Thoughts on BrsTV Biome!!!

[RockyMountainReefing]

What’s everyone thoughts on BrsTv Biome investigation? Wow was that some great information. I’m new to reefing but that really has to be pushing the envelope and progressing this great hobby. I would love to see the results of phase 2 but I just don’t have the time to wait 4 months for their results. I’m starting a tank now I’m currently just about to start cycling dry rock in a Brute can with biome in a bottle for a month or 2. Next I plan to add that to the tank with live sand and dark rubble in the sump. I’ll let it sit another month still either no lite. Then maybe turn lights on really low par and add copapods/ seed coralline algae?

what’s your thoughts/ what would you do starting a new tank today (mixed reef). No live rock except using a peace to seed.

 

[lost66]

they started to sell pods and made videos about benefits. I spotted watching their channel.

 

[RockyMountainReefing]

they started to sell pods and made videos about benefits. I spotted watching their channel.

Yea I seen that. Just curious how someone who has been doing this for a while would start a biome with this new information

 

[JNalley]

Yea I seen that. Just curious how someone who has been doing this for a while would start a biome with this new information

But that's not what you asked, you asked it with the caveat that there is no live rock and only a single piece of liverock to seed. Which sounds like that's the only method to be employed.

To be clear, I am not attacking you, just questioning what you're hoping to get out of this conversation. Because I would start a new tank with OceanDirect Live Sand and all Live Rock from Australia (since it's the only source of Reef Harvested live rock in the US). But you seem to be after some other piece of information...

 

[Garf]

What’s everyone thoughts on BrsTv Biome investigation? Wow was that some great information. I’m new to reefing but that really has to be pushing the envelope and progressing this great hobby. I would love to see the results of phase 2 but I just don’t have the time to wait 4 months for their results. I’m starting a tank now I’m currently just about to start cycling dry rock in a Brute can with biome in a bottle for a month or 2. Next I plan to add that to the tank with live sand and dark rubble in the sump. I’ll let it sit another month still either no lite. Then maybe turn lights on really low par and add copapods/ seed coralline algae?

what’s your thoughts/ what would you do starting a new tank today (mixed reef). No live rock except using a peace to seed.

Problem I see is positive and negative feedback loops. Change 1 tiny thing and the outcomes can be drastically different. My dog sneezes outside I’ll get a different path than if your dog sneezes by the sump.

 

[beesnreefs]

What’s everyone thoughts on BrsTv Biome investigation? Wow was that some great information. I’m new to reefing but that really has to be pushing the envelope and progressing this great hobby. I would love to see the results of phase 2 but I just don’t have the time to wait 4 months for their results. I’m starting a tank now I’m currently just about to start cycling dry rock in a Brute can with biome in a bottle for a month or 2. Next I plan to add that to the tank with live sand and dark rubble in the sump. I’ll let it sit another month still either no lite. Then maybe turn lights on really low par and add copapods/ seed coralline algae?

what’s your thoughts/ what would you do starting a new tank today (mixed reef). No live rock except using a peace to seed.

I found the whole series fascinating, and at least got me, timely. Reason being, I was just starting a new 225g system when the biome videos came out.

You can follow my journey in my build thread but here’s the basics of what I’ve done so far:

1. Aquascape with dry Marco rock
2. 120 lbs OceanDirect live sand
3. AquaBiomics live sand in the sump
4. Fishless for first two weeks
5. Lights off for first month
6. Pods added (6 jars) when fish added
7. Phyto dosing daily when pods added
8. After cycling, biome package from IPSF added (live sand, live mud, micro/miso critters)
9. Lights on at week 6 (LPS settings so no more than 150 PAR)
10. CUC from ReefCleaners added when lights on

Lights have been on for two weeks now and I have absolutely no “uglies” so far. It’s very early in this systems journey, but so far I’m delighted with the process

 

[sixty_reefer]

“All my reefing problems will go away if I have enough pods” that’s my thought

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

just remember that BRS is a store.

Most of the info (if not all) is already known by reefers at least 2 decades ago when I got into the hobby. All the information in these videos was already in books and magazine articles long ago.

