New Concept
Sam Gamble
http://www.keysmariculture.com
Aquariums.
They are getting better all the time, but we still bog down trying to construct
the totally in situ system. "In situ" meaning in the natural or
normal position. We have become good students of the natural mechanisms
concerning benthic ecology. New words have been invented to describe some of
it, e.g., "bio-geochemical" pathways. Holistic approaches like energy
has been applied to reductionism observations about cell metabolism to explain
and develop our quest. We want a type of aquarium technology that controls
itself more than our intervention as maintenance. Can we create practical
aquarium maintenance based on academic natural science; can it be done?
Over
the past couple of years we have kept ourselves busy trying to learn what a
"PLENUM" is and how it works. Bob Goemans is currently illustrating that
with an in depth summary. However, we cannot get away from the fact there is
trouble maintaining a large biomass load in a reduced nutrient environment ,
e.g., a large fish population in a reef tank. Attempts to do so have stretched
all the superior traits of a plenum system to their limits.
Our
emphasis on nutrients has had good outcomes, even though the term is a little
ambiguous. We can now better understand where nutrients come from and how to
remove potential excesses. And we also understand the necessity of nutrients to
maintain and promote the production of energy, growth, and reproduction. Our
vocabulary has expanded to describe the living processes of benthic ecology,
and how it defines natural equilibrium. Hence, we accept, understand, and
enhance the essential energy cycles. We understand how stabilizing the
microorganisms that form the inextricable foundation may conceivably produce in
situ filtration. The bottom line is the equilibrium of shared energy has become
a realization. After all it's part of life's balance.
From
the MACNA IX conference (which I attended), one conclusion could be drawn we
have learned more about corals and natural systems, but there wasn't much new
going on about system equilibrium. Why is that since we do better understand
how nutrients lead to our successes and failures. We also better understand how
nutrients depend on balance between important constituents like carbon and
nitrogen. And we better understand important ways to maintain important
equilibrium factors for macro cultures. For example, in nature the natural
balance between carbon and nitrogen is about 7:1. By some, this is called the
Redfield Ratio. If we remove too much carbon or inversely create too many
nitrogen compounds, then nitrogen has a tendency to shift toward storage.
Storage takes forms like primary production, also known as nitrogen fixation or
algae growth. It's a general flux from the water to the sand or benthic
substrate. Often this will create a temporary shift or decrease in pH and
alkalinity. The maintenance reaction is to supply buffers and/or calcium, which
precipitate phosphorous at the same time. The result is stored nitrogen and
phosphate. You have an algae problem, you say?
The
answer must lie in being able to treat excess nutrient flux contained by the
water without changing/impairing energy metabolism in the sediments. And what
about the high load that exceeds metabolic rates and capabilities? This kind of
shoots down our hopes to achieve "in situ" filtration in aquarium
science.
We
have a new concept that provides change to our pessimistic prospects.
The
concept hinges on two primary elements; light and water. Light is the most
essential source of energy, and water is the containment medium through which
it must travel. That in itself is not new and is pretty standard. However, to
think of water as a liquid crystal, and light as a transformation energy source
is perhaps new.
Life
has a balance in every event from microscopic to macroscopic. We observe
balance as conducive to our way of life and the sustaining events of things or
creatures we wish to preserve. If you are trying to maintain an aquarium, you
must consider the main culture you wish to preserve and then understand that
countless microscopic events must happen to maintain the macro cultures. The
best way to understand the system is to understand the single cell and what it
needs to promote its equilibrium. Understanding the elements of the containment
medium is essential, such as water, carbon, and light. Each has many variables
and when all three are associated, an exponential capability exists and the
complexity of the results are usually taken for granted.
A
drop of water! What is it? Who cares, it is just a drop on my windshield or a
bucket full of them for my aquarium. Actually, water is a solvent. Anything it
comes in contact with regarding an organic nature, the water is either absorbed
or it itself absorbs. Cationic, Anionic, or nonionic reactions occur.
Individually or in combination. A unit of structure built up from polymeric
molecules or ions is termed micelle. Micelles represent these phenomena. Most
generally micelles are accredited to man's design, like rayon. However, nature
is a series of interactive micelles. Micelles containing specific compounds
create an association of polar bodies, and when the magnetic fields are
associated with an appropriate ion array, photon emission takes place.
Lightning Bugs are a demonstration of this phenomena, as well as bio-luminescence
in algae. We are discussing liquid crystals, a specific type of micelle.
As
we look at an aquarium filled with water, this equates to a bunch of drops.
Let's say that the water is pure, therefore with the absence of salts, no
reaction can occur. At the same time the water droplet is a type of optic film.
