease is first off a strict quarantine protocol. And then next, maintaining an optimum environment (water quality, foods/feeding, decorations/hiding spots, temperature, compatible tankmates, etc.). Now to your question, I would get the ozonizer/controller and skip the UV. Much more effective at killing parasites and helps to maintain top notch water quality when properly installed and monitored. -Steven Pro>
Tank Upgrade
Tank
Misc Info: eztank.com
"ORDERED "SHARK REEF" 12/28/03"
Tank "All-Glass" http://www.all-glass.com/products/aquariums/index.html
All-Glass 120 gal. 48" L X 24" W X 24" H - $499.99 (Shark Reef)
(Footprint: 48 1/2" X 24 1/2" X 25 3/8")
Note: Order Overflow Accessory Kit Tank (2)
Skimmer
AquaC http://www.proteinskimmer.com/
AquaC EV180 Protein Skimmer - w/Mag 7 :$389.95
Upgrade
EV180 to include Ozone/Calcium Reactor Fitting
Note: Must be purchased at the same time as the skimmer.
Note:
AquaC recommends using a valve between the EV180 and DP-800 to regulate the
water flow.
Manual (AquaC)
MarineDepot - http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ps_ac_info.asp?CartId=
LIGHTING
(addition) to "Moon-lite": (Custom Aquatic) - Which?
www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/listbrandsub.asp?brandID=HM&subcatID=lt-mh
Go with 250W??? - YES
See "CoralVue" for bulbs...http://www.coralvue.com/products.htm
Other
Return Pump: Dolphin DP-1200 $89.95
SCWD Wave Machine:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_wm_scwd.asp?CartId=
The SCWD (pronounced "squid") is a revolutionary device designed to provide alternating currents without the use of electricty. The SCWD mounts inline with 3/4" tubing, the two ports alternate the output, the bottom port is the input. A great alternative to expensive electronic ball valves. The SCWD will run on any pump with a minimum output of 50 GPH and a maximum output of 1400. The switching speed and current duration is dependent on the volume of water flowing through the SCWD. You can control the duration by controlling the flow going through the SCWD. Can be submersed for use with large power heads or used externally.
Installation:
There are many ways to install you new SCWD. The following instructions reflect
the preferred method of installation. In addition, even though your new SCWD is
not overly sensitive to the normal particulate and debris found in aquarium
systems, to ensure long life, water must be filtered prior to entering the SCWD.
Operation:
Remember that switching speed and current duration are dependent on the volume of water flowing through the SCWD. Higher volume pumps will naturally cause a quicker switching response than lower volume pumps. By adjusting your inline valve you will be able to regulate both the amount of flow and the switching speed.
Troubleshooting
Symptom: Switching speed too slow.
Remedy: Check pump for proper flow/pressure rating.
Symptom: Switching speed inconsistent.
Remedy: Check hoses for algae and slime obstructions.
Symptom: SCWD is noisy or stops abruptly, stops and starts sporadically. Remedy: Foreign debris is lodged in switching mechanism. Flush out unit to dislodge debris. Verify pre-filter is installed and is not clogged or restricting flow.
Southdown Sand
http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/products/southdowntropicalplaysand.html
Idaho Saltwater : http://www.idahosaltwateremporium.com/AboutUs.html $11.99 bag (Chris)
MISC "WANT TO HAVE SOMEDAY"
Red Sea Ozoner http://www.marinedepot.com/a_uvozone_rs.asp?CartId=
CustomAquatic: http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/listbrandcat.asp?brandID=RS&catID=oz
| AquaZone 50mg-hr ozonizer… .......... |
$169.99
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Advantages of using: http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwetwebmedia.com%2Fmarphysf.htm
Adjust 10mg/hr of ozone per 25 gallons.
pH Monitor http://www.diyreef.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=63 $49.95
pH Monitor with remote
electrode for full time pH monitoring
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Remote probe on 36" cord allows you to mount the unit someplace viewable such as your tank stand and place the probe into your sump allowing for continuous pH monitoring. Compact size of 4" x 1 1/2" x 3/4" makes it easy to attach just about anywhere with enclosed adhesive velcro strips.
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| pH Monitor with LED alarm… |
$79.99
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SUMP SETUP
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/bcorsettingup/a/aa020298sumps.htm
How to build: http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/aquariums/
Painting Aquarium
Subject: Re: PAINTING THE BACK OF AN AQUARIUM Author: Michael Dunn at mgt Date: 3/6/98 3:54 PM Not a bother at all Danielle... I have had mixed results with painting glass directly. Glass has such a smooth surface, it is hard to find any "tooth" for the paint to adhere to. Someone once recommended that I lightly sand the glass before painting it. It worked well at the time, BUT DO NOT TRY THIS. I since learned that the majority of tempered glass's strength comes from the surface -- hence scratches reduce its overall strength! I had a number of sleepless nights after I learned about that! If you read my post, you know I am a real proponent of using foam board, for the added temperature stability and additional shock protection it provides. That said let me admit that I still have two aquariums with painted backs and if you must do it... let me at least go through my trials and tribulations. Oil based enamels applied with a brush - yuck; very poor coverage and an uneven coating that showed through when stray light came from the rear of the aquarium. Latex applied with a brush - slightly better results, but the coverage was still spotty and uneven. Latex applied with a roller - this was decent and certainly, the best of the hand applied finishes. It still left a slightly mottled finish (even with self-leveling paint). It took two or three coats as I recall, but the effect was neat in a way. Spray enamel/lacquer - a.k.a. good 'ole Krylon! This is my choice for painting aquariums these days. It takes a little surface preparation and time to mask the frame, but the results are about as good as you are going to get painting glass. How to do it... the name of the game is keep it clean! Place the aquarium face down with the back facing up. Try to keep the tank as level as possible - this will help if you are using a self-leveling paint. Grab some glass cleaner and some paper towels and give the glass a good cleaning. Make sure that you remove any fingerprints. The oils in your hand will prevent the paint from adhering to the glass. Once you think the glass is clean, do it again just to be certain. After I clean the glass a couple of times I usually wipe the back down again with some acetone (finger nail polish remover will work). BE VERY CAREFUL USING THIS STUFF! It is toxic, it is flammable and you do not want to glob it on because it will eat silicone seams!! Apply a little bit to a paper towel and give the glass another good once