Dr Tim is the man!!! No one else is taking about this kinda stuff and it’s so important I see so many people complaining about how their nutrients are low but yet will also say they love to over skim I can’t wait for someone to truly help people Be less confused about what a reef tank is and how to properly care for one to help everyone have amazing great success!!!
There are people about, in fact many of the current topics were discussed 20years ago,pre- youtube etc :) Takes someone like Lou Ekusfrom from TropicMarin.He discusses it along with allinone. Yet even this newish hyped product we have used under different brands, forms, for 20years :)
I'm learning a lot from this series, thanks. I'm glad someone is presenting educated alternatives to the general techniques people use. It's especially important to point out (as you have) that what works for your tank may not work for mine, and vice-versa.
Hey Mark, I've been kinda waiting for the next video because you said we need to understand best practices before running out and adding a carbon source to our tank.
I completely agree I dose 5ml of nopox daily. The nitrates and phos stay the same daily with equal feedings. Other trace elements are dosed and I save on salt
Bio pellet reactors definitely do a great job, but with technology/knowledge today, we can definitely over filter our systems and create an ULNS as Mark mentioned. I myself prefer a refugium for a few reasons. I can definitely see pods and other micro fauna thrive without fish pressure, and all though there is some maintenance involved (bio pellet reactors aren't maint. free either) I typically trade a 5G bucket worth of Chaeto to my LFS for a decent store credit. after a few trips, it's nice finding a sweet frag I want for 1/2 off or even free depending on the price! Thanks fish poop!
@@unthinkable1063 I dont know if they can trasmit pathogens to certain corals. , never found an answer but see zoah deaths and pods are suspects til they ain't. .. Mainly tho I dont want the extra macronutrients export and like to do regular water changes
I’d love to hear dr Tim explain a bit more in detail about what happens if we carbon dose without a skimmer can this be done and what are the pros and cons please!!! 🙏 ❤️
they are all nutrient exporting in various ways, the fish, the corals, the filters, the bacteria. Knowing what is left remaining and is in/out of balance is the next part of the knowledge curve
Carbon Dosing is the way to go. It’s probably the future of water purification in this industry. Refugiums honestly didn’t do very well for me not to mention it creates a huge mess growing tons of greens in the sump. You’ll have to take a lot of precaution to black out the walls keeping light to the refugium only. It was very messy and didn’t do well for me which is a double negative. It did however grew copepods very well. I had an army of those and it was even fascinating to watch as it seemed like a world within a world. Deliberately growing copepods is only for 1 ultimate reason imo. To keep dragonets. All other benefits can be substituted by other organisms/methods.
I don’t know refugiums for me is more natural than anything else it helps with keeping ph stable by lightning it up oposite to the display. I don’t know I just love Julian sprung way of things
Since you proactively brought up refugiums and stated they aren't your chosen method for nutrient export, it would be good to understand the pros and cons for a newbie. Refugiums can be cheaper as you need to swap out th biopellet s or buy liquid carbon regularly, you get added benefit of pods they feed your tsnk, on the other side you safe space with a carbon reactor compared to a refugium in your sump etc etc
Mark, I have a 48x48x24 (240g) tank. I believe cheato in combination with skimming and a good bacteria population is a great way to maintain a tank. I am running a Pentair 40 watt UV sterilizer to help fight off algae, cyano and dino. The flow rate for protozoa is 157 to 262 GPH and 943 to 1574 GPH for algae and bacteria. I am moving 570 +/- GPH through the UV. My water has always been very clear. My sand bed on the other hand, not so much. I've made it a habit to add bacteria after vacuuming my sand bed. The cyano and dino are slowly disappearing from the sand. Very Slowly. My question is, do you think decreasing the flow through the UV (570 GPH) to something like 400 GPH would allow more "good" bacteria to grow/reproduce and out compete the "bad" bacteria or be a waste of effort?
What about activated carbon? I recently switched one of my two Aquaclear 110’s running in tandem on my 60 Gal to purigen? Thinking it would do better getting rid of nutrients over the carbon…
I thought ultra low nutrients was the entire point of that one system where you have to add like twenty different products from different dropper bottles that all need a different number of drops every day? Everything looks pastel and I thought people chase that.
