• The

  • Leslie

The reef aquarium has been operating since 1996, with3 restarts, filtration: pre-filter 15x60x60, aerobic filter, upper transit aquarium with algae 40x23x22, PC - 2500 l/h, live rocks, Tetra salt, lighting MH 150W, 4 t-5 l, 2 Power Glo, 2 ina Glo. The fish aquarium has been operating since 1998, everything is the same, except for M

Alexander

Denis, ask how they assess the condition of the reef living with minimal equipment, that is, as close as possible to the "Berlin" system. That's why the topic is named that way.

Robert1845

Hi, how about taking a look at this:

Erin

Very beautiful!!!

Kenneth7331

I like it.

Ronald

I will try to post photos of all the aforementioned "gadgets" soon.

Ryan1989

So, out of curiosity. What did that person who voted "very poorly" not like?

Kristen1161

What did you expect? With one year of experience in aquaristics, the knowledge is vast; such is the assessment based on the experience.

Joseph8592

Thank you. I liked it. Sarcophytons are very beautiful!

Cheryl9296

I don't know what can be voted as "very bad" here? As far as I understand, it's about the condition of the corals with certain equipment. Corals like it, that's why we vote for it, and if someone doesn't like the "variety" of creatures or the design, that's not the topic here. The main thing is that the aquarium owner likes everything!

Vanessa6144

This is just a warm-up before the elections. Well, then the question should be posed differently. As an option, I suggest the following - Which aquarium would you choose for yourself, mine or....??????? The rating will skyrocket, it's already been tested.

Hunter1471

This is not a sport, it's a hobby. Why is it necessary to give grades??? Yes, there is no equipment, but there is a lot of experience. Experience cannot be bought, but equipment can, although it doesn't help everyone. There are smart people posting photos of tanks filled to the brim with equipment, yet you won't see any photos of the aquariums from them.... This is one extreme. However, saying that everyone should follow Anatoly's path is another extreme. Not everyone is capable of this, and not everyone needs it. Most people want to achieve results within a certain timeframe, and without properly selected equipment and chemistry, this is impossible.

Christopher7213

The aquarium is just SUPER! In the photo, I saw your emperor. Tell me how he is doing, what he eats, and how he gets along with the neighbors (including the corals).

Tara2761

I rated it excellent! But not for the equipment or design. For the fact that, judging by the photos, the animals seem to feel comfortable. Keep it up.

Rachael

A solid, good aquarium.

Mariah

Water from the aquarium is supplied to the pre-filter through overflow. In the pre-filter circuit, there is a pump, and water from the circuit goes to the aerobic filter, from there to the aquarium. At the top of the pre-filter, there is a pump for the transit aquarium with algae. In the aerobic filter and in the pre-filter, there is coral rubble that was introduced live. The transit aquarium is acrylic, with the inlet pipe 2.5 cm higher than the outlet, and the drain into the operating aquarium is free. That's all.

Maria

P.K. - what is it? And what is the concept of the aquarium? What was done and why, and how was it envisioned?

Jennifer5371

A photo would be...

Reginald5073

Pomacanthus imperator is a peaceful and calm fish, although it can conflict with other angelfish and behaves inadequately with corals; it is better to try to keep it with large anemones. However, there are cases of successful keeping with some coral species. It loves lower algae and will not refuse some higher ones. It is sensitive to parasitic infections, so after purchase, a quarantine of 1.5 months is necessary. Otherwise, it is a dream fish...!

Jeremy

Where does your emperor swim, and what company does he have? How long has he been living? What do you feed him?

Jennifer5371

P.K. - foam separation column. The concept is a deep understanding of all bioprocesses in a marine aquarium. Everything was conceived back in 2000. Li Chin Eng envisioned something similar as early as 1961. The Germans developed questions about natural aquasystems, and in 1970, Peter Wilkens proposed a new method for setting up a reef, which later became known as the "Berlin" system. I want to note that specific results were achieved when live rock began to be introduced, and as an auxiliary option, the use of a certain amount of Black Sea live rock. It is not advisable to use handmade plastic products, as this can lead to the death of the reef. Good luck!

Jessica5016

Volodya, the emperor is swimming in the fish tank, and in the photo, there's a fragment of this aquarium. He lives with three surgeons, one lionfish, one moray eel about 0.5 meters long, and five pomacentrids. He has been living with them for the third year now. There is no aggression observed among the fish towards each other. He eats all the foods that are in the diet of the other fish: marine gammarus, dry pellets, marine artemia, algae, flakes, marine shrimp, pieces of squid, etc. He may have conflicts with other large angels, so I had to separate him from the pomacanthus pair. Otherwise, he is a flexible, sociable fish, as long as the water quality is normal.

