Nutrient Export

[NaCl_H2O]

Lots of talk lately about Phosphates and other nutrients in our tanks, algae problems, cyano, etc. So, let's start a thread to outline what each of us does for nutrient export, I'll go first ...

The system is a 700g capacity system, probably ~500g operational capacity

- RO/DI - Try to flush & keep filters changed to maintain < 0-5 TDS
- 50g Fefugium with a DSB (8") and some LR - every imaginable variety of macro algae. Prune 1-2 gallons of Macro 2-3x/month
- Turboflotor 5000 skimmer with RedSea 200 Ozone generator, ORP runs between 290-325. Clean the skimmer cup 2-3 times/week
- All tanks (3) have a DSB of 6-8"
- About 800lbs of live rock in the tanks
- All tanks drain to a single sump system. Drains through 4 spray bars over a 1.5'x2' piece of filter floss. I change the filter floss 1-2 times per week
- Wet/Dry filter with about 15g of BioBalls
- Run carbon 24x7
- Recently added PhosBan reactor, but easing into this slowly
- Lots of hermits and snails
- Tangs to cleanup any algae that might get started in the tanks
- Water turnover: SPS 30x, LPS 20x, Clams 15x - only 5x of this is through the sump
- 100g water change once every two weeks
- Now and then clean settled ditritus from sumps - no noticable ditritus build up in tanks

Ammonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate are allways zero.

I am currently battling a little cyano on the sand bed, only other algae growth is inside the overflows.

Who's next?

[matt]

No tank, no nutrient import or export! :(

Hopefully by Christmas I'll have something set up.

[NaCl_H2O]

No tank, no nutrient import or export! :(
No money export either ;)

[gjuarez]

Well I am finally setting up my 29g sps tank next week. I took it down cause it was leaking. Anyways, here is what I will be doing. BTW, its a starboard bottom tank so nutrient export is a little different for me.

-RO/DI - No types of sponges or socks
-10g barebottom sump/refugium, some chaeto to help with nutrient export, no sand
-100 Sealife Systems In-Sump Protein Skimmer skimming wet, will be upgrading to turboflotor 1000
-aprozimately 50 pounds of live rock
-Tunze 6060 to keep detritus in suspension
-carbon 24/7 changed bi-weekly
-Thinking about Phosban reactor
-various hermits and snails
-Turnover = a lot with tunze and maxijet, I have to calculate it
-5g water changes every week with RO/DI water and I.O., helps replace trace elements


Being that this is a starboard bottom tank (barebotton), my goal is to have tons of flow and keep the display detritus free. I have downgraded the return pump to a mag 5 and I have a spraybar that helps eliminate dead spots, if any. 90% of the detritus is expected to settle in the sump. Being that it is difficult to syphon detirtus out of the sump, i will just take the sump apart every week and throw out the 5g of saltwater and detritus. The sump will then be filled with new saltwater and the chaeto and all other equipment will be put back in. The main display tank will be syphoned as needed. This has worked for me in the past but I am making slight modifications. I have never messed with phosphate removers but I think I will start, but not before I get a quality test kit. For the mean while, I will stick to religious water changes. I am probably forgetting something, if so I will edit later.

[NaCl_H2O]

Come on, Gary, Pete, MikeyBoy, Todd, ... Thought this would be a good thread for our newbie reefers. You know ... "Education"! Never know, you might learn something too ;)

[thedude]

I'll go, 30 gallon SPS cube, no fish.

