Coral research student looking for assistance!

megchew · 10/18/2012, 10:21 AM

My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a coral research project at the University of Essex in the U.K. (Although I am from California). I am trying to enlist the help of reefkeepers in order to address the following questions:

1. Do environmental conditions (pH, temperature, salinity) vary across aquaria when looking at the same species of coral?
2. What proportion of aquaria experience anomalies?
3. What coral species are most affected by anomalies?
4. Is there a relationship between mortality and system variability?

Where would be an appropriate place on this forum to put information about my project and ask for participants?

Kind regards,

Meg

megchew · 10/23/2012, 09:29 AM

My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a dissertation at the University of Essex involving private coral aquaria. There are so many different species of corals and different conditions they can be subjected to that it is impossible for them all to be studied at Universities. My project is to show that we can use the reef keeper data from their tanks in current coral research. This will accomplish two big objectives: 1. Reef keepers will be able to have an impact into what aspect of corals that the scientists are studying. 2. The science will be better with more tanks being looked at!

Is there anyone on this forum that may be interested in participating? Or is there a good place on this forum to put up more information about the project?

Kind regards,

Meg

megchew · 10/23/2012, 09:30 AM

My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a dissertation at the University of Essex involving private coral aquaria. There are so many different species of corals and different conditions they can be subjected to that it is impossible for them all to be studied at Universities. My project is to show that we can use the reef keeper data from their tanks in current coral research. This will accomplish two big objectives: 1. Reef keepers will be able to have an impact into what aspect of corals that the scientists are studying. 2. The science will be better with more tanks being looked at!

Is there anyone on this forum that may be interested in participating? Or is there a good place on this forum to put up more information about the project?

Kind regards,

Meg

Timfish · 10/23/2012, 05:06 PM

Count me in! I take care of over a dozen tanks on a weekly basis from 6 months to 20 years old and would be more than happy to help out. What is the expected length of time you will be doing your research project?

rogersb · 10/23/2012, 05:17 PM

What is an anomalie? I don't have waves crashing and breaking my sps to spread them around the reef, is this an anomalie? I also don't have coralivores keeping them in check. I'm a little unclear on what you mean.

megchew · 11/03/2012, 03:34 AM

The actual project itself involves collecting data from reefkeeper tanks. I am researching the viability of creating a database that uses reefkeeper aquaria to look at all of these questions across a variety of species. This is a pilot study and if it is successful then reefkeepers and scientists will be able to collaborate on coral research.
This particular study will be active until February 2013. However, you can participate in as much or as little of it you choose. There is an initial survey that just takes a few minutes to fill out, you can continue to participate after this or leave the study at any time.
If you are interested further, then please email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com and I will email you a covering letter and information sheet which go into more detail about the project as well as the initial survey itself.
I believe that reefkeepers have an extremely high level of information about corals and if we can collect this information scientifically we will be able to decrease not only aquaria mortality, but also improve our conservation of wild corals.
If you have any other questions about this, or hesitations on participation, you can post on this forum, message me on this forum, or email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com.

I look forward to working with you!
Meg

megchew · 11/03/2012, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timfish

Count me in! I take care of over a dozen tanks on a weekly basis from 6 months to 20 years old and would be more than happy to help out. What is the expected length of time you will be doing your research project?

Excellent! I am so happy to hear that! A dozen tanks would provide an amazing amount of information! This preliminary study will be until about February 2013, but if successful, hopefully it will last about a year. (However, you can choose to leave the project at any time)

Please email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com and I will send you more detailed information about the project.

I look forward to working with you!!
Meg

megchew · 11/03/2012, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogersb

What is an anomalie? I don't have waves crashing and breaking my sps to spread them around the reef, is this an anomalie? I also don't have coralivores keeping them in check. I'm a little unclear on what you mean.

Hi there!

Well an anomaly is basically when any parameters change from the norm. This is a complex question that we would answer by inferring information from the data.

What I am hoping is to create a database of reefkeeper tank parameters that are recorded regularly. When these parameters change (intentionally or unintentionally) how do the corals respond? These types of questions could be much more easily examined if this pilot database study is successful. Right now at universities there is limited ability to study the large number of different coral species and different conditions, but I think that collaborating with reefkeepers will enable researchers to identify causes for anomalies. As a result of this, we will hopefully be able to decrease mortality in aquaria.

