- Stage one in the biome cycle experiment is complete.
What's next?
We take what we've learned
and take the next step forward.
The mission,
a near effortless path to cycling a reef tank
avoiding or managing the uglies,
and making reefing what it should be,
beautiful and fun.
To do that,
we reboot 12 tanks
and combine what worked from round one
into six different groups.
The biggest driving factor
in how we reshape the next wave of experiments
is we're going to prioritize readily available tools,
sources of media or rock that can be easily sourced
and should provide consistent results
from one reefer to another.
Old unavailable methods out,
new readily available options in.
We'll get to the next experiment design in just a second.
First, a quick summary of what we've learned so far
and the resulting questions that they pose.
First, it's clear that the ocean based substrates,
like Ocean Direct sand and Aquaforest Life Source
add microbiome to the tank that dry sand does not.
But can that be used to defend
against other bacterial issues like cyano?
It was hard to tell in these tanks
because so many got overrun by diatoms.
Let's find out the answer when that isn't the case.
Second, the tanks,
which had sources of micro crustaceans,
like pods, to begin with,
avoided pests like diatoms altogether.
Tanks which ended up with these pests
were solved with the addition of pods later.
So the answer to avoid them to begin with
is not about pods or no pods.
It's likely more about timing
and getting them in there before we add the pests.
Let's find out.
Third, other than green algae,
the gulf based rocks seemed to be one of the best solutions
and it's likely the most consistent source
of microbiome from all the wet live rock sources.
What happens when we add in
the utilitarian algae eaters?
Let's find out.
Fourth, throwing some established dark rubble into the sump
but otherwise 100% dry sterile-ish rock and sand
produce some of the best results of the entire test.
Can we find a replicable source of dark rubble
that's readily available and will work well for everyone?
Let's find out.
Fifth, the corals are donors or sources
of not just the good,
but the bad and the ugly pests as well.
Can we use dips that limit them
and avoid them all together?
Let's find out.
Those are the findings and questions.
These are the six methods of biome cycling experiments
that we're going to use to pursue the answers.
The first two we designate as pseudo sterile,
our best attempt to date
at establishing the good without the bad.
Pseudo sterile experiment number one,
the microbiome seeded with the Ocean Direct Sand
and Aquaforest Life Source,
dosed during the dark period.
Micro crustaceans seeded with AlgaeBarn's EcoPods,
Dry Marco Rock as the habitat,
recreating the healthy measurable biome
from the first phase of the experiments,
coupled with pods.
A simple, easy to reproduce
and lower cost solution.
Pseudo sterile experiment number two,
we attempt something similar,
but with the Aquaforest Life Source seeding microbiome
to the most common sand out there,
CaribSea's Special Grade
and a different type of rock with Aquaforest Rock as well.
Hopefully Life Source will transfer the biome
to this popular sand.
Micro crustaceans seeded with AlgaeBarn's EcoPods.
In both of the pseudo sterile experiments,
we're going to attempt to control
what is introduced as well.
We'll perform two minute hydrogen peroxide dips
before every coral enters a tank,
an aggressive approach to keeping the tank clean
and limiting the introduction of undesirable pest organisms.
Peroxide is a very aggressive dip,
so knowing what makes it through that
is just as critical for us to learn.
Next, three experiments we designate
as the cryptic fuge.
We add natural sources of biome to a dark area of the tank,
in this case, a hang on fuge,
to seed the biome without putting
in the photo synthetics directly into the display.
The first cryptic fuge
we order the Tampa Bay Saltwater Sand
for the bottom substrate of our fuge
and some Tampa Bay Saltwater TBS rubble
to fill in the rest of the fuge.
Tampa Bay Saltwater specializes
wet aquaculture gulf rock,
and what I used in my first tank nearly 20 years ago.
This should seed microbial biome,
micro crustaceans,
and provide a safe haven for them to replicate
without adding photo synthetics directly to the display.
The dark period,
hopefully keeping overall photo synthetics
at a very low level Marco Rock and dry sand
up front in the display
is a cost effective aqua scape solution.
The second cryptic fuge,
nearly the exact same thing
but this time using the tested
and certified biome provided
by Aquabiomics Sand and Rubble Microbiome Seeded Media,
coupled with Reef Nutrition pods.
In this case, not just microbiome
but from someone who is attempting to do it
in a more refined and controlled manner.
The third cryptic fuge,
Aquaforest Life Source Mud,
Life Biofill Media,
and AlgaeBarn's EcoPods in the dark remote fuge.
If this works,
it'll be the trifecta of low cost,
easiest, and readily available solutions of the bunch.
Next experiment is based on wet live rock,
TBS Tampa Bay Saltwater Rock,
because gulf rock is really the only widely available source
of wet live rock to the average reefer.
Gulf Live Rock is also the only live rock
that's likely scalable to future reefers needs
if this becomes the go-to.
For this experiment we used TBS Live Gulf Sand
as well as their base rock directly in the display.
The base rock is all the microscopic biome and crustaceans
but without as much of the life and organics on the rock
and significantly lower cost
than their premium rock
that does come covered in corals and sponges.
That's six tanks,
two pseudo sterile,
three cryptic fuge,
and one sustainable approach to live rock.
So what about the other six?
The other six will be the exact replicas
but with utilitarian crab,
snails, and stars, and fish.
I believe that we'll see the results
of a strong approach to microbiome
and micro crustacean base from the first experiments
combined with the final polish
of the utilitarian fish and inverts
the micro, meso, and macro predators working together
to a combined result,
a redundant biome.
One small exception with TBS rock experiment,
the second tank will be the TBS package
that comes with their premium rock.
The package includes two pounds of rock per gallon,
one pound of sand, hermits, snails,
bristle stars, cucumbers, and peppermint shrimp.
Different than the last time,
we also monitor and manage the nutrients
with water changes as well.
With all the tanks,
our macro predators or utilitarian fish
will be the following,
one fox face rabbit fish
and a bristle tooth tang for algae,
a Melanarus Wrasse for flatworms,
nudis, and predator bugs,
and a filefish for aiptasia or pest anemones.
Meso predators,
sand sifting starfish,
nassarius snails for sand,
peppermint shrimp for aiptasia,
emerald crabs for bubble algae,
cleaner shrimp for parasites,
hermits and trochus snails for detritus and microalgae,
bumblebee snails for a shot in the dark at vermatids.
This experiment in all 12 tanks
will have a four month cycle,
all exactly the same.
One month dark period,
one month just enjoy the fish and inverts,
one month enjoy the corals
and let the tank deal with the pests that they introduce.
Month four, it's time to put them all to the test
and add the pest slurry.
The goal, at least one repeatable path
to a clean easy tank
and avoiding the tank cycle
and ugly stage conversation forever.
Hopefully we'll find multiple methods
that work with other ancillary benefits for each.
Answers once we complete the phase two.
Hit that subscribe button
and the bell to know the moment that we release them all.