I'm really about to called out on this one...

[Scutterborn]

I may be showing the green in my gills here but, I had an idea. Filter feeders pull nutrients from the water. We use foam fractioning to pull nutrients from the water. We spend money on power foods to feed our coral. Our skimmers pull some/most of it back out.

Why can't we use skimmate to taget feeds things like clams? Specifically when we are rehabbing them and do the "I'm gonna enclose you in a bottle" feeding.


- Ben -

[FireWater]

What the skimmer pulls out is concentrated waste. It would be like trying to dig a hole and I was putting the dirt back in that you just dug out. Not to mention, most of the waste is just that - waste that has already been used and has little benefit. I don't think there is enough nutrient left in skimmate that will be beneficial over the long term problem of nuisance by introducing it back into your system.

Now, the principle you have is fairly sound. I have read of several "expert" keepers that run their skimmers in shifts. Get a bigger than needed skimmer and run it half a day or something similar to that plan.

I don't follow that advice on my own tank though.

[Big_Pun]

it's like eating the drippings out of pan after cooking a roast, when it would be better to just eat the roast(coral food)

[rrasco]

I have a NAC9 on my 105. It's rated for 300-500 gallons. I turned it off on Wednesday for about 3 hours when I fed and when I came back, the tank was cloudy. Now I'm nervous to turn it off again.

[allan]

it would be an interesting experiment. I can try it.... The thing is that it would be a very small piece of skimmate, diluted with tank water, and targeted to a specific coral. I'm thinking those fair dust palies.

[Big_Pun]

it would be an interesting experiment. I can try it.... The thing is that it would be a very small piece of skimmate, diluted with tank water, and targeted to a specific coral. I'm thinking those fair dust palies.

cool. if it kills them let me know also try it on trash palys lol

[allan]

lol, will do

[koa25]

I feel like xenia would be better suited for an experiment like this. Aren't they the goats of the coral world. They enjoy dirty nasty water? I mean fair dusts are a weed and if kills them then?... yeah ha ha.

[Scutterborn]

Don't worry, Allan. I've got more to replenish your stock.


- Ben -

[Triggerman]

Drippings from a roast pan makes for some good gravy!

I have seen quite a few people use a xenia fuge on their systems

[Troy Valentine]

Love my Xenia fuge been running them for almost a decade.... When I pull frags from it I notice an increase in algae growth to fill the void that the Xenia left behind. That tells me that a nutrient balance has been acheived much like an algae turf scrubber, and when I run both my skimmers it has a direct impact on the Xenia. They pulse slower and don't grow nearly as fast.

[rrasco]

Brisket drippings are traditionally used to make the BBQ sauce as well.

After seeing Troy's fuge full of xenia, I have to try it.

[Troy Valentine]

Leave the Coral take the Brisket

[Scutterborn]

I've considered using macros in the DT and using Xenia in the fuge. They are more self sustaining than chaeto in the fact that the population is controlled directly by available nutrients.


- Ben -

[Flyride95]

The only thing I don't like is that when the fuge light goes out they will shrink up thus filtration will go down. It will only be good when your fuge light is on.

[jcnkt_ellis]

So...run a xenia fuge light 24/7?

[Scutterborn]

The only problem I can see with running it 24/7 would be that the reverse light cycle to balance ph would be defeated. Also, bulb replacement would need to occur more often.

I am curious, Troy, how well do you develop pod populations with Xenia instead of chaeto?


- Ben -

[rrasco]

I don't think lights on 24/7 effects the ph. I think when your lights go out at night, it changes. By leaving the sump light on, it counteracts it. I don't think it has any effect when the DT lights are on so leaving it on 24/7 should still offer the same benefits as running a reverse cycle.

[allan]

Lights on in Steve causes algae to grow (respirate?). Your tangs usually keep it so close to te rock you don't see it.

Lights turn off the algae stops. Ph drops as a result.

Lights in fuge turn on, algae grows, ph stabilizes.

Leaving the light on in fuge all the time will still IMO cause ph to fluctuate when dt light goes out. Just not as much. If your nutrient level is high 24/7 is probably a good thing.

Xenia as a filter feeder, they need a rest cycle so leaving your lights on 24/7 probably isn't wise. No algae eaters in your sump and you will have algae growing.


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[Troy Valentine]

I am curious, Troy, how well do you develop pod populations with Xenia instead of chaeto?


- Ben -

Good question... Its hard to see how big the pod population is because of the thickness of the Xenia forest I have growing. I can see plenty of critters, but its hard to tell if they are growing at the same rate as they are in my macro fuge. I recently started using an ATO supplied Kalk reactor to dose phyto directly into the fuge. Worked wonders on the pod population, and it seems to have a positive effect on the over all health of system.

[Scutterborn]

Who is Steve and why the heck does he have a light IN him!?!?!


- Ben -

[Scutterborn]

I've been looking into a phyto reactor...


- Ben -

[Scutterborn]

I figured it out... You named your fuge Steve. Lol

When you kill the light on algae it goes into a photorespiration period. At this point the begin to produce Co2 as opposed to o2. Co2 lowers the ph.


- Ben -

[allan]

Sorry, I'm in a CHL class typing under table.


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