Reefbusters: Share your favorite reefing myths!

[Reefering1]

As an in depth science question, porosity always depends on how you define it. IE, what pores are large enough for what you want to accomplish.

GAC can have a huge surface area that is only accessible to tiny molecules, as opposed to bacteria.

What Randy said, lol. I deliberately went non porous on my recent tank. Even the bag of sand I've got in the sump is washed every week.

So then, surface area does not constitute porosity but porosity is of surface area?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I just posted this in another thread. I just cut and paste here:

I did not only hear about it, but experienced it first hand , front roll sit. I had a 420 DT. I had a Sixline pair and a Mandarin pair, along with a lot of other fishes. After 18+ months together, fat and spawning regularly, the Sixline coordinated and peck out the eyes of the Madarin female. It was my bad luck to actually see it. It was over in seconds. They attached within second of each other.
They totally ignored the Madarin before and after the attack. I caught the Sixline pair, sentenced them to death but commuted it to banishment forever from any territories under my rule instead. I only keep Sixline only once since. A friend go out of the country and send me all the contents of his tank. That Sixline died of old age after under my care for 3 years. In the frag system.

My pair of Sixline went to the LFS, I euthanized the female Mandarin. Maybe this was similar to something you heard.

I know it's hit or miss in them , sad for the issue with the six line. I was more being funny, and bragging about my luck with my tank.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Ytsssss...lol...I'm the captain against the people who think Cannister Filters suck for saltwater.. I always defend them. Some on here have evem pmd me asking for advice..

And lol...my nephew has a 13.5 Evo Saltwater Tank with a black Ice Clown, 6 line wrasse and a mandarin...and you know what??? They all get along like long lost cousins!

Awesome!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So then, surface area does not constitute porosity but porosity is of surface area?

Again, its a matter of definition.

Porosity as a measurement is simply a measure of the open spaces inside something relative to its total volume. It doesn't say anything directly about surface area. A soccer ball with a hole in it has quite high porosity, but has far, far lower surface area than just a teaspoonful of GAC.

 

[BeanAnimal]

"popping bubble algae will make it spread out of control"

Popping bubble algae can indeed release spores where each can settle and have a chance at growing into a new cell.

The "out of control" part is what is questionable and I don't know of any studies on the matter.

Valonia ventricosa is a single cell algae - each "bubble" is a single cell.

• Reproduction Methods:
  • Asexual Reproduction: Typically involves the internal division of the cell contents, including the nucleus and cytoplasm, followed by the splitting of the cell itself or the formation and release of daughter vesicles internally, which then exit the parent cell.
  • Sexual Reproduction: Involves the formation of gametes that can fuse to form zygotes. This process is less commonly observed in aquarium settings but can occur naturally in the wild.
• Spore Release: If the cell is ruptured or decays, it can release spores into the water, which can settle and grow into new algae

Once a cell us ruptured the cell is no longer viable and will die. It can't 'repair' itself and pieces of the cell wall are also not viable and can't 'regrow' a new cell.

So the "myth" that popping can cause spread is not busted, but the "out of control" part can be questioned.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That canister filters are BAD for Reef Tanks while I have been running them since 1984 with GREAT RESULTS FOR EHEIM! HAHA HA More baloney from KNOW IT ALLS!!!

Have you ever unplugged it from the system to see if there is a difference? If so, what was the difference?

 

[OrionN]

