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BRS/ WWC "Hybrid Method", & Nano Tanks


MR.FEESH

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I just finished this series Bulk Reef Supply created in partnership with World Wide Corals. It focuses on analyzing some results-proven professional reef keeping techniques across multiple areas, and combines them all into one cohesive set of recommendations for tanks at home.  The areas they assess include: filtration, flow, lighting, cycle, water chemistry, coral nutrition, husbandry, and maintenance.  Each episode goes in depth on how they test and what their conclusions are.  The overall ethos of the final method they settle on is: simple & stable.  If you want to understand the full swath of their recommendations in one episode, you'll want to watch episode 20.  

 

In the series, they then apply the method to one existing/established tank, and start another new tank entirely from scratch, to compare and contrast results.  Both tanks are quite large in volume compared to what I think most people would consider to nano-sized.  I wanted to map out the recommendations that make up this method, and evaluate which can or cannot realistically be applied to a nano tank.   

 

There are a number of topics accounted for in this method with which I do not have personal experience, so am hoping those who have more experience can take a look below and validate.  For the sake of discussion, if anyone has applied this specific method to a new tank or made changes to an existing tank, in order to adopt this method, perhaps you can share your experience. 

 

The personal context to this post is: with COVID forcing me to work from home for the foreseeable future, and a number of other personal plans/ expenses canceled indefinitely, I've been slowly plotting my potential return to the hobby.  I really enjoyed the series, and was wondering if this method could influence my next build-- recognizing that while I don't think anyone can follow this system 100% in a nano setting, using it as a guiding compass or north star may prove beneficial in the long run. 

 

Let's dive in 🙂

 

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Filtration

  • Source Water - RO/DI via 4 to 7 stage in-home filters, and any salt mix that targets numbers around: 8.6 dKH alkalinity, 480ppm calcium, and 1440ppm magnesium 
  • Biological Filtration - Live rock (preferably from an established tank, as opposed to dry), ceramic media in sump, no sand aka 'bare bottom', bacteria boosters (ex. Dr. Tim's One & Only) as needed
  • Mechanical Filtration - Filter socks, carbon reactor (preferred) or passive carbon in mesh bag (less ideal), protein skimmer optional (not considered core to the method, but still recommended)

 

Practicality in nano setup: 

While I don't think any of these cannot work in a nano setup, I think the thing that jumps out to me the most is the number of devices this method requires in a sump.  For that reason, I think an AIO nano is already out of the picture if you're going to stick to this prescription religiously. For a non-AIO nano setup, to have the basic sump equipment such monitoring probes, heater(s), return pumps-- and then the sump equipment from this method too, would require a pretty decent sized sump which might even eclipse the volume of the display tank.  Which is to say, not impossible, but I wonder how many people out there are willing to design that much sump for such a small display. 

 

Flow

  • Display pumps - as many are needed as to completely eliminate any dead spots anywhere in the display.  Could be as much as 50-100x flow for example. 
  • Return pumps - two redundant smaller return pumps for 3-5x flow (instead of one larger)

 

Practicality in nano setup:

In terms of the display pumps, it seems like this would technically be achievable, however smaller tanks mean less glass surface area, which means the number of pumps required to achieve BRS/WWC's desired outcome play a more significant visual role when you look at the tank than they would on a larger tank.  That said, the smaller the display, the less water you need to move in order to eliminate dead spots as the LxWxH decreases.  Employing a purposeful 'scape with breathing room on all sides of the rock structure to support this flow (i.e., not leaning against the tank's back wall) is required for this method.  On the return pumps, again not impossible, but I think it speaks to the practicality point in the filtration section above about needing a mega-sump for a tiny display if you're going to utilize all of the recommended equipment for this method. 

 

Lighting

  • T5s as core/ foundation lighting
  • LEDs as needed to achieve desired coloration to the eye, shimmer effect, and visual contrast desired

 

Practicality in nano setup:

I'm not tracking any issues with their lighting recommendations for nano tanks.  I suppose for AIO tanks, you would need to retrofit the existing hoods to implement these if different than what they're recommending for this method-- but due to the challenges mentioned in the flow section above, I think AIO tanks are already considered 'out of bounds' in terms of setups that can accommodate this method. 

