EP: 9 The Best Way to Wipe Out Reef Tank Uglies.. Can Copepods Solve the Problem Before They Start?

[@edpez]

I don’t think people realize how revolutionary all this information is. Amazing series.

[@BRStv]

Thanks for the Feedback! Doing our best :)

[@johnkozeluh8691]

Makes success so much easier

[@2869may]

I'm not understanding what's "new" here.... People have been seeding their tanks for decades....

[@mitchellrobbins5073]

You guys truly are, single handedly, pushing this hobby forward. When I first got into reefing, it happened to line up exactly with the weekly releases of the 52 Weeks of Reefing series. It was probably the best source of reefing knowledge I had access to at that point. That year I battled dinos and tried literally every treatment under the sun with no success. Hurricane Irma hit Florida shortly after and we had to evacuate. With the county not letting us back in and over 10 days without power, my tank completely died. I tore down and exited the hobby, swearing only to get back into it when a cure for Dino’s existed. I’m in the process of setting my new tank back up (fearful of encountering a dino problem again) and now this series is released. It really flips what I thought I knew on its head, in that it’s more a symptom of a problem rather than a problem itself that must be eradicated. Equilibrium is what we should strive for. I don’t think people realize yet how foundational the knowledge gained here is going to be. Thank you BRS.

[@BRStv]

I Wrote most of the first episode of %52 weeks Season Two today. This is going to be so much better than anything we have ever done and nothing like the others. I cant wait to share it :)

[@mitchellrobbins5073]

@@BRStv Let’s goooooo

[@ssjeter22]

This is why I buy from BRS supply!! Everyone using this information and learning from all there videos should do the same they're pricing is great as well. All this amazing content throughout the years and the way they truly care should be the only place you buy products!!

[@2milesbelow676]

How are these videos not getting 200,000 plus views? This is the type of info every marine aquarist should be looking at!

[@discol76]

I 100% agree. This series is absolutely fantastic

[@BRStv]

For thought leaders like you only :) Hopefully, the information gets shared, evolved and becomes the standard.

[@martinouellette4742]

I was already a fan of copepods but now I know I will seed them ahead of time in my new tank!

[@BRStv]

This will change my approach as well. Hard to look at it the same.

[@gjb.80]

Your channel is the single source of advice I give anyone who wants to get started, anyone who has an issue or anyone who just wants to learn more about the facts of reef keeping. Your devotion and investment to the hobby is amazing, bordering on if not already entering into the conservation sphere. I’m sure you inspire thousands of keepers to expect more from themselves and give them the confidence that they can graduate from casual hobby keepers to serious amateur and pro keepers. Thank you so much.

[@kevivjack2408]

Oh my god, u guys spent so much time and effort in setting up individual tanks and testing these ecopods, not jus days its weeks, this s truely passion, salute to all the efforts, its like deep dive Phd in reef tanks❤

[@drewlong77]

*Crowd Roars & Cheers! Applause! Applause! * Great work, I can't wait to see the final results and protocols that come out of the next experiment! I'm sure your excitement level is through the roof armed with this new insight & informative data, and all the positive potential it brings. Unfortunetly, Hindsight is hellaciously hurting my eyes now, when looking at my tank started 6 months ago.

[@BRStv]

Hindsight is always 20/20 and the trailblazers always get shot in the back :)

[@alfredrodriguez7421]

I shut down my reef tank in 2012. But I still sub to BRStv because of the pure production and educational value. I completed one of my bucket list things with a trip to the Monaco Aquarium. So many reef tanks. But this series is going to make me get back into the hobby. I really appreciate this series. I feel it will be one of those video series that will change the way everyone approaches the break-in period.

[@BRStv]

That's the goal. 100 out of 100 successful reefers :)

[@matmalette]

Simply, Thank you to the whole team behind this. You are the Julian Sprung of our era all together pushing Randy and the hobby to such a new level.

[@BRStv]

To be compared to Julian Sprung is a MAJOR compliment. Thank you!

[@brandonmms]

This series came at the perfect time as I'm getting ready to set up a new tank..have tank, rock lights and pump but waiting to see how to start. Kind of hard for me but this is that ounce of prevention

[@BRStv]

Get ready for a fun journey :)

[@stoneysscapes7544]

Good God...I mean , um Good Luck🤔

[@GearItFirst]

Ryan's new style of presentation is phenomenal!

[@danimalssoup2865]

This makes me happy I dosed pods while dark curing my rock and added an extra batch once the tank was running. I never had diatoms but did have to wait out film algae and currently dealing with cyano.

