Photo from "Marine Atlas" by Helmut Debelius

After 30-something years in the hobby, you see a lot of trends come and go. Fads and “new” ideas show up and subsequently vanish back into the mists of time. Some of these “fads” do stick around a while, yet many quickly disappear after we move on to the next big thing.

You need only look back in recent  reef hobby “history” to see examples of what I mean: A few years back, Acanthastrea was all the rage. If you had one, it didn’t matter how ugly it was—you were the coolest thing this side of ORA! People were downright proud of the big bucks they dropped on “designer Acans.”  Much has been written about that topic, so I’ll leave it at that. Then came the Micromussa, and suddenly, we were into a whole new coral phase, with a similar madness—inflated prices and trendy names! This one stuck around a lot longer—and with good reason in my opinion, at least Micromussa are actually attractive! It’s really fun for me to follow these trends and how they arise, I tell ya!

Sitting around one night, I was looking at the sexy new equipment I’ve been accumulating for my new system, and I thought about some major trends and fads from over the years to see what impact they had on the hobby. How they impacted us and—for that matter—how they actually stuck around. I settled on two items that really fit the bill. Here are my rants on both:

The “Wet-Dry” Trickle Filter

Where would the hobby be without this invention? Originally derived from sewage treatment technology, the  “wet-dry” trickle filter worked very well, and when entrepreneur George Smit unveiled it in America in 1986, a virtual revolution occurred. Suddenly, interest in the marine hobby skyrocketed. Because of the wonderful biological processing capabilities of the trickle filter, it became possible to maintain very high water quality and keep live corals and invertebrates with success never before enjoyed by earlier generations of hobbyists.  As so often happens when things get “trendy” and a quick buck can be made, all sorts of people got into the “trickle filter business.” Suddenly, anyone with access to acrylic, glue, and one of Albert Theil’s books was a player in the hobby. If you look back in a magazine—say, FAMA from 1987-88, there were literally dozens of “filter manufacturers,” ranging from a guy in his garage to some pretty large companies that  saw a good thing and hopped on the wet-dry train!  Each one was out there promising optimum performance and results from their filter.  Interestingly enough, almost none of these smaller guys are around today.

And of course, the folks who made plastic biomedia were having a field day! Just about anything, from extruded plastic noodles to hair curlers (“Mom, do you have any…?” was a refrain often heard at my house when I was a kid) were employed as “trickle filter media” . You could actually judge how cool a hobbyist was by what kind of biomedia he was using in his trickle filter…I’m serious! Dupla Bio Balls were the Elos products of their day. Your friends would literally drive to your house to see your trickle filter full of blue bioballs (OK—don’t even go there—I know a few of you are feasting on the innuendo). It was very serious back then, but absolutely hysterical to look back on now.

Trickle filters for reef systems hung on well into the 90s, and are still used today in freshwater systems and—for that matter— in some marine systems, too. The biggest downfall was the resulting accumulation of nitrate that occurred in trickle-filtered aquariums. So efficient at removing ammonia and nitrite, trickle filters fell short on harboring bacteria that consumed nitrate. Once the “Berlin” movement came around in the 90s, people began yanking their biomedia, and suddenly the concept of the “sump” was born. The “filter” in the traditional sense had morphed into a reservoir that served as the nexus of your water processing system: The “filter”, er—sump—now contained your protein skimmer (in many cases), reactors for various chemical media, and even macroalgae. This configuration is still the gold standard to this day. It’s safe to say that the trickle filter never really died—it just…evolved. Good technology changing with the knowledge of the times.

Sandbeds

Talk about controversy! There were many serious disagreements among hobby “experts” and main-street hobbyists alike about the merits of sand in the aquarium. Full-on, knock-down drag-out fights occurred on the message boards, in the hobby media, and simply between hobbyists in person! In the early days of the so-called “Berlin” method, it was agreed that you wouldn’t use sand in the aquarium, You were adding copious amounts of kalkwasser for topoff, which was to maintain alkalinity and calcium levels. Sand was less relevant. Eventually, Berlin subscribers decided that their tanks were lacking something…SAND! So back in to the tank the sand went. Suddenly, interest in living sandbeds and the beneficial creatures that lived and worked there exploded. Thanks to the work of  authors like John Tullock, Ron Schimek and others, sand was not just stuff that you threw on the bottom of the tank. It was an adjunct to your filter system—a biological compliment to your tank.