 

Cycle

  • Long, 4+ month cycle with fish but no coral in order to fully exhaust all new tank issues associated with lack of sand bed, and establish a consistent nutrient import/export and bacteria population associated therewith.

 

Practicality in nano setup:

No issues?  Other than extraordinary amounts of patience. 

 

Water Chemistry

  • Calcium reactor/ 2-part dosing as needed to achieve alk/ calc described in source water salt mix target.
  • Don't bother dosing trace elements unless you plan to test for each individually and have an accurate way to address each.
  • Nitrate/ phosphate:  While lower levels are good early on while the tank is establishing itself, don't "chase zeros" once established, rather chase consistent levels (i.e. some is fine as long as it's not all over the place)

 

Practicality in nano setup:

Calcium reactor is more added equipment to the sump this method requires.  Otherwise, don't think there are issues(?) 

 

Coral Nutrition

  • Coral indirectly benefit from feeding the fish/ tank inhabitants (i.e., fish are required for this method, feeding the tank is required for this method)

 

Practicality in nano setup:

Sounds doable.  You might not have a huge bioload in a nano tank, but I think most people feed their critters regardless.

 

Husbandry

  • Pick utilitarian fish purposefully - "tang gang", and wrasses, which help you contribute to the maintenance of the tank.

 

Practicality in nano setup:

"Tang gang" is a no.  Some wrasses could work, though.  The only additional thought I have on this is that nano tanks limit the scope of fish available for selection, which might play into how much of a role this method wants fish to play.

 

Maintenance

  • Water changes - 10-15% per week
  • Filter socks - change 2x week
  • Monitoring/ controllers - Monitoring recommended, controllers not really necessary

 

Practicality in a nano setup:

All sound doable for nano tanks as far as I can tell?  The twice-weekly filter sock changes...that's some military-level discipline! 

 

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Personal take-aways:

 

  • Someone correct me if I'm not thinking clearly, but I can't see this method reconciling with nano AIO tanks.
  • BRS/ WWC calls this method simple & stable, but the amount of supporting equipment acting as the pace-maker for this method makes me question how 'simple' it is in the long run. 
  • I've only ever had AIO tanks in the past.  How big of a sump would you need in order to incorporate:  monitoring probes, heaters, auto top-off, ceramic media, a carbon reactor, a calcium reactor, skimmer, filter socks, and two return pumps?  I'm envisioning a comically large cabinet housing all of this, with a tiny little nano tank perched on top. 🙂
  • The cleaning/ replacing of filter socks twice a week is to remove excess nutrients before they begin to break down.  However, WWC has full-time staff to support manual process like these and I don't see 'hands-wet' activities that occur more than once a week, in perpetuity, being realistic for me personally. 

 

If nothing else, as I mentioned above, it was an engaging series of experiments and I appreciate the heavy-lifting they put into these recommendations.  Definitely check it out if you haven't already!

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What size tank do you have in mind? A lot of that stuff may be detrimental to a nano depending on size.

 

Most of it can be used in an AIO as companies made reactors and skimmers and such to fit in the back. As long as the tank is around 20g or larger it should fit. You don't see it often because most of it isn't necessary.

 

Most AIOs do not come with lighting so you can use whatever you want. If the tank is really small then a T5 fixture may be too much light spill. It also produces more heat. 

 

I don't know if anyone who uses a calcium reactor on a nano or if it's possible to pull it off. They are generally used on large systems with a large calcium load. It can drop pH so some use kalk in conjunction with it. I just don't see a nano having the demands for it unless wall to wall sps.

 

Basically with a nano people use water changes ...or 2 part..  or kalk.

 

Most of us change socks or floss twice a week. That is pretty standard but we get lazy too... In a nano with a media basket most of us just use disposable floss. You toss it in the trash and cut a new square...takes 30 seconds.

 

They make nano carbon reactors. For me... It's another thing to clean and maintain. Carbon can be harsh and strip too much...and depending on size of the tank...having a reactor to run a tablespoon of carbon hardly makes any sense so most put it on a media rack.

