Jaubert bowl / plenum 8.8g

[besskurz]

Still not sure what this is. It's in the dark for 3 days. It seems to do not reduce its size.

 

[Subsea]

Still not sure what this is. It's in the dark for 3 days. It seems to do not reduce its size.

I would consider syphoning It out.

 

[Subsea]

Now I feel that I'm deviating a little from the original concept.. i think i mentioned before that im dosing kalk daily. When I'm out, I simply don't dose.

5ml day is actually helping to slowly increase levels. My original plan is to reach 10 kh.
I know that traveling frequently may be against stability in this parameter, but it would take several weeks to drop below 7.

And I still have to make a picture of the black hole! This week is been very busy. Everytime I'm hole is dark and all lights are shut.

I was reading in the weekend a thread here at R2R about a folk who lives in the Florida keys... and spend his time collecting critters and corals. He is retired...that's a big difference... but I would love to make a switch in career and start making my money out of the hobby.
@Subsea I saw you got a couple tanks outdoor. Do you farm any corals there?

I operated 10K gallons in 20’ by 40’ greenhouse with eight 150G Rubbermaid tubs and the big tank was 8K gallons. I used to sell curated live rock and ornamental & utilitarian seaweedm but heating cost in winter was unacceptable and I pulled the plug on hobby business.

 

[Euphrate]

Still not sure what this is. It's in the dark for 3 days. It seems to do not reduce its size.

Hello, it may be a silly question, but how do you clean the glass of your tank?
I just launched a fish bowl 2 days ago with a Jaubert (without plenum, maybe a dramatic idea?), so i'm glad to see your post

 

[besskurz]

Hello, it may be a silly question, but how do you clean the glass of your tank?
I just launched a fish bowl 2 days ago with a Jaubert (without plenum, maybe a dramatic idea?), so i'm glad to see your post

Hey it's a good question.

I honestly don't clean very often because copepods and snails are always feeding on what grows in the glass. I clean only a portion of the front to make it look better. I never cleaned in the back.

It does not make much sense to scrape all these algaes in the water if you are not going to make a water changes.

I tried to 3d print this thing with magnets in the left but it did not helped much due to the internal angle - and im a bit lazy to develop further. I would also need a strongest magnet... but im extra careful to do not break this glass.

Now im using this very advance device on the right side. Its just a piece of scotchbrite.

And tell me more about your bowl!
At least to me.. no plenum = no Jaubert...
How did you setup it?

 

[brandon429]

edit, I see this was designed around a specific user's method.

 

[brandon429]

That is a very very nice looking bowl!

 

[Giantclownfish]

Impressive tank!!

 

[brandon429]

I like to see the turning white rock into reef rock via pigments and attachments etc, neat to see benthic succession.

 

[besskurz]

edit, I see this was designed around a specific user's method.

Hey Brandon, I'm speachless. When I started to think about making this bowl, you was one of my biggest inspirations. I watched your YouTube videos several times.
You are a legend.

I was able to read and I understand your comments.
Honestly I had an algae outbreak in some frag plugs, but I was able to control quickly and it did not spread to the rocks. This was a few months ago.

At the moment Coral growth is really good. Sand seems to be fine as well. The only thing is that blackhole which I did not siphon out yet.

I just dont understand exactly your reference of rules for larger tanks.
All comments are much appreciated.

 

[brandon429]

hey thank you, very nice to meet you!

your bowl looks so well done, pro, I've really enjoyed seeing the pics of your setup

converting white base rock to a reef is well beyond what we did back in the 2000s because we were spoiled on cured aquarium rock, we started our bowls after step 20 on rock prep was already done for us

you did more of an in-depth job by bringing dry rock up to step 20 then stocking out a reef that really looks pro.

 

[brandon429]

this the simpler form of what I originally posted:

if the bowl ever gets to a point where algae is not controllable, or if corals start to crash there's a certain cleaning method we can use to arrest that condition. if you can find a way to reef long term in the bowl and not need disassembly cleaning, then that advances bowl keeping overall. mainly I wanted to post that if you ever get in real distress there's a cleaning method that arrests any loss, most bowl keepers don't know that option exists as a parachute.

