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A Real Reef Hobbyist
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 13 ธ.ค. 2023
The reef tank hobby can be incredibly rewarding, and incredibly frustrating. Learn how to be successful with your own reef saltwater tanks. Come along and see all the phases of this hobby including cycling, testing, maintenance, building and diy, feeding, automating, and so much more.
Reef Reimagined: Testing the Best Method to Cure Dead Base Dry Rock
Now that we have our ocean rock cured, we need to determine the best way to cure the dry base rock. There common belief that dry rock such as marco rock can just be used directly in the system. Many people report that they have to wait considerable amounts to time for the dry rock to take hold of the natural good algeas such as coralline. Some have seen better success with dry rock after curing it to remove the outer layer of the rock. In this episode, we will prepare the rock 3 different ways:
Dry rock
Vinegar cured dry rock
Muriatic acid cured dry rock
These tests will help us determine the best way to incorporate large amounts of base rock into the system.
Our ultimate goal is to seed a 4:1 ratio of base dry rock to good ocean rock to create the perfect biome, reduce uglies, and create a more diverse easier to manage aquarium.
a.co/d/i00ADKQ
Dry rock
Vinegar cured dry rock
Muriatic acid cured dry rock
These tests will help us determine the best way to incorporate large amounts of base rock into the system.
Our ultimate goal is to seed a 4:1 ratio of base dry rock to good ocean rock to create the perfect biome, reduce uglies, and create a more diverse easier to manage aquarium.
a.co/d/i00ADKQ
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Reef Reimagined: Setting Up the System to Cure / Cycle Ocean Live Rock
มุมมอง 7548 หลายเดือนก่อน
Ocean live rock might just be the critical missing piece of our reef tanks. Many aquariums today go through extended ugly phases, dinos, fluctuating parameters, etc. Some people avoid ocean rock for a variety of reasons including cost and the risk of pests. In this first episode of Reef Reimagined, we will build a small tank to cure and cycle our live rock. We'll show how quickly the tank cycle...
A Better Way to Create Your Reef Aquarium Biome? - TEASER
มุมมอง 1.1K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
I think all of us in the coral reef hobby want that perfect reef in our living room. We want it to be abundant with life, fish and corals and anemones, shrimps and crabs and anything else that you can imagine but in order to be successful with what you can see, you need to focus on what you can’t see. It’s important to understand what we add to our tanks, and I’m not talking about RODI water. I...
Drilling Aquariums and Fishtanks for Bulkheads and Overflows!
มุมมอง 2739 หลายเดือนก่อน
You just bought a brand new aquarium and now you want to add a bulkhead or overflow. The thought of grabbing a drill and grinding through glass sounds difficult and scary. In this video, we'll drill one of the more challenging aquariums, the very thin glasses 10 gallon. Due to its thin glass, these aquariums are some of the most difficult to drill successfully. In this video, we go over everyth...
Installing Nicrew HyperReef Lights on the Frag Tank! - EPISODE 6
มุมมอง 9029 หลายเดือนก่อน
Lights are a critical to a frag tank. On our earlier videos we used some basic fish-only style lights as we tested the frag tank process. As the early corals seem to be doing well. it was time to upgrade lights. We are working to keep costs down so we went with a mid-range Nicrew HyperReef 50 light. Watch as we unbox the light, assemble the bracket, and install the light. We then cover adjustin...
Mounting Corals in Your Aquarium without the Ugly Frag Plugs!
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You've bought a beautiful coral, dipped it, and acclimated it to your tank and lights. Now it's time to mount your frag but how do you remove that ugly frag plug without hurting the coral? The easiest way is to remove as much as the frag plug as possible, but leaving the areas where it attaches to the coral intact. In this short video, I'll show you how to remove portions of the frag plug witho...
Caught on tank cam - this is why I love acclimating mollies to saltwater!
มุมมอง 6689 หลายเดือนก่อน
Mollies make a great saltwater fish, they’re looking for algae all day!! Check out my video on how to do it on my channel. #aquarium #fishtank #mollies #cuc #cleanupcrew
Easy Fragging of Green Star Polyps!
มุมมอง 3359 หลายเดือนก่อน
Green star polyps are a very hardy coral. They are also simple to frag! In today's episode, we'll frag some GSP and mount it to our frag plugs. These are great beginner corals and even better corals to practice your fragging. Caution with GSP, once they get growing they grow very fast. Keep your corals on islands away from your rock work. As they spread in the sand, they are easy to remove the ...