Hunter1471

just extraordinary beauty!!!!

Rita

Just beauty.

Matthew7977

To all forum members who participated in the survey and voting! Except, of course, the "orthodontists." Dear colleagues! I sincerely thank you for noticing and appreciating my work! I hope that our creativity continues to bring us and everyone around us that unique joy that is sometimes so lacking in our everyday lives. I wish everyone further success! After all, the sea is an eternal magnet, the force of attraction of which we cannot overcome!

Rodney

I want to show the promised photos. On the right is a pre-filter with a DIY skimmer rated for 2500 liters. The skimmer operates in the pre-filter circuit. Behind the skimmer is a small cassette with live rocks. That's it. The transit aquarium was recently taken out of service. I occasionally turn on the aerator, but it's not working right now. The photos were taken about four days ago in the morning, and the polyps have not fully opened yet.

Kristin

When was the last time your aquarium was restarted, and what were the reasons for all the restarts? Where can I read about the Berlin system in Russian? I saw your aquarium in person twice a long time ago. It was the first marine aquarium I ever saw in my life. It was interesting to see it again, even in a photograph.

Earl

It would be better to come to us in Zaporizhzhia, that is, I will meet you, we will talk, you will see with your own eyes, that is, in person. I think we will have a lot to discuss and show how everything works. And you won't leave empty-handed; we will present you with about five types of algae. Best regards.

Joseph591

Thank you for the invitation. In Dnipro, it seems that no one is dealing with livestock supplies, and I have no desire to buy from resellers at their prices. Therefore, I will probably be purchasing some livestock and live rocks in Zaporizhzhia, and then I might be able to break away to take a look at your aquariums.

Nicole7268

The bank is dazzling, money spent on everything... To be honest, if I saw such an aquarium, I probably wouldn't sleep for a week out of excitement. But as a "newbie" aquarist with 12 years of experience, knowing nothing about marine design, I can only say that it looks very colorful and unnatural to me. Experts who understand this better than I do can judge more objectively, but this is my taste, and I can't change that. So, it's good.

Darrell7542

To build a good reef, the Berlin system is the most optimal. To be honest, I can't understand what tricks are being talked about, as almost all reef aquariums on the forum operate on the Berlin system. Personally, I have no other devices in my system besides the skimmer, which is often mentioned; the only device I have is a calcium reactor, without which maintaining a hard reef is unrealistic. I apologize, but please stop misleading people.

Chelsea

I think the Berlin system is more of an alternative for people who have been involved with the sea for a long time. They experienced aquariums with false bottoms and all those powerful biofilters, almost the size of an aquarium (I have seen one). For us younger people, it is practically an archaic concept, which is why the definition of "alternative" is unclear.

Michelle9986

In Zaporizhzhia, two people handle the deliveries: Yarik and Knyazev. The deliveries are quite frequent, almost every month, while Yarik's are a bit less frequent. Deliveries do not get delayed for more than three or four days; everything goes out, and there is a wide selection. Yarik had a delivery on December 3rd, and the next one should arrive in a few days.

Brent5588

I cannot agree with you. SUMP is nothing more than a convenience! On the forum, almost everyone has an alternative system, particularly Berlin. This name has long become outdated, as the systems are no longer alternative. I agree with Denis - in our aquariums, the main role is played by live rocks and a protein skimmer. Everything else is tuning! The Berlin system does not reject additional chemical filtration and dosing of chemical elements.

Amy9618

Dear Omm! Since there will be "samp," you will inevitably have to equip it. Everything you need for it can be found in A.ova's book, section "System Layouts for Filtration in Reef Aquariums," page 117. I wish you success!

Jade

No, no. Page 117 should be banned from viewing!!! It's better to look at page 126.

Debbie3587

Stas, who is against it? Do you have an alternative system? Is the sump convenient for you? Great! I've said it many times: in aquaristics, everything is evaluated by the final result. You can set up 20 sumps, but what’s the point if the aquarium is filled with who knows what. The concept of something good that yields good results will never become outdated, while "the best" is the sworn enemy of the good. You are an experienced, knowledgeable specialist; for you, the puzzles of the reef are a form of creativity, while for a beginner, they mean sleepless nights, nerves, and stress. I am not fighting against sumps; I am simply trying to pass on years of experience to beginners, or am I wrong?