Interest in sandbeds grew, and it was discovered that biological processes were taking place in deep sandbeds that assisted in the processing of nitrate and other substances that could degrade water quality. Then came the plenum, a man-made “assist” to the biological process. It was discovered that if you set one up right, you could create a “void” space that would really help the sandbed function even better. Man assisting nature! However, the plenum never really caught on that well, and users of the plenum swore by it, while detractors claimed all sorts of tank disasters could be attributed to it…in fact, the detractors of plenums also led to a backlash against all sorts of sandbeds. Suddenly, hobbyist message boards were filled with hateful jabs. Hobbyists claimed that deep sand beds (with plenums or otherwise) caused their tanks to “crash,” corals to wither away, their sex life to evaporate, etc. Some geniuses decided that keeping your tank bare of sand was the ticket! The only way! In fact, it was advised that you use “cutting board” (Starboard) at the bottom of your tank for both aesthetics and practical purposes rather than evil sand. You needed to keep detritus in suspension—Detritus = BAD! According to some bare-bottom fanatics, detritus caused the Vietnam War, AIDS, Global Warming, the rise of Al Queda, etc. Besides, the ocean bottom is filled with cutting boards, right?

The war against detritus was on! Powerful pumps were employed to keep it in suspension, and aquariums that looked like lab experiments were the thing. I distinctly remember the furor a hobbyist caused on the message board when he used BLACK starboard…”OMG- where do I get this stuff!” was a common refrain.  Nice!!! Had we gone mad?  Cutting board was an aquascaping statement? A dark cloud settled upon reefkeeping land. There was earnest advice to “cook” your rock by scrubbing it to nothingness, swishing it in water, and banishing it to an unlighted container for weeks and weeks, until it emerged bleached and dead, and allegedly “nutrient free”. Nutrients were bad—sterility was good! You were actually looked down upon for having sand in your tank, because, according to proponents of bare bottom systems, it was only a matter of time before the stuff accumulating in your sand bed would sink your system.  Sterility ruled. “Hyper husbandry” (a sort of paranoid, extreme form of the “Berlin method” ) was created. I am probably forever exposing myself to the wrath and hatred of the rigid, die hard adherists to this “methodology,” but I’m okay with that..I’ve been around the block a few times…I can take it!

As time went by, hobbyists seemed to get bored of looking at tanks without sand, at cutting boards sitting at the bottom, and driving their protein skimmers to produce useless watery clear skimmate (another “methodology” that supposedly helped achieve higher water quality).  Someone set up a beautiful tank with sand  posted pictures of it on the message boards and all was forgiven.  Water changes and regular attention to husbandry and natural biological processes, rather than “ultra-sterilization”  and paranoia became cool again. Sanity began to return. It was once again okay to have sand in your tank, although some of the barebottom folks still admonished you to watch for the signs of the apocalypse. It wasn’t a matter of “if,” it was a matter of “when!” To this day, bare bottom aquariums are abundant, but the owners seem far less dogmatic and arrogant than they were back in the day, citing a much more plausible and logical reason for forgoing the substrate: They keep stony corals that require obscene amounts of flow, and they are tired of sand blowing all over them! Thank you! Hey, I can buy that. Many beautiful tanks have been set up bare bottom for just this reason and the owners don’t preach doom to those hobbyists that still like sand!  You can feel the love.

It’s very interesting to look at the rise, fall, and evolution of aquarium trends. I hope this little rant has provoked you to think a bit about how we have evolved in the hobby and about how much more we have to learn. By looking at the past, we can hopefully create a brighter future for ourselves and the animals we cherish. Who knows what the next “revolution” in reefkeeping will be and how it will evolve into a hobby mainstay…or not!