Adding First Corals to the Frag Tank - EPISODE 5
มุมมอง 7789 หลายเดือนก่อน
The introduction of the first frags to a frag tank is an exciting time. As we continue our journey of building and using our frag tank, we're at a huge milestone! In earlier episodes we built the frag tank, cycled it using a fishless cycle, and acclimated some freshwater mollies to salt. To test out our system, we are starting with some hardy corals such as zoanthids (zoas) and green star polyp...
Acclimating Freshwater Mollies to Saltwater Frag Tank - EPISODE 4
มุมมอง 2.1K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Our small frag tank needed a great utilitarian fish to provide nutrients to our corals as well as work to keep the tank clean. There are saltwater fish options, but our goal is to keep costs down and keep things simple. Mollies checked all the boxes as they are cheap, hardy, can be kept in small tanks, and are great algae eaters. They will be the first members of our clean-up crew. But how do y...
Dr Tim's Fishless Cycle of a Frag Tank - Part II - EPISODE 3
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Cycling a frag tank can be a challenge as many of them do not have fish. We're going through the process of a fishless cycle using Dr TIm's One and Only along with some ammonia drops. In our last episode, we started using the 14 day success sheet provided by Dr Tim's. Unfortunately, after the first week we showed the the process didn't work. We lacked the normal amount of live rock and substrat...
Dr Tim's Fishless Cycle - Did It Work? Cycling a Frag Tank - EPISODE 2
มุมมอง 6K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Frag tank cycling without established live rock can be a challenge. But what about a fishless cycle using Dr Tim's One and Only? Will it work? A sumpless frag tank without a lot of live rock does not provide the significant surface area for a large population of bacteria. Bare bottom tanks provide further challenges as it further reduces areas for bacteria to grow. In this episode we will take ...
Small and Easy DIY 10 Gallon Sumpless Frag Tank - EPISODE 1
มุมมอง 8K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
Anyone can make an easy DIY sumpless frag tank with basic tools, easy to get materials, and items that are possibly already around the house. In this episode we'll build the frag racks with special locations to add our live rock and heater allowing for use of 100% of the surface area of this small all glass aquarium. We'll install the life support equipment and finally add water as we get ready...
Dr.tims did not work for me had 10 pounds of sand 12 of dry rock on a 14g tank and I had same results as you even with all that surface area I added 5ml of microbacter 7 and the next day ammonia dropped and started getting readings of nitrite nd nitrate in 24h
Thanks. Was really helpful
Glad it helped!
Great videos I love em. I’m starting a drag tank myself. My only constructive criticism would have to be sometimes you say the same thing 3-4 times and hang on the minor topics for a little long. But over all I’m following. 👊
Thanks for the tip
Any updates?
I think if you would have read the instructions correctly in the first place the cycle would not have taken so long from watching this video you did it wrong at the start if you are using live rock or live sand you need to check the ammonia level before adding any ammonia if to much is added it will stall the cycle that seachem sticker you are using is only to alert you of ammonia it doesn't tell you how much so next time read the instructions before reviewing dr.tims
The rock was base rock, not live rock. There are 2 tiny pieces of rubble from an active tank. Also it was bare bottom. Additionally, ammonia alert does give ammonia readings, not just presence of ammonia. Finally, when the process started, the ammonia alert detected 0 levels of ammonia.
Also this video was testing using these instructions: www.drtimsaquatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FishlessCycling_prescription_recipe_Nov23.pdf
Any update on frag tank, i had requested previously
Any updates? It's been 3 months since you posted any videos.
More coming, stay tuned! Takes some time to test these rocks and methods. 👍
When you cure the dry rock on a trash bin... how do you make sure the salinity stays the same? Also, would you change the water after few weeks or keep the water until the rock is fully cured?
Did you lower the salinity down??? Dr Tim says heat at 84 and 18 to 20 ppt. For first couple days
The review and steps for this video were based on the instructions here: www.drtimsaquatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FishlessCycling_prescription_recipe_Nov23.pdf
I put my skimmer on 48 hours after the start of the process as my PH was starting to decline rapidly (works better with higher PH and was worried lack of oxygen would impact the cycle), now on day 6 and the ammonia is off the charts, planning to delay the adding of additional ammonia till i see a noticeable fall in it and a rise in nitrites. At this pace ill need to do a complete water change and restart if they dont kick in soon...
Agreed. I wouldn’t add more ammonia if it’s off the charts. Also, be careful with test kits. API reads very high while the Ammonia Alert was much more stable
hello i just want to add my results im on day 4 and i have 2 ppm nitrite and 40ppm nitrate, my ph 7.8, and ammonia 4
You’re definitely cycling! What did you use for an ammonia source? What kind of rock?