It will involve cleaning out your plenum setup so it needs to be avoided as long as possible, but don't lose the bowl altogether if any pressing crashes occur because a deep cleaning will simply arrest any crash in a pico reef if they're due to waste accumulation



This is for future consideration, nothing is wrong currently, those pics are grand

**no need to alter current direction considering your results, white rock setups are destined for a few challenges as they convert into coralline cured aquarium rocks which behave much better regarding algae control. I would continue all the things you're currently doing/ great results

 

[besskurz]

hey thank you, very nice to meet you!

your bowl looks so well done, pro, I've really enjoyed seeing the pics of your setup

converting white base rock to a reef is well beyond what we did back in the 2000s because we were spoiled on cured aquarium rock, we started our bowls after step 20 on rock prep was already done for us

you did more of an in-depth job by bringing dry rock up to step 20 then stocking out a reef that really looks pro.

It's very nice to meet you. It really made my day lol

While mentioning step 20, are you referring exactly to what? Is this a list of maturity stages?

 

[brandon429]

No it was just a figurative summary guess on all the stages it takes to get white rock into this:



for example it might look like

1. establish filter bacteria
2. maintain filter bacteria
3. get a seed source for marine coralline algae so it can become that one day
4. deal with dinos
5. deal with hair algae

onward until you get to the pics above


it's truly a much harder job with a sweeter payoff in the end having controlled all your bad hitchhikers like aiptasia anemones etc

It's really an extra step in art and control of a reef to bring up your own rock, no ocean rock was harmed in your way as well, you're earning all the potential it brings. Your current method of running with Subsea is working really well, I expected it to be a lot tougher based on dry rock starts but it's flying quite well

Very happy to meet you as well it's a very niche thing to be bowl reefing

 

[besskurz]

this the simpler form of what I originally posted:

if the bowl ever gets to a point where algae is not controllable, or if corals start to crash there's a certain cleaning method we can use to arrest that condition. if you can find a way to reef long term in the bowl and not need disassembly cleaning, then that advances bowl keeping overall. mainly I wanted to post that if you ever get in real distress there's a cleaning method that arrests any loss, most bowl keepers don't know that option exists as a parachute.

It will involve cleaning out your plenum setup so it needs to be avoided as long as possible, but don't lose the bowl altogether if any pressing crashes occur because a deep cleaning will simply arrest any crash in a pico reef if they're due to waste accumulation



This is for future consideration, nothing is wrong currently, those pics are grand

**no need to alter current direction considering your results, white rock setups are destined for a few challenges as they convert into coralline cured aquarium rocks which behave much better regarding algae control. I would continue all the things you're currently doing/ great results

Got it.

I believe that the "bad algae" population is controlled because I have already other macros in there.

In the back of my rocks I have a lot of macros which is almost like your old rectangle tank with chaeto in the back. I like the description you gave at that time as "palmtop reefs"

Bubble algae was a surprise but the crab is having fun. There was just a couple spots and he cleans everytime some grows. At least he can keep his job lol and this makes more of a natural cycle. Nutrients comes in, feeds corals and algaes which them feeds crab.

I will try as much as possible to avoid messing with the plenum because in my mind, this would mean a full reset in the tank.

 

[Euphrate]

Hey it's a good question.

I honestly don't clean very often because copepods and snails are always feeding on what grows in the glass. I clean only a portion of the front to make it look better. I never cleaned in the back.

It does not make much sense to scrape all these algaes in the water if you are not going to make a water changes.

I tried to 3d print this thing with magnets in the left but it did not helped much due to the internal angle - and im a bit lazy to develop further. I would also need a strongest magnet... but im extra careful to do not break this glass.

Now im using this very advance device on the right side. Its just a piece of scotchbrite.

And tell me more about your bowl!
At least to me.. no plenum = no Jaubert...
How did you setup it?

Indeed, high technology but smart enough, i'll do this too asap i got life in my bowl.
And ofc, no cleaning except if i'm gonna WC, i've read your post that i find inspiring.

Mine is a tiny 3,2 gallons bowl i just launched with a mangrove tree (still acclimating in another bowl) and some macros will arrive soon.
The light, is one i used for another project that is on standbye, so it s a mazara maxspect 60w put on 20%.

I'm considering now adding a plenum as the bowl is alost empty (only removing the sand).

