Highland Reefer

I would really like to add my 110 gallon tall tank to flow into the display tank, but am worried my back problems will prohibit cleaning it. I would like this tank to be a seagrass/macoralgae tank. I''l hold off on it for now, but if I do decide to add it, I don't see any problems with the equipment I currentyly have.

Here is a picture of the Reef-Filler 2000-2 6.5 GPD Per Head adjusting dosing pump I want to buy. There not cheap at $323.90 and they don't loose prime unless you let it go dry.

I put the GFO/GAC reactor on the return since I have had a lot of calcium carbonate build-up on the GFO in my current setup. I figured the further away from the kalk water the less likely the calcium carbonate build-up. I don't think there would be negative effects on GFO, but perhaps the GAC may not last as long. I like using kalk water over reactors since there will be less contaminates added like heavy metals, since they precipitate out to the bottom and are not dosed using kalk water. Depending on how many SPS I add I may need to supplement with two-part. I do like softies though and have not needed to supplement other than kalk water in my current system. I already have plenty of Pepsi barrels & plenty of space. I also have problems with low pH in my current tank and the kalk water raises the pH up only to about 8.0. I use a Reef Filler dosing pump currently in my kalk tank. It has a self adjusting flow and a primer valve which works great when I let the tank go dry. I am going to buy a dual Reef Filler for the salt water auto water changes. I like the pump since you can re-build it and they seem to last forever. The top drain on the sump is for Murphy, should all else fail.

I'm starting to put together a new tank build and am looking for comments on what I have planned. Here is what I have so far:

Yet another solid carbon source I ran across, (Polyvinyl Alcohol Beads): Purification of aquarium water by PVA gel-immobilized photosynthetic bacteria during goldfish rearing Journal Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Received: 5 September 2008 Accepted: 27 November 2008 Published online: 17 May 2009 http://www.springerlink.com/content/d6836368n176017q/fulltext.pdf Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of a PVA-gel beads filtration (PVA) system using photosynthetic bacteria to purify water. To accomplish this, duplicate long-term goldfish rearing experiments were conducted using four different types of aquarium systems (COF, PSB, EMC, and PVA). The results revealed that the concentrations of NH4 +-N on the day of a goldfish

Tom, Thanks for the articles. Yes, IMHO the PLAs may not be as good, but only experimenting with them will tell. Perhaps some of the PLAs with 10% corn starch incorporated into the molecule may work even better. Those that have more than 10% corn starch may add too much organic material and result in bacterial blooms. It will be interesting to see your results and also know if the product you work with has incorporated any additional corn starch in the molecule, which makes the polymer cheaper to buy. I have read a few studies where they used polymers with the corn starch and found that at the 10% level they received the best nitrate reduction. These studies were in waste management studies using regular water (not marine).

This is a message I received from Gary (Mesocosm) regarding the bio-polymers. He has ordered all of them and will begin testing them in his facilities. It will be interesting what he finds out after trying them. Greetings Cliff ... what's up? I've been watching this topic metastasize throughout the SPS & Chemistry forums, and I must confess that I don't even know where to begin. We are on the edge of doing some serious experimentation with this stuff with Australian & Indonesian shipments in a wholesale setting ... from straightforward receiving-acclimation systems ... to large-scale frag growout systems ... to coloration emergence/enhancement systems ... to dedicated non-photosynthetic acclimation & holding systems. So I'm going to wait until I've got the hard data to back up my opinions before I step out onto the playing field. But I will try to post a few observations as time permits. As to insight into the compounds ... we're talking about three major groups: Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA ... speculated as the main component of NP Biopellets), Polycaprolactone (PCL ... confirmed as the main component of Instant Ocean's product), and Polylactic acid (PLA ... a degradable plastic widely applied in the food industry) ... or derivatives thereof. PHA is by far the more interesting of the three as it is synthesized by some bacteria as an energy storage molecule. PCL is almost as interesting because it is a polyester used in the medical industry as a degradable suture. PLA is essentially a corn starch derivative. These groups may have CaCO3 mixed in as a filler. HTH Gary __________________ Gary White Biologist, Route 66 Marine "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." (Charles Darwin)

Mirel is the only manufacturer of PHA I could find in the US, but I haven't been able to find a distributor. There are some manufacturers in China that may sell it in smaller quantities. From the results that Hobbyists are finding from the use of these different bio-degradable plastics in tanks, they all seem to work well. The biggest difference I see is that some manufacturers add corn brand or rice brand into the polymer's structure, which reduces the cost significantly over the pure polymer. Adding the brand to the polymer could have a significant impact on a reef system, possibly a negative impact with the increased amount of dissolved organics added like starch. Too much starch has proven to cause problems for coral in research. At this point I am unaware of anyone using the starch based polymers in a reef tank, but if one is looking to buy these polymers, I would make sure they are pure polymer without any brand added, unless they want to try experimenting with the added starch.