@@ARealReefHobbyist hey I used Dr.tims ammonia 4 drops per gallon and I got CaribSea liferock the purple one and special grade sand, seems like the bare bottom makes a big difference
hey... Nice work with the frag tank and can you do some more update videos on the the frag tank
Updates coming soon!
Answer to all my recent questions!! Thank you for sharing this video 😊
I'm so glad!
Tried dr Tim's took over a month to cycle. Then tried atm colony that cycled in less than a week. Currently building a bigger aquarium and going to use fritz turbo start as for some reason in the uk nobody seems to have any atm.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes
Since you used Dr. Tim’s plus ammonia and dry rock is this because do you want the tank to be somewhat sterile after you’ve dipped fags? As I think the small would be extremely easy to skip start using mature live rock.
Agreed. I’m a huge fan of established rock, specifically ocean rock. But for the sake of experimenting, I wanted to try the fishless dry rock cycle. Plus it’s budget friendly for these videos.
I was frustrated because the ones I purchased was hard like a rock so I couldn’t cut them off. They felt like cement. I Just hid them in the rocks.
Bone cutters wouldn’t break them?
So the best way to do this is generally to acclimate them to about half strength salinity, wait a week or so, and then finish all the way. There have been a few studies on mortality rate and drip acclimation has a fairly high attrition rate, versus almost 100% survival going half then full over a longer period.
How did they acclimate them each time? Drip?
RiP Molly
Thanks I didnt know superglue works in water??
Happy to help! Good luck 👍
Couple of noticeable mistakes I saw was there was no real oxygenation going off in the tank aside from surface/water movement, and also when the pH dropped you should have added a little bicarbonate of soda to raise the pH back up and in turn, raising the alkalinity (KH). Was the water change dechlorinated?
Actually there is plenty of oxygenation, the only time the tank dropped was during that cycling phase. Since then it’s been very steady at 8.1-8.2. The drop is common when the ammonia sources are added as they break down. Also this was a demonstration of the Dr Tim’s Fishless cycle. Per the instructions using this method, “If the pH drops below 7 perform a 25-30% water change taking the water from near the top of the water column. Do not disturb the substrate or remove the filter pad. Do not manipulate pH during the cycling period - the higher the pH the better (up to 8.5).” And yes I only use reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) water. Never use straight tap water with conditioner
@ARealReefHobbyist well there's your issue then. A pH drop is caused by Nitrosomonas bacteria and Nitrobacter using up the carbonates in the water as they convert Ammonia to Nitrite, and Nitrite to Nitrate. Then on top if you use RO, the water is very much void of carbonates anyway as it strips everything from the water. The water change Dr Tim referred to was simply to add minerals back to the water, a method of increasing KH back to where it should be as it is used up by the Nitrifying bacteria. Where was the oxygenation during this testing stage and establishing the media? As I didn't see any
The base water is RODI, once you add the salt mix you add back the necessary elements to increase ph and buffer the water.
I'd just get a small fish just to cycle it
Yes I’ve done that as well. Today the more common humane practice is a fishless cycle.
This was a cool video. Never thought of setting up a frag tank
Glad it helped! Thank you for the kind words.
Did you leave the sponge and charcoal in the Fluval Aqua 50 when you added the One N Only with the ammonia?
Yes I leave the sponge in for more surface area to grow. I then only rinse in with tank water that I drain during a water change. I do not use carbon during cycling.
Beautiful real very relaxing video. Many people have already done what you're saying for many many many years but beautiful video.
Thank you 😊 In earlier days, most tanks were started with good live rock or ocean rock. Today it’s quite different, most are started with dead rock. What I’m showing in this series will be the best of both worlds. And you’ll see how the base rock is incorporated into the system will be quite different than just seeding base rock with live rock.
I don't necessarily want all the things you mentioned in my tank some of them, but certainly not all of them
Of course, everyone has their tank wishes. But I’m pretty sure no one wants the uglies 😃
Need the next video!
I’m going through the process now. Stay tuned! 😃
Its all fun and games until you grab ahold of a mantis shrimp 😂😂😂
Yes! Please be more careful that I was. 😆
🪨 interesting 🤔
I hope you stick around and see the results.
