jrpark22000
Premium member
And on how such large fish look so small. Great Stuff Mike.
mlreef 450 gallon mixed reef build
- Thread starter mlreef
- Start date
And on how such large fish look so small. Great Stuff Mike.
mlreef
Active member
Thanks!
Walt, you should stop by and see it in person when you are out this way.
wow... is that xmas tree 2ft tall? or is your tank 6ft ? ...i am kidding, i know, tank is a monster!
Marius, my wife said our tree looks pitiful next to it and it's 7 1/2 tall. I think we are going to need to get a bigger tree next year.
Mike, I can't wait to see the monster...
It's crazy, there are about 35-40 fish in there and it looks really empty. I'm definitely going to have to do a count of what is in there soon.
It's amazing how a fish looks huge in a 150 or 180 and how that same fish looks tiny now in my tank.
What size tank do you have?
Sawdonkey
Premium member
I have a 220 with a 75 gallon sump. I recently bought it off a guy who is/was a member on here. It was an In-wall setup built by Sho Tank, but I'm not going to have it in-wall. I'm using the prior owner's structural stand, but having Danny enclose it with removable panels and a custom canopy. I recently switched over my 90-gal that I've had for many years. I moved over my Picasso Trigger, Niger Trigger, Powder Blue, Naso, and lemon peel from my old tank. I've currently got a Emperor Angel and a Harlequin Tusk in QT. Exciting times since I haven't bought a fish in nearly three years.
nailbender
New member
Great job Mike
Well worth the wait
Well worth the wait
mlreef
Active member
It is exciting times, just remember take your time and read a lot. You're probably going to need more rock as well to accommodate the 220 and a much larger skimmer. The SROXP3000 is a great skimmer for that size tank.
Thank Rick! I'm just taking my time making trying not to make any mistakes.
Hyperlitexr50
Member
I have the SRO 5000 and love it the bubbles it makes are so cool looking
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Has the filtration been discussed in here? I tried to find the post but couldn't.
jrpark22000
Premium member
He is running kaldnes K1 for moving filter bed (post #296)and the skimmer. I havn't seen anything else discussed in the thread.
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Just found it! Thanks!
Can we get some video on the sump and overview of it in action? We'll work on my home visit soon.
mlreef
Active member
The bubbles are really nice and super fine which is what everyone wants. I could not be any happier with my skimmer.
Walt, I'm running 6 100 micron filter socks, then 25 liters of K1 Kaldnes, then Skimmer and then the Refugium.
Walt I can try to get get some video of the sump in action soon. We have a Sony HD video camera but I have never posted or uploaded video before so there will be a learning curve for me.
If someone has done this before and can guide me that would be great. Thanks!
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Just upload to youtube and it should process it. Easy peasy. I'm thinking of following in your footsteps and doing K1 on a smaller scale. You're my inspiration!!!
MMreef
Active member
Hi Mike, I did some research about K1 media and see it is mostly used on fish farms and freshwater tanks. Looks like it is better version of bio balls that do great job breaking down ammonia and nitrite, but is a nitrate factory. Do you have any concerns running it on a reef ?
yogoshio
New member
Based on what I have read, since they are tumbled and properly aerated any dead bacteria fall off and allow new bacteria to grow, which is the cause of nitrate factories from things like bioballs. Everything I've read (from multiple sources) discusses this removes the threat of nitrate factories because of the tumble affect.
KeishaKornbread
Banned
mlreef
Active member
Mark, the constant tumbling and banging with both the water flow and the 65 liters per minute that is being pumped into there is quite violent. All of this combined cleans off the dead bacteria off the kaldnes and allows new bacteria to grow, the dead bacteria will then be removed through the skimmer.
I really don't have many concerns at all running it on a reef setup. I would however have many concerns running this on a fish only system that uses copper. The copper will render the kaldnes ineffective.
Bio balls are stagnant therefore trapping the dead bacteria, kaldnes is in constant motion.
Ben, that is pretty much what happens.
Great Video Walt!
MMreef
Active member
Thank you for providing this great video, but nowhere in it says that this kind of filter doesn't produce nitrates, just that is used to purify waste water, which normally means removing toxic substances like ammonia and nitrites to make water safe to use and drink. That does not mean this water is ideal for reef tanks, especially corals. Also tumbling the media removes dead bacteria that is cause of ammonia not nitrate. If you further research nitrogen cycle in reef aquarium, you will see that nitrates are not produced by dying organic stuff but ammonia is. Therefore bacteria strain develops on surface and consumes ammonia and convert it in to still toxic nitrite. Another bacteria strain again living on surface and needing oxygen consumes nitritie and convert it to nitrate which is not toxic to people and fish unless in very high levels ( test you drinking water, there is a lot NO3 in it ). This K1 media is an excellent place for those two kind of bacteria to grow on it, but... to break down nitrates to harmless nitrogen gas another strain is needed that lives in low oxygen levels areas ( anaerobic), like deep sand bed and inside LR. It is not present on surfaces. K1 media doesn't offer this kind of area for this bacteria, therefore IMO that's where this whole process stops. This kind of filter is great for reducing ammonia and nitrite, but I question its ability to remove nitrates that are produced by nitrite consuming bacteria. I am not here to argue, but I have conserns over effectiveness of this media in REEF tanks. As you see, this been around for a while now, and for some reason it did not found its way in to our hobby. ( I wonder why ). It is great that Mike is using this, so we can learn more from his experience and hopefully it works, but mine concern is based on scientific fact of nitrogen cycle in saltwater, and I wouldn't just blindly believe it solves our problems in REEF tanks. I will be waiting for more updates from you Mike, and hope that this really works. After all we want what's best for our little piece of ocean, right?
KeishaKornbread
Banned
If I understand the technology correctly, the media is only used to provide a home for nitrifying bacteria. Ammonia consumption will still only be handled by the bacteria. Due to the increased amount of surface area for the bacteria, the tank waste will be able to be consumed by the bacteria more quickly and then turned into waste that we would be removing from our tanks with partial water change, GFO and carbon as usual (traditional methods). The K1 is basically serving as your live rock, reducing the amount of rock needed in your setup. Since you can take out rock, you increase water volume for the system which is exactly why I am interested in this stuff. I have a chamber or rubble that I would like to empty out.
MMreef
Active member
Believe me Walt I hope it works as advertised, but the problem I see is it will not replace LR completely, because LR is porous and deep in live rock anaerobic bacteria brake down NO3, K1 media provides only surface for aerobic bacteria and not anaerobic that is needed. Maybe my thinking is flowed, that is why is great to learn from others.I am not saying I am right, just voicing my concerns.