Here is an example of something that could be studied more extensively with the help of reefkeepers: My supervisor, who is the head of the coral research unit at the university, is wanting to see if having variability in aquaria (similar to the wild) will decrease mortality within the aquaria. Overall he is wanting to know if corals in aquaria will be stronger if there is variability in the tank instead of narrow parameters. All reefkeepers have to do to help is simply keep track of their tank parameters and the success of their corals (most reefkeepers already do this) and this will give us an enormous amount of data that we can examine.

Hopefully this helps a little bit. Please ask if you have more questions and I will do my best to answer them.

Kind regards,

Meg

Gary Majchrzak · 11/03/2012, 07:45 AM

this is all very welcome and sounds interesting.

HOWEVER:

as an advanced aquarist I would like to point out that it's not only environmental conditions that affect aquarium corals and IME/IMO I would not estimate the majority of reefkeepers to monitor environmental conditions closely. (Perhaps a majority of SPS type aquarists do.)

ALLELOPATHY plays a HUGE role in closed systems- and the vast majority of reefkeepers knowingly (or unknowingly!) LOVE to jam as much is possible into their little glass boxes. This is going to skew results HUGELY in any closed system.

That being said- there are definitely certain species of (for instance) Acropora that are more tolerant of all conditions than other Acropora species.

I'd love to hear what guys with pHd's (!) think of aquarists in general.
Maybe not.

Anyways... I do believe that science could stand to learn something from reef aquarists and vice versa.

Welcome to Reef Central, Meg- and good luck with this project.

ajcanale · 11/03/2012, 08:00 AM

You really need to elaborate more on the term "anomalies." I understand this to be abnormalities or inconsistencies. Based on that... here are my answers.

1. Do environmental conditions (pH, temperature, salinity) vary across aquaria when looking at the same species of coral? pH and temperature, absolutely. Salinity, not as much. The majority of reef systems will be found with 1.023 - 1.026 specific gravity.

2. What proportion of aquaria experience anomalies?
I'd say 100%, or very near. Even the most massive of systems will have less stability than the reefs of the ocean when it comes to water parameters.

3. What coral species are most affected by anomalies?
Small Polyp Stony. Specifically Acropora and furthermore deep water Acroporas.

4. Is there a relationship between mortality and system variability?
The terminology of this question needs to be narrowed down. What variability are we referring to here? Water parameters, lighting, flow, types or corals, stocking level... the list goes on and on. Also the mortality of different types of corals greatly vary. Some seem nearly indestructible... i.e. Rhodactis.

ReefUrchin · 11/03/2012, 08:01 AM

Its already been noted many times before. just look at all the TOTM builds and the information is there. Any abnormality beyond that, and, well, there you go.

What needs to be studied "in depth" is the coral in its natural habitat, then when that data is collected, take that coral and subject it to a abnormality. No tank owner is going to want to do that as we want them to grow, not whither away.

The main problem is, we are still struggling on what exactly it is they need, and, what were able to give them that matches that exact need. Heck, most coral care is "they come from the atoll's and need lots of sunlight". That doesnt tell us jack! The only thing we have that tells us anything is what reefer's do that keeps them alive. Yea, they may grow, but, is that their natural environment? Are we actually making them grow on/through a steroid bases/derivative? We dont really know.

megchew · 11/03/2012, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Majchrzak

this is all very welcome and sounds interesting.

HOWEVER:

as an advanced aquarist I would like to point out that it's not only environmental conditions that affect aquarium corals and IME/IMO I would not estimate the majority of reefkeepers to monitor environmental conditions closely. (Perhaps a majority of SPS type aquarists do.)

ALLELOPATHY plays a HUGE role in closed systems- and the vast majority of reefkeepers knowingly (or unknowingly!) LOVE to jam as much is possible into their little glass boxes. This is going to skew results HUGELY in any closed system.

That being said- there are definitely certain species of (for instance) Acropora that are more tolerant of all conditions than other Acropora species.

I'd love to hear what guys with pHd's (!) think of aquarists in general.
Maybe not.

Anyways... I do believe that science could stand to learn something from reef aquarists and vice versa.

Welcome to Reef Central, Meg- and good luck with this project.

All of what you are saying is accurate! In order to integrate reefkeepers and scientists we must start at the basics. So creating a database of any information that reefkeepers keep on their aquaria will be incredibly useful, as then scientists would be able to look at hundreds, potentially thousands of tanks and conditions, this is massive information statistically.

As for what scientists think of reefkeepers, from my experience so far in coral research there is a massive amount of respect involved. What I am also actively researching is how to connect the two worlds. Scientists would love to have the help of reefkeepers, but lack a successful way of getting it thus far. So, one aspect of my project is coming onto these forums and seeing if anyone is interested in participating in research.

