non photosynthetic tank
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I think it would operate a lot like the cold-water reef tanks I've seen.
I haven't seen it done with a tropical reef tank... it could be very very nice as there are many stunning non-photosynthetic tropical corals.
Here's a link to steve west's amazing lil cold-water setup:
I haven't seen it done with a tropical reef tank... it could be very very nice as there are many stunning non-photosynthetic tropical corals.
Here's a link to steve west's amazing lil cold-water setup:
I am thinking about setting up a Dendronepthya NPS tank. (Note: I am officially coining the phrase NPS to use when discussing these Non PhotoSynthetic tanks. Kinda like SPS or LPS acronym. Now we have NPS tanks. LOL) Dendro corals do well in about 76F. This should not be a big problem to maintain with low energy lighting. You could even use normal fluorescents and just go for really killer colors by mixing bulbs.
Feeding is the tricky part. Chuck Stottlemire on RC is using 12 hour drips of dense phyto/roti concentrate to maintain a contsant slight green tint to the water. Then I think he cycles the skimmer on for 12 hours to clean everything up. Then he starts the process again everyday!
I posted this in another thread but hear is the link again to the article that discusses the NPS tank. :
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-02/feature/index.php">Progress in Azooxanthellate Reef Aquariums, Part 1- Dendronephthya Husbandry </a>
by Charles Matthews
Feeding is the tricky part. Chuck Stottlemire on RC is using 12 hour drips of dense phyto/roti concentrate to maintain a contsant slight green tint to the water. Then I think he cycles the skimmer on for 12 hours to clean everything up. Then he starts the process again everyday!
I posted this in another thread but hear is the link again to the article that discusses the NPS tank. :
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-02/feature/index.php">Progress in Azooxanthellate Reef Aquariums, Part 1- Dendronephthya Husbandry </a>
by Charles Matthews
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The problem with any significant amount of light is nuisance algae. These tanks run so dirty they make Brandon's tank seem sterile.
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!!!! 
Not to hijack or anything, but I am curious how this worked out for you. Since an NPS tank requires such heavy feeding, this might be a good way to help keep the water clean.
I saw an article about a successful NPS tank, and the guy basically had to constantly drip concentrated phyto and frozen rotifers to keep things happy. I wonder what the difference would be between a cryptic fuge and a lit fuge. Steve Tyree (of LE Tyree corals fame) is an advocate of the "cryptic zone" method.
I didn't have it running long enough to really get a handle on how well it affected nutrient levels.
However the things we have growing in a lit refugium simply can't take up the nutrients the way nuisance algae (i.e. hair, predominantly) and algae in the water column can. Unless you're running a truly enormous refugium (like 2x the size of your display tank), macro algae is mostly providing a safe breeding ground for pods.
The theory with sponges is that since they move massive amounts of water through their bodies and uptake nutrients, creating an area where they dominate will create an uptake sink that actually works. Like an algae scrubber that you don't have to clean. The lack of lighting means that the only thing that can live in there are critters such as pods and sponges. Not only that, but the sponges create a fair amount of circulation by themselves, so it is not necessary to keep a dedicated pump running to circulate the water in an established cryptic refugium.
I just checked on my cryptic fuge which is still a self-contained tank with an airstone only as circulation and the sponges are still there, albeit clearly growing at a slower rate.
Since when the tank was running, I had both a lit and a cryptic fuge, I can't say whether the cryptic grew pods and such as well as a lit fuge, but there were plenty living in there. As far as I know, cheato or other macro algae isn't required for pod growth, it's just a very convenient and renewable nursery.
i really dont see the point of a cryptic fuge in a NPS tank, with no light except for viewing sponge growth will take place in the display; with no light you can have very dirty water compared to a SPS tank. my plan of action is a wet skim, DSB in my fuge, macro algae and maybe a mangrove, and a once a week dose of sugar. weekly water changes seem to be required but thats about it.
Granted with a severely reduced light system (i.e. only turned on for viewing) there's less need, but ambient light in a room that gets some sunlight is more than sufficient to let nuisance algae grow. Hair algae will easily overtake and smother sponges. A cryptic fuge has a sealed light scenario and a cover with minimal openings (preferably around a bend so no light gets in that way either) with the intent of guaranteeing that only non-photosynthetic organisms can live in the space.
I suppose you could seal the tank inside a cupboard and open for viewing in order to maintain the zero light conditions.
Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea either ...