over with it. That will ensure that you have cut-up and removed every bit of oil on the back of the tank. If you are spraying the tank, now is the time to mask the frame and the sides of the tank. Plain old masking tape and newspaper are fine (this is not a science -- it is the back of the tank after all!). Cover up anything you do not want splattered with paint or over spray. Once you feel safe that you have protected the "environment" (and prevented yourself from getting in trouble for unwanted paint in unwanted spots -- experience speaking here: just don't ask my wife where the green haze in the dining room carpet came from.) Paint away! It probably will take several coats. Be sure and follow the paint manufactures instructions for drying time between coats. After your final coat and well before the top layer has cured, peel back your masking tape and clean any unwanted drips and dribbles on the frame and sides up with a single edged razor blade. Let the paint harden a while and Viola! you are done. A couple of hints: 1) Do not worry about drips, sags or runs. They more than likely will not show through when looking through the aquarium. 2) Get rid of any large air bubbles. They WILL show through. 3) Be very careful once you are done. The paint does not have a good hold on the glass and it will easily scratch and peel from the glass. Phew! I am sorry this is taking so long. One last thing though, color. All too often, I feel people choose colors that either hide the inhabitants of an aquarium (i.e. black in a marine or reef aquarium) or distract the viewers eyes away from the inhabitants (i.e. bright blue in both freshwater and marine tanks). For fresh water tanks, I have settled on a very, very dark green. It is natural looking, shows off plants great and still allows you to see the black coloring in fish (think of looking at a black molly against a black background - not to great huh?). All of my marine tanks used to be painted (read past tense - I am totally freshwater now) were painted in standard bright blue. If I had my druthers today, I would more than likely use a really, dark teal or blue. Something natural that would compliment my fish and invertebrates without washing them out or drawing attention away from them. If you are hand painting the back and having a latex paint mixed, why not be different? Break the standard and shoot for something that will add depth to your tank. Think of your self as being under water. Do not shoot for infinity, but what color would you be looking at just beyond visible perception. A fun exercise and one whose effect will be fantastic if you apply the concept correctly. You probably did not expect an epistle, but I hope the information helps. Drop me a note and let me know what color you choose and how it turned out. Good Luck! Mike michael.dunn at thalhimer_com
Aquarium Stand/Cabinet
http://www.legacycustomwoodcraft.com/current.htm
DIY Stand Design for a 125 Gallon Tank (72x18x22)
Refugium Links
On Refugiums (Matt Rogers - 3-reef) http://www.3reef.com/refugiums.htm
http://www.rmgconstruction.com/refugium.htm
Additives to have on Hand
Really don't have any on list yet...extra bag of salt for future water changeouts is all I have. So much other stuff out there...What is really necessary?
EcoSystem Garlic Elixir (food additive & vits for Critters) --- add to food made below?
(am really into stuff that will keep fish from getting "sick")
Seachem Reef Pack (Fundamentals) (Marine Depot) $8.89
Seachem Reef Pack (Enhancer) (Marine Depot) $8.89
(Both above recommended by GARF)
From GARF
by Scott Morell
| Tank Size = 55 Gallon |
| Qty | Description | ||
| 2 Tablespoon | Reef Plus twice a week | ||
| 2 Tablespoon | Reef Complete twice a week | ||
| 2 Tablespoon | Reef Calcium twice a week | ||
| 1 Tablespoon | Reef Advantage Calcium added to each gallon of makeup water during the 2nd and 4th weeks. | ||
| 1 Tablespoon | Reef Builder added to each gallon of makeup water during the 3rd week of each month. |
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Reef Plus - Has a full spectrum supplement of trace components and beneficial amino acids. It may be used as a food supplement. Reef Complete - Designed to restore and maintain calcium to levels found in natural seawater without affecting pH Reef Calcium - Intended to maintain calcium in the reef aquarium without altering pH Reef Advantage Calcium - Designed to restore and maintain calcium levels found in natural seawater. Calcium and carbonates are essential to all coral growth. (Powdered form of Reef Calcium) Reef Builder - Raises carbonate alkalinity without immediately impacting on pH. With long term use, it maintains pH at 8.3
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Sally Jo's Maint Sched.
Sea Chem. Liquid supplements per 55 gallon
Two tablespoons Sea Chem. Reef Plus twice a week ***See further note
Two tablespoons Sea Chem. Reef Complete twice a week
Two tablespoons Sea Chem. Reef Calcium twice a week
The capful measures to one tablespoon.
***Further note on the Sea Chem. reef plus: make certain to refrigerate this supplement.
On tanks that have a skimmer make certain to hold off on adding the other two supplements until the skimmer has slowed. In tanks that don't have skimmers yet you can add the other two supplements right away.
Make up water: This is done every single day! To all tanks
I Use
Week two - SeaChem Reef Advantage. One tablespoon per gallon of makeup water
Week three - SeaChem reef builder one tablespoon per gallon of make up water.
Week four - SeaChem Reef Advantage. One tablespoon per gallon of makeup water
REPEAT.
I allow the makeup water to sit out in open air for 24-hours before placing in my tank. If the tank has a sump I pour the water in the sump. If the tank has no sump I allow the water to slowly pour out of the gallon container until appropriate level is reached in the tank. Salinity is checked in all the tanks each and every single day. At this time we use over 50-gallon containers to add make up water each day.
The following week we use the Sea Chem. Reef Advantage. One tablespoon per gallon of makeup water. Allow all the containers to set out 24 hours before adding to the tank. We also rinse out the container after each use. We do this for a full week and then switch back to the other.
We have been using this recipe now for over 6 years. You can see by these pictures how well this has worked for us. I increase or decrease the amount of supplements depending on size of the system.
We do at least a 10% water change every month. We have only used Instant Ocean Salt in any of our reefs and LeRoy has been using this salt for over 33 years.
Note to self: Living in area subject to periodic power failures, esp. in winter...need Backup power supply on hand before I get too "deep" into project...excuse to get long wanted backup generator...one in Motorhome will do until we get...must get back from other side of mountains (Chelan) before cold sets in. --- Wonder (?)...is there any kind of cheap power failure signal device that will sound (loudly) if domestic power quits - like at night? --- need to check with Home Depot...