PCA should be PHA. I had too many Ps on the brain.

Correct, PCL is completely bio-degradable by bacteria and is the mechanism that provides the needed carbon source that bacteria seem to need to produce larger populations especially in a reef aquarium. Once the bacteria are skimmed out, then nitrate and phosphate used for the bacteria to grow will be removed. It's also interesting that bacteria store energy reserves in the form of PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoate) which is what is thought to be the active ingredient in the NP BioPellets. They are very similar compounds especially regarding the mechanisms that bacteria utilize these compounds. Currently the PHAs are more expensive to produce and sell then the PCLs which makes the PCLs an attractive choice IMHO especially for DIY hobbyists looking to save a few bucks. At this point, I have not been able to find any source for PHAs other than buying commercial products It's also interesting that cyanobacteria produce the PHAs but not in anywhere near the quantities that bacteria do. The production of PCAs takes place in the cytoplasm of bacteria and cyano. Since cyano produce PHAs, I would assume they can readily use them also. This leads to the question, will the PCLs cause less problems with cyano in a reef aquarium then the PCAs? Personally, I have been following threads using the NP BioPellets (which is believed to be PCA) to see if there are complaints about cyano problems. I haven't seen too many complaints so far, but a few have cropped up like with all forms of carbon dosing. It will be interesting to see if there are any complaints while using the PCL as well. Of course there can be many other factors that come into play regarding cyano problems.

Justin, It's nice that you have taken the time to put all this together with test results. I will be following along to see how the polycaprolactone (PCL) works out. FWIW, PCL is what is the active ingredient in the Instant Ocean Biopolymer product. This is the patent used for their product which provides test results and how they used different methods to implement the use of PCL. It is interesting that they decided to use it in a liquid form though: http://www.freepaten...com/7244358.pdf The use of the PCL by placing it in course sand/gravel beds may also be of interest to some hobbyists. It seems to work well by placing it in once every 6 months into course sand beds, perhaps crushed coral may make a come-back.

I use kalk water and find it works well, but like stated above, you will need to take precautions to prevent overdose. Dripping or using a dosing pump are the safer methods. Fully saturated kalk water (2 teaspoons per 1 gallon of rodi water) has a pH of around 12.5. Kalk water will provide twice the pH boost that sodium carbonate (baked baking soda) will. When first starting to use kalk water it is generally recommended to start at around 1 teaspoon kalk per 1 gallon rodi water and make adjustments from there. This artcile goes into more details regarding using kalk water: What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

Do snow drifts count?

That pump does get good reviews by many hobbyists. This one sold by BRS seems to get a bit better reviews, FWIW: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/produc...per-minute.html

Further imfromation & details can be found in these articles: Tap Water in Reef Aquaria http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm Silica in a Reef Tank http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm Reverse Osmosis/Deionization Systems to Purify Tap Water for Reef Aquaria http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rhf/index.htm The

If you are using dechlorinated tap water you could be introducing a lot of silica, which will encourage diatom growth. Also tap water can contain high levels of copper, nitrate, phosphate and other undesirable heavy metals. I would save up for a RODI system, which is worth the investment IMHO.

It could be a bacteria also. Diatoms and bacteria will wipe off with a brush very easily. Doing this and skimming them out of your system will help export the excess nutrients. Keep your feeding to a minimum will also help. Installing a filter bag will help export the excess organic matter along with running GAC.

A focused close up pic of your pests would help in IDing them.