My opinion is that the data is already out there, in thousands and thousands of aquaria and if we can collate this information, we will be have an abundance of information about different species, combinations of species, interactions with other animals, and ranges of conditions. This information may then help us to decrease mortality rates.

I would love to have your continuous input on the project. This is a pilot study and so as we go along we will be asking reefkeepers about how they think the study could be improved.

I do hope you'll participate!
If you are interested please email coral.research.project@gmail.com and I will send you more information and you can see if you'd like to join in!

Kind regards,
Meg

megchew · 11/03/2012, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcanale

You really need to elaborate more on the term "anomalies." I understand this to be abnormalities or inconsistencies. Based on that... here are my answers.

1. Do environmental conditions (pH, temperature, salinity) vary across aquaria when looking at the same species of coral? pH and temperature, absolutely. Salinity, not as much. The majority of reef systems will be found with 1.023 - 1.026 specific gravity.

2. What proportion of aquaria experience anomalies?
I'd say 100%, or very near. Even the most massive of systems will have less stability than the reefs of the ocean when it comes to water parameters.

3. What coral species are most affected by anomalies?
Small Polyp Stony. Specifically Acropora and furthermore deep water Acroporas.

4. Is there a relationship between mortality and system variability?
The terminology of this question needs to be narrowed down. What variability are we referring to here? Water parameters, lighting, flow, types or corals, stocking level... the list goes on and on. Also the mortality of different types of corals greatly vary. Some seem nearly indestructible... i.e. Rhodactis.

Yes! These are all great responses, and consistent with current research. I should improve my explanation of my project a bit further. What I am looking to do is to create a database of reefkeeper data and statistically analyze the data in order to answer these questions.

What I am hoping to get is the participation of reefkeepers in contributing the information about their tanks. In addition, I am hoping to create an open forum between reefkeepers and scientists so that reefkeepers can help to steer the direction of the research. Reefkeepers have so much experience and information about corals and I am looking to collaborate that information with the academic world because I think that will lead to a quicker and BETTER understanding of coral ecology!

If you have any questions or you would like to contribute, please email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com. (Or of course you can chat on here as well)

Kind regards,
Meg

megchew · 11/03/2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefUrchin

Its already been noted many times before. just look at all the TOTM builds and the information is there. Any abnormality beyond that, and, well, there you go.

What needs to be studied "in depth" is the coral in its natural habitat, then when that data is collected, take that coral and subject it to a abnormality. No tank owner is going to want to do that as we want them to grow, not whither away.

The main problem is, we are still struggling on what exactly it is they need, and, what were able to give them that matches that exact need. Heck, most coral care is "they come from the atoll's and need lots of sunlight". That doesnt tell us jack! The only thing we have that tells us anything is what reefer's do that keeps them alive. Yea, they may grow, but, is that their natural environment? Are we actually making them grow on/through a steroid bases/derivative? We dont really know.

You are exactly right. My supervisor is the head of the coral research unit at the university and he runs a research station in Indonesia. One of his ideas at the moment, that he's hoping to be able to examine further, is whether or not subjecting corals in aquaria to seasonal variability (i.e. mimicking seasonal changes in the wild) improves their growth rate and longevity.

We are not looking for anyone to change what they are doing to their tanks, or to have them experiment on their own corals. But if we are able to look at hundreds and thousands of tanks of information about the parameters of their tanks, the growth and/or mortality of their corals, then we will be able to detect statistical differences. So for example, if one person's corals are struggling or dying they may not be able to figure out exactly why because there are so many factors involved. However, if we can cross reference this with thousands of other tanks and it turns out that the same species always struggles under a certain combination of conditions, then we can report this and everyone will benefit.

Of course studying the corals in their natural environment is essential. My idea is just that reefkeepers hold a plethora of knowledge that if we collect this data it will provide us with a much better understanding. When you look at thousands of tanks you are able to detect much subtler differences.

I do hope you will participate in the project! The two main aspects are 1. filling out survey & information about your tank, and 2. is to get feedback from reefkeepers about what they think should be studied.

I hope to be able to work with you on this project!
Kind regards,
Meg
coral.research.project@gmail.com

ReefUrchin · 11/03/2012, 08:11 PM

I would be happy to help, but, I am a very sloppy aquarium keeper and I hardly ever balance my checking account and wing it, so, my tank keeping is no different and I dont think I would be much help unless you have a specific question. Even then, I am in no means a coral keeper, just a coral dare devil experimenter. Heck, I pour kalkwaser in to the tank from a jug (looooooks just right). I dont really test and they grow. Maybe not as good as they could, I would not even know what that would be, lol, but, they have gone from bleached lost tissue to covered tissue, so, they healed. What are my perams that did that? I dunno, lol.

