- Rethinking "methods" in the reef game -

[Dom]

Thanks - definitely important considerations. Still finalizing my plans with simplicity and ~low maintenance paramount.

Evaluating the merit of a roller filter (e.g., no more socks, keeps the sump clean, crystal-clear water, etc.). I would likely run a bean animal overflow with about ~70% of the water flowing through the roller and the remaining water feeding the refugium. As the refugium largely uses small molecules (e.g., nitrates, phosphates, amino acids) that aren't filtered out by the roller in full, this should, in theory, work well.

We will see!

I don't use a roller filter.

I go to a local craft store and purchase 12"x12" WHITE felt squares (as white doesn't have any coloring dye). I get a package of 36 for $9.99 and I swap them out weekly with my water change. Although, it is usually clogged by the 4th or 5th day. When that happens, I pull it out and put a fresh one in on the next water change.

I think you have some good ideas if simplicity and low maintenance is your goal.

 

[najer]

Thanks - definitely important considerations. Still finalizing my plans with simplicity and ~low maintenance paramount.

Evaluating the merit of a roller filter (e.g., no more socks, keeps the sump clean, crystal-clear water, etc.). I would likely run a bean animal overflow with about ~70% of the water flowing through the roller and the remaining water feeding the refugium. As the refugium largely uses small molecules (e.g., nitrates, phosphates, amino acids) that aren't filtered out by the roller in full, this should, in theory, work well.

We will see!

I love how you are thinking about this, I hate socks and those roller thingies, loosely fill the fuge from the start, I only use caulerpa, it loves flow!

 

[Abdullah Al Faruq]

I second Ed's comments and those of a couple others. K.I.S.S. = Berlin Method = live rock, strong lighting, and a skimmer, and if you want to get fancy you can carbon dose and supplement with a 2 part solution (Bacterial Counts in a Reef Aquarium). 20 years and several redo's on my reef and my tank has never been cleaner nor the corals happier than they are today with just a skimmer and daily carbon dosing and nothing else. Here's my tank today, and another shot from 2011 when it was at it's zenith.

Ohh! This tank of yours! It has been a love at first sight thing for me.

 

[Abdullah Al Faruq]

Ohh! This tank of yours! It has been a love at first sight thing for me. And, ever since I have wondered who the owner was and marvelled at the beauty of the overall scape. Wow !!!;Jawdrop;Jawdrop;Wideyed;Wideyed;Wideyed;Jawdrop

 

[Mark]

I started reefkeeping when the big debate between berlin and trickle filters raged on in the FAMA magazines. I also remember a distrust of metal halides for harmful UV. It's been really interesting to see trends change. And yet our success with corals hasn't changed much. Photosynthetic SPS/LPS/Softies grew fine for us in the 90's like they did today. The non-photosynthetic corals are still to be avoided by the masses.

I enjoyed tinkering with different methodologies throughout the years. Beyond berlin method, I've done an Adey style turf scrubber from Inland Aquatics(still have it in storage), true Jaubert, etc. Here are my take aways(based on my lazy style of reefkeeping):

• I tend to have more long-term success when I run a refugium along with a skimmer. I'm trying to challenge that further with a smaller tank that is only skimmed to figure out why this tends to happen with me(and because I can't run an effective fuge on the tank).
• I found oversized skimmers to be a PITA. If they are oversized, they are too hard to dial in. They either skim too wet or not at all. I prefer a smaller skimmer, usually rated for smaller tank limits. A slightly undersized skimmer(by manufacturer ratings) and a refugium is my sweet spot.
• I think if you get into the vicious cycle of chasing numbers, particularly around phosphate/nitrates, you end up reducing stability. I think it's better to let the tank settle in with less stellar numbers and less fiddling. This goes along with belief that my tanks do better if I just leave them alone. Starving out algae doesn't work for me, and usually impacts corals or allows things like Cyano or Dino's to come into play. I do better with letting some of the more complex algae grow and keep it in check with grazers. I remember a study where they boxed off a section of healthy reef from grazers.... Algae choked out the corals.
• I have much better success with larger tanks than nano's. I actually swore off nano's until recently. I think because a nano effectively excludes the greatest grazers of all, tangs.
• I don't like mechanical filtration. I think it's more trouble than it's worth.
• And lastly, what works for me may not work for you.

 

[Feet4Fish]

I started reefkeeping when the big debate between berlin and trickle filters raged on in the FAMA magazines. I also remember a distrust of metal halides for harmful UV. It's been really interesting to see trends change. And yet our success with corals hasn't changed much. Photosynthetic SPS/LPS/Softies grew fine for us in the 90's like they did today. The non-photosynthetic corals are still to be avoided by the masses.

I enjoyed tinkering with different methodologies throughout the years. Beyond berlin method, I've done an Adey style turf scrubber from Inland Aquatics(still have it in storage), true Jaubert, etc. Here are my take aways(based on my lazy style of reefkeeping):

• I tend to have more long-term success when I run a refugium along with a skimmer. I'm trying to challenge that further with a smaller tank that is only skimmed to figure out why this tends to happen with me(and because I can't run an effective fuge on the tank).
• I found oversized skimmers to be a PITA. If they are oversized, they are too hard to dial in. They either skim too wet or not at all. I prefer a smaller skimmer, usually rated for smaller tank limits. A slightly undersized skimmer(by manufacturer ratings) and a refugium is my sweet spot.
• I think if you get into the vicious cycle of chasing numbers, particularly around phosphate/nitrates, you end up reducing stability. I think it's better to let the tank settle in with less stellar numbers and less fiddling. This goes along with belief that my tanks do better if I just leave them alone. Starving out algae doesn't work for me, and usually impacts corals or allows things like Cyano or Dino's to come into play. I do better with letting some of the more complex algae grow and keep it in check with grazers. I remember a study where they boxed off a section of healthy reef from grazers.... Algae choked out the corals.
• I have much better success with larger tanks than nano's. I actually swore off nano's until recently. I think because a nano effectively excludes the greatest grazers of all, tangs.
• I don't like mechanical filtration. I think it's more trouble than it's worth.
• And lastly, what works for me may not work for you.

If ever interested in selling the inland dump bucket ats let me know. Thanks