Misc Info:
To start your tank out, I recommend a selection of stony and leather corals. Research each individually for their hardiness. Start with easy corals and the hard ones become easier to keep. I recommend the 9-for-$99 deal from Jeff's Exotic Fish. Choose some hardy species, making sure to check the books beforehand for their lighting and water requirements. From Jeff's list I recommend the following easy to care for species:
For our tank, I like the idea of a pair of juvenile False Percula clownfish (Amphiprion Ocellaris). Make sure that you get tank raised as they will fare much better. I know that Aquatic Specialists has them, as that is where I got mine. Be aware that there is no requirement for fish in a reef tank, but I like them, so I have them.
Make sure when you stock your tank, you go slowly. You do not want to significantly increase the bio-load all at once. The biological filter needs time to respond. Since fish cause a significant biological burden as compared to corals, add no more than two small fish, one large fish, or several corals at once, allowing a week or two for the filter bed to recover.
Lastly, I would recommend adding to this tank a couple more maintenance animals. The first is a burrowing starfish. The starfish will eat detritus and keep the sand stirred. The second is a pair of peppermint shrimp. These shrimp are a tad shy, but will keep the tank clean of nuisance glass anemones called aiptasia. Throw in a couple of feather dusters and you have got a decent reef tank.
Food/Feeding
Food: This is a great fish and coral
food recipe....
Go to your seafood market. Buy one piece of fish, a few shrimp, and a couple of
other meaty treats. Then buy a small bag of baby spinach and some Zoe made by
Kent Marine. Put the seafood along with a few pieces of baby spinach and 3 or 4
squirts of zoe in a food processor. (you can also add garlic to help fish with
ICH) Blend everything until it is a little more runny than oatmeal. Put the mix
in a large freezer bag and lay it flat on a tray. Make sure it is in a thin
layer (this makes it easier to pinch off a small piece.) Place the tray in the
freezer and let it freeze. Remove the tray and you have GREAT fish and Coral
food!! This is not only cheaper than buying food, but your inhabitants will love
it.
As far as feeding just put a little piece in saltwater and let is break up then
feed.
To feed your anemone, you can suck up a piece into a turkey baster and gently
squirt it onto the anemones tentacle. Be sure to keep the turkey baster squeezed
until you remove it so that you will not suck up the tentacle.
Do you have a clownfish? When I had a clown, I only gad to feed the anemone a
few times and then the clown started feeding it. I had a bubble tip anemone and
a maroon clown.
Hope this helps
LPS Recipes: very finely minced meats of marine origin will be accepted by many LPS corals. Note: Although some species will sting and draw whole prey or large pieces of meat (chunks of shrimp, whole small fishes like silversides, etc.) it is not necessarily useful or even safe to do. We must remember that corals are sightless stinging animals that may not be able to initially assess the suitability of prey size. Keep in mind that unnaturally large chunks of food like those occasionally offered by aquarists would never make their way through the water column on a wild reef with so many sighted creatures in wait. Often times, prey that is too large appears to be grabbed and ingested but is later (at night) regurgitated in a mucous ball of waste. An aquarist with the habit of feeding prey that is too large may be led to believe that they are adequately feeding their charge but must ultimately watch the animal starve to death! Again, with all corals, the particle size of prey is a critical matter. For guidance, offer no zooplankton substitutes larger than 6mm. Smaller is most always better as a plankton substitute. Nutritious staples include thawed fresh-frozen gammurus, mysids, pacifica plankton, minced shell-on shrimp (much protein to be had in the chitonous shell), and minced krill. Live natural plankton from a refugium is an excellent supplement as well. Course media in fishless refugia for the cultivation of amphipods and like fauna is highly recommended. Refugiums plumbed upstream will overflow nutritious creatures nightly into reef aquarium displays.
Since hermatypic corals are primarily carnivores, the best food may be live zooplankton. But I don't have access to good source of live zooplankton, nor have the ability or time to raise them. In the absence of such food, home brew blended food mix, Artificial Plankton and Rotifers, phytoplankton, rotifers and artemia nauplii can be used for food. My food recipe (based on what others have also used sucessfully): Here is my recipe for food that I have been using for a while now. My goal with this recipe was to be able to feed the corals as well as the fish in my tank. I don't really use a fixed formula but wing it as I go along. I basically go to the sea food section in the grocery store, and pick up several shrimp, squid, sea scallops, mussel, clams, etc. that I can find. The other main ingredient I use is Nori. Nori is a great food for the fish, and the herbivorous fish love it. In fact, all my fish including the lone anthias will eat nori. Nori can be found in any oriental store (just make sure and get the unflavored kind). I also add other dried sea weeds that I have been able to find in the Chinese and Japanese grocery stores.
I first throw the nori (and other seaweed) into the blender and shred into small pieces. Do this while its dry and it breaks up into nice size pieces. I remove most of it and leave a hand full in there and then add half the sea food mix along with some water and blend it into a fine liquid paste. Then I add back the rest of the nori, the remaining sea food mix, along with some spirulina flakes, vitamin drops, some yeast and chop it in the blender so as to give some larger chunkier pieces. Place the mix into the freezer bags and spread it thin in the bag to allow breaking off pieces easily, and freeze I figure the finely blended stuff will work fine to feed the filter feeders and corals, and the larger pieces along with the nori works well for the fish, and the several serpent stars that I have.
The exact proportion of each is not really all that important, I just try to make sure that there is enough variety to satisfy all the live critters in the tank. I have been using this for over a year now, and has worked great. I have recently experimented with adding broccoli, carrots and spinach to the mix. I have seen the tangs eat the pieces of spinach, broccoli, and carrots. Some other ingredients that I have added to the food include fresh fish, brine shrimp, freeze dried plankton, dried blood worms, and other fish food I have laying around. The basic idea was to create a one shot food recipe that will take care of the complete spectrum of life forms in the tanks. I feed about a 2" square piece of this "gourmet" food every day in my 180G tank.