We all basically shoot for temps, alkalinity numbers, calcium numbers, PH numbers and magnesium numbers.

If you look at many threads, you will see even these are all over the board with the low end numbers growing coral just fine to killing off someone elses tank. Then, you have the other side where the numbers are high and one guys tank is fine and another's is dead from the same numbers. Same thing with Nitrites and phosphate readings.

Dont get me wrong, I wish you well, but, this site is basically a science lab in the making and the TOTM members are the top scientists. Many people copy word for word what they say and fail. They can give you exact parameters and conditions you think are the same. Are they though? have they missed something and most importantly DID NOT TELL YOU (even on accident)? I know thats what your trying to find out, what it is thats fails, but, if the people that are failing do not know, no one else will be able to tell you. Maybe..............

The best answer you could get (and this is a dream of course), would be to quarantine the dying tank area with guards, get the TOTM member over there and have him scrutinize the setup. Then have him watch the tank every day, let him make adjustments and see if he can turn the tank around. If he does, he will have isolated the variable your looking for.

Anyways, good luck with the project and if you have any specific questions, just send me a PM

greg1786 · 11/05/2012, 12:01 AM

Meg, this research project sounds like a wonderful idea! I would very much like to participate in any way I can. I sent you an email given the link you provided. I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you as well. GOOD LUCK

megchew · 11/05/2012, 06:44 AM

Thank you to those that would like to participate and to anyone with ideas!
One part of the project is just a one-time survey and so if you are interested in participating but not interested in recording the parameters of your tank, please still email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com
Thanks everyone!! This has been a really interactive forum.

reeferstace · 11/05/2012, 07:10 AM

How will you ever control for all the variables in a database like this? In order to have any meaningful data you would need to ensure that chemical parameters were tested the same way, with the same testing equipment, and reported the same way. Also, every participant would have to perform water changes, tank maintenance, and dosing the exact same way. Everyone would even need comparably sized systems, running the same kind of lights, etc. Even presence or absences of certain kinds fo fish would be an important consideration.

How are you going to quantify anomolies?
How are you going to quantify the effect of anomilies?
How are you going to quantify system variability?

megchew · 11/06/2012, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reeferstace

How will you ever control for all the variables in a database like this? In order to have any meaningful data you would need to ensure that chemical parameters were tested the same way, with the same testing equipment, and reported the same way. Also, every participant would have to perform water changes, tank maintenance, and dosing the exact same way. Everyone would even need comparably sized systems, running the same kind of lights, etc. Even presence or absences of certain kinds fo fish would be an important consideration.

How are you going to quantify anomolies?
How are you going to quantify the effect of anomilies?
How are you going to quantify system variability?

These are all very good points.

The idea behind this database is not to control all of the variables. Instead it is a way of finding statistical patterns with multiple variables (multivariate statistics). With a database like this we would be able to study a much higher combination of variables (including, as you mention, the types of fish, the combination of corals, even the invertebrates present). If reefkeepers help with this database, we could potentially have thousands of tanks. With this many tanks we may be able to identify patterns that would not have been found otherwise.

This is a pilot study where we are asking people how they measure their parameters, what they measure, and then just creating a short term database to see if it could be successful. The university is hoping that it will be successful because if the reefkeepers and researchers work together on this database it may provide an efficient way of recognizing new parameters that perhaps we had not considered.

For this initial pilot study we are simply quantifying anomalies as anything that is statistically out of the normal parameters.

This is an idea that will bring reefkeepers and researchers together. So that the reefkeepers have more an input on what is being researched and they can give their ideas and suggestions as well. At the end of this study, part of it is to ask all that participated how they think the study should be done in the future, how we can improve this.

I do hope you’ll participate, as we especially need people that are familiar with how studies are done (and you seem to be educated on this).
Kind regards,
Meg

megchew · 11/18/2012, 05:40 AM

I have put the initial survey online, so now it is even quicker and easier to participate! This survey only takes a few minutes!

