Video of my marine biology work

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the intricacies of marine biology, specifically focusing on the study and maintenance of microhabitats within aquarium systems. Participants share insights on their experiences, methodologies, and observations related to marine ecosystems, including coral growth, nutrient cycling, and the challenges of maintaining such environments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant details their decade-long dedication to studying microhabitats, including data collection on plankton, coral calcification rates, and nematocyst ejection triggers.
  • Another participant expresses admiration for the work and inquires about specimen collection methods, particularly whether they were collected while diving.
  • There is a discussion about the unique aspects of the participant's systems, including the use of aquacultured specimens and the challenges of maintaining salinity in small marine habitats.
  • One participant mentions the use of CO2 for a planted tank and discusses the balance achieved in their system, which is not commonly found in biology displays.
  • Another participant raises questions about calcium replenishment methods and shares personal experiences with similar aquarium setups.
  • Participants discuss the proliferation of benthic life and the feeding methods used to sustain diverse marine organisms in small systems.
  • One participant describes the growth of corals and the impact of water currents on their development, emphasizing the efficiency of their setup compared to larger, more expensive systems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express admiration for the work being done, but there are varying opinions on specific methodologies and experiences with marine organisms, particularly regarding specimen collection and system maintenance. The discussion remains unresolved on certain technical aspects, such as calcium replenishment and the impact of specific organisms on tank health.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various techniques and observations that may depend on specific conditions or definitions, such as the effectiveness of CO2 reactors and the role of substrate types in calcium needs. Some claims about the stability and efficiency of the systems are based on personal experiences and may not be universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in marine biology, aquarium maintenance, and the study of microhabitats may find the discussion relevant, particularly those exploring innovative methods for coral growth and ecosystem management in small-scale environments.

  • #31
Strangest thing...

yesterday I got this email, but when I checked here there was no response?
Dear brandon429,

johnsmith86 has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - Video of my marine biology work - in the Biology forum of Physics Forums.

This thread is located at:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=349849&goto=newpost

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
nice information
***************


There may also be other replies, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again.

All the best,
Physics Forums

So maybe someone didn't want to kick up an old thread and they deleted after posting but the message already came to my inbox>...if its any interest the bowl is going strong. My whole point is that this new/old technique for keeping and studying corals in the simplest containers is not a fad, its real science. Here are some progression pics, the system is years old now, it is the longest running pico reef on the web, find something older and post if possible Id like to review their care methods.
The coming years will test the approaches that run the bowl, I believe it has a truly indefinite biological lifespan.
coral progression in this pic just over one year from my last follow up:
 

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  • #32
here's that brown montipora sps shown from the outside of the bowl. I found they display annular ring growth like a tree, could be helpful for discerning age of specimen in wild studies.

In the captive aquarium, the strata are defined by variations in tank chemistry and become rather obvious. In nature where conditions are consistent I think the effect is less pronounced, its likely some microscopy or skeletal analysis/corallite comparisons would be needed to uncover the same growth depositions.

As a continuing challenge, nobody has been able to identify my mystery organisms from the prior pages, I've shown the pics to master online invert biologists and none have been able to show a link describing the organism.

The bowl is a very long term study of mixed coral communities in the hyperconcentrated environment. updates again in 2013
 

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  • #33
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  • #34

Hi biological buddies. Every few months I like to make updates to chart the longevity of the microsystem and the original hermatypic corals in the vase, what they do, reproduction, new challenges for the bowl etc

So in 2010 and 2011 a new direction in captive coral reef maintenance became known involving the dosing of strong oxidizer (peroxide) as a means of preventing primary producer infestation around captive reef systems, this is interesting to test in my super aged pico reef because of the coral density to volume etc, we are able to test the application of weak (3%) and super strong (35%) peroxide in the tank to test its efficacy on common reef pests as well as the impact to the reefbuilding corals thriving in the vase.

The vase is about 6 yrs old now with the original corals and a few new ones completing the genera count to 16 in situ

we are making inferences about allelopathic models, temperature sensitization, feeding and reproduction and now effects of excessive oxygenation/free radical management within the micro ecosystem

the video is pretty boring but not if you can look past its corny techno music to see this one gallon vase is getting treated with 35% peroxide on a regular basis, the corals are growing even faster and there has been no detriment to the benthic and microbial communities (test results are the same from 2006)

-peroxide is not a requisite antibiotic as has been stated


see ya'll next year!
B
 
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  • #35
additionally, not one biologist has been able to identify the organism I posted on page 2 in the middle. years after the pic was taken and across tons of forums, this little one gallon tank has produced organisms that defy taxonomy. let me know if anyone is feeling froggy lol