Anyone else use the Hiatt Cycle?

Got my tank setup with it, been up for a month or so, still shocked at quality/clarity of the water... (I consider it still in testing though, need to get couple other test kits too /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif
Wondering if anyone else uses this setup?
Thanks!

 

Ok this is getting longer than I expected.. I've been writing and expanding this for a little while but I want to play some Counterstrike now so, I'm gonna leave it like this lol
Just post a question if you want, the bacteria are uber, so far it's great, no need for skimmer ftw, water is crystal, fish happy, I'm happy, wish I would have known about it when I started... heh always wondered wtf was up with it being #1 at saltwater.about.com...(below is what I started writing in parts) sorry lol

So first, bare with me, this whole system is something I do suggest, SO FAR, but it was sure an interesting, and very vast learning experience getting to the point where I am now with it.
And since I feel I must include important details, it's hard to describe, but in a nutshell, you buy abunch of carbon/bacterialbed, reposition your water output, and toss some bacteria in there...
The system is concise yet complex, and handles quite a few aspects of keeping water. (ha, yea, I saw someone's signature once and it said "I keep water. The other stuff just happens to live there.")
But yes as you saw Bela, I went to several forums asking if anyone else had been using the system, even stating before hand that I was thinking about it, hadn't used it, but was still met with a lot of people who hadn't touched it and still offered a quick opinion on it /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

The long version: heh, trying to keep this as concise and on topic as I can...INTP here..
But after finding a few, probably no more than 4-5? reviews from people, who I believed to be 'legitimate' reviews...
There was of course one guy who had a video review where he time-lapses the view of the tank, but I believe him to be the guy in the vid at the majesticreefs site.
I realized I had not found ANY reviews, from people actually using it, not just opinion of the chemistry of the etc etc etc..
That being said....
I read a lot about the strains, available by name in the patent, and found sparse information via research not by the company, and believe me I went through A LOT of reading over the course of several weeks about these strains..
The major debate is usually about "true" nitrifiers versus anything else. Which is to a degree completely true, yet not.
The strains included are all from the Bacillus genus. This genus bacteria is responsible for a great many things. From inside your stomach to everywhere in nature, to as someone put in a speculative review of the product, "a strain from the genus is probably living in half of our fish tanks right now how the hell did he get a patent on it!"
Which is probably true, but the combination of all the strains included could be very remarkable, and from what I've seen in my testing, it is, heh.
The longevity of the bacteria seems to be the biggest question, but I have to revert to the 1 main point that I couldn't question.
In the Bacillus genus, when the bacteria become nutrient exhausted or senses environmental changes, it will begin a stage of self preservation, and form endospores(.
People said as well elsewhere, "but bacteria can't live in a bottle, ha, 5 years shelf life, snakeoil!!" hehe
But then I found one day, I believe there was multiple publishing since I saw a different book than I found before~
It was basically a study, where an amber fossil containing a bee, was found, and some Bacillus strain(endospore) was removed, revived, and successfully cultured.
..........
So ya. Here's the wiki snippit, which I think, this is probably what makes it "better" than "classic" nitrifiers...
An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by certain bacteria from the Firmicute phylum. The name "endospore" is suggestive of the bacterium changing internally to a spore or seedlike form (endo means within), but it's not a true spore (not an offspring). The endospore becomes important when the bacterium is experiencing an environment that is deleterious to the usual vegetative state of the bacterium, notably including when the bacterium is getting dried out (desiccated). Endospores enable the survival of a bacterium through periods of environmental stress. When the environment returns to favorable, the endospore can reactivate itself to the vegetative state. Not all, nor even most, types of bacteria can change to the endospore form. Examples that can include Bacillus and Clostridium. [1]

The endospore consists of the bacterium's DNA and part of its cytoplasm, surrounded by a very tough outer coating.

Endospores can survive without nutrients. They are resistant to ultraviolet radiation, desiccation, high temperature, and chemical disinfectants. Common anti-bacterial agents that work by destroying vegetative cell walls don't work on endospores. Endospores are commonly found in soil and water, where they may survive for long periods of time.

Some classes of bacteria can turn into exospores, a.k.a. microbial cysts, instead of endospores. Exospores and endospores are two kinds of "hibernating" or dormant stages seen in some classes of microorganisms.

