THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

October 31, 2012

A truly "Unique" Video of a Mantis Shrimp Molting And You Can See it All

You can see the entire molting take place as the Video is at regular frame speed. Quite something to see!

Link :

Albert

October 31, 2012

And A Video of a Shrimp Molting right before Your Eyes

You can see the whole process taking place and the shrimp getting out its current carapace that you then see floating around, and the shrimp without one swimming

Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYJSCC0sEWI

Albert

October 31, 2012

And as if a Mantis and a Shrimp Molting was not enough, Here is one of a

Blue Lobster Molting

Link:

Albert

November 1, 2012

And A Video of a Shrimp Molting right before Your Eyes

© mandyudub

You can see the whole process taking place and the shrimp getting out its current carapace that you then see floating around, and the shrimp without one swimming

Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYJSCC0sEWI

Albert

I really enjoyed the kids' reactions. "Whoaaaa!"

November 1, 2012

Thanks and yes I thought it was a great video indeed ..

I love the comparison to your husband's dairy cows :-) Pics of them ?

Albert

The Ayshire, white and dark brown, is named Charity and her brown daughter Hope. Sorry the picture is not better. They were far out in the field so they are small in the picture. We have had a severe drought this year so we let the field go wild. Cutting it would have stressed the ground even more than it was already suffering.

November 1, 2012

Got some pics to post here myself for you Albert! Thanks again for sharing them with everyone, and asking permission, really flattered.

FTS 10/31/12

Side Shot

Mid Tank

SPS Mountain

Froggie Side

Candy Cane Side (Looks dark as I have the shutter speed up to compensate for my shaking hands)

Its in the Echinopora family and I love it! Just got it today.

Lobo

Mushie Rock

Green fuzzy mushies

Top Rock

Zoas

Fire and Ice Zoas

IDK combo rock

I believe them to be Green Hornets

Punk Rockers

Fruity Loops

Rainbow Cloves

Poe

Ponape Bird

ORA Red Planet

I love this guy!

Thanks again for using my photographs.

Randi

November 1, 2012

Got some pics to post here myself for you Albert! Thanks again for sharing them with everyone, and asking permission, really flattered.

Thanks again for using my photographs.

Randi

Stunning! Thank you for sharing your pictures. Poe, what a cutie!

November 1, 2012

Stunning! Thank you for sharing your pictures. Poe, what a cutie!

Thank you he is my boy!

November 1, 2012

Albert, have you ever done any work with plenums and Jaubert-type systems? I'm kinda planning on ditching my skimmer in favor of something like that.

November 1, 2012

I really enjoyed the kids' reactions. "Whoaaaa!"

Thanks, and yes those were some kind of videos indeed ... all 3 IMO ... amazing that the hobbyists were able to record them.

The Mantis and Blue Lobster molt ones were something else to watch and the one of the shrimp too although at one point with those fish in there I thought the shrimp was going to be devoured but fortunately that did not happen.

Glad you liked them

Albert

November 1, 2012

The Ayshire, white and dark brown, is named Charity and her brown daughter Hope. Sorry the picture is not better. They were far out in the field so they are small in the picture. We have had a severe drought this year so we let the field go wild. Cutting it would have stressed the ground even more than it was already suffering.

Gee how nice even if they are in the distance and look somewhat small, but I an imagine what theY look like from close-by ... I used to live on a farm for two years when I was really young, in Belgium, as I was going to a school far from Antwerp, and was living with friends of my parents who had a very large dairy farm.

That was a great experience although at the time I did not realize it as I was so young. Had a horse then that was given to me called "Bella" that I used to ride around in the village and on the farm grounds ... gee what memories that all brings back.

Thanks for posting the pic eitallent. I appreciate it.

Albert

November 1, 2012

Got some pics to post here myself for you Albert! Thanks again for sharing them with everyone, and asking permission, really flattered.
FTS 10/31/12

Thanks again for using my photographs.

Randi

Great looking FlCandy .. that tank is really a super looking one ... and I like that shot of Poe your favorite fish. Those Midas Blennies (Ecsenius midas) are really some gorgeous specimens ... maybe I'll try to find a real nice one for my tank, when I remove the Basslet I have in the tank now, that is getting to be a little too big for my 20G and, although it is not a bully, it does let others know who "is the boss" ...