Randy,
The nitrogen cycle is important, because without it we cannot keep a reef tank. Lee Chin Eng got roasted when he suggested that he can keep salt water reef tank with just rock and sand. Other people cannot reproduced it because they did not use live rock and live sand then called him a liar.
IMO, the nitrogen cycles is not the only thing we need the surface area for. It is also for all the sauna and flora in it.
We can easily provide the surface area needed by use a wet dry system or fluidized filter but these are for fish only. For certainty, without some sort of biological filter to metabolize the ammonia, we cannot keep salt water. This is not true for fresh water.
My sand harbor a lot of animals and the sand bed absorbed a lot of nutrients in the form of biomass. Some of us experienced the detrimental affect of a crashed sand bed. The only remedy is removal of it and start a new.
I am short of time right now. Will try to post later.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy,
The nitrogen cycle is important, because without it we cannot keep a reef tank. Lee Chin Eng got roasted when he suggested that he can keep salt water reef tank with just rock and sand. Other people cannot reproduced it because they did not use live rock and live sand then called him a liar.
IMO, the nitrogen cycles is not the only thing we need the surface area for. It is also for all the sauna and flora in it.
We can easily provide the surface area needed by use a wet dry system or fluidized filter but these are for fish only. For certainty, without some sort of biological filter to metabolize the ammonia, we cannot keep salt water. This is not true for fresh water.
My sand harbor a lot of animals and the sand bed absorbed a lot of nutrients in the form of biomass. Some of us experienced the detrimental affect of a crashed sand bed. The only remedy is removal of it and start a new.
I am short of time right now. Will try to post later.

I simply do not agree. I think the hobby is disserved by the constant drumbeat of a little ammonia being bad.

A modern reef tank packed with organisms can potentially take up all of the ammonia provided to it, which is why many reef tanks end up needing to dose ammonia or nitrate.

Yes, one has to get past the start up stages, and doing so with photosynthetic organisms instead of fish would likely work fine.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Larger tanks are more stable

Context is everything.

A larger volume is more stable in context to numerous common aquarium events.

- Toxic events. An unnoticed dead fish in a 100 is food. The same fish an a nano may be a biological or chemical event of signifigance, especially in a system that is running close to the edge of some other limit (say gas exchange).

- thermal stability. The larger the volume the more stable it will be with regard to the environment that surrounds it. A large temperature swing in a room will have a far smaller effect on the 100 than it does on the nano.

- chemical warfare. An angry coral (or one behaving as it's DNA dictates) may only have a localized effect in the 100 but the close proximity of the nano means everything is affected. Everybody smells the fart in the elevator, but only a few people in the cafeteria.....

We can go on, but the myth is not busted. The statement just needs context.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Ich comes from toilet seats? Now, that is one that I have never heard of.

I thought it was gorilla crabs you got from toilet seats

 

[Mujul79]

• white light causes algae, red light is harmful to corals
• Moorish Idols need to be kept in a group to survive
• Rock Beauty needs a sponge diet
• ich comes from toilet seats
• mandarin fish can’t be maintained on commercial food
• polyp extension is a indicator of coral health
• Nitrates are harmful???? (or jury is still out)
• you need to maintain 78F as the optimal reef temperature

On the mandarin what have they eaten for you? I bought it pods but how often do I do that or will it learn to ear frozen foods?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Context is everything.

A larger volume is more stable in context to numerous common aquarium events.

I'd also add something that is inherent in the discussion, but that I didn't see explicitly laid out and some folks might miss. I know this is obvious to many, but likely not all folks reading this thread.

Internal volume rises faster than the floor surface area as a tank gets bigger. Volume of a cube goes by the side cubed, surface area of the bottom goes by a side squared). Thus, in tanks equally packed with stuff (except one packed all the way to the literal top of the water) there is more water volume per organism in larger tanks. Same applies to evaporation from the top surface, or to loss of heat from the top and sides, etc.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Growth is my key indicator, others choose color …but this is just my experience but I’ve had corals grow at ludicrous speed and never witnessed any polyp extension

Agreed! I had a yellow clown goby in my reef and didn't realize they can scrape the acro to get it to slime and eat the slim. I didn't have any polyps showing. But great growth. Got rid of the Goby and Bobs your dad I have polyp extinction

 

[BeanAnimal]

I'd also add something that is inherent in the discussion, but that I didn't see explicitly laid out and some folks might miss. I know this is obvious to many, but likely not all folks reading this thread.

