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Speaker 1: This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets. Welcome to

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aquarium Mania. I'm your host, doctor Royanong, speaking to you from.

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Speaker 2: The University of Florida if this tropical aguacultural laboratory. Thanks

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for joining us. Coral reef tanks continue to gain in popularity,

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and advances in technology and coral reef biology and ecology

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have made reef keeping much more accessible. My guest today

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is Chris Mechley of ACI Aquaculture, a well known coral

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aquaculture and wholesale facility in Plant City, Florida. In Part

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one of our reef and coraal Keeping one O one series,

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we discuss tanks, equipment and accessories. Join us as Chris

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continues our series with Part two, an overview of aquascaping

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and water chemistry. We'll be right back after these messages.

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Speaker 3: How many of you have pets? My hands raised now.

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Think about how lucky you are to have such a

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sweet little pet in your life, and that pet is

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lucky to have you too. But unfortunately, there are countless

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pets out there that don't have a home to call

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their own. However, Bob's from Sketchers is trying to change that.

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So we developed Bobs for Dogs and Cats to help

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pets in need. With every purchase of adorable Bob's footwear

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or fun stylish apparel, or even the cutest Bob's Pet accessories,

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Sketchers makes a donation to pet Co Love to help

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save shelter pets, and with your help, we've already saved

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the lives of over one million pets and raised over

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seven million dollars. So while you're getting style and comfort

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with features like Sketcher's famous memory foam cushioning, you're also

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helping to save an adorable pet in need and helping

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another lucky owner be connected with a future best friend

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and companion. Because happiness is having a loving pet. Buy

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your side find Bob's at a Sketcher's store, sketters dot com,

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select pet Co locations, or wherever stylish footwear is sold.

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Speaker 4: Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back to a Corinmanion pet Life Radio. My guest

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today is Chris Meckley, owner of ACI Aquaculture, a coral

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aquaculture and wholesale facility in Plant City, Florida. Chris is

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continuing our discussion of reef and coral keeping in Part two,

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Aquascaping and Water Chemistry and Overview. Hey Chris, thanks again

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for being with us today.

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Speaker 5: Thanks for having me on, and I'm really enjoitness fun.

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Speaker 2: So I think we're going to just dive right in,

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and you know, we talked a little bit, got some

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personal information from you. We'll probably hit you up again

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a little bit later with some more, but I wanted

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to just start right into our one on one overview,

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so we discussed equipment and accessories, including tax filtration and

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other must haves. Let's now go into these other areas.

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Saltwater sounds like a simple thing, but what are important

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considerations for sourcing salt and water for your reef tank.

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Speaker 5: Definitely, some of the most important things are the salt itself,

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the brand of salt that you're using. I mean, there's

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a lot of different brands out there, and the majority

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of them are you know, been around for decades and

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are very good. Depending again on the type of system

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you want to keep, and depending on the shop that

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you use for your advice, it's going to determine on

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probably what brand you would use for your system. Me personally,

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I'm very very particular with what we put into our

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farming systems, and we use a product that is blended

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by hand and not mass produced, but that's for us,

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you know, it tends to be quite a bit more expensive.

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So there's again a dozen different manufacturers and maybe not

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quite that many, but there's a half a dozen at

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least manufacturers of different salts that are on the market,

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and uh, some of them I don't agree with what

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they do, but others, you know, one hundred percent agree

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with it. And it's a matter you know, the shops.

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If you go to a shop and you're taking advice

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from them and you see the quality of their animals

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and anything, you like what you see and by all

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means go with with with what they're doing. I can't

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really put one brand over another because the one that

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I use, in my opinion, supersedes them all because I

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know how it's being produced and it's not being produced

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on a mass scale. But for hobbyists, you know, it's

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definitely something you know that they can graduate to down

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the road. The basics that and the salt brands that

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are on the market today that are very common are

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definitely more than suitable to set your acquiring system up.

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So that is definitely, you know, and a lot of

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a lot of times people use the same brand of

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salt and they use the same brand of additives for

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their system. So you know, that way, you're familiarized with it,

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and you know, if it's close and local, then just

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keep you know, go with that, and if you want

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to graduate down the road as you become more seasoned,

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you know, people can always message me and I can

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steer them in the red directions and to go what

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we use if they want to go with. It's actually

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not more expensive in the long rune. It's actually cheap

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in the long run to use the higher quality. But

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it's hard to wrap your head around the beginning with expensive.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and then uh water you know tap versus d

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I ro O, those sorts of things.

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Speaker 5: Definitely don't want to use tap water unless you are

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from an area that's got you know, a pristine well

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system or you've got mountain runoff that is not contaminated

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by city water. If you're out in the middle of

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nowhere and you can get a well drilled and you

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have you can get that water tested and find out

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what's actually in it. You don't want to just use

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straight well water or city water. In most cases, we

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have a well here, I don't trust the tap water

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that comes off the ground and also not tested, and

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we use reverse osmosis and then we run that water

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through after it goes through reverse osmosis, which purifies it

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down to a very low TDS toy devolved solids, which

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is two in our system, and then we run through

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the IBED deonization bed, which removes the remaining possible contements

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that are in water. So we want zero tds, but

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zero totin is all solid for us in our systems.