Thanks for posting the pics ... I appreciate it ... and as I said on this thread in another post, and on one other so far, I am starting a rewrite of Small Reef Aquarium Basics to bring the book up to date, and have already taken one pre-order for it, and am looking for pictures to use in it, as this one will be in color so if you have some that you would like me to select one from, do post them here with a note that I have permission to use one or more of them.

Thanks and get well ...

Albert

Edited November 1, 2012 by albertthiel

November 1, 2012

Stunning! Thank you for sharing your pictures. Poe, what a cutie!

Yes Poe is super looking and has such a nice color all the time ... each time I see pictures of him I tell myself: Albert you have to get one ...

And as I said I probably will after I get that Lantern Basslet out of my tank and get it back to the LFS, as it is really growing a bit large for my 20 G.

Started off small enough but it is a "pig" when it comes to eating and it has grown so fast that now I feel it is getting too large for my tank ... catching him will be another story though but with food and a net in the tank before adding the food I may be able to catch him ...

Thank you he is my boy!

Yes he sure is from all the pics I have seen of him and he looks so great too !

BTW how long have you had him ? Seems like it must have been a long time by now ...

Albert

Edited November 1, 2012 by albertthiel

November 1, 2012

Albert, have you ever done any work with plenums and Jaubert-type systems? I'm kinda planning on ditching my skimmer in favor of something like that.

Yes I do. When we first learned about them and started seeing articles about them, I did set one up with a plenum and a thick/deep sand bed and no skimmer and followed the method that Jaubert was using.

The only difference I made was creating more circulation that just the air wands that he was advocating, which iMO were not creating enough circulation.

I also make sure the live rock was not sitting directly on the sand so the areas underneath could no go anoxic, but raise them off the bottom using egg crate and thin acrylic rod to keep the egg crate raised an the rock was placed on that.

In fact water could easily flow underneath the rocks and keep the top layers of the sand oxygenated and build up nitrifying bacteria.

Tell me what you would like to know about the method that you have not been able to locate yet Ben and I'll be glad to help if I can. I should since I ran a 125 that way for quite some time.

Albert

November 1, 2012

Water flow is more important for corals than light.

Part 1. Introduction to Gas Exchange

Considerations for water flow are almost always secondary to other decisions made when assembling a reef set up when in fact, water flow is paramount to the health and vitality of a reef system.

Water flow is important for many aspects of coral biology.

Water flow determines how efficiently corals capture food, it helps corals rid themselves of metabolic waste and it also determines where corals occur by distributing their spawn and gametes.

Most importantly, water flow is critical in driving the mechanisms of respiration and photosynthesis

Link : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/aafeature2

Albert

Edited November 1, 2012 by albertthiel

November 1, 2012

Water flow is more important for corals than light.

Part II: The science of corals and water flow

This second article in the series will review some of the published scientific research describing how water flow affects coral health.

In the first part of the article series I introduced the mechanisms by which water flow affects the respiration and photosynthesis of corals.

To recapitulate, I described how rates of photosynthesis and respiration are driven by diffusion rates which are dependent on concentration gradients.

Since concentration gradients are greatly affected by water motion, the respiration and photosynthesis rates of corals is strongly correlated with the intensity of water movement.

Link : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/aafeature

Albert

November 1, 2012

Water flow is more important for corals

Part III - There is a Part IV and V which I will post a little later

In this month’s article Jake will discuss his own research demonstrating how flow speed and lighting intensity go hand in hand.

In the first part of the article series I introduced the mechanismsby which water flow affects the respiration and photosynthesis of corals.

To recapitulate, I described how rates of photosynthesis and respiration are driven by diffusion rates which are dependent on concentration gradients.

Since concentration gradients are greatly affected by water motion, the respiration and photosynthesis rates of corals is strongly correlated with the intensity of water movement.

The second article in the series reviewedsome of the published scientific research describing how water flow affects coral biology.

Link to Part III : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/aafeature2

Albert

Edited November 1, 2012 by albertthiel

November 1, 2012

Good morning Albert,

I am doing a little alteration to my surround to my LED unit which should make it better including the ventilation around it. It will be another couple of days before its finished now. BTW I haven't forgotten the Oxydator I am sending to you.

November 1, 2012

Good morning Albert,
I am doing a little alteration to my surround to my LED unit which should make it better including the ventilation around it. It will be another couple of days before its finished now. BTW I haven't forgotten the Oxydator I am sending to you.

Good morning to you too although I guess it is already afternoon in the UK :-)

Thanks for the update on the Oxydator ... I appreciate it. Hopefully it will get here in the next week or two, or maybe three but I am sure you'll let me know when it is on the way.