(http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s.asp?s...bv4dhliw149182)

Again, any questions or suggestions about the project please message me on this forum or email coral.research.project@gmail.com

Kind regards,
Meg

10/18/2012, 10:21 AM	#1
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	Coral research student looking for assistance! My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a coral research project at the University of Essex in the U.K. (Although I am from California). I am trying to enlist the help of reefkeepers in order to address the following questions: 1. Do environmental conditions (pH, temperature, salinity) vary across aquaria when looking at the same species of coral? 2. What proportion of aquaria experience anomalies? 3. What coral species are most affected by anomalies? 4. Is there a relationship between mortality and system variability? Where would be an appropriate place on this forum to put information about my project and ask for participants? Kind regards, Meg

11/03/2012, 07:45 AM	#9
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	this is all very welcome and sounds interesting. HOWEVER: as an advanced aquarist I would like to point out that it's not only environmental conditions that affect aquarium corals and IME/IMO I would not estimate the majority of reefkeepers to monitor environmental conditions closely. (Perhaps a majority of SPS type aquarists do.) ALLELOPATHY plays a HUGE role in closed systems- and the vast majority of reefkeepers knowingly (or unknowingly!) LOVE to jam as much is possible into their little glass boxes. This is going to skew results HUGELY in any closed system. That being said- there are definitely certain species of (for instance) Acropora that are more tolerant of all conditions than other Acropora species. I'd love to hear what guys with pHd's (!) think of aquarists in general. Maybe not. Anyways... I do believe that science could stand to learn something from reef aquarists and vice versa. Welcome to Reef Central, Meg- and good luck with this project. __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

11/03/2012, 08:00 AM	#10
ajcanale Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Memphis 10 Posts: 1,098	You really need to elaborate more on the term "anomalies." I understand this to be abnormalities or inconsistencies. Based on that... here are my answers. 1. Do environmental conditions (pH, temperature, salinity) vary across aquaria when looking at the same species of coral? pH and temperature, absolutely. Salinity, not as much. The majority of reef systems will be found with 1.023 - 1.026 specific gravity. 2. What proportion of aquaria experience anomalies? I'd say 100%, or very near. Even the most massive of systems will have less stability than the reefs of the ocean when it comes to water parameters. 3. What coral species are most affected by anomalies? Small Polyp Stony. Specifically Acropora and furthermore deep water Acroporas. 4. Is there a relationship between mortality and system variability? The terminology of this question needs to be narrowed down. What variability are we referring to here? Water parameters, lighting, flow, types or corals, stocking level... the list goes on and on. Also the mortality of different types of corals greatly vary. Some seem nearly indestructible... i.e. Rhodactis. __________________ If the spirit moves ya, let me groove ya Current Tank Info: 150g Starphire Pensinula SPS

11/05/2012, 07:10 AM	#18
reeferstace I'm a little people Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Over Yonder Posts: 1,392	How will you ever control for all the variables in a database like this? In order to have any meaningful data you would need to ensure that chemical parameters were tested the same way, with the same testing equipment, and reported the same way. Also, every participant would have to perform water changes, tank maintenance, and dosing the exact same way. Everyone would even need comparably sized systems, running the same kind of lights, etc. Even presence or absences of certain kinds fo fish would be an important consideration. How are you going to quantify anomolies? How are you going to quantify the effect of anomilies? How are you going to quantify system variability? __________________ Stacy

10/23/2012, 09:29 AM	#2
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a dissertation at the University of Essex involving private coral aquaria. There are so many different species of corals and different conditions they can be subjected to that it is impossible for them all to be studied at Universities. My project is to show that we can use the reef keeper data from their tanks in current coral research. This will accomplish two big objectives: 1. Reef keepers will be able to have an impact into what aspect of corals that the scientists are studying. 2. The science will be better with more tanks being looked at! Is there anyone on this forum that may be interested in participating? Or is there a good place on this forum to put up more information about the project? Kind regards, Meg

10/23/2012, 09:30 AM	#3
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	My name is Meg Chew and I am working on a dissertation at the University of Essex involving private coral aquaria. There are so many different species of corals and different conditions they can be subjected to that it is impossible for them all to be studied at Universities. My project is to show that we can use the reef keeper data from their tanks in current coral research. This will accomplish two big objectives: 1. Reef keepers will be able to have an impact into what aspect of corals that the scientists are studying. 2. The science will be better with more tanks being looked at! Is there anyone on this forum that may be interested in participating? Or is there a good place on this forum to put up more information about the project? Kind regards, Meg

10/23/2012, 05:06 PM	#4
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Count me in! I take care of over a dozen tanks on a weekly basis from 6 months to 20 years old and would be more than happy to help out. What is the expected length of time you will be doing your research project?

