Name all the ways you "filter" your reef aquarium?

[nereefpat]

Rock and Sand
ASM Skimmer
There is a bubble catching sponge on my skimmer outlet that needs rinsed once a week or so.

I intermittently run GAC in a reactor.

 

[newbie2014]

Corals and LR in DT, then mesh filter socks, cryptic zone LR, skimmer, and on return line, carbon reactor.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Have tried a refugium a couple times with cheato and no success. May need to try another algae or something. Have thought about an algae reactor or algae scrubber.

I've tried Cheato in refugiums several times over the years. It just never seems to work as advertised in my systems. I've had better luck with unlighted refugiums full of ocean cultured live rock, rubble, and sand... and boat-loads of pods. Seems like along with just an ok skimmer, a little live phyto and a little organic carbon always does the trick for me. Every time I get away from this protocol, things go downhill.

 

[Mark Novack]

Have tried a refugium a couple times with cheato and no success. May need to try another algae or something. Have thought about an algae reactor or algae scrubber.

I bought the big grotech reactor and one sad looking, last on the shelf golf ball of chaeto. Its growing nicely and whatever its doing the tank is booming. I plan on giving the harvest to my chickens. I wanted it for night time Ph control, copopod manufacturing, and to fill that last cubic inch of cabinet space.

 

[Aspect]

Is UV considered "filtering"?

 

[Alexraptor]

Mostly natural and water changes. My 25g aggressive reef is interestingly enough being filtered by clove polyps. Fortunately its a benign variety that does not harm any other corals(it's also a genuine 'wild' colony, on account of it showing up on live rock!), but they will gladly claim every mm of real-estate they can get their tentacles on. It is supposed to have a skimmer also, but it broke down about a month ago, and I still have not been able to get a replacement due to component shortages.

My 15g is an all-natural skimmerless reef from the very beginning, and houses both softies, nems, LPS and SPS, including acros.

 

[Mschmidt]

In addition to coral, sand, stone, canister filter, chemical media, I have macro algae in the display.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I checked “7” One of which is my 2 month old Ice Cap Algae Turf Scrubber (med). It seems to be working very well. I’m now scraping the screen once a week to 10 days. Reverse photo period from my display. The lights run 18 hours a day. I’m monitoring both my phosphates and nitrates faithfully. The very reason I purchased it.

 

[The_Skrimp]

Aside from rock, sand, and coral:

I use filter socks with mesh bags inside, one bag of activated carbon, one mesh bag of phosguard, a skimmer, chaeto, then UV.

I carbon dose with vodka to keep nitrates low so the skimmer is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. I also add live phyto which helps to eat up a little bit of nutrients.

 

[DE FISH]

Does an invasive sponge that’s tearing apart my tank count ? :’(

 

[Dburr1014]

I counted 7 ways in your poll I filter.
Plus my clam. He filters a lot of water also.
So that's 8.

 

[OU812Reefing]

Happy Monday R2R Fam!

This week we're going to be focusing our topics on Saltwater Reef Aquarium Filtration! Sounds like a hoot huh?! Well hopefully it will be informative and we can learn from one another. When it comes to reef aquarium filtration there are many ways to "filter" a tank. It could be chemical, mechanical or biological! Many of us choose a combination of methods for filtering, skimmers, rock, filter media etc, and that's what I want to discuss today!

What are all the ways you are "filtering" your reef aquarium? (name each specifically please) skimmer, scrubber, media, liverock etc.

Filter socks ,charcoal reactor, skimmer, live rock and bioballs in sump

 

[Kscope]

Other is Marine Pure balls in sump.
Chemical is ROX carbon filter-bag in the same chamber as the Marine Pure.

 

[Mike1970]

SKIMMER and full ZEOVIT system mainly

 

[Char.toombes]

Live rock/sand in display of Aquatop 40 AIO
1st chamber -filter floss/soon to be sock
2nd - aquamaxx hob 1.5
3rd - box 1/2 marine pure bio balls

 

[Jeffcb]

Roller Mat, ReefMat soon. There's a supply chain issue. Imagine that.

 

[benmed]

i usually leave them longer than i should, but roughly 2-3 weeks. started swapping them out sooner since i have what seems to be cyano coming in. so now i’m swapping weekly

Yeah. I switched to a filter mat on new setup because who has time to change those things every three days. But, maybe the filter sock is a hang out for lots of good bacteria?? Maybe I’ll regret but the idea of not changing filter socks makes me smile every time i go to bed.

 

[Fishy888]

I would much rather use natural means than chemical means not only for filtration but for any issues that come up. Of course I realize that sometimes chemicals are needed; for example when you already have high phosphates but low nitrates and you really, really want to avoid dinos. Merely having some GHA, at least for me, isn't even close to a good reason to use chemicals.

Although I've done this in the past, and suffered the consequences for doing it, I will never again dose any chemicals I can't test for.

My filtration consists of rock, sand, corals, and chaeto. The chaeto is lit by two Viparspectra 165w grow lights. It has grown a ton already. I also have a good CUC consisting of fish and corals to worms and pods. Neither flake or frozen food lasts long in this tank.

I voted other because I use a scrubber of sorts but there are a couple types of chaeto and Mexican caulerpa caught up in the chaeto balls. The sump/fuge/scrubber consists of a 30 gallon tank that is filled most of the way and the chaeto. And pods. Eventually there'll be lots and lots of pods.

 

[Screwgunner]

Skimmer
Bio pellets
Live rock
Uv
Filter pad
Coral
Activated charcoal
Vodka dosimg

 

[rknapp]

Live rock/sand
Coral
Filter pads
Skimmer
Refugium
Carbon/GFO
Water changes