Hobbyists have always known about copepods, they've always been around, but lately, only in past few months they seem to be all the rage, "great for the tank"..... "biodiversity" is the word of the month. Sorry but they are not the wonder champions that the video makes them out to be

I would say these videos have been very successfull, in teaching new people in video form since people dont like to read anymore, and they are successfull in getting people to buy more stuff (which I imagine was probably the primary goal)

 

[DanM1029]

All the BRS stuff notwithstanding, I would just try and get as many different sources of biology in the tank I can resonantly find. I am about to cycle a new tank with a bio brick from an existing tank, some ocean direct sand, and maybe one more source like Aqua Forest or Aqua Biomics

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I've never had an issue starting with all live rock from the ocean and see no downsides to continuing to do things that way tbh even after watching the series

 

[GlassMunky]

Take any and all Aquabiomics results with a big grain of salt.
I used them for well over 6 months and found it to be a giant waste of money. Inconsistent and unreliable results.
same sample tested under 2 names came back with wildly varying results.
their customer service and overall support are also almost nonexistent.

it’s all useless (and probably incorrect) information anyways as nobody really knows how any of the results translate into any real world actions with positive results.

save your money

 

[AydenLincoln]

I love BRSTV, Ryan, and their customer support. Yes they are a company and I ignore the fact that they are trying to sell a product too. I saw the presentation in person and met Ryan it was a great experience. They have some great info for beginners and honestly a place where a lot of beginners coming into the hobby today start…by watching YouTube.

 

[Maxx]

There’s value to the information presented in the videos. If it gets you thinking about the tank/system in a different way, then great.
It is not necessary to buy the latest & greatest just because BRS (or anyone else) does a video extolling the virtues of a product they happen to sell.
However, I think BRS generally tries to look into things like this with an eye to make the hobby easier and for newer people to be successful. Even when this might cost them sales of a product.

Having said that…why would they do that?
They’re a business, right? Two reasons (IMO):
1…They’re hobbyists who got into the business of selling reef stuff. They enjoy this as much as we do and want you and I to be successful.
2…successful hobbyists spend more money long term than hobbyists who get in, spend a bunch of money to start, crash & burn, get out of the hobby, and bad mouth the hobby to everyone else who will listen.

These videos educate people and help them be successful hobbyists. Obviously, it is successful enough they can continue doing videos.

I watched the series and found it interesting.
I’ve got a 40 breeder I’ve been having issues with. I started it with dry Marco rock and DR Tims. I just bought another Bio-Brick and have some older Siporax from a previous set up that I’m going to put in a buddy’s system that has been running for about 5-6 years. I’m going to let it sit in his sump for 3 months or so and then introduce it back into my sump.
We’ll see what happens.

 

[MissMolly]

What’s everyone thoughts on BrsTv Biome investigation? Wow was that some great information. I’m new to reefing but that really has to be pushing the envelope and progressing this great hobby. I would love to see the results of phase 2 but I just don’t have the time to wait 4 months for their results. I’m starting a tank now I’m currently just about to start cycling dry rock in a Brute can with biome in a bottle for a month or 2. Next I plan to add that to the tank with live sand and dark rubble in the sump. I’ll let it sit another month still either no lite. Then maybe turn lights on really low par and add copapods/ seed coralline algae?

what’s your thoughts/ what would you do starting a new tank today (mixed reef). No live rock except using a peace to seed.

HI, I know this is an old thread but just saw it.

I see that your question was not well recieved in here. But as a new comer myself I found the series extremely interesting and helpful and eye opening. I think there's a lot of "That is just how we do it - and we will not try a different method or be open to new knowledge" in this hobby. Not saying that everybody is like that, but yeah I sort of get this vibe from a lot of places..

BRS DID do a comprehensive experiment and I think it's a shame to say that they did this just to sell pods. They did this to gain new knowledge and prove hwo dif methods work.

Personally I took from the series that I either should start with black cured gulf live rock or dry rock and live sand or AF sand. Not turn on the lights for a few month and make sure I have micro critters in there.

I chose the dry rock and live sand. No lights. And it worked out super well for me. Had a teeny tiny diatom breakout on rocks but really nothing.

How did it go with your project?