 

I personally don't use any ceramic media...my tanks tend to be heavily stocked and I never noticed any problem with just live rock processing the waste. This is personal preference. 

 

As far as useful fish...small combtooth blennies and captive bred rainfords gobies will pick at algae. Tuxedo urchins also stay small.

 

Just keep in mind...if you are going for simple to maintain... All the equipment needs regular maintenance. Sometimes less is more when it comes to a nano.

 

A 10g nano is different from a 40g. A larger tank has potentially more fish...less percentage of water changes and can start to make use of more equipment.

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3 hours ago, Tamberav said:

A lot of that stuff may be detrimental to a nano depending on size.

 

Is this comment from the perspective of: all of their recommendations implemented on too small of a tank would be overkill?  If not, can you clarify or give an example?

 

3 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Most of it can be used in an AIO as companies made reactors and skimmers and such to fit in the back. As long as the tank is around 20g or larger it should fit. You don't see it often because most of it isn't necessary.

 

I think my point about this method not seeming compatible with AIO tanks was not to say that manufacturers don't make each of the individual pieces of equipment they're prescribing in a format that can go in the back of an AIO tank, but rather that if you were going to use all of the pieces of equipment they're saying comprise this method at once...that's going to require a ton of space.

 

4 hours ago, Tamberav said:

As far as useful fish...small combtooth blennies and captive bred rainfords gobies will pick at algae. Tuxedo urchins also stay small.

 

Good info!  

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Yes, it could be overkill since nanos are a small volume of water and small amounts of media. 

 

I had 4 probes, dosing tubes, a skimmer, heater, media basket, return pump, ATO all in about 12 x 4 inches of space but it was certainly full. That was a 22g peninsula so the AIO compartment was a lot smaller than say my 25 Lagoon. 

 

I think the biggest benefit of having a sump on a nano is hiding wires/equipment and having more skimmer options as well as area for a refugium. Either option works though. My AIO's are faster maintenance then sumps, perhaps because its just a small area and I can use gravity to suck debris out and slap some new floss on quick. On my big tank I need to launder socks and use a pump or wet/dry vac to clean the bottom of the sump. It's just a personal preference. 

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Tamberav is exactly correct that is way overkill for a nano and will be detrimental. The reason why is that it's extremely easy to strip all nutrients in a nano, which opens you right up to dinos, chrysophytes, and starved corals. A carbon reactor in a nano is just a recipe for starved corals and critters because all of the organics they utilize will be stripped away.

 

The BRS/WWC method is great on a 125g, but on a 15g will lead to all kinds of problems. Most nanos have trouble keeping nutrients by the 2-3 year mark.

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1 hour ago, jservedio said:

Tamberav is exactly correct that is way overkill for a nano and will be detrimental. The reason why is that it's extremely easy to strip all nutrients in a nano, which opens you right up to dinos, chrysophytes, and starved corals. A carbon reactor in a nano is just a recipe for starved corals and critters because all of the organics they utilize will be stripped away.

 

The BRS/WWC method is great on a 125g, but on a 15g will lead to all kinds of problems. Most nanos have trouble keeping nutrients by the 2-3 year mark.

 

If you were going to start with the full breadth of equipment from this method and incrementally scale back the components one at a time until reaching something ultimately more suitable for 10 to 40 gallons-- in what order would you ditch things?  Carbon reactor sounds like it's number one on your list 🙂 

 

Without having personal experience, but making a mere observation, a calcium reactor would be higher up on my list too I would think...

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1 hour ago, MR.FEESH said:

 

If you were going to start with the full breadth of equipment from this method and incrementally scale back the components one at a time until reaching something ultimately more suitable for 10 to 40 gallons-- in what order would you ditch things?  Carbon reactor sounds like it's number one on your list 🙂 

 

Without having personal experience, but making a mere observation, a calcium reactor would be higher up on my list too I would think...

I would start with a box of water, an RODI system, an ATO and diligent maintenance. If you have an AIO maybe some filter floss for the first year or two or A HOB filter of its not an AIO. A calcium reactor on a nano is insanity and I don't think a single person here runs one on a nano. Water changes and dosing alk/ca (if you need it) is all you need.