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I recommend that for anybody unless you have a good

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source that's got minerals and stuff like that that are

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very important for the brief system. And it might be

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more beneficial if you have a good well system that

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doesn't have iron and arsenic and a slew of other

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things that can be found in treated water from the

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city or well water, depending on where you are in

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the country. So in most cases you're going to be

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buying a reverse osmosis system and a DEI system that

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goes to that so you can purify the water.

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Speaker 2: All right, Great, now, I know in your and you're

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kind of FAQs for a hobbyists, it's important you mentioned rock.

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So tell us a little bit about rock, live rock.

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You know, what do some of the hobbyists that maybe

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don't have any idea why rock is important and different

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types of rock for a reef tank, what they are.

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Speaker 5: Well, super important. It's porous, its surface area, you know.

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And you know something that I've been going around with

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is not even having any other filtration media whatsoever ever,

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other than a small amount of live rockets other than

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your protein skimmer, which is important because the rock's not

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going to remove that it is efficiently as the protein

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skinner the officials it will, but the rock itself. Basically,

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the more surface area you have in your aquarium, the

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more area for bacteria to grow. Bacteria is the basis

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of all life minus the sun. Without bacteria living on

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this planet, we're all in trouble as well. The basic organisms,

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the smallest, most minute organisms are what is one of

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the most important aspects of the ecosystem you're trying to

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create in the aquarium. So live rock is extremely important.

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It used to say you have to go with one

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pound per gallon, but you know that's myth has been

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busted a long time ago. To go with the rock

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that makes it esthetically pleasing for you as a hobbyist

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and the type of rock that you use. Personally, I'm

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a huge fan of old school, real live rock that

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was taken from the ocean. And please don't frown upon that,

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because the amount of rock that was taken from the

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ocean for aquariums is minuscule because it wasn't even taken

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when the reef was basically dug out of the sand

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in most cases and wasn't really affecting things for a

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small amount that was actually taken. But that true live

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rock has so much character to it, and also it

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has organisms that are very beneficial for your aquarium. It

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also comes with its downfalls. It has pests and other

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things that you don't line in your aquarium if it's

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not being say, quarantined for months and made sure that

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it's not a possibility for those bad pathogens or pests

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to make it into your aquarium. So the way that

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it's done nowadays, and this is pretty common is we

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live in Florida here, so it might not be as

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successible as it is to people here in Florida, but

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we have basically living on a big dead reef and

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as they dig through the sand, which we are a

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big sandbox here in Florida roy As. You know, the

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further you dig, the chances of you actually coming across

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an old fossilized reef, and down in Miami is easier.

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It's closer to the surface than it is up here

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in Tampa area where we are, So there's in Miami

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they mine the fossilized reefs for calcium to make concrete,

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which is way better than what they do in some

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of these far East countries where they mine the reef

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for the calcium to make concrete, which is just beyond me.

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I can't wrap my head around that, because without the reefs,

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we all die. But again I digress. I didn't mean to.

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Getting fossilized reef rock is common like Marco rock or

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Julian sprung stacks rock, which I think is gotten from

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the Marco rock. It's basically they call it. Reef bones

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is another thing you can get, which is basically just

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mind fossilized reefs. That's a good way to set up

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an aquarium because it isn't it's brief rock. It's porous.

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It's not as porous as the real live rock that

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was taken you know, in the past, but it does

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a really good job. I've got one of my systems up,

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two of my systems that were strictly set up up

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with nothing but fossilized reefrock. It works really well. I

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battled some issues with the fossilizery rock in the beginning,

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which was a little bit of phosphase, which is again

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something that is very commonly mined here in Florida, and

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it's tends to be in the dry rock as well,

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but in minute amounts. It just takes a little time

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for that to be removed from the system when it's

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first set up, but usually once the biologically active, which

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is the ultimate goal, once you put dry rock in

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it biological activates over time and you can We'll get

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into that more roy here and as the segments go on,

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but definitely only put in what is esthetically pleasing for you.

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If they tell you one pound per gallon, it's a myth.

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It's not true. If that was true in here. I mean,

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I've got a five thousand gallon coral system and it's

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gotten maybe six hundred pounds of live rock in it.

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I'm pretty far off. That's what a ton and a

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half of over two tons is what I should have

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in my system. That doesn't make sense to me. I know,

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surface area is surface area, whether it is the walls

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of your tank, the silicone on the seams, the fragg

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that your call is glued to, or the rock that's

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the corel that the coral came in one, or the

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surface area inside of any part of your aquarium is

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going to grow bacteria. And we found that at one

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pound per gallon is just a myth and just the

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overkill for you. It actually makes things more difficult for

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you to enjoy with an aquarium. I remember when they

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used to make rock tanks that were big rock walls

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across the back, and now you see these same size

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aquariums with these beautiful pillars and just a small amount

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of rock, and it's very esthetically pleasing, and it's more

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room for the fish to swim and less places for

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bad critters to hide and pathogens to stick to. So

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what is esthetically pleasing to you is fine. And you

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can even just use a really cool aquascape that somebody

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made that's just one big like a nano tank, just

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one little aqua scape that's like maybe fifteen pounds in

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a thirty gallon tank, and you perfectly find that's it's

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going to see your tank or you have play of

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a surface area for a bacteria to grow, to keep

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your tank as a biological environment, not just you know, chasing,

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and to keep it going great.