Recently, I have been adding a "pinch" or two of Artificial Plankton and Rotifiers (APR) that is made by OSI and available through Aquatic Eco Systems. Aquatic Eco systems also has a wide range of larval feeds intended for clam, osyter, and other aquaculture that may be very well suited for feeding reefs. If you try anything other than APR, I would like to hear about your experiences with it. After using the APR, I started to notice increase in the number of sponges and filter feeders in my tank Also, the existing sponges increased in size. About a month ago, I also got some of the cryo preserved microalgae that Craig Bingman mentioned in his article in Aquarium Frontiers. .I have been using 10-12 drops of the concentrated algae in my reef, every 3-4 days. I turn the skimmer off, for several hrs when feeding micro algae, to keep the food from being removed by the skimmer. .I bough the marine algae with the intent of feeding the SPS corals, but it research seems to indicate that hermatypic scleracatinian corals do not feed on algae matter. .But I will still continue feeding it, as means of possible supplying food to the filter feeders and the other micro fauna in the tank that may ingest it and possibly benefit from it.
TESTING
| Test LR=Low Range |
Test Frequency |
Acceptable Range |
| pH | Several times a week, if not daily. |
8.0-8.4 (8.2 is a good mid point.) |
| Alkalinity | Several times a week, if not daily. |
2.5-3.5 meq/l |
| LR Ammonia (NH³ NH³+4) |
Daily during tank cycling; then once every 2-3 weeks. |
0.0 ppm |
| Nitrite (NO²) |
Daily during tank cycling; then once every 2-3 weeks. |
0.0-0.01 ppm |
| LR Nitrate (NO³-) |
Once per week. Note: If test is for Nitrate Nitrogen (N or NO³-N), multiply reading by 4.4 to get Nitrate (NO³) ionic results. |
An immeasurable amount is optimal! Less than 0.25 ppm is strongly recommended. |
| Calcium (Ca) |
Once every 1-2 weeks. |
400-450 ppm Ca++ Hardness 60-80 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (KH) |
Once per week. | 5.35-6.45 meq/l, or as 15-18 dKH/ (German °) |
| Phosphate PO4 |
Once per week. | 0.05-0.1 ppm |
| Dissolved Oxygen (O²) |
Once per week. | 7 mg/l saturation or higher. |
| Specific Gravity (Salinity) |
Weekly | 1.023-1.025 |
| Temperature | Daily | 75°-80°F (24°-27°C), with 77°F (25°C) being a good midpoint. |
| Other Optional Reef Tank Tests |
-Iodine/Iodide -Strontium -Silicate -Iron |
Refer to individual
test kit directions, and below chart reference resources. |
Water Params
ACCLIMATION
| I am a great believer in drip acclimation.
The way I do it I use airline tubing, a couple airline valves and 2
buckets. I also use a stepladder but a third bucket or anything taller
then one bucket works. The setup works like this. Set whatever you use as a stand (ie ladder , bucket or etc) up in front of the tank. Place first bucket on the stand and empty bag holding fish into the bucket water and all. set up 2nd bucket next to the stand and under first bucket. Take airline tubing and run from tank to the first bucket put a valve on the end. Take more airline tubing from first bucket to second bucket put vavle on end. start siphon from tank to first bucket and adjust valve in first bucket to rate desired. adjust valve in second bucket to match valve in first bucket and let it all flow. After you have tripled the original amount of water(from fish bag) in bottom bucket. net and release fish into tank. I then dump water from the buckets and top off the tank. This method acclimates the fish, never allows lfs and or qt water into the tank and gives me a very small water change and has been very successful for me. Thanks, PhilFish and invertebrates |
I should clarify I trow out the acclimation water and top off with new water
Acclimation Instructions:
1. First, you will need Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing. This can be found in the
plumbing department of Home Depot, Lowes, or a local hardware store. Find the
size that is 3/16” X 1/4”. 3/16 is the inside diameter and 1/4 is the
outside diameter. If you need to ask, simply ask for Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing
and you will find a number of different sizes in that section. You will need
8-10 feet of the 3/16 X 1/4, which will cost about $1. Yes, that’s all. The
Air Pump is an item that can be found in most Wal-Marts in the fishing tackle
section as a "Bubble Saver" or "Bubble Box". These pumps are
inexpensive, run on batteries, and can be conveniently clipped onto the side of
the bucket.
2. When your order arrives be sure your aquarium lights are off and that you
open the box in a dimly lit area. Next, place all of the bags – or as many as
will fit at one time – into your aquarium. Leave them floating without being
opened for 20-25 minutes. This will allow the water temperature in the bag to
become the same temperature as the water in your tank.
3. It is very important that you do not mix the water from the fish bags with
the water from the invertebrate bags. They should not be acclimated together. It
is very important you split the fish and invertebrates into 2 separate buckets
and that the containers have never been used for cleaning floors, washing your
car, etc. We suggest you use brand new buckets.
4. Now that your bags are floating, rinse off your Clear Vinyl Airline Tubing in
fresh water to remove any dust, etc. The airline tubing will be used to move
water from your tank down to the bucket in a slow dripping process. First, you
will need to find a small rock of some sort in your tank and attach it to one
end of the tubing with a rubber band. Once it has been attached, place the rock
into your tank. The rock is used to help keep the tube submerged. Place the
other end of the tube into the bucket on the floor. If you have excess tubing
you may cut it away. Just be sure you have enough to easily reach from the tank
to the bucket. You will then need to tie a knot in the tubing. This will allow
you to slow down the rate of flow once the siphon is started. Tie the knot
closer to the bucket side of the tubing. About a foot from the end will work
well.
5. After 20 minutes have passed you can begin the process of cutting the fish
out of the bags and into the bucket. If you only have a few items, or just to
get started, you can tilt the bucket 45 degrees to one side. This will allow
water to accumulate so the items will be completely submerged. Once you have cut
a number of them into the bucket there will be enough water so you can lay the
bucket flat again.
6. Use a scissors to cut a large opening toward the top of the bag. Be sure it
is large enough for the fish to exit the bag. Pour both the fish and water from
each bag into the bucket. Remember, only do the fish OR the invertebrates. Do
not do them at the same time or in the same bucket. We suggest you start with
the fish.
7. After you have cut them all into the bucket, to the novice it may appear that
they are not doing well. This is totally natural. The fish are in shock and will
be just fine. While you may not be used to receiving fish in this manner, these
fish have traveled far to reach you and are very tough. There is nothing to be
concerned about. If they are acclimated properly they will do well in your
aquarium.