Till next time,

Stay wet…

Scott Fellman

facebook.com/scott.fellman

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Post from: Reef Builders

From revolution to evolution: a look at two hobby trends and their impact

From revolution to evolution: a look at two hobby trends and their impact

This article is meant to provide general information about this highly debated topic. If you are interested in any of the methods described, continue to research as each method has its pros and cons.

In this hobby, aquarists are left with four options: Crushed Coral, Live Sand (Deep Sand Bed), Live Sand/Aragonite (Shallow Sand Bed) and Bare Bottom (No Sand Bed).

Near the beginning of the hobby Crushed Coral became a popular substrate. Both Crushed Coral and Live Sand will act as buffer and will provide calcium for corals if dissolved. Crushed is ideal for fish only systems to prevent large fish from moving the substrate and potentially causing a Live Rock slide. It can also be useful in high flow reef aquariums, where ordinary live sand and aragonite would create a sand storm. The major disadvantage of Crushed Coral is it should be siphoned clean of debris as often as every week to prevent detritus from building up.

The Deep Sand Bed is popular amongst hobbyists around the world. Using a fine Live Sand substrate is built four to eight inches deep. The fine live sand is easily blown around by pumps and Powerheads, so precaution should be taken to prevent sand storms. The theory is anaerobic bacteria can grow in oxygen depleted zones and convert nitrate into nitrogen gas. If properly maintained with sand sifters like Nassarius Snails and sea cucumbers, the deep sand bed can provide excellent filtration for many years. Some hobbyists contend that the deep sand bed is like a vacuum bag and once it becomes full, it will release harmful toxins, crashing an aquarium unexpectedly.

The Shallow Sand Bed is a happy medium between bare bottom and a Deep Sand Bed. The Shallow Sand may be built from fine live sand or more course Aragonite one to two inches deep. The Shallow Sand Bed provides little bacteria to reduce nitrates, but is still capable of converting ammonia and nitrite into nitrate with aerobic bacteria like crushed coral. Unlike Crushed Coral, a shallow sand bed does not need to be siphoned, but will blow around in high flow aquariums if powerheads are not adjusted. The Shallow Sand Bed requires the least maintenance of the four described methods.

The Bare Bottom aquarium uses no substrate and relies on heavy water movement to keep detritus from settling. Many reefers keeping SPS corals have fallen in love with their Bare Bottom systems. They are able to move high volumes of water without worrying about creating a sand storm. Most Bare Bottom systems are also designed to be low nutrient systems to enhance coral color. Maintenance on a Bare Bottom system includes daily siphoning of detritus in dead spots. Unlike the other methods described, Bare Bottom systems provide no natural buffer against changes in pH like Crushed Coral, Live Sand and Aragonite.

In summary, you can be successful with any described method as long as you provide proper maintenance. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages, select one that will best meet your needs and level of involvement.

One of the most important pieces of equipment to any saltwater aquarium is a Reverse Osmosis Unit. This piece of equipment greatly increases your chance for success. One of the main reasons why people leave the hobby is because their aquarium was overtaken by green hair algae.

Why Should I Use RO/DI Water?

Tap and well water contain impurities like phosphate and nitrate. Phosphates and nitrates can lead to algae blooms and headaches down the road. Even if you have well water with no chemicals, it will still have these impurities.

How Does a Reverse Osmosis Unit Work?

A Reverse Osmosis Unit pushes pressurized water through sediment and carbon filters and then through the Reverse Osmosis membrane. The Deionization stage occurs when water leaving the membrane passes over a special resin. The filters are placed in the RO Unit from largest to smallest, so the largest particles are removed from the water first. Running the water pressure at 60 PSI and an occasional membrane flush can greatly increase the life of most filters. Depending on the amount of water you use and the cleanliness of your tap or well, most filters last six months and most membranes a year.

How Clean is RODI Water?