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Speaker 2: And so I want to take a break in a

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minute or two, but I wanted to talk a little

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bit about the bottom of a tank. Most people don't

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even think of the bottom of a tank as being important,

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but you know much better than I. Y looking at

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and considering what should be on the bottom of a

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tank is critical for reef systems. What are your thoughts

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on this?

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Speaker 5: You know, I go both ways with having sand or

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00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,840
substrate on the bottom or going with a bare bottom.

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00:12:28,919 --> 00:12:30,919
You have to look at a coral reef itself, you know,

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00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,000
when you're talking about something like the Great Barrier reef,

241
00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,279
it's a thousand miles long. There's tens of thousands of

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small reefs that create this. So you have your reef

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00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,759
environment where the corals are growing, which is the rock

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00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,200
the structure, and then you have basically between all the

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00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,879
reefs you have sand. So you have to decide whether

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00:12:50,919 --> 00:12:53,200
you want to have an authoritium that you can put

247
00:12:53,279 --> 00:12:55,399
a lot of flow in and not have to worry

248
00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,080
about to try to settling in the dead spots or

249
00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,559
whether that's not something that's one hundred percent sary. And

250
00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,440
you know, when when you're talking about different types of

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00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,960
reef environments, certain corals live in the sand. So if

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00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,159
you want a large POLYPS stony coral reef or an

253
00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,360
SPS coral reef, you might be different with what you

254
00:13:13,399 --> 00:13:16,720
want as you're substrate for the bottom of the aquarium.

255
00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:19,679
You might want to have a bare bottom for SPS

256
00:13:19,759 --> 00:13:22,440
reef because then at that point you can put flow

257
00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,200
that's going to just be like a washing machine inside

258
00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,440
of there, which and I say that because SPS corals

259
00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,039
live in the waves. They need that heavy, heavy current

260
00:13:30,399 --> 00:13:32,240
and if you have sand or substrate on the bottom,

261
00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,000
it can be very difficult for you to get the

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00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,440
flow correct in the aquarium. So there's good for the

263
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,559
corals and not blowing the sand all around. So there's

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00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,519
benefits to a stand bottom, and there's downfalls to the

265
00:13:42,519 --> 00:13:44,799
sand bottom, and that's one of them is you know,

266
00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,039
stirring it up and not keeping it stable or all

267
00:13:47,039 --> 00:13:49,159
blowing around them. It's just being all pushed to one

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00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,000
side because of the amount of flow in your tank

269
00:13:51,159 --> 00:13:53,399
and then pushing it back. It's still good. It can

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00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,000
be a pain in your end. Personally, I don't like

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00:13:56,039 --> 00:13:58,919
the sand because I want that flow. And the corals

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00:13:58,919 --> 00:14:01,440
that like the sand don't have to have a sand

273
00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,039
bed to live, you know, they can be on the

274
00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,799
bare bottom and they'll be fine as well. So the

275
00:14:06,879 --> 00:14:10,399
downfalls to sand, I think are more than the benefits

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00:14:10,399 --> 00:14:14,840
to sand as you're substrate. Again, esthetically pleasing is a

277
00:14:14,879 --> 00:14:17,320
sand bottom. I love the look of a sand bottom,

278
00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,360
but you have the downfalls to it are is they

279
00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:25,879
can actually hold phosphates and nitrates, nutrients that can be

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00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:27,799
They can build and build and build in a system

281
00:14:27,799 --> 00:14:30,799
and can be difficult for you then to remove them naturally,

282
00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,480
and then you end up having to go with chemicals

283
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,600
and natural means of moving them is by part of

284
00:14:34,639 --> 00:14:38,519
the best way, and sand harbors those things. So again

285
00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,039
that's not always a bad thing either, because sometimes some

286
00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,039
people can't keep nutrients in their aquarium and the sandbed

287
00:14:44,159 --> 00:14:47,120
helps them keep that small amount of nutrients there because

288
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,080
it holds them for them. Again, with all the technologies

289
00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,080
that are out there and the way things are changing,

290
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,000
it's a matter of the type of corals you would

291
00:14:55,039 --> 00:14:57,120
like to keep is going to determine whether you should

292
00:14:57,159 --> 00:14:59,440
have a sand bed or not, or you just make

293
00:14:59,519 --> 00:15:01,159
up your mind right from the get go. I like

294
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,600
it without or I like it with, and I'm going

295
00:15:03,639 --> 00:15:05,759
to make it work no matter what. And that's you

296
00:15:05,799 --> 00:15:08,080
know how, I'm going to leave that ship up to

297
00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:09,799
the person keeping and maintaining work.

298
00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,120
Speaker 2: Okay, No, that's good consideration.

299
00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:12,639
Speaker 4: Definitely.

300
00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,919
Speaker 2: Well, let's take a short break and we'll continue our

301
00:15:15,919 --> 00:15:19,559
discussion of retanks with my guest Chris Meckley, owner of

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00:15:19,679 --> 00:15:23,480
ACI Aquaculture and Plant City, Florida. After these messages from

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00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:28,159
our sponsors, take.

304
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,559
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306
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310
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311
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312
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314
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315
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Speaker 2: Let's talk past. Let's done pets at Life Radio, Headline.

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00:16:15,799 --> 00:16:27,080
Speaker 7: Radio Atline Radio dot com.

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00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,960
Speaker 2: We're back and continuing our conversation with my guests Chris Mechley,

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00:16:31,279 --> 00:16:35,159
coral guru and owner of ACI Aquaculture in Plant City, Florida.

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00:16:35,679 --> 00:16:37,559
So now we're going to start getting into some of

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00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,240
the more kind of complicated things Chris, And as I

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00:16:40,279 --> 00:16:42,039
mentioned I think to you earlier, I you know, don't

322
00:16:42,039 --> 00:16:46,000
want to necessarily go into the major details of you know,

323
00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,480
regulating monitoring. We're going to do that in a separate show,

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00:16:48,519 --> 00:16:50,240
but for now, I kind of wanted you to introduce

325
00:16:50,279 --> 00:16:54,200
our listeners to sort of the concepts of the you know,

326
00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,799
the major parameters that are important for a brief tank,

327
00:16:56,919 --> 00:16:58,879
you know, just in brief and talk a little bit

328
00:16:58,919 --> 00:17:02,360
about them. So let's start with some of these. Let's

329
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:03,200
start with salinity.

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00:17:03,519 --> 00:17:06,799
Speaker 5: Salinity, Well, it depends on where you are in the world.

331
00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,880
Is a determinal what the salinity of the ocean is.

332
00:17:10,279 --> 00:17:12,839
We always like to say that the average salinity of

333
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,640
the world's ocean is thirty five point four parts per thousand,

334
00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:20,799
and I say parts per thousand, and not the one

335
00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:26,599
point oh two six' five which is solinity or specific,

336
00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:31,799
gravity because the specific gravity scale can be very. Misleading

337
00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,480
or in parts per, thousand you know you are going

338
00:17:35,519 --> 00:17:39,720
to keep accuracy. Better so at one point oh two six,'

339
00:17:40,039 --> 00:17:44,559
five the difference between that in salinity down to say

340
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:50,319
one point oh two four is fairly big jump in parts.

341
00:17:50,319 --> 00:17:53,559
Per THOUSAND so i, always say, you know most places

342
00:17:53,559 --> 00:17:57,359
will start people off with reading with. A hydrometer, i

343
00:17:57,559 --> 00:18:01,279
say don't waste your money on a hydrometer because in

344
00:18:01,319 --> 00:18:05,160
most cases they're, very inaccurate because they can't be accurate

345
00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,160
scientifically and affordable for a hobbyist to. PURCHASE them, i

346
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,000
mean if you wanted a truly, accurate hydrometer you're talking

347
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,119
about hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get, that

348
00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,839
accuracy and then using it properly is the. Other key

349
00:18:20,279 --> 00:18:23,119
so there's too many variables in there that, make it in,

350
00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:25,799
my opinion more difficult for a refert to understand their

351
00:18:25,839 --> 00:18:30,680
selenium and fluctuations by by using. A hydrometer a refractometer

352
00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:35,880
is another method of, testing salinity AND personally i used

353
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:37,680
to use them and strictly, use THEM but i learned

354
00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,839
from a buddy of mine who's. A physicist you're also

355
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,680
playing with fire on a refractometer because it does, exactly

356
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,920
that it. Refracts light so what YOU and i both

357
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,920
see could be completely different with that. Light refraction and

358
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,000
when we, calibrate it we calibrate to, my eye could

359
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,960
be calibrated differently to your eye or to anybobody else that's,

360
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,839
calibrating it and you could be. Completely off and also

361
00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:02,759
going to determine on the amount of light going into

362
00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:04,920
the refractometer is going to determine whether you are going

363
00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,839
to get inaccurate reading. Or not so they're. Consistently inaccurate same.

364
00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,839
WITH hydrometers i believe in conductivity because it's an. Electrical

365
00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,000
current you cannot go wrong with an electrical current because

366
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,440
you're reading the conductivity of, the water which gives you

367
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,319
parts per thousand or salinity if you want to read

368
00:19:21,319 --> 00:19:24,640
it In that so basically to make, this simple conductivity

369
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:26,359
is the, easiest way but you just have to make

370
00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,200
sure you clean the conductivity probe every single time you.

371
00:19:29,279 --> 00:19:31,640
Use it if you do not clean it with reverse

372
00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,039
osmosis the, eye water it will be inaccurate. In time

373
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,799
using after the first or second or third use to start.

374
00:19:37,799 --> 00:19:40,359
BUILDING up a drop that dries in there can leave

375
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,440
some salt which will cause the calibration to. Be off

376
00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,920
so they're easier, to calibrate easier, to use and they

377
00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,720
also are reading according. To temperature temperature is key with

378
00:19:49,839 --> 00:19:51,559
knowing what your slinity is the core of. The temperature

379
00:19:51,559 --> 00:19:54,039
the more dense, the water the higher slin the warmer the,

380
00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,319
less dense the lower the slim. So temperature knowing the

381
00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,559
temperature your water while you're testing the slanning is super

382
00:19:59,599 --> 00:20:02,240
important and most people don't talk, about that but as

383
00:20:02,279 --> 00:20:04,599
a farmer it's SOMETHING that i of course like the

384
00:20:04,759 --> 00:20:08,119
relay and we Recommend the hannah. Conductivity probe it's a

385
00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,440
little white thing. That's blue there's a couple other ones,

386
00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,480
out there but it's relatively inexpensive and it's good to buy.

387
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,680
That first, that is to buy the hydrometer and then

388
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,000
realize you got to buy that again down. The road

389
00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,319
buy one and. Be done it saves you money and.

390
00:20:20,279 --> 00:20:23,480
Speaker 2: A longer so how would they determine the right? Conductivity

391
00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,359
then and you know if you're shooting for thirty four

392
00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,000
to thirty, Five ppt.

393
00:20:28,519 --> 00:20:30,880
Speaker 5: So basically when you're mixing up the water or you're

394
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,079
testing the water in, the aquarium you want to have

395
00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:36,599
a separate cup to hold the water so that way

396
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,599
the electrical currents that are flowing through your aquarium from

397
00:20:39,759 --> 00:20:42,240
the equipment that you have on it doesn't interfere with.

398
00:20:42,279 --> 00:20:44,680
The conductivity so you take a little sample the water

399
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,880
out and you put. It inside you put your conductivity

400
00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,440
probe down inside of that cup of water. To measure,

401
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,079
that way there's no outside electrical currents influencing what the actual.

402
00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,880
Reading is so when you get, the meter you calibrate

403
00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,359
it with the calibration solution that comes with and then

404
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,000
you start, using it and then you, clean it immediately

405
00:21:02,319 --> 00:21:04,000
store it again and you're good.

406
00:21:04,039 --> 00:21:06,359
Speaker 2: To, go okay so it'll actually measure in parts, per

407
00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,599
thousand the, connectivity meter correct.

408
00:21:08,319 --> 00:21:11,640
Speaker 5: Correcting probe measures in parts, pre thousand or measures. In

409
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,160
salinity it all depends on what you want. TO use

410
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,079
i always recommend parts. Per thousand it's so Much since

411
00:21:17,079 --> 00:21:19,519
i've been doing it a lot. Less issues split it.

412
00:21:19,519 --> 00:21:23,039
Speaker 2: That, way, okay great so let's talk now a. Little

413
00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:24,960
bit and again you don't for these you don't have

414
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,480
to TALK about i know that measurements are kind of

415
00:21:27,559 --> 00:21:29,640
also going to, be tricky but if you can maybe

416
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:33,799
mention the kind of importance for these, specific parameters starting

417
00:21:33,799 --> 00:21:38,319
with hardness. And alkalinity, so, calcium, magnesium alkalinity why are

418
00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:39,119
those important for.

419
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,079
Speaker 5: Reef, tanks well they're very consistent in, the ocean and

420
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,599
without alkalinity or hardness being at the correct levels and

421
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,480
the calcium and, the magnesium the course. Can't grow so

422
00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:53,000
they can they, can survive but in reality they will

423
00:21:53,039 --> 00:21:55,400
not survive and do very well if they don't have

424
00:21:55,519 --> 00:21:58,920
the calcium and the carbonate hardness to lay down their

425
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:03,559
calcium Carbonate sk so that's the. Most important there's, four

426
00:22:03,599 --> 00:22:06,000
PARAMETERS and i would say there's three parameters that are,

427
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,039
super important and you didn't mention one, of Them so

428
00:22:08,039 --> 00:22:10,039
i'm not going to say until you. Mentioned it carbonate

429
00:22:10,079 --> 00:22:14,480
hardness and calcium are are super. Super important magnesium and

430
00:22:14,519 --> 00:22:16,920
another one that is extremely important. As well those are

431
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,200
the three basic elements that are needed to grow for

432
00:22:20,759 --> 00:22:23,720
the skeleton, To grow so keeping them at the bright

433
00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:26,359
parameters at the right levels is. Definitely Key and i'm

434
00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:28,880
sure we'll get into what they should be according TO

435
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,160
what i believe what they are compared to the ocean

436
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,119
as we move forward in this.

437
00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,400
Speaker 2: Little, series, Okay great and then OF course i think

438
00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,880
most of the freshwater hobbyists and even folks that are

439
00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,920
just starting are familiar with the, nitrogen cycle at least

440
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:48,200
ammonia and. Maybe nitrite obviously nitrate is a little bit

441
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,319
more important than. THE reef i shouldn't, say obviously but

442
00:22:50,559 --> 00:22:52,799
so maybe talk a little bit now about ammonia and

443
00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,440
nitrite and nitrate as kind of their importance in a.

444
00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:57,839
Reef system just like.