[@genekeh5077]

This is cutting edge science aimed at making our hobby that much more accessible and a beautiful tank attainable for everyone. Bravo!

[@2869may]

I'm not understanding what's "new" here.... People have been seeding their tanks for decades....

[@xanderjones2747]

This marks a key change in the hobby, excited for the finale.

[@BRStv]

It does feel like this overall deeper look takes what many of us thought and confirms it. Allowing us all to embrace it and transform the future for those who come after us :)

[@dvc1867]

I'm glad that you are going to continue these experiments to give a path to success

[@BRStv]

Oh , ya. The next experiments getting set up now.

[@alfredrodriguez7421]

This is Jaubert-level of research! I really, really loved this series.

[@BRStv]

High praise! Doing our best and shooting for the moon :)

[@wwiiireef]

I’ve followed you all for a long time. Forgot you had two channels on KZbin now.

[@dandegr]

Amazing work guys, thank you!!

[@ManiacalMangoes]

I just got through the ugly phase in my 25 gallon and all this new info makes me want to upgrade to a much larger tank now

[@AdamUS123-j7q]

Best biome series!

[@BRStv]

Shooting for the next series to be even better than this one lol :)

[@AdamUS123-j7q]

@@BRStv Can't wait!

[@zachary_smith1]

Amazing quality content here. Can you make a Dino comparison video? Of what gets rid of Dino? Like diatom vs copepod vs bacteria?

[@karennation3580]

Fantastic series! I sure wish I would have watched this before I set up my new frag tank! Things sure change in 4 years which was my last tank set up! I have set two tanks up and NEVER had the ugly phase and added corals early! Therefore I didn't watch many new video's! I went about it the same way which was not to turn lights on for a few months! Didint work this time! Could this be because its a frag tank and I used no live sand? Actually I just recalled I didint use live sand in my second! Anyway my frag tank is rubble an big bio balls, coral skeletons, frag plugs from my sump ect and red film all over the rocks so I am unsure if I introduced it from my zoas! There is some film on them (zoas) but dosnt respond to chemi clean! UGGHH I am so mad that I didnt peroxide dip them first! What the heck do I do now? I added a bunch of snails! can I add just one bottle of copepods to the 20 gallon long sump less tank. I have to move some corals and fast to this tank! I dont even know how I can clean the tank because its larger pieces of rubble ect! I am now wishing I added sand but I have heard people use rubble in a frag tank when they have no sump! Should I beat the rubble down into tiny pieces? I am desperate!

[@sukilily2936]

if you do this again I’d love to see the effect of gulf live sand with its worms & microfauna in addition to the live rock. it would be interesting to run the same experiment again but with addition of live sand and algae eating animals in some tanks but not in others. I’m also interested in seeing how adding a lot of coral would impact outcomes vs adding just a little bit of coral. within the planted tank hobby you do an initial heavy planting to try and keep algae from gaining a foothold & I wonder if this concept would translate. I suspect it would. adding or not adding phyto would also be cool to see but you may have done something like that before. on a separate note I’d love to see an experiment done with trying to form a cryptic zone in a sump or even a canister filter and dosing silica to try and encourage sponge growth. I’d expect it to use a lot of DOC if you got good sponge growth and I wonder if this could mitigate the potentially negative impacts of DOC (studies indicate too much DOC may negatively impact corals) from refugiums.

[@chrisbleurgh7425]

Woop WOOP! Cleanup crew is here!

[@Oshgoshbigosh]

Will you be able to see the copepods in the jar? I have one but I don’t see any movement

[@moereefer]

Yeah u sea them

[@ozziegarcia6262]

Fantastic information. who knew pods...

[@chrisfullwood6643]

Cannot wait for this next episode!!

[@BRStv]

Next Friday!

[@albertangulo1420]

@@BRStvdid this happen???

[@BrianHThayer]

This has been a great series! So informative. When will the next one be released? How many more are coming?

[@BRStv]

Episode 10 is the final episode coming Friday 🙂

[@BrianHThayer]

Thank you! We’re at the edge of our seats!! ​@@BRStv

[@pianosdr]

Which Friday? It seems like there have been more than 1 since you posted this :/

[@BrianHThayer]

I’m not able to find episode 10. Is it buried in a playlist somewhere? ​@@BRStv

[@edwarddoonan5253]

My pod population in my fuge explodes, decreases and explodes again. I can usually tell when it starts to diminish when the glass on my refugium starts to get a film. When they explode again they clean the glass really well. I keep my refugium exposed to look at it. Sometimes it's more interesting watching that than the main tank.