Yep
I've made a tank with a similar idea of using natural ways of cleaning, maintaining, etc., but recently there has been a dinoflagellate outbreak. After watching this video I've realized my mistake, that is not introducing different copepods and reducing my amphipods. At the moment I only have one type of copepod, and many amphipods. Hopefully I can get a fish that eats amphipods so then I could introduce new copepod species with a lesser chance of predation.
Dinos are not good times. Did nitrates and phosphates bottom out?
Can you tell me where to buy those bone cutters
I got mine from Bulk Reef Supply. www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-large-curved-blade-sps-coral-cutter.html
Always inspiring seeing these types of videos.
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. Glad it may have helped!
my nitrites spiked high on day 4 for me, is that bad?
What did ammonia and nitrites do? Did they increase then drop to zero?
@@ARealReefHobbyist They also spiked, im on day 6 today
I been in the hobby since I was 15 years old. I totally agree that’s why there is Dino’s all this snake stuff
Agreed. I never had dinos on any tank I’ve done. Last year I tried a dead rock tank and it took over a year to mostly settle out and balance. Crazy
I always put a rag on the inside of the front of the tank to catch the glass and water when the bit pokes through.
Good idea. I’ve used tape to hold it on larger tanks where I’m nervous the dropping piece could damage the front glass. I like the idea of just using the rag.
Great video, what is the name of the power head
Jebao Aquarium Wavemaker (SOW-4) a.co/d/dqXlGs3
Great video I want to drill a petco 75 aqueon tank. But some say u can and some say u can’t?? What u think
If it’s NOT tempered, you should be able to no problem. If it is tempered, it will shatter. There are some videos online about how to tell if the glass is tempered. I would test it before drilling, regardless of what people tell you.
some may find this inhumane but for me, this is great. this is science. we may sacrifice a life or two for the good of the many.
You're right, some may find it inhumane. However, they are brackish and can live in different environments. I think that two of the fish surviving using 2 different methods may just mean that the one fish was weak unfortunately. No matter what environment it was placed it, it may not have survived. We'll keep an eye on them and post updates in the near future. So far they are still doing great.
glad it worked out for you. I was able to get mine done in about a week. granted my tank was up and running for about a week before i started the dr tims. So i already had a bit of ammonia from ghost feeding the tank but it definitely helped speed it along.
Thank you! Yes sounds like that would help for sure to get a jump on things. Did you have more typical rock amounts (1-1.5 lbs per gallon) and a substrate?
Watching dr tims video, i don't think we should be adding more ammonia until we see the levels drop. Looking forward to episode 3 as I am attempting this as well😂
I think we need to continue the ammonia to provide the ammonia breaking down bacteria food to survive and thrive. Without ghost feeding or fish, those bacteria will not have a food source.
I'll have to look it up again. I remember reading somewhere that adding to much ammonia after the initial phase can stall or even restart the cycle. This didn't apply to just Dr. Tim's but all fishless cycling. It also appears that some of these ammonia drops recommendations on the bottles can result in double what you actually need.
@@tigcarn I ended up completing the cycle but it took over a month for me. I would recommend 2 drops per gallon of ammonia as 4 is too much. And I think it's possible high nitrite can stall the cycle. What I ended up doing was continually add ammonia (every other day once I saw it drop it zero in 24 hours) as @arealreefhobbyist stated and perform water changes if the nitrite levels got too purple
Just starting this and i am only on day 6 and the ammonia is off the charts, i cant in good conscience feed more into the tank as per the instructions so going to wait 24/48 hours to give the bacteria a chance.
@@glowwurm9365 the ammonia phase is relatively quick. I would give it a bit longer until you notice the ammonia drop. Once you do your nitrites may go off the charts and I would probably do water changes then and continue dosing until both your ammonia and nitrite is cycled within 24 hours
For when you don’t have loads of room for live rock I’d recommend maxspect bio ball, great surface area & are strong for their size so only use 2-4 cause in the long run they work too efficiently. Good luck
Great tip! I’ll dig into that a bit.
I just picked up a 10 gallon tank to create a frag tank for all my corals that are overflowing my main 20gal WaterBox. I’m looking forward to follow along with you.
Happy to have you along!
I really want the frag tank to be self sustaining. Where i don't have to worry about water parameters or feeding it. Is that possible? Essentially when i take a vacation i don't want my fish sitter to have to worry about what to do with the frag tank. @@ARealReefHobbyist
I think that’s very possible. Frag tanks have little livestock like fish that need constant feeding. If you have solid parameters before you leave, things should be ok for a week or so.
That’s so amazing! Great job!
Thank you! We’ll see how that the cycle goes, looking forward to next steps