-RO/DI with dual DI, TDS = 0
-Mag 9.5 return into Pacific Coast 1/10th hp chiller
-Trigger Systems sump with Euroreef 6-2 in it
-100 Micron Filter sock used when tank is stirred up
-Evaporation through a kalk reactor
-20 pounds of live rock with starboard bottom
-Two Tunze 7040's on controller, along with hydor flo on maxijet 1200
-Around 40 snails, emerald crab, 5 peppermint shrimp
-Suction of settled detritus every 3-4 days, 10g water change weekly
-Carbon used 24/7, 1/2 changed monthly
-Purigen run 24/7

Turnover rate estimated at 100X

I'd also like to add that I test very well:
Salinity: 1.026
PH: 8.3
Temperature: 78.6-79.3 (highest I've seen)
Inorganic Phosphate: undetectable
Ammonia, Nitirite: Undetectable
Nitrate: Undetectable

The one thing I'll add is that until you've run a barebottom system, you'll never know how much detritus rocks spew. It's almost mind boggling.

[purplesprite]

ok so i have a 30gal long display tank and 20long sump,10gal refugium.

-ro/di water with tds at 0 out at all times-so far
-55 to 60lbs live rock,30lbs live sand in display
-20lbs live rock,15lbs live sand in refugium w/cheato and culurpa
-20long sump contains aqua-c remora skimmer(sux IMO)
-rio 3100 return pump w/15watt UV sterilizer plumbed in
-activated carbon in media reactor
-phos-ban in media reactor
-10 gallon water changes bi-weekly(sometimes)
-chingos de hermits,snails,starfish,bristle worms...you know

I clean the glass when i see the slightest of build-up,prolly twice a week.i dont test for phosphates,nitrates,nitrites,ammonia,blah,blah,bla h.Iguess i should though.I've been kinda lazy lately knowing that Im going to a bigger tank soon.all I test is cal,alk,sg/sal. and ph.My macro algea stopped growing for the past week i guess nutrients are low?

let me know what yall think.

[pilot_bell777]

Ok....I guess its my turn.

I put the water in, get ****ed off, take the water out, spill it all over the carpet, clean it up with the wet/dry vac. Get yelled at by my wife, cuss a little, then make new water, put it in, get ****ed off and start all over again.

Well......I'm setting up my tank LOL

What I plan to do is....

RO/DI water -> TDS=0
30x trun over
Big Skimmer
refugium with marco and xenia
xenia and clams in tank
tangs/snails/hermits
water change bi-weekly
UV Sterilizer on 1hour a day
carbon 24/7 changed bi weekly

a lot of LR with a good sand beed in tank and 8 inch sand bed in refugium

Thats if I make it that far! LOL

In my nano....
5 gallon nano
5lbs of LR
3" sand bed
3 Nausaria (sp) snails
3 Margarit Snails
3 red leg hermits
2 false percs
1 BTA anemome (sp)
Zoos/Polups
GSP
floss filter with carbon
Powerhead with carbon cartrige
vaccum and change 25% water weekly
clean filter medai/change carbon

[purplesprite]

I put the water in, get ****ed off, take the water out, spill it all over the carpet, clean it up with the wet/dry vac. Get yelled at by my wife, cuss a little, then make new water, put it in, get ****ed off and start all over again.

Thats too funny...LOL

[MikeyBoy]

The system is a 500g capacity system, probably ~400g operational capacity

- RO/DI - Try to flush & keep filters changed to maintain < 0-5 TDS
- 135g Elevated Refugium with a SB (4") and Mostly Cheato and some Caulerpa. Prune 5 gallons of Macro a month
- Turboflotor 5000 double pumped skimmer- Clean the cup twice week
- Aquamedic 200 Ozone generator on skimmer , ORP runs bout 310.
- About 300lbs of live rock in the main tank
- Tank has 4 drains to sump and then pumped to fuge and gravity fed back to tank.
- Filter floss in chemical area of sump -change 1 time per month
- Run Tripeletized carbon 24x7
- PhosBan reactor 24x7 with about 60g of media, used to run Phosguard
- Lots of hermits and snails
- Tangs demolish any algea in tank, and I feed them macro from Fuge too
- Water turnover: VERY brisk, using 1 1/2 OM on Dart and Tunze 6100
- 55g water change once a month with automated system
- Ditritus from in sump vacummed on water changes.

Ammonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate are allways zero.