Several of the strains also emit probiotics, which are considered 'nature's antibiotics'...
Otherwise you get a tri-based pelletized carbon, .1667 x gallons = amount in lbs. (reef=amount/3)
And positioning of the output above the surface, parallel, to produce the best low impact yet most surface agitation type of thing...
It kinda sucks because the volume is so big, seriously. 5 lbs was about 1/4 to 1/3 a 5 gallon bucket. In my FX5 it seems to be under 1 liter per lb, maybe close..
It's made of if I can remember correctly, coal, coconut, and synthetic lignite.
One or more of the bacterial strains utilizes the carbon to achieve aerobic nitrate reduction (I think the syn.lignite, perhaps easily degradable lab processed like the real, vegetable matter but altered?)
That is their big seller... But the bed lasts for 5 years as a bacterial bed, of course not for chemical reductions.

 

It's a bit to take in I know, but so far it's working.
I'll update after some time if anyone is interested, otherwise I need to do a test with another tank to see how well the bacteria only works, without the tbpc.

 

I ordered their stuff? That's where I got it? /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif (not sure what you mean hehe)
Here's the meat included in the patent:
This seems to be one of the best resources about the genus btw:
http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/Bacillus.html
Group 1 is:
Bacillus subtillis;
Bacillus sphaericus;
Bacillus megatarium; and
Bacillus licheniformis.
Group 2 is:
Enterobacter sakazakii; and
Bacillus coagulans.
Group 3 is:
Bacillus cereus.
Group 4 is:
Bacillus pasteurii;
Bacillus cirroflagellosus.
Group 5 is:
Bacillus pumilus.
and optionally with the enzymes Cellulase, Amylase, Protease, Lipase, and optionally with selected pancreatic preparations, and kidney microbia compositions.

As far as the experimenting, I consider my tank to be in testing because it saved my crashed tank ( my sister was being helpful, we'll leave it at that /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif heh)
, but less than a month running means nothing...

I plan to first, as soon as I get the time, tear down my spare 10, and get that up and running, with just the bacteria. So there won't be any nitrate reduction or 24 hour cycle, but I'll be able to gauge the time of colonization before I order more tbpc..
I was trying to think of other things I could do...Any suggestions?
Because until I get more test kits and/or tanks and/or lifeforms.. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif
That was the first idea I had, other than lengthy months and months kinds of tests.
/shrug it was 7$ a bottle, might as well have some on hand.

Oh, and

Only reason I bring that up is because some on other forums that didn't know about it or didn't want to take the time to even read up on it, said things that could be mistaken given those statements about endorspores/surviving/etc..
But besides whatever thoughts on it, I find it a hell of an awesome thing of nature /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/biggrin.gif

The methods you're looking for, to the system itself?
What they've said about it too is, 'it eats nuisance algae, proteins, detritus(actually Bacillus is in the Kordon stuff for a clean tank, tidy tank?), I think hormones as well, survivability factor'...
Otherwise the setup of it, reminds me more of a sewage treatment than anything else.

You have your tank of water, you have your recirculation through the media (sump/canister/whatever), and your ouput is above the surface shooting in a cross length direction to create max surface flow with low velocity impact of the output flow via a parallel output of water just above the surface.
At least I'm pretty sure about that, I hadn't done any calculations on the interaciton of gravity with the collision of aqueous molecules with various velocities.. heh
I spose, constant 9.8, all falling is the same unless added velocity, in which a sideways turn would negate more of the flow velocity than decreasing output nozzle size resulting in increased output velocity, versus point the nozzle up and you would be increasing the depth? of the impact liquid... /shrug
Another thing is, since the bacteria use a lot of O2, resulting output water has a lot of CO2, so output above the surface = normal, below the surface = CO2 reactor....

Am I answering your questions? lol I get off topic so easily..
But yes, indeed, if anyone has any scenarios they would like to test I would love to hear it.

 

That's something else, they actually culture nitro's from what I could tell by a quick read over?
Uhh there's also Zeovat I think that's the system..
The thing I find funny though is they both use protein skimmers I think?
The one review I did find that was still brief, some restraunt owner saying how they installed the hiatt system, then after awhile they're skimmer would run with nothing coming out, so they took it out.. heh
/shrug can't say for myself tho since I don't have a skimmer...

 

FTS?
Sorry it's early, I think 'faster than sound'... lol

 

I'll get some pics tonight after I get the new livestock taken care of~
It's kinda boring though cause it's still pretty fresh /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

 

Sorry for the delay, I was hoping to have mangroves in the shot on the top left growing through the eggcrate cover, but they fell through at SF