And on your tank ... yes I am sure that it will take a little longer but it is better not to rush things and do them the right way rather than going to fast and then having to redo them.

It is getting cold here in GA ... not sure whether it has to do with the storm or the fact that Winter is coming, but this morning in some areas of GA we had freezing temps ... Heating unit is fixed so at least the house does not feel like I am in the refrigerator :-) The other day as I posted the temp in the house had fallen to 63 F. Fortunately my tank heater is oversized so the temp stayed at 78 as it normally is.

You have a great day and if you have any nice aquarium pics of the current one go ahead and post them before that tank is no more ...

Albert

November 1, 2012

Yes I do. When we first learned about them and started seeing articles about them, I did set one up with a plenum and a thick/deep sand bed and no skimmer and followed the method that Jaubert was using.

The only difference I made was creating more circulation that just the air wands that he was advocating, which iMO were not creating enough circulation.

I also make sure the live rock was not sitting directly on the sand so the areas underneath could no go anoxic, but raise them off the bottom using egg crate and thin acrylic rod to keep the egg crate raised an the rock was placed on that.

In fact water could easily flow underneath the rocks and keep the top layers of the sand oxygenated and build up nitrifying bacteria.

Tell me what you would like to know about the method that you have not been able to locate yet Ben and I'll be glad to help if I can. I should since I ran a 125 that way for quite some time.

Albert

I'm just not sure if it is worth pursuing. I want to remove my skimmer from operation and switch to 'natural' as much as possible. Not to the extent that user kgoldy goes (only macros and rock), as I still plan to run carbon, Phosguard, and Purigen media.

In the sump, I plan on having the entire thing filled to the brim with macros of varying types, chaeto, ulva, gracilaria, dictyota, halimeda, pink galaxy (the last two not for nutrient export, but present nonetheless), and I have the screens on which I can make an algae scrubber (I accidentally made one when I had my 55g, I used it to separate the chaeto from the skimmer inlet, and every other weeks it would be completely clogged with algae!), but the fact they need to be cleaned so often is not pleasing. Whatever I do decide on needs to be fairly low maintenance.

I have read these the Advanced Aquarist article about them, as well as a few discussions on various forums. People seem to go back and forth with Jaubert plenums vs plain deep sand beds. Also on garf.org there is a parts list and everything.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/9/aafeature

http://www.garf.org/bulletproofreef/plenum.asp

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/new-fr...ert-plenum.html

I'm also wondering if I could use Seachem deNitrate media within it to achieve denitrification without having such a deep bed.

If I did not have a sump, or my tank was not drilled, I would follow in Paul Baldassano's steps and use a reverse UGF, as the success he has with his is incredible.

November 1, 2012

Water Flow is More Important for Corals Than Light

Part 4: Basics of Hydrodynamics

This article revisits the topic of hydrodynamics, at a larger scale, in order to give readers background understanding on the big picture of water movement.

This article revisits the topic of hydrodynamics, at a larger scale, in order to give readers background understanding on the big picture of water movement.

More specifically, I will discuss the properties of fluids which govern how moving water behaves at the site of interaction between corals and the surrounding water. In next month's final installment of the water flow series,

I will elaborate on how aquarists can produce optimal water movement in their aquaria by applying the properties of moving fluids to their advantage.

Link : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/11/aafeature

Albert

November 1, 2012

I'm just not sure if it is worth pursuing. I want to remove my skimmer from operation and switch to 'natural' as much as possible. Not to the extent that user kgoldy goes (only macros and rock), as I still plan to run carbon, Phosguard, and Purigen media.

In the sump, I plan on having the entire thing filled to the brim with macros of varying types, chaeto, ulva, gracilaria, dictyota, halimeda, pink galaxy (the last two not for nutrient export, but present nonetheless), and I have the screens on which I can make an algae scrubber (I accidentally made one when I had my 55g, I used it to separate the chaeto from the skimmer inlet, and every other weeks it would be completely clogged with algae!), but the fact they need to be cleaned so often is not pleasing. Whatever I do decide on needs to be fairly low maintenance.

I have read these the Advanced Aquarist article about them, as well as a few discussions on various forums. People seem to go back and forth with Jaubert plenums vs plain deep sand beds. Also on garf.org there is a parts list and everything.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/9/aafeature

http://www.garf.org/bulletproofreef/plenum.asp

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/new-fr...ert-plenum.html

I'm also wondering if I could use Seachem deNitrate media within it to achieve denitrification without having such a deep bed.

