pashari
Member
It seems as if everywhere you go 99.9% of the hobbyists & "experts" will say that the UGF is a HUGE mistake when it comes to the marine/reef tank.
Anyone here from Michigan and heard of Richard Perrin and Tropicorium? They are at www.Tropicorium.com and their entire system is based on the UGF. I've been there before, years ago, and went yesterday to discuss some issues with my tank. I was just amazed at what they are doing there - all with UGF & LR. Their clown breeding program is phenomenal. They are also actually breeding sharks!!!
And, to top it off - they use (GASP) tap water!!! :scared: And (another GASP) not a protien skimmer in sight!!!!! :scared:
Their huge coral propogation tanks have, proportionalty, huge amounts of LR. But their fish and their clown breeding tanks are run on UGF alone with air stones in the tubes, no less.
Their coral propogation tanks are these huge man-made tubs that are lined with these rubber liners, reinforced with metal tubing. They must measure 20 feet x 8 feet and about 4 feet high. A custom undergravel on top of which the LR is placed maybe 3 feet deep. Then these plates go across on which they have the plastic tubs of corals at different stages of propogation. They have some PCV pipes at one end that blow water accross the top of the plates with the corals. You really can't see underneath these plates as they cover the entire tank with the exception of maybe a 8 inch perimeter. They have fish in these tanks but you really don't see many of them as they stay under the plates. But you catch glimpses of them as they swim by the perimeters and they are just huge & beautiful. It's all housed in these two greenhouse like structures attached to Mr. Perrin's home. They use MH lighting supplemented by the diffused sunlight that comes thru the greenhouse roof.
In one of the propogation tanks they have a huge eel that they have no idea how big it actually is as they only see the first 3 feet or so when they throw it some food and it pokes out to grab the food. I guess Mr. Perrin was taking a nightly stroll a few months back and found a nudibranch that was about 5 inches in diameter (not length - width!!!!!) and almost 2 feet in length!!
So, I guess my point here is are we doing this all wrong? With the DSB & the fuges & the skimmers and the RO/DO water. Here's a guy that has a 50,000+ gallon facility doing it all without that - just a UGF, some LR & plain 'ole tap water. Successfully breeding and propogating to boot!!!
Does it really need to be that complex to succeed?
lisa
Anyone here from Michigan and heard of Richard Perrin and Tropicorium? They are at www.Tropicorium.com and their entire system is based on the UGF. I've been there before, years ago, and went yesterday to discuss some issues with my tank. I was just amazed at what they are doing there - all with UGF & LR. Their clown breeding program is phenomenal. They are also actually breeding sharks!!!
And, to top it off - they use (GASP) tap water!!! :scared: And (another GASP) not a protien skimmer in sight!!!!! :scared:
Their huge coral propogation tanks have, proportionalty, huge amounts of LR. But their fish and their clown breeding tanks are run on UGF alone with air stones in the tubes, no less.
Their coral propogation tanks are these huge man-made tubs that are lined with these rubber liners, reinforced with metal tubing. They must measure 20 feet x 8 feet and about 4 feet high. A custom undergravel on top of which the LR is placed maybe 3 feet deep. Then these plates go across on which they have the plastic tubs of corals at different stages of propogation. They have some PCV pipes at one end that blow water accross the top of the plates with the corals. You really can't see underneath these plates as they cover the entire tank with the exception of maybe a 8 inch perimeter. They have fish in these tanks but you really don't see many of them as they stay under the plates. But you catch glimpses of them as they swim by the perimeters and they are just huge & beautiful. It's all housed in these two greenhouse like structures attached to Mr. Perrin's home. They use MH lighting supplemented by the diffused sunlight that comes thru the greenhouse roof.
In one of the propogation tanks they have a huge eel that they have no idea how big it actually is as they only see the first 3 feet or so when they throw it some food and it pokes out to grab the food. I guess Mr. Perrin was taking a nightly stroll a few months back and found a nudibranch that was about 5 inches in diameter (not length - width!!!!!) and almost 2 feet in length!!
So, I guess my point here is are we doing this all wrong? With the DSB & the fuges & the skimmers and the RO/DO water. Here's a guy that has a 50,000+ gallon facility doing it all without that - just a UGF, some LR & plain 'ole tap water. Successfully breeding and propogating to boot!!!
Does it really need to be that complex to succeed?
lisa