As you i'm traveling sometimes for more than 1 week and i wonder how to compensate water evaporation, maybe gonna cover it when i'm out of the town.

 

[besskurz]

Indeed, high technology but smart enough, i'll do this too asap i got life in my bowl.
And ofc, no cleaning except if i'm gonna WC, i've read your post that i find inspiring.

Mine is a tiny 3,2 gallons bowl i just launched with a mangrove tree (still acclimating in another bowl) and some macros will arrive soon.
The light, is one i used for another project that is on standbye, so it s a mazara maxspect 60w put on 20%.

I'm considering now adding a plenum as the bowl is alost empty (only removing the sand).

As you i'm traveling sometimes for more than 1 week and i wonder how to compensate water evaporation, maybe gonna cover it when i'm out of the town.

My lid is another high tech stuff lol

The plastic disc had a good size but the rubber was too lose. I had to cut it and hand sew.
I made a little cut in the back of the plastic to make sure all cable could fit on it and stay in place.
It seals well, keeping most of the air bubble vapors inside, but it still does not make an air tight seal. This helps to keep evaporation under control. My maximum was 1 month traveling and everything was good, noboby came to service. It started to build salt all around the rubber seal. Sure it's a bit of salt creep, but it goes until a certain point and then nothing can comes out anymore.
When im home I dose phytoplankton everyday... this surely has some water in.

My plenum is this:

I did not need all boards.
I will post a vídeo later which shows in details. Inside and underneath of it there are siporax rings.
if I would do it again, I would 3d print everything with the exact size. I just need to convince my wife tha5 we need another tank hahaha

 

[besskurz]

Indeed, high technology but smart enough, i'll do this too asap i got life in my bowl.
And ofc, no cleaning except if i'm gonna WC, i've read your post that i find inspiring.

Mine is a tiny 3,2 gallons bowl i just launched with a mangrove tree (still acclimating in another bowl) and some macros will arrive soon.
The light, is one i used for another project that is on standbye, so it s a mazara maxspect 60w put on 20%.

I'm considering now adding a plenum as the bowl is alost empty (only removing the sand).

As you i'm traveling sometimes for more than 1 week and i wonder how to compensate water evaporation, maybe gonna cover it when i'm out of the town.

Another thing that made a big change was water flow. I was following jauberts guide... no flow is needed (?).
Pulsating xenia was supposed to move some water... I added a frag, which melted in a couple weeks.
During that time I lost a bubble tip nem, that frogspawn... I was feeling like crap.

Probably - I'm no expert - it was a mix of lack of maturity of the system and lack of Waterflow.

 

[besskurz]

This is how the plenum looks like.
Sand goes at the sides and a very thin layer in the bottom. Hot glue to put all in place.

You will see as well a fluval 107. I bought it as a safe guard.. cuz I never knew if this was going to work.

I had to use it for a couple days when I had algae problems in frag plugs in the very beginning. I was dosing microbacter clean and a lot of organic gunk was in the water column due to the algae melting, corals bleaching. It did kill my caulerpa at that time. I had to make a 2-3 big WC, but there's some stuff you can't reach during WC, so this canister helped to clean.

 

[Euphrate]

My lid is another high tech stuff lol

The plastic disc had a good size but the rubber was too lose. I had to cut it and hand sew.
I made a little cut in the back of the plastic to make sure all cable could fit on it and stay in place.
It seals well, keeping most of the air bubble vapors inside, but it still does not make an air tight seal. This helps to keep evaporation under control. My maximum was 1 month traveling and everything was good, noboby came to service. It started to build salt all around the rubber seal. Sure it's a bit of salt creep, but it goes until a certain point and then nothing can comes out anymore.
When im home I dose phytoplankton everyday... this surely has some water in.

My plenum is this:

I did not need all boards.
I will post a vídeo later which shows in details. Inside and underneath of it there are siporax rings.
if I would do it again, I would 3d print everything with the exact size. I just need to convince my wife tha5 we need another tank hahaha

I just ordered the grid online, actually cost 0,4 € which is fine.

I see, you've put your corals too quickly and too much i guess? For the moment i'm not planing getting corals, only caulerpa and a live rock. Only to see if i'm able to have the responsability of such lives haha.

By the way i have an air pump also that may provide enough flow to the bowl.
I'll show you once i have everything in place!