This film can pass specific light waves without dissipating them. The water
evaporates because of the nutrients in the water. If some of the water
evaporates, then the solvent action of that water is lost and the nutrient
settles to the next lower layer of water. If the next layer is nutrient loaded,
elemental and molecular stacking take place. The concept of liquid crystals has
been around for a long time. If you are using a laptop computer to read this,
you're probably looking at liquid crystals. Water has structure, but with
random movement in the medium of micelles. Together the situation is a little
chaotic. However, if the water molecule can somehow be given orders to line up
with other molecules in the same orientation, then the structured liquid
crystal condition becomes more formal. Also the intramolecular attraction to
other neighboring molecules is abated. This alone would allow better light
transmittance.
Turning
water into a liquid crystal sounds like a neat trick, but how could that be
done? This introduces an important contributing concept. Magnetic fields can be
used to dictate water as a formal liquid crystal. By manipulating the
characteristics of the magnetic field, variations to the water liquid crystal
can be achieved. This includes its interaction with light.
Magnetic
technology has been around for years. The concept is commonly used for water
treatment. It's general knowledge that it can be used to soften
water
for domestic use. The drawback has been that the condition of diamagnetic
change to the water is short lived. This has now been revolutionized and the
benefits are applicable to the marine aquarium environment. We can now use the
word polarization.
The
importance of light is more than transmittance. It contributes favorably to
magnetic field effects. Magnetic fields can be produced from electrons in
motion, but they themselves do not emit electrons – energy without mass. Light
is infinite (does not decompose) and has mass. When acting together you achieve
energy without electrons, but having the benefits of mass that is infinite.
Okay, so what?
Applied
to an aquarium this would first mean light would penetrate better through the
nutrient stacking. This is particularly important if there is inhibition of PAR
values for organisms like small polyped stony corals. Better penetration means
less absorption of red band, which is bad for nuisance algae and good for light
loving cnidarians.
The
liquid crystal can be programmed to use light to enhance some effects and limit
others. By changing the polarization of the water molecule in the liquid
crystal, target molecules can be effected. Ionic balance can be achieved while
instantaneously changing troublesome molecules like nitrate. The important
thing in this case is that it is done without adding electrons or removing
molecules. Ionic balance shifts to equilibrium of the system. For example a
steady pH and redox are maintained while nitrate disappears, and there is no
change in conductivity (ion levels). Conductivity is the potential of charge
whereas the Millivolt (redox) is the field charge exchange.
To
consider the aquarium as a multitude of water drops composing a medium of
micelles, is perhaps new to conceive a vision or model. However, to reduce it
to this level has produced a new concept and means to better obtain the
"in situ" aquarium. This can be done in a place where nutrient stacking
can be controlled for the benefit of total energy to the system that we wish to
maintain, "in situ". The containment medium must obey the laws of
physics, but we can now program desirable ones for our advantage.
There
has been found a way to take advantage of the micelle and the phenomena of
liquid crystal concepts. Water drops are composed of molecules made by hydrogen
and oxygen atoms. They create the situation that can be enhanced to change
negative factors caused by high concentration of nutrients in a finite space.
We just have to strong-arm them a little bit. It can be done! It can be done
with very positive effects.
First
let's apply the thinking to the conditions we have in aquariums. The environment
we create is by placing water in a container that is well illuminated. Before
we can add the organisms we wish to observe, we have to provide for their waste
products that result from taking care of their energy needs. We add a nutrient
and waste removal system. By doing so we are also adding to the micelle of the
water. With increasing amounts of compounds and elements the containment medium
becomes denser. With heat and evaporation the interaction of constituents
becomes even more complex. Elements begin to interact in ways that normally are
not a first choice. But because of density and all the factors of increased
contact and interaction other results evolve. This is where equilibrium and
balance start to become forfeited. This will happen in spite of the fact that the
filtering system is working at its maximum capacity to remove the compounds and
elements they have produced in conjunction with metabolism.
The
containment medium of uncountable water drops of H-O-H (water) begins to change
its relationship for balance to the organelles in the system. There is a shift
in the way water, carbon, and light normally act, and some of the other
exponential possibilities become evident. Nutrients become loaded with
elemental and molecular stacking taking place. Light transmittance and PAR
values decrease. Water becomes laden with nutrients that are available to the
wrong users. The relationships between flux, storage, and utilization become
unbalanced.
Liquid
crystal technology and magnetic field effect changes the unbalanced condition
to again favor equilibrium. That's a fact. The characteristics of the water
molecule can be changed to form a liquid crystal that allows better passage of
photon energy and less absorption by nutrient effects. The nitrate molecule can
be changed to other forms to facilitate construction of cell and genetic
material without metabolism. Both of which strips nuisance algae of its
competitive edge. This is not a dream. It is a reality. A new concept. We can
create practical aquarium maintenance based on academic natural science. I
think it's possible and am currently involved in bringing this technology
forth.
Sam
Gamble