8. Once all of the fish OR invertebrates (whichever you have decided to do
first) are in the bucket, you will need to plug in the small air pump you
purchased. Place the air stone into the bucket with the items. It should be
producing small bubbles. This will keep the water aerated during acclimation.
Now place your mouth on the low end of the Clear Vinyl Tubing and suck on it
until you see the water from inside the aquarium pass over the edge of the
aquarium in the tubing. Obviously, remove your mouth before water reaches your
end. The water should be moving from the aquarium down the tubing and into the
bucket. At this time you will need to tighten the knot you made earlier until
the water is literally dripping in a fast motion into the bucket.
9. The drip should be quick and steady, but it should not be a steady stream of
water, or a slow drip, but somewhere in-between. 6-8 drips per second will work
well. The airstone should be kicking out little bubbles, the water should be
moving down the tube into the bucket with the items in it, and your aquarium
lights should be off. You will now need to allow the water to drip from your
tank into the bucket for approximately two hours (be sure you have enough water
in your sump, or continue to add water into your sump). You will need to keep an
eye on the bucket from time to time to be sure the tubing doesn’t move outside
of the bucket and start spilling on your floor, and that the water does not
begin to overflow over the sides of the box once it starts filling up. This
process is allowing the slow transfer of pH and salinity to take place. By doing
so, your new inhabitants are being eased into their new surroundings. You will
find this process will greatly increase your success.
10. While the dripping takes place you can also keep an eye on the fish or
invertebrates, but do not push them, or move them around with your hand or
objects. They are in shock and it takes time for them to acclimate. So, even if
after the two hour period they are still lying on their side and breathing hard
they are not dead or dying. Once the two hour time period has elapsed it will be
time to place the items into your tank. Do so gently with a net. They may still
need to recover in the tank and may float to the bottom of the tank continuing
to breathe hard. Again, this is nothing to be alarmed about. If this occurs,
simply leave them alone and as long as they aren’t harassed they should be
fine and recover nicely. Once all items have been placed into the aquarium you
should turn off all powerheads and continue with the lights off for three hours.
Once that time has passed you can turn on your lights and powerheads again.
11. NOTE: Be sure the air conditioning or heat is not blowing directly onto the
bucket. You want the temperature in the bucket to be the same as the temperature
in your tank at the end of the 2 hours. Also, it is VERY important that the
amount of water in the bucket quadruple over the 2 hour time frame. If the
amount of water has not quadrupled after 2 hours of dripping you will have to
wait until it has done so. To the contrary, if it appears too much water is
going into the bucket and the amount of water will quadruple in less than 2
hours then you should slow the speed of the drip.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scottsh2ochgart.htm
Nice "Personal" Sites
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Protein Skimming But Were Afraid to Ask
Protein skimming has rapidly become one of the hottest topics in
the marine aquarium industry. And for good reason, since this method of
"filtration" is one of the easiest, sure-fire ways to promote the
health of a saltwater system. Although most would agree that a protein skimmer,
or foam fractioner, is a must-have on any marine tank, there nevertheless
remains a healthy debate over the subtle intricacies of just how to accomplish
the process of skimming. This debate has led to a small amount of confusion
among some beginning aquarists, and even experienced veterans in a few cases.
We at AquaC pride ourselves as the manufacturer of quality products designed to
make the job of an aquarist as easy as possible. Please take a few minutes to
read the following passages - you're certain to walk away with the knowledge
you'll need to purchase the ideal skimmer to fit your needs. Hopefully, you will
agree that an AquaC skimmer can help you capture the beauty of a coral reef.
Protein skimming is nothing new - advanced aquarists and professionals have been
using the technique for decades. Other fields unrelated to the aquarium industry
have also used forms of foam fractionation to separate compounds from liquids.
Only in the last few years, however, has the widescale market for skimmers
exploded. New models and methods seem to pop up with the frequency of political
scandals these days. This has led to a great deal of controversy as to who makes
the best skimmer. This is not an easy question to answer. An aquarist looking
for a small unit designed to skim a 15 gallon tank would not agree that a six
foot tall venturi model would be the best choice. On the other hand, a hobbyist
with a 100 gallon reef would hotly argue that this very skimmer is the best
choice! Who is right??
They both are… There is no such thing as the "best" skimmer!
In many ways, protein skimmers are a lot like automobiles. Some people lust
after a two door sportscar, while others might desire a four-wheel drive truck.
Although neither automobile is quantitatively better than the other, each fills
the needs of a different type of driver best. Although you might not realize it,
the skimmers on the market today vary as much as a Toyota Truck and Porsche
Boxter do. And, if we carry this car analogy just a bit farther, there are the
Mercedes Benzes of the skimmer world, just as there are the Ford Pintos (our
apologies to the Ford Motor Company).
The first thing to do, then, is to examine the criteria which are important to
you. In most cases, the two most important factors that will be considered are
cost and size. Money doesn't grow on trees, and most people don't want a skimmer
which resembles a Giant Redwood poking out of their living room floor.
The cost issue is a no-brainer - all else being equal, purchase the most
inexpensive skimmer (unless you're Bill Gates, that is…). Another factor to
consider are the ongoing costs. Protein skimmers require pumps, which suck up
electricity. Some of the high performance models sold today use hefty,
energy-sucking water pumps, so be sure to calculate this cost before your
purchase. Another ongoing cost might be maintenance related. Some types of
skimmers will require regular, scheduled cleaning and/or replacement of air
stones. There is more on this below… Choosing the right size skimmer is a bit
more complicated, as several factors need to be considered. First of all, do you
have a sump or will the unit hang off the back of the tank? What size skimmer
footprint (including pump) will your sump accommodate? How tall of a skimmer
will fit under your cabinet? Can the skimmer be placed outside of the sump, and
if so, is any special plumbing required? Before purchasing a skimmer, carefully
consider these questions and make the necessary measurements/calculations to
help you choose the best model. Although size doesn't always correlate with
performance, a general rule of thumb says that a larger skimmer will usually
outperform a smaller one (Don't worry guys, we're talking skimmers here…!).
