Tom,
I found your Web Site through your articles in Marine Fish Monthly which I've been a fan of yours since 1995. I'm very, very interested in your Handy Reef system and its operation. I now have a 250 gal very high-tech system that I'm desperate to simplify. Part of my problem in converting it to a HANDY Reef system is skepticism, will it really work?? And where do I keep all my animals, corals, rock etc. while I convert to the Handy system??? Simplicity will eventually force an old sea dog like me to make the leap to a simpler system where I'll be able to spend more time enjoying my tank and less time with all the bells and whistles. Any help you can give me to make this conversion a success will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Al Bodenham
Al,
Thanks for checking out the web site! As you may have noticed already, the expanded version of the HANDY Reef instructions in the February, March and April 1998 MFM (Marine Fish Monthly) are updated and more detailed than the HANDY Reef instructions on this web site. I tried to give a lot of support cases and examples for simple systems in this 3 month MFM series - not JUST support for the HANDY Reef. There is a lot of scepticism out there about simple reef aquarium systems and plenums, especially on the internet discussion and news groups. Most seem to be parroting the high-tech recommendations that they hear which sounds more like a commercial trying to sell gadgets than actual examples of what types of reef systems actually CAN work. But first, what I tell people wanting to change their reefs is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
How close are you to Dick Perrin's Tropicorium? Have you been there yet? Dick Perrin has an example of ultimate simplicity. He runs his large coral propagation and import opperation the simple way out of neccessity. You know the saying, "The best way to make a small fortune is to start out with a big fortune!". Well, this applies to running a bussiness like Tropicorium too. Buying and using all the latest high-tech equipment might make a few things grow just a little bit better (but not always!), but the large extra cost does not offset any tiny possible gain. It's just too hard to clear a profit using the high-tech methods of reefkeeping. Dick's simple approach not only works very well, but it is more profitable than operations which are a bit higher tech and/or places that use some sophisticated equipment (which can help in some cases), but.... High-tech isn't always the answer to everything. Dick is nowadays NOT using any trace element supplements, iodide or calcium supplements in his coral, clam and live rock propagation and holding tanks/vats!!! Then, how does he obtain faster growth rates of clams than any other commercial operation when using such simplicity? He is just using CaribSea aragonite sand with natural dissolution and some accelerated dissolution to provide calcium and some extra elements and trace elements to the tanks (actually plywood vats). He uses carbon in modest amounts continuously, much like I do, but with only a slightly heavier amount than I do. He changes the carbon only when coloring builds back up in the tank water. He does not use much protein skimming at all. He does use protein skimming to cure new shipments of live rock. He does look out for good gas exchange also. His operation sounds to me like yet another way to skin a cat.
You might want to try a 55-gallon tank as a HANDY Reef first, to see if you like it. Contact me with any questions.
I almost forgot to tell you. You can hold the rocks , sand, fish and corals (from your existing reef tank while doing a conversion - or when moving a tank) in Rubbermaid tubs (from Wal-Mart) and in five gallon buckets. Use good aeration and a heater to keep the oxygen and heat up to par while you change things, or while you make a move from one city to another.
Also, for lighting while you do the tank conversion, you might want to just use a double strip shop light with 98 cent 40 watt cool white bulbs/tubes in it. I held fish for a friend for 3 and ½ weeks while he moved across the country. I used a bunch of live rock and live sand in a 20- gallon purple Sterilite tub (like Rubbermaid, also from Wal-Mart). I used a submersible heater and an air pump with two outlets to keep the water aerated and moving. I did get just a little bit of nitrite and ammonia in this holding tank/tub. This buildup can result in a loss of appetite with your fish. Also watch out for some fish that show a loss of color while the nitrite level is higher in the water. The levels were never really high - not like they are in a tank with no established live rock and live sand. Using more live rock and feeding very lightly will reduce this cycling spike of nitrite and ammonia. There are ammonia removers available that could help here too. Aquarium systems has a good reef-safe ammonia remover called AmmEx. I did not use it but could have. Despite this, the fish all pulled through very well. The blue tang did not even get one visible parasite, which is good for a blue tang! I kept 7 fish and two shrimp in the tub for him. I set the tub up just minutes before he arrived with them.
It would even be better to set up your holding tub, tank or even a large plastic garbage can a couple weeks early and let it go through any partial cycling earlier - if you have spare rock and sand to do so - not everyone does. Just letting nitrifying bacteria (which cycle an aquarium and reduce ammonia and nitrite) grow in the sand and on the walls of your holding tank/tub for a couple of weeks before the transfer will help here too. Don't clean the walls of the tub or tank during this time of preconditioning or during the time the fish, corals and such are in the holding tub/tank. I've kept my own fish and especially corals and live rock in holding tubs for a time also. I usually don't bother with providing lighting to corals and especially live rock in the holding tanks/tubs if it's only for a day or two. Also, I take all the fish, corals and live rock out and then clean the sand very well with a gravel vac before removing it. I do this because sometimes you can get hydrogen sulphide pockets deep in your esixting sand that you might disturb, and you do not want to release this into the water while the fish and corals are still in it. I then siphon out the remaining dirty water and put the sand in buckets or tubs or just into the new tank and add some new but well mixed and aerated saltwater that is up to proper temperature. Next, you can start adding the live rock and corals as you are also continuing to aerate the new water in the tank. Once you are sure that the new is especially well aerated, it is time to add the fish.
Tanks-
Tom
Tom,
Thanks for your quick response. Think I'm going to give it a try, converting my high-tech 250 system to a HANDY Reef system. I'll keep you updated on our progress. I've been to Dick Perrin's Tropicorium many times. I'll talk to you about it some time. Again, thanks for your help.
Al Bodenham