BioRocker

[Coralnut]

Hello Anthony! I'm about halfway through your book and learning tons (my head just may explode!) Anyway I wanted your opinion on the BioRocker (Kent Marine). I am currently using one on a 90 gal reef tank. I do have a few fish but not even close to over populated. I'm also running a U/V in the sump to help control ICH (this has been very sucessful). I have removed all other filtration with the exception of the CPR Backpack protien skimmer.

Again thank you for the informative and very useful book, I will look for your other writings as well.......

Dan

[Anthony Calfo]

Cheers, Dan :)

Thanks for your kind words about my book (Coral Prop, I suppose?... or Reef Inverts with Fenner?)

The Bio-rocker does not strike me as being anything exceptional. I see nothing particularly good or bad with it. Like all bio-media... it is critically dependant on due diligence with prefiltration... else you will cripple the bio-media.

Alas too... please don't kid yourself about the UV in the sump either my friend. It has little or nothing to do with your success at tempering disease... or if so, precariously at best. Communicable pathogens are best treated (with UV if you like) in a remote and proper quarantine tank for all new livestock. Without QT for all... something dangerous in time can/will enter your aquarium and illuminate just how helpless a UV can be.

If Ich is your primary concern... focus on temperature stability. Fluctuations of more than a couple of degress between day and night can really trip some fish into flux with this pesky parasite.

Don't ghet me wrong... I do believe that UV. can be effective and useful (bare-bottomed tanks, QT, holding, wholesaler systems, etc). The display tank, however, is not where they belong (more harm than good).

Keep reading, learning and growing :)

Best regards,

Anthony

[Coralnut]

Sorry it was Coral Prop. :)

I'm slightly confused as to your answer on the U/V. I guess I need to go back and read page 121/122 in your book, I was under the impression that you were in favor of using them. What would be some of the problems I may encounter from using one?

[Anthony Calfo]

all good my friend :)

indeed... as mentioned above, I am in favor of using UV. Its just a shame how the hobby industry marketing can mislead folks into misapplications.

Hatchery/aquaculture/science experience teaches us differently (and properly).

The first problem with UV in the display is that we are allowing the parasites/pests into the system by unquarantined (yikes!) organisms (plants, algae, corals, fishes, etc) with the hope that the UV is ready and able to kill them. Doh! Just not safe or proper husbandry.. Instead, QT first to screen for gross problems... then rely on good husbandry and stability for natural mechanisms and immunity in the display.

The second problem is application. Systems with substrate (sand or gravel) harbor numerous nasties (larval organisms, cycts, tomites, whatever :D ) which is in conflict with UV efficacy. Best to have bare bottomed applications where the little buggers can be constantly swept up and kept in suspension for a better kill ratio.

And speaking of kill ratios ;) ...
for a UV to have any prayer of working reasonably well... the water has to be polished (heavily prefiltered), clear (daily carbon or ozone) and rather slow. Most people instead hook up a water pump to their UV and let the sucker run :p

Other issues... the chamber needs to be well flushed/cleaned frequently (months) with bleach or the like to prevent any bacterial slime or mulm from building up and impeding the penetration of light through the quartz sleeve.

Bulbs are likely only good for 6 months at best... and the list goes on :D

Heehee... I truly do find good use for UV... but again, in more commercial settings or for bare bottomed QT tanks.

Bottom line... for practical aquaristic applications, UV is strict to employ and marginally useful. Excellent for preventing unicellular algae from growing... weakly useful for parasite control. Really just a drain on the electric bill and a killer of desirable plankton. Also some theories about stripping nitrate and spiking nitrites in systems with heavy nitrates.

I find ozone to be much easier and more effective for disease control while having many other benefits (water clarity/color, improving skimmer performance, O2 saturation, etc).

Hope it helps my friend :D