Another note about your budget… A lot of new aquarists will invest $500 on
"entry-level" equipment and then immediately spend $300 on livestock,
all within the first month or two. This has got to be the biggest mistake that
nearly all inexperienced hobbyists make, and it usually ends up costing
truckloads of money in the long run. After working for several years in a
tropical fish store, I can't tell you how many people ended up pawning off their
original, shoddy equipment and investing in quality products. That $100 queen
angel you have your eye on might look great, but if you skimp on your filtration
set-up you are effectively playing Pomacanthus Roulette.
So let's say you set your budget at $250 for a skimmer which must be no taller
than twenty inches, the size of your aquarium stand. Remember, most units
require occasional servicing - don't buy a skimmer that will fill the sump like
a fitted glove. Now we can talk about the real nitty gritty…the most complex
factor you will be forced to consider when purchasing a skimmer - THE METHOD.
This, unfortunately, is where it gets tricky!
First of all, no matter where you go, who you talk to, or what you read, you're
going to hear different and possibly contradictory reasons why Brand X is better
than Brand Y, or why Method A is better than Method B. The fact is, there simply
is no such thing as a "best" skimmer. If your budget is $100, ninety
percent of the skimmers on the market aren't even an option! Since nearly every
skimmer is best given a different set of circumstances, there is really no
reason to enter a silly debate over brand names. But we can talk about the meat
and potatoes - what should you look for in a protein skimmer.
The skeptical reader will have read the last statement and wondered how a
protein skimmer manufacturer can possibly avoid entering a silly debate
regarding brand names. Well, we are starting to wonder that ourselves! Seriously
though, the answer is very simple. Although the purpose of this document is to
demonstrate why AquaC skimmers are among the best in their class, we hope to
accomplish this fact by educating our customers about the process of protein
skimming rather than by simply stating "we are the best…" High
performance protein skimmers are not inexpensive pieces of equipment, and we
want all of our customers to invest in our products for the right reasons -
which will ultimately guarantee everyone's satisfaction. Now let's dig deeper
into the exciting world of protein skimming…
Protein skimmers benefit water quality by facilitating two major processes - gas
exchange and export of organic wastes.
These are both critical to the maintenance of optimum water conditions. The sad
truth is that no captive system can ever truly duplicate the conditions found on
a natural coral reef. Effective protein skimming can, however, bring us very
close to this desired goal. The beneficial gas exchange that goes on inside of a
protein skimmer is largely dissolution of atmospheric oxygen into the aquarium
water. Other gases like nitrogen and hydrogen also play roles here, but we
aren't as interested in them. Some evidence even suggests that ammonia might be
"blown-off" into the atmosphere during protein skimming. It is
important to keep dissolved oxygen levels as high as possible, since most
organisms (fish, corals, inverts, etc.) we keep are used to these conditions
found in the wild. Waste removal is accomplished through chemical interactions
between charged particles of air and water, which allows proteins, trace
elements, and other compounds to become attached to air droplets. These
protein-laden air droplets then coalesce into a thick foam which is skimmed off
into a collection cup. Those who are interested in the technical aspects of
protein skimming should read Richard Harker's recent article in Marine Fish and
Reef USA, which is an extremely informative document regarding the complex
chemistry of the process. Delbeek and Sprung's The Reef Aquarium is another
source of information regarding the topic.
Although it is certainly important to understand how and why protein skimming
works, the actual physics and chemistry of the process involve some pretty scary
equations. Many of the factors involving effective protein skimming are far from
being understood, even to this day. Luckily, however, the basics are relatively
easy to understand…
In short, the four main factors which govern a protein skimmer's effectiveness
are…
1. Bubble size
2. Bubble quantity
3. Overall flow-thru rate
4. Quality of contact time
Pretty simple, right? Well, it gets more complicated…
First let's talk about bubble size. Smaller bubbles are preferred over larger
ones since they offer a larger surface area to volume ratio. Since the nuts and
bolts of protein skimming takes place on the surfaces of air bubbles, our goal
is to maximize this variable by introducing the smallest bubbles possible. Of
course, at some point the bubbles could become so tiny that they would actually
stay dissolved in the water and cease to produce foam. For most purposes, it is
nearly impossible to generate bubbles this small. The same logic follows for
bubble quantity - since larger numbers of bubbles mean increased surface area,
we want to inject as many bubbles, overall, as physically possible. Once again,
it would be possible to inject too many bubbles (imagine a protein skimmer
packed so tightly with bubbles that it was almost "dry". Given the
technology available, however, this has yet to become a realistic problem.
The overall flow-thru rate and quality of contact time are not as clear cut as
the previous two measures. Some have reported that high flow-thru rates (several
hundred gallons per hour) yield the best results. Others argue that a slow,
leisurely flow-thru rate facilitates the best skimming. Most likely, both
schools of thought are correct in their own way. The actual chemistry behind the
mechanism of protein skimming tells us that, in order to remove the maximum
amount of waste possible per bubble, we want a very, very slow flow-thru rate.
This makes perfect sense… If the flow-thru rate is slow, each individual air
bubble can react with the water for a longer period of time. Air bubbles, after
all, don't become saturated with proteins immediately. Research suggests, in
fact, that they continue to become coated with organic compounds for up to 12
minutes (Harker).
The problem, and this is why the "high flow-thru rate" school of
thought is also partially correct, is that aquariums are closed systems which
need to be "cleaned" at an efficient rate of speed. Imagine holding a
vacuum cleaner over the same section of carpet for ten straight years. Sure,
that little square of shag might be extremely clean once you are done, but what
about the rest of the house?? Our goal is not to maximize the amount of protein
removed per bubble, but to maximize the amount of protein removed per unit time.
An efficient protein skimmer, then, is one which removes the largest amount of
waste in the shortest time possible. High flow thru-rates are beneficial because
they allow large amounts of the aquarium water to be processed rapidly. Although
less protein is removed per bubble (because the air and water are not being
allowed to react for very long), it is possible to treat the entire tank volume
in a short amount of time. There is probably a middle ground which yields the
best results. It is important to note that both high and low flow-thru rates can
and have been used effectively, and neither method is definitely better than the
other. Our own research with different flow rates and air-injection methods
suggest that for larger tanks (100+ gallons), higher flow-thru rates are better
suited than slower ones. This might be due to the added benefit which high
flow-thru rates provide; more thoroughly oxygenated water. The real answer is
far from clear, however.