Algae and cyanobacterial growth is not uncommon in a newly setup aquarium. Usually good old fashion elbow grease works the best in your situation. There are a lot of hobbyists in your same position. Reducing your nitrate and phosphate levels to a zero reading will help in getting rid of many type of algae pests. IME, reducing nitrate and phosphate levels too low can kill or cause problems for many types of coral. Running GAC & GFO will all help in reducing the growth of these type of pests. In many cases they will not eradicate the pest. Vodka dosing will help reduce the nitrate and phosphate levels also, but will not necessarily eradicate the pest either. A common problem is being able to identify your pest to a catagory correctly: true algae, cyano, dino, bacteria & other assorted pests that look similar. In many cases a micro look at your pest is best to properly ID it to one of these catagories. IMHO, if you are faced with an algal type pest problem, it is best to implement an algae pest control program strategy: 1) Wet skimming with a good quality skimmer. Clean your skimmer cup at least once per week. 2) Reduce your nitrates and phosphates to a zero reading using the hobby grade test kits. See Randy's articles regarding this: Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm 3) Proper lighting. I find that the higher wavelength bulbs are less conducive to algae growth. I now run 20,000 K bulbs from using 10,000 K bulbs. 4) Proper day length is a good thing also. I would not run your lights for more than 12 hrs total. Keep in mind that light entering from a window nearby is added to this figure. 5) Running GAC is a good practice in my book. It will help reduce the total dissolved organic carbons in your tank water and this is a food source. 6) Proper 30% per month total water changes will help export the DOC as well as some of the pests in the water column. It will help maintain the micro-nutrients as well. 7) Physical removal of the pest by hand, scrubbing and siphoning is important as well. If the amount of pest in your aquarium is overwhelming, perhaps dealing with one section at a time is a better idea. 8) Proper water circulation in your tank to prevent dead zones. When dealing with cyanobacteria pests increasing the flow where it grows seems to help. 9) Use RODI water for all top-off, salt mixing, additive mixes... etc. 10) Dosing iron may have benefits for macro-algae, but if you are experiencing algae pest problems than I would stop dosing it as it can add to the problem in many cases. 11) If you are dosing other supplements such as vitamins, amino acids, or others that contain a mix of supplements other than the basic alk., calcium and magnesium, I would stop these until you gain control of your pest. This includes many of the store bought products with unknown ingredients. Dosing Vodka or sugar to reduce your nitrates and phosphates would be an exception in my opinion. 12) Proper feeding habits. This can be the number one problem when trying to reduce your nitrate and phosphate levels. Use low phosphate fish foods. 13) IMHO, lighted refugiums may be a problem when trying to deal with an algae type pest problem. They are wonderful when it comes to reducing nitrates and phosphates. However, the light over most refugiums is conducive to the microalgae type pests. If the refugium becomes infested with a microalgae pest, I would clean it throughly of all pests as best as possible, remove the macro and turn off the lights until you gain control of your pest. Re-using the same macroalgae later may serve as a source for re-infestation of your pest. 14) Adding fish and other creatures that will eat your algae pest will help. 15) There are other items that can be added to this list if others care too share and some of the items listed may be disputed.

Bryopsis is a tough one. It is a member of the siphoning algae which can be quite difficult to control. Plus it has special healing powers when fragmented which make it tougher to control. Many hobbyists report good control by elevating their Magnesium levels with Tech M to around 1500 ppm. Personally, I would sacrifice the rock it is on and if you want to keep that rock, I would soak it several times in a bleach solution to kill it.

For those of you who are not familiar with Paul, He wrote this article in ReefKeeping magazine. Paul Baldassano

Using Conductivity to Measure Salinity http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/d...l.aspx?aid=1804

The quote that referenced my thread on RC, should have stated to increase the mag. level to 1600, using Tech M. This is another little tid-bit I found interesting about bryopsis: Bryopsis has special features about it that enable it to heal much better than most other algae as stated in this article: Two Distinct Steps for Spontaneous Generation of Subprotoplasts from a Disintegrated Bryopsis Cell http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/96/3/819 From this article: "Concluding Remarks No protoplasm from other plants and animals generated such protoplast-like structures spontaneously under the current experimental conditions; the algal cells must contain a particular and effective material for agglutinating and fusing algal cellular membranes with the sequential aid of vacuolar sap and seawater. In fact, when separated from vacuolar sap by repeated centrifugation (12,500g, 30 min), the algal protoplasm no longer aggregated nor spherated even under the optimum conditions ofpH and salts. Isolation and characterization of the effective material occurring naturally in Bryopsis cells are under way. Thus, our final hypothesis is that a large amount of a certain effective material is contained in the huge central vacuoles, and this introduces a series of wound-healing reactions through agglutination of the particular cellular mem-branes through the sequential aid of acidic vacuolar sap and then alkaline seawater. Although membrane recycling is a common phenomenon in animal and plant cells, Bryopsis cells apparently have unique membrane systems to protect their gigantic unicellular organization from injury, as seen in clathrin-coated membranes of Boergesenia cells to produce aplanospores by wounding (7, 24). Kobayashi and Kanaizuka (13, 14) separated extruded Bryopsis cell contents into chloroplast and nonchloroplast fractions, together to make subprotoplasts, and thus attempted application of the wound-healing algal ability to artificial cell construction. Subprotoplast regeneration from disintegrated higher plant cells was partially successful using vacuolar sap and cytoplasmic vesicles of this alga under the experimental conditions of the two essential step reactions. The detailed experimental results will be reported elsewhere." You may find this article interesting also: BLUE-GREEN ALGAE (CYANOPHYTA) http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ahmad/buku/.../cyanophyta.doc

For more information on Vodka Dosing, see this article: Vodka Dosing...Distilled! http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

I use kalk with a dosing pump and find that it is probably the cheapest way to go, plus you will get an increase in pH if you have high CO2 levels in your home. For more information on using kalk, here are some articles by Randy Holmes-Farley that may help: What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm The Self Purification of Limewater (Kalkwasser) http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2003/chem.htm Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm