How do you achieve stability in a reef?

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
EVERYTHING that I have read about the subject has to do with a few major components...
1. Avoiding temperature, pH, and salinity swings. (good heater, good flow, ATO)
2. Avoiding large chemical swings (Dosing Ca, Alk, Mg, and trace to keep levels elevated and from swinging.)
3. Time / Tank maturity. The ecological balances within the tank have reached maturity - where bacterial, microfauna and macrofauna populations have become established.
Am I missing anything here? Is it as simple as this?
Does the amount of light over a tank also depend on the tanks stability? Is anything that does not "get wet" in a reef have to do with the stability of the tank? Is feeding your tank fish food, coral food or whatever add to the stability of the system... because it helps support microbial and microfauna of the system?
What do you mean by stability? What do you do to achieve it? Can I buy it in a bottle? (yes, I'm making fun of a product.)
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,
#2 on your list is what I aim for. The sea creatures don't handle changes well....those big swings take it's toll.
All the things you listed plays a part...except the bottled idea.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/394559/how-do-you-achieve-stability-in-a-reef#post_3511789
EVERYTHING that I have read about the subject has to do with a few major components...
1. Avoiding temperature, pH, and salinity swings. (good heater, good flow, ATO)
2. Avoiding large chemical swings (Dosing Ca, Alk, Mg, and trace to keep levels elevated and from swinging.)
3. Time / Tank maturity. The ecological balances within the tank have reached maturity - where bacterial, microfauna and macrofauna populations have become established.
Am I missing anything here? Is it as simple as this?
Does the amount of light over a tank also depend on the tanks stability? Is anything that does not "get wet" in a reef have to do with the stability of the tank? Is feeding your tank fish food, coral food or whatever add to the stability of the system... because it helps support microbial and microfauna of the system?
What do you mean by stability? What do you do to achieve it? Can I buy it in a bottle? (yes, I'm making fun of a product.)
I only have one thing to say about the product you want to poke fun of....... don't knock it if you have never had to use it. For the most part I agree, if you took micro you would now why but there is something in that bottle that helped save my wifes entire system a few years back.
Whether it did anything or not I don't know but her Dad to had a tank for more than 20 years, before all the gadgets we have today and he only did a water change once a year. I beleive he did things pretty much the same as Paul B. for many years. Bringing things from the big ol blue and throwing them into his 180 gallon fish cage. He had fish that lived for years, and he did use this product as my wife has in the past. Funny really if you look into the science of the bottle.
Now..... you ask what does it take to achieve stability in our reefs...... one simple answer and not alot of people will agree but my answer would have to be time, photosynthesis, more time, a carbon source, time, bacteria, both arobic and anerobic, time, and yes.... more time.
I have read many times our little cages referred to as "closed systems". Actually they are not closed but open. Nutrients are being added and waist is being removed. Hence your microfauna and nitrofying bacteria, or the cycle process.
I want to steal something someone wrote on this. So this will be edited soon. Well crap, that is way to long......
Simply put, it takes time for a system, whether it be the great reefs of our little oceans in a glass to become stabil.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Define what would be stable? IMO everything is changing constantly, chaos. Things are growing, dying,one elementchemical being utilized while others being replenishedincreased. Trying to emulate natural environs seems almost an exercise in futility at times. What has been learned over the years of folks trying to keep reef tanks are some of the basics that need to be addressed, as listed by you Seth. Other enhancementsnew discoveries are being added.And we af reefers only do the best we can with what we have.
As for stability in a bottle, I think not but there are additions to be made that help to reducebandaid the chaos.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I'm in agreement that stability isn't and won't be found in a bottle....Not saying that it might not help, but isn't the magic bullet......As far as closed systems.....Well yeah it is when you compare it to the way mother nature does it.....Our means are no where near as efficient as mother nature, so yes it is a closed system since we don't even come close to representing all that goes on in the wild. Be it from predators, storms to removed sediment and such, and there is no way we can even replicate this in our "closed systems"......
Stability IMO comes with time....Seth I don't think lighting has a ton to do with maturity.....You could have the finest of lighting and just everything else wrong and it wouldn't equate or bring you success or stability....All the little pieces just have to come together......
 
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