TDS or total dissolved solids, is one way to test water purity. It measures how much stuff is in your water. This includes copper, chlorine, phosphate, silicate, iron, zinc, lead and nitrate. Typical tap and well water has a TDS of 250-500ppm. After RO purification the typical TDS is between 5 and 10ppm, and after RODI purification it is between 0 and 5ppm. As a result, algae has 25 to 50 times less nutrients that it can use to grow.
In summary, using Reverse Osmosis water is one of the keys to success in the saltwater aquarium hobby. Combined with proper filtration, this can dramatically reduce algae growth and aquarium maintenance. This will also save you from hours of frustration and wasted money. Besides a filter, this is by far the most important piece of equipment for a reef aquarium.

If you live along the coast and have access to ocean water you may use it in your aquarium. After all, what could be better than ocean water in a home aquarium? Natural seawater has proven that it can maintain a wide variety of species and contains many living organisms not available in synthetic salt mixes. Many hobbyists have had great success maintaining their home saltwater aquariums with water changes directly from the ocean. Remember to never add your aquarium’s waste water or any other creature back into the ocean as this can have horrific effects on the environment! If you plan on using ocean water, collect it in a clean area away from any factories, chemical plants or farms that may dump chemicals into the water. Generally, collect offshore in deeper water away from high traffic boat areas. Before adding the water to your aquarium, run it through some sort of filter to remove any particulates.

Other aquarists are strongly opposed to using natural seawater because it may contain impurities and toxins that could ultimately kill your aquarium’s inhabitants once confined to a small area. They advocate that Synthetic Salt Mixes should always be used because it reduces the risk of introducing disease and other impurities. For those who do not have access to ocean water, synthetic salt mixes are more affordable and economical than ocean water sold on retail shelves.

Whatever method you select, you have been warned about the positive and negative effects of using natural seawater. Just remember never to dump used aquarium water or release animals back into the ocean from your aquarium!

Are you looking for a more natural approach to an aquarium? Perhaps a Refugium is for you! A Refugium is a safe haven where microorganisms called pods can grow and reproduce. These pods help break down detritus and feed on uneaten food. More popular macroalgaes like Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha can be grown with an ordinary light bulb to reduce nitrates. The addition of rubble live rock and a four inch deep sand bed can also combat against nitrates.

Pre-built Refugiums can Hang on the Back of your aquariums or come as a compartment in the sump. You can also convert your existing Sump into a Refugium by adding a few compartments with baffles. A Refugium can also be run in conjunction with a Protein Skimmer or Wet/Dry Filter.

To Create a Refugium:

1. Fill the desired area with at least four inches of Live Sand.

2. Make a few mounds of rubble live rock to help reduce nitrates and provide a breeding ground for copepods and amphipods.

3. If the aquarium is at least one month old, add the selected macroalgae and hold it down with a couple pieces of live rock. If the aquarium is under one month old, wait to add the macroalgae as it tends to waste away without a source of nitrate and phosphate.

4. Turn on the Refugium light. Some aquarists run the light 24 hours a day to prevent macroalgaes like Caulerpa from going asexual and reproducing. Other hobbyists run a reverse photoperiod, the light is on opposite hours of the display tank, to combat drops in pH.

5. Adjust the flow in the Refugium to 100 to 300 gallons per hour. This will prevent the macroalgae and pods from being flushed out of the Refugium.

6. When the macroalgae begins to fill the Refugium, you may weed it back to allow for new growth.

Please note that some macroalgaes like Caulerpa will attach to Live Rock and are extremely difficult to remove. It is important not to let Caulerpa attach to live rock in your display tank as it can quickly take over. Cheatomorpha is a better choice as it will not attach to rock and will not go asexual.

Over time, you will begin to see copepods flourishing in the Refugium and main aquarium. Pods will drift out of the refugium and make their way to the display aquarium through a drain or return pump. Initially many aquarists were worried their pods would be chopped up by the return pump, but pods have proven to be durable. For the few that do get chopped up, there are hundreds that make it through successfully.

In summary, a Refugium is a simple and natural approach to aquarium filtration and feeding. It can be combined with a protein skimmer or wet/dry filter to further boost water quality. Many aquarists appreciate their Refugium because it contains many diverse species of life. It can also be used to house non-reef safe or small creatures that would ordinary be lost in the display tank.