By now you should have a general idea about the main factors which make some
skimmers more effective than others. There still remains one very large problem,
however, and that is the method. Open the latest issue of FAMA and you're bound
to see ads for over ten different skimmer brands. Do they look the same? Heck
no! Do they work the same? For the most part, yes. Every skimmer has its pros
and cons, however.
Our market research suggests that there are six main factors which are important
to customers. These are, in no specific order…
Performance
Initial Cost
Ongoing Cost
Maintenance Requirements
Size
Ease of Use
There are basically five different types of protein skimmer. These are:
The Air-Driven Skimmer…
This method of skimming (sometimes referred to as the counter-current method) is
probably the simplest and has been used for decades. A standard air pump pushes
air through a porous block (either made of wood, glass, or ceramic material)
which produces fine bubbles. Usually, a separate water pump is required to
provide flow through the skimmer and back to the aquarium or sump. The main
advantages of the air-driven skimmer are its low initial cost and quality of
contact time. Wooden airstones produce tiny, wispy air bubbles that provide a
high air-surface to water ratio. Since flow-thru rates are kept relatively low
in this type of skimmer, bubbles are allowed to react with water for long
periods of time. This is the hallmark of an air-driven skimmer, which feature a
high "protein removed per bubble" ratio. Furthermore, since control of
the water flow-thru and air-flow rate are often independent of each other, they
can be manipulated individually to yield the most efficient skimming possible.
Another positive feature of air-driven skimmers is that the air bubbles are
typically allowed to react with the water for very long amounts of time.
Unfortunately, all skimmers have their drawbacks. Air-driven skimmers are
utilized most efficiently when the flow-thru rate is low - which insures that
the contact time between air bubbles and water is maximized. Although this
yields a high "protein removed per bubble" ratio, the "protein
removed per unit time" ratio can actually suffer as a result. This might be
why larger tanks seem to do better with the higher flow design skimmers.
Furthermore, most air pumps available to hobbyists are simply not powerful
enough to deliver tremendous quantities of air to the skimmer. Air-driven
protein skimmers can certainly be utilized efficiently and will produce good
results, as long as we keep these factors in mind. Air-driven skimmers also
require regular maintenance - wood air stones must be replaced relatively often
in order to keep the skimmer working efficiently.
The Venturi Skimmer
The "venturi skimmer" is actually a general term which covers a broad
class of different designs. Most skimmers on the market today utilize the
venturi effect in some form or another. So what is a venturi, anyway?? It's just
a high-tech word for a special-shaped tube which draws in air. A good venturi
can introduce fairly large amounts of air. Venturi skimmers also feature higher
flow-thru rates, and require less regular maintenance, both advantages over the
air-driven design. These skimmers are not without their drawbacks, however. They
can be loud (imagine the sound of air being blown through a small straw), and
the venturi opening can clog in a relatively short amount of time, which
adversely affects performance. Most high performance venturi skimmers are either
very expensive or very large, making space and budget considerations a factor.
The Needle-wheel skimmer
This type of skimmer is actually a hybrid, since it uses a venturi to initially
introduce air into the water. Once air is injected into the skimmer, it is drawn
through a water pump with a special impeller designed to chop incoming bubbles
into a finer mist. These needle-wheel impellers can really hack bubbles apart,
which is great since small bubbles are ideal for efficient skimming. The better
needle-wheel skimmers on the market are notorious for building a dense, milky
froth. This makes for efficient skimming in a relatively compact package. As a
result, this type of skimmer is extremely popular, with new designs popping up
every month or two. Although the air and water flow rates in these skimmers are
high, they still fall short of the air-induction style skimmer which we will
talk about next.
The Downdraft skimmer
Initially, several different companies manufactured similar versions of the now
popular downdraft-style protein skimmer. Since A.E. Tech owns the patent rights
on the design, most of these companies are no longer competive. There remains
one brand which utilizes a hybrid variation of the venturi and downdraft
concepts which also enjoys quite a bit of success, and does not infringe on A.E.
Tech's patent. Downdraft skimmers feature high flow-thru rates. They also inject
large amounts of air into the water. A typical downdraft skimmer can cycle the
entire volume of a 100 gallon system several times an hour. This makes for
excellent oxygenation and ensures that all of the water is treated in a short
amount of time.
Downdraft skimmers are often advertised as being the "best" skimmer on
the market. This, in on our opinion, might be a bit of an overstatement.
Although this design works well, it is not without its disadvantages. These
skimmers are notorious for being large… many models stand several feet tall.
They also require a very strong pump to run correctly, in many cases a pump
which is expensive and energy-thirsty.
The Spray Induction skimmer
Perhaps it is not a very catchy title, but this is the name we chose to describe
our own skimmer design. AquaC skimmers work on the very same principles as the
others already described, but they achieve an air-water mix in a very unique
way. This new method, which we call Spray Induction, makes for very efficient
skimming in a compact package.
Remember the six main factors to consider when buying a skimmer? These were
performance, initial cost, ongoing cost, maintenance requirements, size, and
ease of use. After testing nearly every other type of skimmer on the market, we
have found that the Spray Induction design yields excellent results when all six
of these factors are considered. This design seems to inject the largest amount
of air for a given pump size, and it is extremely short and compact. There are
virtually no maintenance requirements or parts to replace. Once broken in, this
type of skimmer is truly a "set and forget" piece of equipment.
In fact, we've developed a company philosophy based on the idea that customers
want the best bang for their buck.
Now that you understand which qualities to look for in a skimmer, you should be
able to scrutinize the different brands and find the model that best suits your
needs… Decide which criteria are most important tp you.
By Jason Kim
Jason is the founder of AquaC. Inc.
From his web site www.proteinskimmer.com
Aquarticles
Disease/Treatment
ICK:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/fishdiseases/a/aa102797.htm
http://www.petsolutions.com/cgi-bin/cgiitmls?m=ThisP&p=1066.500000&l=33
| RX-P |
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http://www.petsolutions.com/cgi-bin/cgiitmls?m=ThisP&p=1067.330000&l=33
| No-ICH Marine |
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Velvet or Rust disease. Also many forms of gill flukes, and gram negative bacteria:
Revive 1/2 Liter, Fish
Vet. Revive is a complex product which has been formulated to treat the
following list of common diseases, in both salt and freshwater aquaria. Oodinium
in both saltwater and freshwater forms, aka Velvet or Rust disease. Also many
forms of gill flukes, and gram negative bacteria. These latter are very often
instrumental in causing the signs of hemorrhaging on the sides of fish. Revive
eliminates the free-swimming stage of Oodinium, as well as Gill flukes and many
gram negative bacteria. Revive is used in fresh and salt aquaria, with no
harmful side effects. Revive does not harm fish, invertebrates, or nitrifying
bacteria, and no test kit is necessary during treatment. 18 per case.