Kevin3579

Savchuk's work is an archaic publication, to put it mildly. The section describing fauna and corals is quite homemade. It's time to rewrite the content, which has long been outdated. What is essential in the book are the fundamental insights into nitrification, calcification, magnesium processes, and much more. Don't get me wrong, but 100 pages of the book were explained to me in two tags on one page by Sleepy and Mr. Petrov back in the day. I think those who need to understand will get the point. And beyond that, it's all about the experience and advice from our forum members, ultimately leading to knowledge in one's mind.

Melissa3820

The bottom is organized like this. Once, a long time ago, there was a layer of coral sand 5-6 cm thick. But one day, I saw a sailor's bottom that was completely devoid of substrate—everything was covered with a solid carpet of coral polyps. There were Briareums, Clavularias, various Discosomas, Rodactis, and so much more. The encrusting algae based on magnesium created an equally impressive effect—all the bottom was red-pink. So I decided—why not give it a try? So far, there haven't been any impressive successes, but there are already some red spots appearing here and there, and I'm gradually introducing some animals.

Cynthia6578

Several photos of animals with m.fits. A few from aquariums where there are only fish. In the reef today; water from the overflow goes to the cassette with coral rubble, in the cassette there is a mini skimmer - 250 l/h. Dimensions of the cassette: 370x150x500. Parameters are normal. Sorry for the quality of some shots. To be continued...

John828

What kind of fish is in the first photo?

Charles

Offtopic, is your gram visible or does it constantly hide in the rocks?

Chris

In the first photo, Caribbean Angel-Pomacanthus Pair. Size 14 cm, age 2.5 years, peaceful.

Emily

Both Grams behave normally, they don't hide, but they like to fight sometimes, which is evident from the damaged tail... they have a favorite burrow where they spend the night, but as soon as the light turns on, they are in plain sight, they love to eat, and they grab whatever you give them...

Diana3118

Did it take a long time for the grams to adapt? Or were they visible right away?

Scott9892

The thing is, not right away. In general, fish can be skittish, and with poor water quality, they can easily get covered in crypts. Adaptation usually goes well in a reef aquarium within 2-3-4 days. A hiding Gramma usually comes out to feed, and if there are no aggressors, after eating, it may not even return to its hiding place. Then, after final adaptation, it almost always becomes visible and even willingly swims near the front glass.

Angel628

How are things going with the bottom overgrowth? I saw an aquarium at a friend's place, and it has a bare bottom - I really liked it! I will probably remove the sand too.

Frederick

It is overgrown. However, in areas where the lighting is very weak, a small amount of coral sand has been added for the inhabitants of the sandy biocenosis. The red-pink encrusting organisms, zoanthids, mushrooms, etc., gradually cover the entire bottom area, but it is still not enough—it’s just a matter of time... So don’t remove all the sand... By the way, Ksyusha really loves to grow onto the glass bottom...

Jessica

And also the walls have grown very cool...

Chad9037

Mushrooms and protophallites are growing on my windshield and climbing up. Sometimes I have to carefully cut off the ones that have grown particularly high with a blade, but the mushrooms don't handle this procedure very well...

Ryan1989

Continuing on the topic, here are a few more photos. Water movement; SunSun 5000 l/h vibration pump. Waver 15000 l/h. 4 turbulent flow pumps behind the reef. Total power 4000 l/h. To be continued...

Leslie

A few more shots...

Ronald

After some experiments with lighting in the aquarium, a question arose. Who works with Coral Life lamps? Please provide a description of this item, what its effects are on invertebrates, etc.

Anne

Continuing the photo shoot... After some changes and additions, the aquarium looks as follows:

Angel628

To be continued...

Andrea6761

Beautiful!

Anne

Well, what can I say... BRAVO!!!! Keep it up!!! The overall shot turned out great!

Brian

In the left corner, under the bush of histrix - are those green, are they yumas? How are they in terms of growth rates? What light and current do they prefer? Also, in the aquarium, are there gorgonians on the sides or is it a sinularia?

Cassandra1840

In the lower left corner, there is a Ricordea Yuma. Soon I will show it to you in close-up. These Ricordeas, under normal conditions, reproduce well and are quite adaptable. They do not like strong currents, and when it comes to light, they are not particularly demanding. However, they love the blue spectrum. The Gorgonians are on the sides, not the Sinularia. This is horned Caribbean coral - Plexaura. The mother colony is in the center, while all the separated branches are attached to the rocks.

Rachel

There was an idea to create a new aquarium with only SPS and LPS corals - I won't! And I'll also squeeze in an anemone like Alexey's - a magnificent one!!! After seeing tanks like Platak's and Anatoly's, I look at soft and especially mixed reefs differently.

Alejandro

Offtopic Max, there is one more thing I would like to mention. It's a matter of taste, but I really enjoy beautiful macroalgae; I don't have many at the moment, but I will cultivate them. Once, I saw mushroom-like algae that still stand out in my memory because they were so beautiful. Surprisingly, even red disco anemones looked dull against their backdrop. I managed to get 3 of those mushrooms from the Prince, and they grew quite well for me, but after a while, they started to decline. They eventually disappeared from the Prince as well, and I haven't seen any more of those macros since. So if you decide to work with macros too, I welcome it.

Jason9952

Off-topic, I have actually already introduced about 6 types of macrophytes into the aquarium. But I'm not sure for how long... I'm planning to add Hepatus...

William5838

Your sea is simply magnificent!

Martha

Hello! What can I say, a beautiful aquarium... I feel close to it also because there are many soft corals, there are anemones, and quite a few fish...

Gene1948

Let's continue viewing the photos of the reef and the fishery...

Michelle

And the photographer is a Master!

Jeremy

Thank you, but it could have been photographed better... I just haven't fully learned the camera yet...

Linda

And how much time does it take to maintain this miracle reef?

Wanda666

Daily, not counting preventive measures that take about 1 hour (twice a month), I spend an average of 15 to 20 minutes during which I feed the animals, conduct a thorough inspection of the reef, add trace elements if needed, and wipe the front glass with a magnet.

Dana6523

A new photoshoot is coming up... A fiery hello to Sanya Sokolov (Zaporizhzhia), who has a marine aquarium that is a "thing of the past"...

Colin1418

Great, both in color and condition! But the pseudocrenilabrus will burst soon!

Chelsea

The rhyme is as always on point! What light do you have on right now?

Dana4701

Off-topic. Otherwise, he gets a bit too excited before the shoot...

Brooke3987

MG-150W-10000K. 5 pcs of 1m 20cm Sylvania Coral Star T5 54W. 1 pc of 1m 20cm Aqua Medic, Reef White 15000K T5 54W. 3 pcs of Power Glo 18000K 40W Hagen. 3 pcs of Marin Glo (burning out) 40W Hagen, will replace with ATI.

Natasha

Is this T8?

John5528

Absolutely right...

Brian

If the plan is to switch to T5, AiRife can offer a good configuration in terms of spectrum.

Lori4746

Yes, we have been thinking about this with Anatoly. Indeed, AiRife can offer a good range of equipment. We are considering purchasing ATI Purple Plus, Actinic, Blue Plus, and Aquablue Special lamps in the near future. We have seen them, and there are no words to describe.

Megan

Right now, there are Actinic IT and Blue Plus. The combination is top-notch. I was disappointed with the pink one - I didn't like it, but.

Tammy

We will steer towards these lamps...

David2398

Do you take photos with a flash?

Courtney

Photo 27 with flash, in complete darkness. The others without.

Courtney4094

It’s a bit like a veil in the photos; I get that effect with the flash. In normal light without the flash, it’s always better. Maybe the exposure needs to be slightly decreased for contrast?

Stephanie3084

Is the glare in the seventh photo from the flash?

Andrea8397

Ah, I remembered, it happened... It is what it is. I haven't learned, I rarely hold a camera in my hands. I'll consider the offer.

Andrea6761

Is the white coral at the bottom of photo 1050 Nemenzophyllia?

Christopher4125

Sure, in the middle is mom, and on the left in the aquarium, in photo 15, is the baby.

Jessica8898

Try without the flash; the colors will be better, and the image will be more three-dimensional and natural. In any case, that's always how it is for me; I have manually turned off the flash and do not use it.

Crystal4879

one of the best soft corals I've seen! "Nemenzophyllia" Can you tell me what light it prefers and what current it thrives in? And if possible, a brief overview of the coral itself...

Mike

Offtopic Ohhhh, finally a photo from the Grandmaster (for me personally) - now that's what I understand - I'm off again to "learn-learn and get bumps" -

Holly

just change the white balance or change the "light type" - it should help too

Jeffrey496

here's what is said about Nemenzophyllia on

Wendy2244

I'm in shock from the beauty, unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott8536

I will do just that.... You are definitely right. Where it glimmers in the photos, there is also haze....

Richard

Max, the light data is in p.91. This is LPS. The flow is laminar, although it also feels good in turbulent conditions. It is sensitive to the proximity of other corals and water parameters; if they worsen, it hides its polyps and deflates. When everything is in order, it attracts attention with the pearlescent sheen of its polyps, which are very beautiful and resemble flowers. It has autotrophic nutrition and practically does not react to any plankton; at least, I haven't seen it do so.

Chris

as always delighted with their beauty!

John5528

In your photo, she is next to Riccardia and umbrellas - how is that arrangement? I'm currently trying to fit a small fragment of nematophilia and can't find suitable neighbors. It's a choice between Seriatopora caliendrum and, like yours, Riccardia...

Andrea8397

It behaves quite interestingly. If the umbrellas and ricordeas are very close, there is no particular reaction, but if they touch a little, it retracts its flower in the area of contact, but does not close it. So the choice you have is quite suitable for it. Just make sure it doesn't touch, and everything will be fine.

Joseph8842

opening a new photoshoot.....if any photo is not good, don't throw DSB, I'm not a very good photographer.....

Wesley

Hipatus "informal" looks interesting.

Jennifer7159

What a beauty! You look at the photo and your eyes rejoice!

Ricky9405

He is already "formal"... He has come to his senses, gradually adopted a classic hue. And what prompted him to such metamorphoses remains a mystery...

Nicole263

Oh! Such an "original" has been ruined by aquarium routine - it was a "hippie," and now it will become an ordinary hipatus.

Patrick4439

continuation............photo #1 LED lamp in operation......

Jessica9188

continuation...................

Joshua9340

In post 61 - photo #6 - is that artificial red coral???

Hunter1471

No. This is a macrophyte. I'll give you a link about it now.

James5103

continuation...

Jade

What a beauty, and what kind of fish is that in the second photo? And who is that in the last photo, I understand you are sitting in the center?

Amanda

I think it's a kind of winged insect.

James5032

Pterophyllum scalare. I'm sitting...

John3432

I recognized Zhenya, Reya, and Yura, the photo is from the 90s for sure. I first visited the children's railway station somewhere in '91 as a student, it was very impressive at the time, although I don't remember the sea.

Nicholas5194

Thank you, back then everything was just starting, and it is quite possible that there were no experienced jars in the laboratory yet, but the work on the sea was already being carried out by me and Zhenya Chernogotsky, and at home I already had a 150-liter marine aquarium. Back then, I was also working with reptiles on the 5th floor with Zheka. Now Rey is keeping a collection of reptiles at home. And Yurik Shabanov is currently in Kharkiv, he has his own zoo business. Unfortunately, nothing is known about Boryusik.

Aaron

There is nothing wrong with calling out moderators. Anyone can do it if they feel it's necessary. I can assure you that no personal (good or bad) relationships with moderators affect their work or their attitude towards other forum members in any way. As forum participants, everyone can have their own personal opinion and discuss it in private correspondence. When acting as moderators, they are guided by the forum rules and the moderators' code. I can assure you that the code is stricter than the forum rules, and there is only one punishment provided for - the revocation of moderator rights.

Karen1649

I think the topic starter does not need to clean up their reputation.

Veronica

Immediately stop the quarrel, or you will go to rest for a long time.

Alyssa1438

I remind you for the hundredth time that the rules of AQUAFORUM are the same for everyone.

Rebecca1419

Off-topic, if you are such an expert in Russian philology, it wouldn't hurt for you to know that If you don't want to go study the Forum Rules in solitude, you shouldn't discuss the actions of moderators in the thread. There is a private message for that.

Jennifer7578

Concerns all dissatisfied individuals, including those who have been banned and created duplicate accounts.

Patrick4439

Since there are probably more remote posts on this topic than existing ones, and its relevance is no longer the same, the overwhelming majority of sailors set up their marine reef aquariums to varying degrees based on so-called "alternative systems," I consider its mission accomplished. Instead of this topic, another, more fundamental one will be opened. I hope for a civilized and tolerant approach from everyone who wishes to participate in the upcoming discussions. Huge thanks to all who responded to the questions raised in this topic in a businesslike, competent manner, and without malice.

Christopher8654

close the topic