[@Exultant215]

What a wonderful ride this is!

[@BRStv]

This was one of the more fun journeys here.

[@owenturner4676]

Very curious on your thoughts about using a acclimation mode on your lights to help combat the ugly stage in your cycle ramping up the lights very slowly over a 10 week period for example would have to help keep the photosynthetic organisms at bay while giving the combating bacteria a chance to grow thrive and feed off of what does grow during acclimation

[@rmcrom]

Good info.

[@sagrath1982]

Thanks for the great info.

[@BRStv]

Glad to be of service!

[@discol76]

I'm guessing perfect cycle as - One of the dry rock or Real Reef - Ocean Direct Sand - Dark Rubble in the sump from donor tank - Jar or 2 of Copepods at the start - Clean up crew/ Utilitarian Fish - Possibly extended lights out period, not sure about this or corals from the start to introduce some Biome also?

[@BRStv]

could be :)

[@atfinthehouse8631]

Would be good to have multiple close ups of all these organisms and a discussion of what they are, how to get rid of them, or as you are noting prevent them. But closer views and more careful descriptions of all the pests and all the healthy critters would be invaluable to all.

[@RobBoryckiGolf]

Great info

[@mrs5850]

Is there any chance you can teach us how to culture pods at home ? In the uk and we don’t have anything as amazing as algae barn

[@tomg5405]

Try the red phyto plancton against cyano,it helped me in a few days every time I put it. Probably out competition. Some bacteria and increase in phosphate strangely seems also to help

[@BRStv]

Interesting, never tried that.

[@tomg5405]

@@BRStv it is a German company plankton plus who make it

[@KGMCyp]

So what week would you recommend adding the pods. Before the cycle is complete? Right After the cycle is complete? When the light turn on for the first time?

[@geek3502]

Can’t wait to see the next phase.

[@BRStv]

Us too!

[@taylorjokerst9819]

Are these videos intended to be unlisted? It's a bit hard to find them.

[@BRStv]

We're formally releasing one video per week, but more are on the playlist for those that find it and want to watch ahead 🙂

[@kleenhall6885]

This has been helpful info on these couple videos. I’m a newb getting back Into the hobby. Living in San Diego 20 years ago the live rock was real rock. Now I can’t find it. It’s all man mad life rock that’s been sitting in tank “curing” but it’s not the same. There zero critters or life. And I cannot find the chunkier Arag alive just fine sand or the oolite. It’s weird it’s So different now

[@BRStv]

Special Grade is what we usually go with for sand. It's a larger grain size than the Fiji pink or oolite, but still small enough to look like a natural sand bed. Crushed coral used to also be popular a couple decades ago, and while it's still available, not many reefers use it as substrate any longer.

[@kleenhall6885]

@@BRStv yeaaah I already dumped a bag of oolite in. I feel like I should remove it and order the special grade arag Alive. That’s another thing I can’t find locally anymore everyone has pink Fiji or oolite. I hate second guessing myself. I’ll see how it goes in the first few weeks.

[@leviclark4305]

My first tank went pretty smooth via sheer dumb luck but after this series I'm hoping my next tank will start better and without so much help from the luck part

[@scottshipley570]

Dosing pods, do you remove the filter socks?

[@Nick-co9pf]

Just started a new nano tank, IM 14g peninsula AIO. I'll be putting a jar of eco pods in long before i add any other livestock now and just feed them phyto for the first month while they get settled in.

[@christopherjamesblackwell]

All these weeks of testing and some mentions of manual cleaning but what about water changes?

[@Montestuma]

"Large ugly armies" -Things Ryan says

[@jaksmith6465]

Gulf was my favorite. I love the Sponges... Also possible that the ecopods water has a large amount of cyano in it, Essentially dosing it to every tank

[@BRStv]

Multiple forms of gulf rock made the next experiment!

[@stormfarley2012]

So would you say the best combination would be real reef rock, ocean direct sand, and a container of Ecopods? From the reviews, the dark cured rubble would be the best option for rock, but not everyone has access to that option.

[@TheNotehead]

Although I appreciate this video so much, the results that they reveal are kind of disappointing. There is no "magic bullet" in something as incredibly complex as a reef tank ecosystem. Yes, pods eat stuff but then different things explode and crash and months later you've got a tank that looks horrible in some other way than you had before, or maybe just the same. My son's tank has a really stubborn hair algae problem. I was hoping that some variety of pods would clear it, and now after watching the progression of all of these tanks I still have no idea what to do.