Internal volume rises faster than the floor surface area as a tank gets bigger. Volume of a cube goes by the side cubed, surface area of the bottom goes by a side squared). Thus, in tanks equally packed with stuff (except one packed all the way to the literal top of the water) there is more water volume per organism in larger tanks. Same applies to evaporation from the top surface, or to loss of heat from the top and sides, etc.

Indeed - a very good point to add to the list.

 

[Cool tangs]

The tang police

 

[Cool tangs]

Also this might be a controversial one, but QTing everything seems like the agenda being pushed to reefers lately and for a lot of hobbyist it's unrealistic and difficult. I've killed more fish trying to QT them then just chucking them in and running a high quality UV sterilizer. So I don't QT anymore. In saying that I don't go buy the fish riddled in parasites either. I have 2 powder tangs and they are thriving! No QT and yes Ive had ich and possibly velvet. The UV did wonders in my opinion to help keep parasites at very low numbers if any. For most people that is a more simple method and personally feel like making this hobby more difficult just puts people off. Not to mention if you stuff up once, all your hard work goes down the drain. But I'm talking high quality UV. the cheap eBay ones do nothing, I've tried those as well. My recommendation is lifegard aquatics. My belief is they fight parasites in the wild the UV will control the numbers, from there keep your fish fat and healthy and they will build up immunity.

My next experiment is I'd love to buy a fish riddled with parasites and setup a temp tank with UV attached and see if that would help reduce the numbers or save the fish.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don't think either point that you touched on is a "myth" by any means.

1 - "tang police" - for any species with regard to space there are lines that should not be crossed. While they may not be absolutes and indeed fuzzy and subjective (albeit grounded in objectivity), they are lines that many people unquestionably blow past.

2 - "QT" - serves an extremely valuable purpose. The less care that is taken the higher the risk of problems (form minor to catastrophic). Period. You are free to accept whatever level of risk fits your investment (time and money), morals, and/or expectations. There is no "myth" in QT, just outcomes based on input.

 

[VintageReefer]

While “must have” almost anything is a myth if someone claims it, many of your claimed myths, if written as “can improve many aquaria not doing them” is not easily disproven.

Then that would be a false assumption, I make no such claim.

People out there believe, and tell others, various myths such as

Do not put a sandbed in your new tank, it’s constant work to maintain it and keep it clean.

you need a fleece roller if you want your water to be clear

You need 4 radions, 2 kessils , and 2 led bars if you want to light that tank properly. Ok maybe extreme here but some of the lighting setups I’ve seen suggested are just ridiculous and unnecessary

Regardless, every myth I stated, is from things I’ve seen suggested or presented as fact, often to new members, when in reality, it’s not.

There are multiple paths to success. If the goal is to get to the other side of the mountain, one path may require multiple types of attire, climbing gear, etc. Another path might just need a car.

Know your goal, review your paths, and plan your trip appropriately. Just because you are on one path, does not mean that it’s the only one.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I simply do not agree. I think the hobby is disserved by the constant drumbeat of a little ammonia being bad.

A modern reef tank packed with organisms can potentially take up all of the ammonia provided to it, which is why many reef tanks end up needing to dose ammonia or nitrate.

Yes, one has to get past the start up stages, and doing so with photosynthetic organisms instead of fish would likely work fine.

Anyone wanting to weigh in on possible myths or myth busting ideas around ammonia and/or cycling and/or merits of nitrifiers, here’s a new thread to do so:

Ammonia is our Friend: thoughts needed

I'm thinking of wring an article on how ammonia has been wrongfully vilified in our hobby, with plenty of ammonia science and literature data, experiences of folks dosing it, etc. One possible part of it relates to the whole idea that one could start a reef tank without intentionally cycling...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[MarsReefer]

The only thing I’ve learned from this thread is that people don’t know the difference between myth and best practice.

90% of these things are true 90% of the time. Just because you one time found a magic mandarin fish who lived for 30 years in a cup of water and fed on air doesn’t make it a myth that they usually don’t take prepared food.