I've been torn between a refugee and a protein skimmer I think I'm gonna go with the protein swimmer and I'll it just makes more sense to me I've been doing fish keeping most of my life and so far as filtrations go they're all basically the same I think the protein skimmer is a better idea than the refugee
They both serve different issues though...you definitely want a skimmer....fuge is up to you and your needs...I personally run one as a minimalist refugium....PH benefits plus pod safe space ...I don't use my fuge to control nutrients....
I use an 11 gallon fugue with 3 tunz lights ( purple one) on a 60 gallon mixed reef tank . My only other filter is a tidel 75 and my nitrate and phosphate stay in check.
Now that I watched this I want to go back to bio- pellets. Thinking back for over a year now. I have struggled ever since I took them off. I never thought they were that beneficial. Looking back I should of never taken them off. My rank looks horrible and is covered in green algae. Remind me never to listen to old school reefers again. My tank has always ran false nitrate and phosphate number. They are constant zeros, so I guess the algae and calerpa are the reason why.
you dose a carbon source (usually alcohol based) to feed bacteria that is already in your tank. The carbon source stimulates the bacteria already in your tank to reproduce quickly. If you add too much too fast, you get a bacterial bloom which will cloud your water. This also tends to strip your oxygen levels in your tank so be careful. I've heard stories of people losing fish (smaller fish seem more susceptible) because a large bacterial bloom stripping the oxygen out of the tank.
If you need more bacteria consider more live rock or a bio blocks....as far as fuge I do a mini fuge on my 130 system strictly for its PH boosting and pod reproduction....I don't keep a massive ball of chaeto....just a softball ....
Dammit. I want the next video now lol
Dr Tim is the man!!! No one else is taking about this kinda stuff and it’s so important I see so many people complaining about how their nutrients are low but yet will also say they love to over skim
I can’t wait for someone to truly help people
Be less confused about what a reef tank is and how to properly care for one to help everyone have amazing great success!!!
There are people about, in fact many of the current topics were discussed 20years ago,pre-
youtube etc :) Takes someone like Lou Ekusfrom from TropicMarin.He discusses it along with allinone. Yet even this newish hyped product we have used under different brands, forms, for 20years :)
I'm learning a lot from this series, thanks. I'm glad someone is presenting educated alternatives to the general techniques people use. It's especially important to point out (as you have) that what works for your tank may not work for mine, and vice-versa.
Hey Mark, I've been kinda waiting for the next video because you said we need to understand best practices before running out and adding a carbon source to our tank.
I completely agree I dose 5ml of nopox daily. The nitrates and phos stay the same daily with equal feedings. Other trace elements are dosed and I save on salt
Bio pellet reactors definitely do a great job, but with technology/knowledge today, we can definitely over filter our systems and create an ULNS as Mark mentioned. I myself prefer a refugium for a few reasons. I can definitely see pods and other micro fauna thrive without fish pressure, and all though there is some maintenance involved (bio pellet reactors aren't maint. free either) I typically trade a 5G bucket worth of Chaeto to my LFS for a decent store credit. after a few trips, it's nice finding a sweet frag I want for 1/2 off or even free depending on the price! Thanks fish poop!
Refugiums are a marmite method for sure. Iddontpersonally want pods in m system for example :)
@@PazLeBon why no pods? free clean-up crew and snacks for coral/fish seem like a good thing. what's the negative?
@@unthinkable1063 I dont know if they can trasmit pathogens to certain corals. , never found an answer but see zoah deaths and pods are suspects til they ain't. .. Mainly tho I dont want the extra macronutrients export and like to do regular water changes
@@mindme6904 i don't keep zoas ;) nor fuges haha
I’d love to hear dr Tim explain a bit more in detail about what happens if we carbon dose without a skimmer can this be done and what are the pros and cons please!!! 🙏 ❤️
they are all nutrient exporting in various ways, the fish, the corals, the filters, the bacteria. Knowing what is left remaining and is in/out of balance is the next part of the knowledge curve
The nopox seems to work well for me. When I noticed the nitrates getting high, I’ll dose nopox for a week and it seems to take care of things.
Is that the real Dr. Tim???
Carbon Dosing is the way to go. It’s probably the future of water purification in this industry. Refugiums honestly didn’t do very well for me not to mention it creates a huge mess growing tons of greens in the sump. You’ll have to take a lot of precaution to black out the walls keeping light to the refugium only. It was very messy and didn’t do well for me which is a double negative. It did however grew copepods very well. I had an army of those and it was even fascinating to watch as it seemed like a world within a world. Deliberately growing copepods is only for 1 ultimate reason imo. To keep dragonets. All other benefits can be substituted by other organisms/methods.