[@avishvohra3057]

Just setup a 90g with dry live rock, ocean direct sand, seeded pod pack and sps lights from the get go!

[@BRStv]

let us know how it goes!

[@avishvohra3057]

@@BRStv so far I've seen less problem algae than I had when I had first had my nano tank without copepods and live sand. I believe the pods helped reduce the new tank algae cycles, but been carbon dosing too starting this week. While my rock turned brownish I got a few cerith snails that are making it all white again! There's no replacement for those guys. Pics up soon on a build thread .

[@mare3899]

Hi BRStv. Great video series. In my country, I can only get Tigger copepods from 'pest free' provider. Is this enough or I should search for some other species of pods?

[@BRStv]

We typically use Algae Barn's EcoPods, which are four types of copepods, including tigger pods. While your pod population might not be as diverse, it will certainly be better than having no pods at all 🙂

[@BrianThyme]

How did it go in the long run?

[@InsideThePoster]

Did you feed each tank with Ocean Magik also ?

[@robertsherwin3624]

Was that aptasia on the marine pure tank??

[@brando987b2]

Algaebarn sales 📈😆

[@techhr7453]

nice series. i have a question though. with adding 16 jars per tank dont you also add allot of water? what is in those jars besides pods?

[@BRStv]

They come packaged in saltwater

[@funkoidi]

How do pods cope with a sump based filter roller, presumably they end up trapped right?

[@BRStv]

You'd be correct. That said, very few pods should be making it down the overflow. They tend to hang out on surfaces like the rock, sand, and aquarium walls, so a vast majority of you pod population will go unaffected by filter socks or a roller mat.

[@therevanchist1123]

These tanks feel like mine, for the past year with Dino’s and Hair algae swapping back and forth, very frustrating, going to keep the hair algae and just get a Lettuce nudibranch and let him live his best life

[@MikePetett]

I've seen countless videos and talk about these pods, and I'd like to get some, but the one thing NOBODY will ever tell you is how many jars to get for your tank size.... 🤔

[@chercm]

i understand it is different type of pods being used but locally i can get my hands are the one from Reef nutrition and also Algen . which one should i get ?

[@Collins811]

Algagen is favorite

[@chercm]

@@Collins811 there is so many variety in algaegen . Which one do you use ???

[@Collins811]

@@chercm I do a mix of apocyclops and tisbe

[@cloudnein8114]

So would copepods and live phyto be the best balance?

[@AdamUS123-j7q]

Did these tanks get water changes weekly?

[@WolfieAquascaping]

Yes, 10% weekly but they have been cleaned only twice :)

[@AdamUS123-j7q]

@@WolfieAquascaping thanks

[@BRStv]

@@WolfieAquascaping Correct :)

[@mattos_aquaristik]

One question for those of us introducing this method: Dr Tim’s fish-less cycle with lights off and covered reef, adding Coraline strains on day 15, adding pods and one small fish on day 20, removing the cover and adding cleanup crew on day 30, LPS lights on day 60 Does it make sense?

[@oz969]

Keeping the lights off only delays the maturation process. Yes the lights feed undesirable things like Cyano/Dinos, but you need light in order to encourage the things you want to out compete these undesirables i.e film algaes

[@mattos_aquaristik]

Thank you@@oz969 , just trying to give time for the micro fauna to get established in a stronger way without competence, leaving the lights off that long will give them a better chance to outcompete the uglies in the long run (Is the whole purpose of a Biome cycle); WWC goes past the 2 months before introducing LPS intensity lighting (Not to mention fauna has a CUC to back them up with nuisance algae consumption). 🙂

[@Coral-reef.]

How can i avoid all the ugly phases in a brand new reef tank that im about to cycle ?

[@AdamUS123-j7q]

When will an episode finally come out it has been like 3 weeks! Is something bad going on?

[@BRStv]

next Friday :)

[@drewlong77]

7 years ago I started my first 55g reef tank and quickly upgraded to a 90 with A sump right as brs did fuge amd marine pure tests.. while preparing for the upgrade, the lfs sold me the marine pure box and stuck the giant block in their system sump for 3.5 weeks. Between that and the 160Flora lighting my chaeto.. I went 5.5 years into the hobby Wondering.. "what is this 'phase of ugliness' You speak of?" My New tank ..got lit for sps.. and Now.. .. I know. - The End.