445
00:22:57,839 --> 00:23:00,759
Speaker 5: Any ecosystem, you know if it's a, steroid environment you're

446
00:23:00,759 --> 00:23:03,079
going to eventually get something in there that's going to

447
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,559
cause bacteria, to grow which would, be nutrients and the

448
00:23:06,599 --> 00:23:09,240
main thing to start off with would. Be ammonia so

449
00:23:09,319 --> 00:23:11,279
to get an aquarium, to cycle you've got to get

450
00:23:11,319 --> 00:23:13,200
ammonia in there in order for it to be started becoming,

451
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,119
an ecosystem because when you first set, it up it's

452
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,160
not an. Ecosystem yet it's literally just a sterile box

453
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,839
with water and. Some substrate in order for the corals

454
00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,319
the fish to survive, in there it has to become.

455
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,559
Biologically act so ammonia is the basis to start. Bacteria

456
00:23:28,599 --> 00:23:32,000
growth so ammonia is added to the aquarium either there's

457
00:23:32,079 --> 00:23:33,920
multiple ways you can, do it and we'll go into

458
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,200
cycling and quium down the. Road here but you get

459
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,119
ammonia in your system and what happens then bacteria starts

460
00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,319
to grow to break that. Ammonia down the emmonia is

461
00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:45,519
broken down into nitrites and two in a fresh, water

462
00:23:45,559 --> 00:23:48,839
SYSTEM and o two is very toxic to. The animals

463
00:23:49,079 --> 00:23:52,039
in a salt, water system it's not really toxic until

464
00:23:52,039 --> 00:23:54,039
it gets to don't holmie. TO this i think it's

465
00:23:54,079 --> 00:23:56,680
like seven to nine is when it becomes really a

466
00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,759
problem with the. Saltwater fish ammonia levels above one are

467
00:24:01,799 --> 00:24:04,119
toxic to any animal going into it as soon as

468
00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:06,839
the bacteria starts to grow and breaking all that. Ammonia

469
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,640
down and when we cycle, QUORIUMS well i won't. Go

470
00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,960
there i'll go back to what we're. Talking about you

471
00:24:12,039 --> 00:24:13,839
got to get the ammonia in there to break down

472
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,039
into nitrites the bacteria and then broke, from there it's

473
00:24:17,039 --> 00:24:20,680
broken down. Into nitrates nitrates are a common nutrient that

474
00:24:20,759 --> 00:24:23,960
we find in, brief environments and believe it, or not

475
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,359
are super super super important for the corals themselves because

476
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,920
of that symbiotic relationship they have with the zoes and

477
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,720
daily allergy that lives in their tissue which. Feeds them so,

478
00:24:32,799 --> 00:24:36,599
without nitrates they can't produce the sugars for them to feed.

479
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,680
The corals so you have to have small amounts of

480
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,680
the nitrates, in there but you don't want them to.

481
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,839
Be elevated elevated nitrate levels can cause major issues in an,

482
00:24:43,839 --> 00:24:45,519
a quarium and we'll touch based on that down the load.

483
00:24:45,559 --> 00:24:49,960
As well but the importance of there not, being ammonia

484
00:24:50,079 --> 00:24:52,839
that's probably the most important one not to be in

485
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:57,160
a saltwater environment because it's very toxic to the animals

486
00:24:57,759 --> 00:25:00,279
in cases. Like fish if you have a ammonia spike

487
00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,359
in the aquarium and you have nothing that, neutralizes that

488
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,839
it burns their gills which then can kill. The fish so,

489
00:25:07,279 --> 00:25:10,039
bottom line the nitrogen cycle which we're talking about is very.

490
00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:14,240
Very important ammonia to nitrite to nitrate and then exporting

491
00:25:14,279 --> 00:25:16,680
that is done by the protein skimmer and by the

492
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,319
plant life living in your eCos as it evolves.

493
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,400
Speaker 2: Right exactly, and yeah just as a reminder for some

494
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,440
of the folks that may, not remember ammonia is a

495
00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:27,519
lot of it is actually produced by the fish as

496
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,039
waste going out of their gills when they're, eating protein

497
00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,279
And so chris was kind of referring to the fact

498
00:25:33,319 --> 00:25:36,839
that in his kind of sterile, box situation when you just,

499
00:25:36,839 --> 00:25:39,160
start up there's none of these backteria there to help

500
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:43,000
break that waste coming from the fish's. Metabolism down, so, yeah,

501
00:25:43,079 --> 00:25:46,240
definitely definitely. Really critical so we talked a little bit

502
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,559
about the, nitrogen cycle tell us, about, phosphate.

503
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,920
Speaker 5: Phosphate phostphased the one that usually is the most difficult

504
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,960
for everybody to. Deal with phosphate is it comes from

505
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,519
of course fish waste and. Core waste but the biggest

506
00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,319
picture to phosphate in most of the systems is overfeeding and,

507
00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:06,480
that is you. Know important like we said in the,

508
00:26:06,559 --> 00:26:09,680
last episode you can overfeed, your fish but you can overfeed.