There is nothing better than the natural 🌱 Way
What is unnatural about naturally occurring bacteria?
I don’t know refugiums for me is more natural than anything else it helps with keeping ph stable by lightning it up oposite to the display. I don’t know I just love Julian sprung way of things
Agree… I don’t run a refugium at all… I use soft corals for that and it I don’t need to run any additional lights. Keep it simple
Since you proactively brought up refugiums and stated they aren't your chosen method for nutrient export, it would be good to understand the pros and cons for a newbie. Refugiums can be cheaper as you need to swap out th biopellet s or buy liquid carbon regularly, you get added benefit of pods they feed your tsnk, on the other side you safe space with a carbon reactor compared to a refugium in your sump etc etc
Mark, I have a 48x48x24 (240g) tank. I believe cheato in combination with skimming and a good bacteria population is a great way to maintain a tank. I am running a Pentair 40 watt UV sterilizer to help fight off algae, cyano and dino. The flow rate for protozoa is 157 to 262 GPH and 943 to 1574 GPH for algae and bacteria. I am moving 570 +/- GPH through the UV. My water has always been very clear. My sand bed on the other hand, not so much. I've made it a habit to add bacteria after vacuuming my sand bed. The cyano and dino are slowly disappearing from the sand. Very Slowly.
My question is, do you think decreasing the flow through the UV (570 GPH) to something like 400 GPH would allow more "good" bacteria to grow/reproduce and out compete the "bad" bacteria or be a waste of effort?
Dont overskim the tank to maintain healthy bacteria in the water column and avoid most issues like cyano and corals will also grow faster
Will a fleece roller filter out bacteria?
What about activated carbon? I recently switched one of my two Aquaclear 110’s running in tandem on my 60 Gal to purigen? Thinking it would do better getting rid of nutrients over the carbon…
What bio pellets reactor are you using in your tank. I need to find a large one as well. I am in Australian
I thought ultra low nutrients was the entire point of that one system where you have to add like twenty different products from different dropper bottles that all need a different number of drops every day? Everything looks pastel and I thought people chase that.
I've been torn between a refugee and a protein skimmer I think I'm gonna go with the protein swimmer and I'll it just makes more sense to me I've been doing fish keeping most of my life and so far as filtrations go they're all basically the same I think the protein skimmer is a better idea than the refugee
They both serve different issues though...you definitely want a skimmer....fuge is up to you and your needs...I personally run one as a minimalist refugium....PH benefits plus pod safe space ...I don't use my fuge to control nutrients....
@@Sammy31Dee thank you that is what I am going to do
I use an 11 gallon fugue with 3 tunz lights ( purple one) on a 60 gallon mixed reef tank . My only other filter is a tidel 75 and my nitrate and phosphate stay in check.
Use your refugium to grow live food such as pods for your fish.
Now that I watched this I want to go back to bio- pellets. Thinking back for over a year now. I have struggled ever since I took them off. I never thought they were that beneficial. Looking back I should of never taken them off. My rank looks horrible and is covered in green algae. Remind me never to listen to old school reefers again. My tank has always ran false nitrate and phosphate number. They are constant zeros, so I guess the algae and calerpa are the reason why.
🔥🤙
🤔
Are you dosing bacteria?
you dose a carbon source (usually alcohol based) to feed bacteria that is already in your tank. The carbon source stimulates the bacteria already in your tank to reproduce quickly. If you add too much too fast, you get a bacterial bloom which will cloud your water. This also tends to strip your oxygen levels in your tank so be careful. I've heard stories of people losing fish (smaller fish seem more susceptible) because a large bacterial bloom stripping the oxygen out of the tank.
Biopellet nuked my tank,they are difficult to tun,carbon is more easy to fine tun to your needs
If you need more bacteria consider more live rock or a bio blocks....as far as fuge I do a mini fuge on my 130 system strictly for its PH boosting and pod reproduction....I don't keep a massive ball of chaeto....just a softball ....
Bacteria that you’re looking for in the live rock and bio blocks it’s not the same bacteria produced by liquid or solid carbon sources.
@@Saltwateraquariumdotcom and if you're dosing those bottles previously and have it established ?
Bueller?
Mark, when are you going to do a tour of your tank and system.😂