[@xisotopex]

I have three different types of rock in my tank, all with the same flow and lighting, but diatoms/algae do not seem to be growing on one particular rock, even though the sand around has it, and so do the other three rocks... anyone have an idea what is going on? why this would be?

[@kentedgar442]

The ugly period really just doesn't bother me like it use to its just nature doing its building blocks and works its way through the time line

[@daanvdw34]

I think your causing a nutrient spike by also adding the 16 bottles of water in which the copepods came. The spike isn´t caused by the pods processing the diatoms. Have you ever tested the water in these ecopod jars? I think your answer lays there....

[@GflmZerk-el5tu]

Should I add copepods to my new tank?

[@seamustheseagull9209]

Next step. BRS installs giant ocean algae scrubber and prevents global warming saving us all…

[@kutcha20]

were is the next episode?

[@BRStv]

coming soon 🙂

[@craigpitt6342]

Like all nature if we think about the entire food Web step by step before adding fish the issues most face will not have to face them anymore I'm new to reefing however I have kept freshwater for many years I never find myself needing to clean..yes that sounds bad however nature is a balanced ecosystem where if I have a boost of food source for my copepods then their population increases to meet the demand the problems subsideand so do the micro invertebrates in number the fish love eating the live food that naturally grows in the aquarium it livens the tank up dramatically they are active hunters and gives any tank that much needed burst of energy and life, as long as you remember life is a transformation of energy then you are able to feed slightly less the fish become more healthy and there are no explosions of problems what you will end up with is equilibrium, knowing hoe nature works my reef tank is cycled and copepods and brine shrimp have been added noting else..I feed these little guys on crushed flake thier numbers are growing and I'll allow them to find the very best spaces to reproduce in a protected area of my coral rockery when I do add fish the ones in poor areas will ofc become hunted till they are no more the ones that do not will attract the ones that are left to safer areas of my tank encouraging self presentation within a safe area of the tank, the flow of the water allowes some to be jetted into the main spaces of the tank to become food but knowing this information not overstocked the aquarium is key to keeping equilibrium like humans ate too many for our natural habitat we find suffering and declines from famine as food sources dwindle..keep these things in mind any you'll never have a problem with any of your aquariums

[@atfinthehouse8631]

Wouldn’t a 4 week dark period kill coral? Definitely feel copepods and amphipods are key to healthy tanks.

[@BRStv]

This would have to be pre-coral. If you have coral in your system, then a 4 week dark period is not an option.

[@adamgale2189]

week 29? jesus thats 7 months

[@discol76]

Cmon man. Where's the follow up......please?

[@billydanzz]

IMO, this whole "then we cleaned the tank" step alters the results. Would've been better to have left the tanks alone to see how things ended up own their own without intervening with a tank cleaning.

[@BRStv]

I hear ya but leaving all the processed sludge in there also seems like a bad move.

[@MerkDolf]

😂👌 👍

[@arsenioseslpodcast3143]

It’s shocking how those diatoms and cyano take off so easily. Wtf is happening in America. Lol. Have three tanks and never have I ever had problems like that. Brown algae in the smallest tank, green, too. But other than that, just the typical film algae, little thing four snails can handle, and that’s it.

[@2869may]

Maybe I'm missing something.... I'm not understanding what's "new" here.... People have been seeding their tanks for decades....

[@BRStv]

Absolutely. This series is not only showing those previously used methods to be good ones, but also exploring the WHY and HOW behind the methods.

[@BRStv]

The missing detail is that "some people" have been seeding their tanks and not all were successful. It's overwhelming evidence that produces the best path and results in universal action. - Ryan

[@2869may]

@@BRStv Right, We live in a time of "instant gratification" and people with short attention spans that don't have patients to wait for their tank to mature.... Hell, none of us WANT to wait... lol Or deal with the "uglys"... I went and got established substrate from a high end LFS to reduce cycle time, but still have to wait out the uglys... This is not a hobby for impatient people wanting an instantly Beautiful reef tank.. unless money is no object, and for most of us that's simply not the case.... Good maintenance, patience and a LOVE for it, is critical for having a good experience in this hobby.... (I just got a Watchman and a Pistol shrimp, That's something special...! and worth putting in the work long after the initial excitement and novelty has worn out a bit) Thank you for the reply..!

[@frcarvajal]

Pods = nutrients. Nutrients = pods?

[@BRStv]

Pods will process organics into nutrients :)

[@icazuchi]

.....so there's no winning here is there?

[@xisotopex]

I would rather have cyano, instead of diatoms, from what I understand... oh well, it looks like I have diatoms...