CustomAquatic
CLAMS
When setting up a new tank for clams a little forethought will make it a better home for your clams. Maxima and Crocea are rock dwelling clams. With their large byssal opening they want to attach to protect themselves from predators. Even if there are no predators they'll expend a lot of energy trying to attach. I like adding Tonga shelf rock in well lit areas to place smaller clams on. how to make shelves in a reef We let our clams attach to a disk. You can do the same with a small flat piece of live rock. Then just move the rock with the clam attached.
We use CaribSea substrates to help maintain calcium and alkalinity levels. Also used are live sand, halimeda sand or more likely, a mix of the various substrates. The "mix" is usually 1/3rd Seaflor Super Reef, 1/3 Aragamax and 1/3rd live sand. We throw in a few handfuls of "gunk" off the bottom of the big tanks. The "gunk" helps colonize the sand.
Get a hydrometer and compare it to a calibrated hydrometer. "Real" sea water is around 1.026. Our tanks are held to between 1.025 and 1.026. We have found a few brand new hydrometers that were not accurate.
Start the tank off at around 76 degrees and increase the temperature to 80-84 as it stabilizes. Things happen quickly in the tank at 84, good and bad, so don't rush it. If you're at 82 in 4 months you're doing very well.
I always place a arrow crab in the tank before any other live stock. We use fully cured rock so it's added just after arranging the live rock. Predatory worms in the tank have to hunt. The arrow crab and predatory worms are both nocturnal hunters, when the worm comes out, it becomes the hunted. Benthic worms are left pretty much alone. Remove the arrow crab after a week, they are not reef or clam safe. You can be reasonably sure no large predatory worms are in the tank. Remember 99% of the worms in a reef are beneficial, you are just interested in removing any "hunting" worms.
After the crab is out, I add a melanurus or six-line wrasse to control pyramidellidae snails and small worms. Since we started adding melanurus to our tanks we rarely see any pyramidellidae. They are seldom a problem anyway.
The best predator control for crocea and maxima is to let the clam attach to a nonporous rock. Young derasa and squamosa also like to attach.
Utility critters like astrea are added as the tank
Hermit Crabs
(From "Gresham" - 3Reef)
From Mexico:
the Staghorn Hermit - Manucomplanus varians - A left clawed white hermit
with red eyes and a fire coral shell that filter feeds- best if no other shells
are around (so he won't jump his fire coral shell (janaria mirabilis) for the
normal ones) and theres plenty of un-obstucted sand bed for him to move around.
Don't worry about his hsell attacking other corals, its extremelly
unpotent.
Mexican Red Hermit - Calcinus Californiensis - Another left clawed hermit
(larger left claw) that is dark red with some lighter red/black outlines
- a VERY good algea feeder - attacks caulerpa with a gusto if you've got a
problem with it and loves hair algae as well.
the Red Tipped Hermit or Dwarf Mexican Hermit - Clibanarius sp - loves
cyanobacteria!!!
From the Caribbean:
the Blue Leg hermit - Clibanarius tricolor - An equal clawed hermit - An average
hermit when it comes to grazing algae - known to attack other hermits and snails
for their shells (more so then others)
the Scarlet Hermit - Paguristes cadenati - An excellent aglae grazer and very
mellow to other hermits and snails
the Red Hermit - Calcinus tibicen - not to be confused with the bright red
Scarlet Hermit, this one is a deep dark red and a Left clawed hermit
the Little big Claw Hermit aka Polka-dotted Hermit - Phimochirus operculatus - a
very aggressive feeder and not to common in the trade - Great looking hermit!!
From Hawaii:
the Zebra Hermit - Calcinus seurati - mentioned above
the Electric Orange Hermit - Calcinus spp. (probably a color morph of the
seurati but I'm not sure)- mentioned above
From the South Pacific:
More Blue leg TYPE hermits (dfferent colors) - several differnet Clibanarius spp.
- Same as mentioned above - not to common in the trade
More Calcinus spp. hermits, including but not limitted to:
the Electic Blue Neon Hermit - Calcinus elegans - Marshal Islands/Australia/PNG
the Left Clawed Hermit - Calcinus laevimanus - Indo Pacific
Calcinus gaimardii - Indo Pacific
Calcinus latens - From Australia
Building Tank/Sump
For a first time builder I recommend glass. Make sure that the side pieces set on top of a bottom piece of glass. Starting with the bottom piece on a level flat surface, place a bead of silicon down on one side approximate 1/8 in thick. Very carefully lower the side down on the bead, and fix its position perpendicular. Next, place a bead of silicon on the one side of the new piece and along the adjacent bottom side and very carefully add the next side, and make sure all angle are exactly 90'. Add the next 2 pieces in the same way. Inorder to build the aquarium properly you might consider using a wooden form to tape the peices to will working with them. I recommend a caulk gun with spring loaded pressure release, else the silicon continues too ooze after manual pressure is released. Silicon containes an acetic acid irritant (My nose suggests that the carrier solvent is floro or cloroacetatic acid). I'm aclimatized to working with it but most are not so use in well ventilated area. For large tanks the glue needs to dry at least 48 hours before its ready for water. Use general Household silicon, clear (general electric), as the selant. Allow 48 hours to dry. To select the glass, Allglass has provided imfo for and aquarium faq Look for weights measures and conversion tables in the aquaria faqs table of contents. If your unsure read the label it will tell you its applications and drying times for specific articles.
How to build Tank: http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/aquariumdiy/a/aa120897diyaq.htm
Sump Designs: http://www.lifereef.com/custom.html
55 gal sump: http://jjgeisler.com/reeftank/55g_sump-refugium2.htm
Everything "Sumps" :http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html
"OM"