509
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,839
Your system overfeeding the system is what will be the

510
00:26:12,839 --> 00:26:15,960
biggest downfall to most people su grams and that's why

511
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,920
feeding once per day is not. Always recommended usually, doing

512
00:26:19,039 --> 00:26:21,799
small really small feedings and multiple times a day is

513
00:26:21,799 --> 00:26:23,359
by far better because then you know your fish are

514
00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:24,559
going to eat the majority. Of it you're not going

515
00:26:24,559 --> 00:26:27,720
to get nights that nitrate and phosphate build up that

516
00:26:27,799 --> 00:26:31,200
can be from decomposing food that wasn't utilized by the.

517
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:36,519
Animals themselves so. Removing phosphates we use algae's to remove

518
00:26:36,559 --> 00:26:39,960
the phosphates is probably the easiest way to get them removed.

519
00:26:40,559 --> 00:26:42,759
Or not protein s cameras do remove phosph, for us

520
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,160
but they don't remove. The phosphate so but if they're

521
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,640
removing if it's removing the, phosphor us it does bring down,

522
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,359
the phosphate but not nearly as much as say natural

523
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,519
means of like algae to. Remove that and once you

524
00:26:53,559 --> 00:26:56,079
find out balance on how to remove phosphates with, you

525
00:26:56,079 --> 00:26:59,200
know either now discover type deal or just by not

526
00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:01,720
allowing it to build in the, first place which is the.

527
00:27:01,839 --> 00:27:04,359
Ultimate goal there is other means of, removing IT but

528
00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:06,079
i don't, recommend them but we can get into that

529
00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:10,240
down from the road here for removal foss space. And

530
00:27:10,279 --> 00:27:14,839
segments but again extremely important, for photosynthesis so you, need

531
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,480
it but you don't, need much very might. Even mounts

532
00:27:17,519 --> 00:27:20,640
it's very important for an ecosystem like a reef environment

533
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,000
to survive and keep the.

534
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,559
Speaker 2: Animals, healthy, okay GREAT and i know you touched on,

535
00:27:25,839 --> 00:27:28,960
temperature already so let's in the, previous podcast let's TALK

536
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,480
about pH and i know you're a huge ADVOCATE of

537
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,400
pH in the importance. Of it maybe touched briefly on

538
00:27:36,799 --> 00:27:38,680
kind of your your THOUGHTS on pH and a, reef

539
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,079
system eh and a.

540
00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,359
Speaker 5: Reef system, you know my, whole career nobody ever TALKS

541
00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:46,119
about pH and it's been something that always bothered me because,

542
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,599
you know the biggestes essential threat to the world right

543
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:54,440
now is global warming and. Ocean, acidification well if that's

544
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:57,079
the biggest threat to our planet, right now why isn't

545
00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,000
the biggest threat of the animals living in our acquirity

546
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,519
and the ocean is falling by literally a point five

547
00:28:03,839 --> 00:28:05,680
is what. They're saying EVEN though i haven't be on

548
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:07,640
to find it around the WORLD where i have people

549
00:28:07,759 --> 00:28:10,359
TESTING the pH of the reefs they're, diving one it's

550
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,480
still something you got to. Think about IF your pH

551
00:28:12,519 --> 00:28:16,599
and your aquarium is below eight point two to eight

552
00:28:16,599 --> 00:28:20,039
point two five at any given time during the twenty four,

553
00:28:20,079 --> 00:28:22,480
hour span what is it doing to? Your aquarium what

554
00:28:22,559 --> 00:28:25,559
is it doing to the. Animals themselves it's extremely important

555
00:28:25,559 --> 00:28:27,920
to KEEP your pH at between eight point two and

556
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,799
eight point three at the. LOWEST points i keep mine

557
00:28:30,799 --> 00:28:33,440
at eight. Point two eight is the lowest it goes

558
00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:36,400
because natural sea water is at eight point three and

559
00:28:37,039 --> 00:28:41,640
it rises naturally during the day when photosynthesis is happening in,

560
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,440
Your aquarium and, people, ask well why IS my pH

561
00:28:44,519 --> 00:28:47,079
so low? At, nighttime well pH is so low at

562
00:28:47,119 --> 00:28:49,920
nighttime because there's no photostorm MOVING the co two that's

563
00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,880
being absorbed by. Your aquarium and it goes back to

564
00:28:53,359 --> 00:28:56,279
global warming AND the co two outputs that the human

565
00:28:56,319 --> 00:28:59,559
beings on this planet have been pumping into the atmosphere for.

566
00:28:59,559 --> 00:29:02,920
A decade the water is. Absorbing it so as the water,

567
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,359
absorbs it loads. The pH so in, your home which

568
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,759
is the closed sealed in box basically with another closed

569
00:29:09,759 --> 00:29:11,680
sealed in boxing inside of it with water. In it

570
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,480
when there's no photos this is happening in, your aquarium

571
00:29:14,799 --> 00:29:17,759
AND that co two not being utilized as being absorbed by,

572
00:29:17,759 --> 00:29:20,400
the water it, just rises which then in turn drops

573
00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,559
your phs in. Your system and will Corals live, They'll

574
00:29:23,559 --> 00:29:25,839
survive yes. THEY will I mean i did it for

575
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,799
two decades without keeping my phs from. Being suppressed what

576
00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,880
we learned in two years of keeping our phs from

577
00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:36,440
going below eight point twenty nine close thrive in. An

578
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,440
aquarium they, grow faster they, grow better they expand their.

