The evolution of a living tank...FYI

Sk8r · 01/13/2017, 06:03 PM

There was a time the earth was pretty much rock and water.
Somewhere, probably around volcanic deep sea vents, in the pores of the rocks, life got started, chains of amino acids, dna, rna, etc---and we got, yes, slime.
We got algae.
We got cyanobacteria which happily took up carbon and water and spat out oxygen after absorbing energy from the sun (photosynthesis)---this was a bad thing for things that didn't like oxygen, but it was good for, well, everybody who wasn't a microbe liking other things.

We got wiggle. Little worms. Animacules. Eventually shelled things. And the bacteria that colonized the rock and sand prospered off the poo and eventual death. Goes-around comes-around. Things just got bigger, more than multi-celled: tailed and finned and such.

This is the process that goes on in your tank as you cycle and as the rock and sand head toward life. You're not going to 'evolve' worms, but you're going to support them; you're going to have little no-see-ums reproducing, bacteria dividing and multiplying, and little shelled amphipods and copepods turning up to eat the green stuff, and worms to process slime and cyano to, well, annoy you with its look, but it doesn't hurt much.

Eventually you work your chemistry toward a reliable support for a chain of life. You have to edit just a bit and relegate the algae and cyano to your sump, but in generally, you can nicely support the worms and little crustaceans as helpful to your purposes. You then try to arrange a list of critters that do not COMPRISE a food chain, but that can take advantage of the life in your tank---sponges and corals filter the water---blennies eat algae, gobies and jawfish eat detritus, and so on up... you balance all this in a reasonable way, allowing for rapid growth to adult size (usually within a year)---

So don't freak when something turns up alive in your tank. It's generally supposed to. Be suspicious of crabs. That's the most common troublesome hitchhiker, because you tend to want fish, which are on the menu of, well, yes, crabs. Beware of any algae with roots. But outside of that, just kind of get a nice magnifying glass and a red flashlight for night, and enjoy. A lot of life happens in your tank that's just seredipitous and uncontrolled...learn to enjoy it, and wear gloves if it's ooky. You and it will both be happier with gloves between you.

If you spot something really truly scary, nab it to the sump or a dish, get a photo, and ask. Chances are its still a good guy. And we have that lovely ID thread up among the stickies: just keep scrolling...

In general, you're kind of replicating what went on in the early earth---hoping to skip the Permian extinction and the asteroid. But watch it go: there's a LOT to watch go on, day by day.

Ron Reefman · 01/14/2017, 05:02 AM

Nice explanation/analogy Sk8r!

Mjm376bh · 01/14/2017, 02:39 PM

Good read, nicely done!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

ericarenee · 01/15/2017, 01:57 PM

1+ I love the we got wiggle

niladride · 01/16/2017, 06:59 AM

Really nice write up Sk8r.

Bender19 · 01/16/2017, 07:28 AM

+1 Nice Write-up!

Therinx · 01/16/2017, 01:33 PM

gone fishin · 01/16/2017, 06:17 PM

Nice write up, a Foreword for a new novel.

Grimreaperz · 01/17/2017, 01:19 AM

Great one as always 2 thumbs up for sure!

36g BF DT/29g DIY Sump/Fuge

mhurley · 01/17/2017, 07:03 AM

Let's not unnecessarily take this down a path that it does not need to go.

01/13/2017, 06:03 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The evolution of a living tank...FYI There was a time the earth was pretty much rock and water. Somewhere, probably around volcanic deep sea vents, in the pores of the rocks, life got started, chains of amino acids, dna, rna, etc---and we got, yes, slime. We got algae. We got cyanobacteria which happily took up carbon and water and spat out oxygen after absorbing energy from the sun (photosynthesis)---this was a bad thing for things that didn't like oxygen, but it was good for, well, everybody who wasn't a microbe liking other things. We got wiggle. Little worms. Animacules. Eventually shelled things. And the bacteria that colonized the rock and sand prospered off the poo and eventual death. Goes-around comes-around. Things just got bigger, more than multi-celled: tailed and finned and such. This is the process that goes on in your tank as you cycle and as the rock and sand head toward life. You're not going to 'evolve' worms, but you're going to support them; you're going to have little no-see-ums reproducing, bacteria dividing and multiplying, and little shelled amphipods and copepods turning up to eat the green stuff, and worms to process slime and cyano to, well, annoy you with its look, but it doesn't hurt much. Eventually you work your chemistry toward a reliable support for a chain of life. You have to edit just a bit and relegate the algae and cyano to your sump, but in generally, you can nicely support the worms and little crustaceans as helpful to your purposes. You then try to arrange a list of critters that do not COMPRISE a food chain, but that can take advantage of the life in your tank---sponges and corals filter the water---blennies eat algae, gobies and jawfish eat detritus, and so on up... you balance all this in a reasonable way, allowing for rapid growth to adult size (usually within a year)--- So don't freak when something turns up alive in your tank. It's generally supposed to. Be suspicious of crabs. That's the most common troublesome hitchhiker, because you tend to want fish, which are on the menu of, well, yes, crabs. Beware of any algae with roots. But outside of that, just kind of get a nice magnifying glass and a red flashlight for night, and enjoy. A lot of life happens in your tank that's just seredipitous and uncontrolled...learn to enjoy it, and wear gloves if it's ooky. You and it will both be happier with gloves between you. If you spot something really truly scary, nab it to the sump or a dish, get a photo, and ask. Chances are its still a good guy. And we have that lovely ID thread up among the stickies: just keep scrolling... In general, you're kind of replicating what went on in the early earth---hoping to skip the Permian extinction and the asteroid. But watch it go: there's a LOT to watch go on, day by day. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/14/2017, 05:02 AM	#2
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	Nice explanation/analogy Sk8r! __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

01/15/2017, 01:57 PM	#4
ericarenee Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Louisville Kentucky Posts: 3,110	1+ I love the we got wiggle __________________ 240+G Mixed BB Reef tank.. 350 G Marine Pond. And the expensive stuff that runs it. Chic's are for Chic's You silly men Go Fishing or something... Current Tank Info: 240= gal Reef /550 Gallon Saltwater pond 72 G Bay front Tropical aquarium

01/16/2017, 07:28 AM	#6
Bender19 It is, what it is. Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Orchard Park, NY Posts: 258	+1 Nice Write-up! __________________ I take others advice, but only Truly learn from my own experience. Ammonia/Nitrate: 0; Calcium: 420; Magnesium: 1350; Alkalinity: 8.3dKH; Salinity: 1.025; Temp abt 79. Current Tank Info: 90g Mixed Reef; 75g Fuge; PM r36 SUMP; PM RL150; RB Photon 48

01/16/2017, 06:17 PM	#8
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Nice write up, a Foreword for a new novel. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

01/14/2017, 02:39 PM	#3
Mjm376bh Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 46	Good read, nicely done! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

01/16/2017, 06:59 AM	#5
niladride Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 567	Really nice write up Sk8r.

01/16/2017, 01:33 PM	#7
Therinx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: NYC Posts: 55

01/17/2017, 01:19 AM	#9
Grimreaperz Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: British Columbia Posts: 518	Great one as always 2 thumbs up for sure! 36g BF DT/29g DIY Sump/Fuge

01/17/2017, 07:03 AM	#10
mhurley RC Staff Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Illinois'ish Posts: 38,805	Let's not unnecessarily take this down a path that it does not need to go. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 60G Cube