10/23/2012, 05:17 PM	#5
rogersb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: white haven Posts: 1,135	What is an anomalie? I don't have waves crashing and breaking my sps to spread them around the reef, is this an anomalie? I also don't have coralivores keeping them in check. I'm a little unclear on what you mean.

11/03/2012, 03:34 AM	#6
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	The actual project itself involves collecting data from reefkeeper tanks. I am researching the viability of creating a database that uses reefkeeper aquaria to look at all of these questions across a variety of species. This is a pilot study and if it is successful then reefkeepers and scientists will be able to collaborate on coral research. This particular study will be active until February 2013. However, you can participate in as much or as little of it you choose. There is an initial survey that just takes a few minutes to fill out, you can continue to participate after this or leave the study at any time. If you are interested further, then please email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com and I will email you a covering letter and information sheet which go into more detail about the project as well as the initial survey itself. I believe that reefkeepers have an extremely high level of information about corals and if we can collect this information scientifically we will be able to decrease not only aquaria mortality, but also improve our conservation of wild corals. If you have any other questions about this, or hesitations on participation, you can post on this forum, message me on this forum, or email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com. I look forward to working with you! Meg

11/03/2012, 08:01 AM	#11
ReefUrchin Moved On Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 397	Its already been noted many times before. just look at all the TOTM builds and the information is there. Any abnormality beyond that, and, well, there you go. What needs to be studied "in depth" is the coral in its natural habitat, then when that data is collected, take that coral and subject it to a abnormality. No tank owner is going to want to do that as we want them to grow, not whither away. The main problem is, we are still struggling on what exactly it is they need, and, what were able to give them that matches that exact need. Heck, most coral care is "they come from the atoll's and need lots of sunlight". That doesnt tell us jack! The only thing we have that tells us anything is what reefer's do that keeps them alive. Yea, they may grow, but, is that their natural environment? Are we actually making them grow on/through a steroid bases/derivative? We dont really know.

11/03/2012, 08:11 PM	#15
ReefUrchin Moved On Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 397	I would be happy to help, but, I am a very sloppy aquarium keeper and I hardly ever balance my checking account and wing it, so, my tank keeping is no different and I dont think I would be much help unless you have a specific question. Even then, I am in no means a coral keeper, just a coral dare devil experimenter. Heck, I pour kalkwaser in to the tank from a jug (looooooks just right). I dont really test and they grow. Maybe not as good as they could, I would not even know what that would be, lol, but, they have gone from bleached lost tissue to covered tissue, so, they healed. What are my perams that did that? I dunno, lol. We all basically shoot for temps, alkalinity numbers, calcium numbers, PH numbers and magnesium numbers. If you look at many threads, you will see even these are all over the board with the low end numbers growing coral just fine to killing off someone elses tank. Then, you have the other side where the numbers are high and one guys tank is fine and another's is dead from the same numbers. Same thing with Nitrites and phosphate readings. Dont get me wrong, I wish you well, but, this site is basically a science lab in the making and the TOTM members are the top scientists. Many people copy word for word what they say and fail. They can give you exact parameters and conditions you think are the same. Are they though? have they missed something and most importantly DID NOT TELL YOU (even on accident)? I know thats what your trying to find out, what it is thats fails, but, if the people that are failing do not know, no one else will be able to tell you. Maybe.............. The best answer you could get (and this is a dream of course), would be to quarantine the dying tank area with guards, get the TOTM member over there and have him scrutinize the setup. Then have him watch the tank every day, let him make adjustments and see if he can turn the tank around. If he does, he will have isolated the variable your looking for. Anyways, good luck with the project and if you have any specific questions, just send me a PM

11/05/2012, 12:01 AM	#16
greg1786 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Baltimore md Posts: 1,241	Meg, this research project sounds like a wonderful idea! I would very much like to participate in any way I can. I sent you an email given the link you provided. I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you as well. GOOD LUCK

11/05/2012, 06:44 AM	#17
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	Thank you to those that would like to participate and to anyone with ideas! One part of the project is just a one-time survey and so if you are interested in participating but not interested in recording the parameters of your tank, please still email me at coral.research.project@gmail.com Thanks everyone!! This has been a really interactive forum.

11/18/2012, 05:40 AM	#20
megchew Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 12	I have put the initial survey online, so now it is even quicker and easier to participate! This survey only takes a few minutes! (http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s.asp?s...bv4dhliw149182) Again, any questions or suggestions about the project please message me on this forum or email coral.research.project@gmail.com Kind regards, Meg