579
00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,799
Polyps more they're just healthier the. Fish too believe it.

580
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,519
Or not the little issues that we've seen on fish in,

581
00:29:46,559 --> 00:29:50,480
the past where we have like little thin issues or lateral,

582
00:29:50,559 --> 00:29:54,519
line issues. They're gone. They disappeared we had, some also

583
00:29:54,599 --> 00:29:56,720
some issues with corals that were getting diseased that we

584
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,000
couldn't figure out how, to fix and WHEN the pH

585
00:29:59,079 --> 00:30:02,519
was no, longer suppressed those diseases disappeared and we did

586
00:30:02,559 --> 00:30:06,039
nothing but KEEP the pH from. Being suppressed so ascidic

587
00:30:06,119 --> 00:30:10,880
water in a, saltwater Environment which i'm saying below eight

588
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,559
point ZERO is i guess col skeletons can start to

589
00:30:14,599 --> 00:30:18,200
dissolve at seven point. Eight pH we used to go

590
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,160
down to seven, point six so we would go as

591
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,759
high as seven point. One nine now we don't go

592
00:30:24,839 --> 00:30:27,359
below that eight point two to, eight mark and what a.

593
00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,079
World difference the growth is, way faster and as a

594
00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:33,960
farmer is very important for, a hobbyist it's not necessarily

595
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,440
as important to keep it as HIGH as, i do

596
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,000
because the means of being able to do that are

597
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,519
pretty much out. Of reach in most cases because of

598
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,960
what you have to use to keep. The pH but there's,

599
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,680
a cheap a very inexpensive product that we'll of course

600
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,119
talk about down the road when we're talking about maintaining

601
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,039
parameters and the cost effective ways versus the ways that

602
00:30:55,039 --> 00:30:58,319
can become, money pits and use the ways in the

603
00:30:58,359 --> 00:31:01,160
beginning OF a reef and then use the least cost

604
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,240
of the more cost effective ways as your, tank mature

605
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,279
which will also be a way for you to maintain

606
00:31:07,319 --> 00:31:11,039
your pH at at more natural level than allowing it

607
00:31:11,079 --> 00:31:13,839
to suppress over those night, ten hours which is when it.

608
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,640
Speaker 2: Only happens great, and yeah thanks again so much for.

609
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,200
Your time unfortunately we are out of time for this

610
00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,640
part of. The series you have done a great job

611
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,960
explaining some of the kind of important concepts that will

612
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,559
hopefully help the hobbyist think a little bit harder on

613
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,200
their own tanks and when they decide to set UP

614
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,319
a reef. Type System in part three Of our reef

615
00:31:35,359 --> 00:31:37,799
And coreal KEEPING one o, one series we'll talk, more

616
00:31:37,839 --> 00:31:40,200
about as, you mentioned how to test for a monitor

617
00:31:40,279 --> 00:31:44,079
and regulate, these parameters so hopefully everyone will stay tuned

618
00:31:44,079 --> 00:31:46,160
for those. Coming up thanks very much to Our, Guest,

619
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,480
chris mechley and Our Producer mark winner for making the

620
00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:52,319
show Possible and chris for. This segment do you have any?

621
00:31:52,519 --> 00:31:55,759
Any again final words of wisdom or thoughts for. The

622
00:31:55,839 --> 00:31:56,839
listeners keep.

623
00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,960
Speaker 5: It simple, Bottom line i'm going to say that, every

624
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,680
time keep. It simple it, doesn't happy fancy. And exotic

625
00:32:03,039 --> 00:32:05,440
graduate to that as you go and become a more.

626
00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,359
Seasoned hobbyist you don't want to. Be discouraged you know

627
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,559
it can get discouraged with the cost, and expense and

628
00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:13,880
if you keep, it simple that discouragement is one variable

629
00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:18,039
eliminated from you becoming a. Successful, raper finally.

630
00:32:18,039 --> 00:32:20,960
Speaker 2: Great advice. Great advice. Thanks again please be sure to

631
00:32:21,039 --> 00:32:24,160
Check out chris's weblinks found on His aquarium mania. Guest

632
00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:27,200
page if you have, any, questions comments or ideas for,

633
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,400
a show email me At doctor roy At petlife radio.

634
00:32:30,599 --> 00:32:34,279
Dot com THAT'S. D R ro oi At petlife radio.

635
00:32:34,519 --> 00:32:37,480
Dot com until, next time please be sure to visit

636
00:32:37,519 --> 00:32:40,119
your local, cram stores keep your tanks clean and your,

637
00:32:40,119 --> 00:32:43,039
fish healthy and stay tuned for more on a reef and.

638
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:48,200
Speaker 4: Coral Keeping Let's talk pats every week on demand only

639
00:32:48,319 --> 00:33:03,160
On petlight radios. Dot com the pot put the bucket at,

640
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:04,440
the backstone