biological filtration in SPS frag tank

[teast]

I am setting up a 65 gallon SPS frag tank and wanted to get some suggestions for filtration ideas. I will have a small sump with skimmer and was planning on running a little carbon and GFO in the filter socks. The bio load will be low with just a 2/3 small fish and there will be some coral foods being added too. There will not be room for a fuge.

Be good to get thoughts on whether this will be enough to grow SPS corals or whether additional filtration would be beneficial.

 

[glb]

Maybe Nopox to keep nitrates under control?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Be good to get thoughts on whether this will be enough to grow SPS corals or whether additional filtration would be beneficial.

What are you asking specifically? The thread title asks about biological filtration, which generally in reefing means growing and maintaining the bacteria needed to transform harmful ammonia into less harmful nitrates. Having a system that is conducive to SPS growth is a completely different topic.

 

[teast]

Maybe Nopox to keep nitrates under control?

Thanks, a good suggestion

 

[teast]

What are you asking specifically? The thread title asks about biological filtration, which generally in reefing means growing and maintaining the bacteria needed to transform harmful ammonia into less harmful nitrates. Having a system that is conducive to SPS growth is a completely different topic.

Hi

Sorry, maybe not clear. The question was whether a skimmer, some gfo and some carbon would be enough to keep nutrients i.e. No3 and PO4 in check with a low bio load. I suppose I was hoping to hear from reefers who have also set up a frag tank and what their filtration methods were to keep these specific nutrients in check. Perhaps I need to post this in a different forum.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

No problem at all. I just wanted to make sure we were answering your exact question.

It's hard to say what your tank is going to need in terms of nutrient reduction. Your tank is pretty similar to many other reef tanks. It has fish, will likely have some live rock, and will have corals. Filtration doesn't need to be drastically different than most other tanks.

With regards to if GAC and GFO are enough to maintain the tank, it's hard to say. Some tanks have excess nitrate and phosphate, and these tanks require lots of water changes or GFO to keep things in check. Other tanks have nutrient deficiency and need to have nitrate and phosphate supplemented. Personally I would set up the tank and see what the parameters tell you to do. If you have excess phosphate, you might need GFO. GAC might also be useful. On the other hand, you might not need either.

 

[teast]

No problem at all. I just wanted to make sure we were answering your exact question.

It's hard to say what your tank is going to need in terms of nutrient reduction. Your tank is pretty similar to many other reef tanks. It has fish, will likely have some live rock, and will have corals. Filtration doesn't need to be drastically different than most other tanks.

With regards to if GAC and GFO are enough to maintain the tank, it's hard to say. Some tanks have excess nitrate and phosphate, and these tanks require lots of water changes or GFO to keep things in check. Other tanks have nutrient deficiency and need to have nitrate and phosphate supplemented. Personally I would set up the tank and see what the parameters tell you to do. If you have excess phosphate, you might need GFO. GAC might also be useful. On the other hand, you might not need either.

Thanks for that

There won’t be any live rock and just 2 very small fish. It will house sps frags as the vast majority. I was thinking of using a marine pure plate to house the beneficial bacteria

I guess I’ll cycle and watch the parameters to see what’s required.

Thanks again

 

[Lasse]

Start with an oversized skimmer. Run it with as much air as possible. This will take away N as NH3 gas before it converts to NO3. If this is not enough - add blocks or other denitrification tools later on. But - IMO - an oversized skimmer is a good start.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Gareth elliott]

There is no rock? Or you started with dry rock?

The creatures that eventually inhabit the rock will run circles around all the chemical filtration you add. Not just the bacteria the marine pure will house but sponges, tube worms, as examples will remove organic matter before it ever breaks down to n and p. Even with dry rock is nearly impossible to stop their entry if they have a place to settle and 2-3 years will make up an important part of your filtration.

 

[gnome]

To be honest I have my frag tank hooked into my display system right now. If I was to do it again I'd run them separate and go with no sand letting the light shine threw the glass into a fuge below with rock sand and chaeto using a hob skimmer that I have laying around as well maybe adding A small light for the fuge when the st is off