 

Look at my system (20g in my signature), it's been running just shy of 10 years, is the definition of a mixed reef, and has no filtration at all. You don't need any of that crap for a successful nano. Start with the basics and add things if you have a compelling reason that can't solved with the basics.

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Nano sapiens

It's a good exercise to examine all of these 'methods' in detail, but at the end of the day the size of the system has a very large influence on which methods are chosen/needed to sustain a suitable and sustainable reef aquarium environment.

 

When a small nano is fully stocked (which doesn't take long!), there will typically be a high biomass to water volume ratio and as a result a good amount of waste produced.  Water changes along with some weekly substrate vacuuming (assuming a substrate is used, which is most common) are usually sufficient to keep a mature system's nutrient import/export in balance.  As mentioned above, more 'stuff' just means more maintenance and more worry (often with little to no benefit), so keeping the system's life support as simple as possible while still properly supporting the organisms' needs makes the most sense.

 

 

 

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I’ll play the other side and say I’m surprised that’s all they recommend for filtration. But I guess with tangs and turbos in a bigger tank the nasties wouldn't get that bad (or would they make it worse 🤔). 

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Most of that is merely based on tradition, hearsay or pop trends....it's not a magic formula...doesn't really even seem well thought out.  T5 lighting?  Really?

 

To me that "method" seems like what you described in the first post:  a hodgepodge of things that someone found "working" on a selection of random tanks.  

 

You'd be better off reading another book (or two or three) on the topic and then surfing threads and asking questions for a few hours IMO.

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DISQUALIFIED-QQ

I think just trying to keep it as simple as possible makes nano tanks fun and interesting. If you read my misadventures in the signature below, I try to keep my tank keeping simple enough to be a repeatable process for someone else (at least that's what I'm hoping). It's a young tank however so take it as you will.

 

Filtering: I feel like it'll be on the minimal side. At one point I ran PhosGuard but it came out to be unnecessary. I still have Purigen, but I am also considering not having it anymore since I'm starting to see less of a reason. At that point, I have basic mechanical filtration, GAC, and Biomax rings.

 

Flow: Space and aesthetics as you mentioned. I'm quite happy with the two Koralia 240 I have. I'm okay with dead spot as I do a good job vacuuming every other week. I also have my scape in a way where I can fit my vacuum tube in and around for a generally complete clean up. I have 4 large rocks forming an island, if you will.

 

Lighting: ...uh LED technology has come a long way. But I won't stop anyone using T5 HO, just be prepared to swap out bulbs regularly.

 

Cycle: Bio-Spira and raw shrimp/fish. In that shorter amount of time, good research should be conducted. Google scholar is your friend.

 

Water Chemistry: I mean as long as parameters aren't wildly careening and throwing caution to wind, okay. If you have corals that ask you to dose, then it is a matter having discipline to dose accordingly or buy a dosing unit. As far as I know, make sure you know your new salt water profile is like and compare that to where you wish to be. Dosing may change as consumption changes. I've changed my dosing a few times already as my tank goes through stages. Now I have a lot of coralline algae so my dosing has gone back up again.

 

Coral nutrition: Reef-Roids.

 

Husbandry and maintenance: Look in the mirror, haha. For me, it's every 2 weeks spend an hour or two to do a 10-15% water change and service the HOB. I also do water tests twice a week on top of it so I can decently track how my water is doing. Someone from Living Art Aquatic Design in Santa Monica told me that reef tanks are really just one big water experiment. There's quite a bit of truth to that.

 

You are correct that this method certainly doesn't fit nano tanks. The method is pretty costly. You're investing in equipment that may automate some functions, but remember that equipment failure is also part of the experience. Hopefully it doesn't happen soon and end user gets a long use out of it.

 

Personally, I'd love to get an AIO, but I chose to get a basic rimmed 20 Long because I was working on a comparatively smaller budget and I had an Aquaclear 70 just hanging out in space. I was literally one tank, one heater, and one light away to anything remotely saltwater aquarium. (also Petco dollar per gallon)

 

 

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