If I did not have a sump, or my tank was not drilled, I would follow in Paul Baldassano's steps and use a reverse UGF, as the success he has with his is incredible.

Well it is quite a switch from what you have and to set it up correctly as you probably saw from the links you posted is not that easy unless you start from scratch and follow all the steps.

IME maximizing the use of the sump / fuge definitely has its benefits but whether you can actually get to the point where you no longer need a skimmer I am not sure off .. you may want to run it in combination with the improved sump / fuge and then after a while remove it when the fuge is operating at its top efficiency.

I agree algae scrubbers are great and do a nice job but they are maintenance heavy as those screens tend to load up with algae rather quickly, and when more algae grow over the ones that are there and start to die off, as usually happens, then a lot of unwanted elements get added to the water, which then sort of negates the benefits of the scrubber. So regular cleaning of them is indeed IME needed.

Of course you could set up several screens and remove the ones that get loaded with algae and leave the other ones, clean the ones you removed and keep changing out the screens.

Here is a pic of one that obviously did not get cleaned often enough :

What you could do is emulate the scrubber that Paul built and which was shown in the pictures (the one set up high on the back of the tank but not in the tank .. that may be an easier way to go. Put the scrubber there and still load you sump up as you described so you have a combination sump and fuge (with low flow through the fuge as you know I am sure of).

And on the remark that people go back and forth ... I agree ... both methods came about not too much apart time wise and hobbyists who had set it up one way then decided to go the other way, and went as you say back and forth, and then some came up with hybrid systems using some of both but that did not last long and both systems sort of fell out of fashion as far as I remember.

BTW there is a forum on algae scrubbers : http://algaescrubber.net/forums/

Anyway if I can be of any help when you decide how to do, let me know Ben.

Albert

Edited November 1, 2012 by albertthiel

November 1, 2012

Water Flow is More Important for Corals Than Light, Part V

Just as aquarium lighting has received a thorough reevaluation, so too must we start to consider how the water movement of our aquariums translates into water motion which is relevant and suitable for coral health.

In recent years there has been a great amount of varied and original data produced on lighting and corals for the reef aquarium.

By contrast, there have been much fewer articles on the effects and importance of water flow in the reef aquarium.

Most aquarists are unaware of the relationship between laminar and turbulent flow and virtually no one ever discusses water motion for reef aquarium in terms which actually apply to fluid dynamics.

It’s time for the reef aquarium hobby to catch up in the flow department. Just as aquarium lighting has received a thorough reevaluation, so too must we start to consider how the water movement of our aquariums translates into water motion which is relevant and suitable for coral health.

Link to the last part (V) : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature

Albert

November 1, 2012

If I did not have a sump, or my tank was not drilled, I would follow in Paul Baldassano's steps and use a reverse UGF, as the success he has with his is incredible.

WOW! reverse UGF that dates back to the late 70s. Hockney Aquariums started by a guy called Hubert Haze (not sure of the spelling there) helped pioneer if not invent reverse flow UG filters in his sytemized tanks. The system comprised of a protein skimmer and a trickle bye pass filter all contained within the aquarium. Hockney tanks were made near Leeds. I remember well a lecture Hubert gave on his systems in Birmingham. Hockney system V Tunze systems of the late 70s/80s were in competition with one another. Tunze won of course but the Hockney system was very good indeed at the time.

November 1, 2012

WOW! reverse UGF that dates back to the late 70s. Hockney Aquariums started by a guy called Hubert Haze (not sure of the spelling there) helped pioneer if not invent reverse flow UG filters in his sytemized tanks. The system comprised of a protein skimmer and a trickle bye pass filter all contained within the aquarium. Hockney tanks were made near Leeds. I remember well a lecture Hubert gave on his systems in Birmingham. Hockney system V Tunze systems of the late 70s/80s were in competition with one another. Tunze won of course but the Hockney system was very good indeed at the time.

Yes indeed the reverse UGF's go back a long ways indeed. I ran one for a while but did not quite like it all that much and it needed if I remember correctly a rather deep gravel bed of what we used in those days : dolomite.

Wonder whether there are still articles to be found about them ... I would guess if one searches long enough one can probably find some.

I remember that some in Germany came up with them too and those are probably the one you are referring to.

Will history repeat itself when it comes to filtration ... that would be really interesting ...

I'll have to do some searches and see whether I can come up with anything.

Tanks for pointing it out Les

Albert

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