The most “Natural” Reef tank

[Clowny1221]

Hello I wanted to ask people here about building a all natural reef tank that would be fully elevated. What kind of lighting would be the best for mimicking the natural sunlight of the ocean, specifically the GBR? Also, what lighting would be possible to match the colours of blue when you dive into oceans? There are many Led lights, Metal halide lights, and T5 lightings that are more to growing corals than mimic the colour of the underwater ocean. When light is reflected upon water’s surface, it’s qualities usually refract red hues of light which in return display blue light. Can’t seem to find a light that could do that with a 15-16 gallon tank becasue the water volume also plays an effect. Also is a natural filter action system possible? A tank with no filter, canister, or sump. Would love to hear ideas from everyone. Much appriciated

 

[MnFish1]

Hello I wanted to ask people here about building a all natural reef tank that would be fully elevated. What kind of lighting would be the best for mimicking the natural sunlight of the ocean, specifically the GBR? Also, what lighting would be possible to match the colours of blue when you dive into oceans? There are many Led lights, Metal halide lights, and T5 lightings that are more to growing corals than mimic the colour of the underwater ocean. When light is reflected upon water’s surface, it’s qualities usually refract red hues of light which in return display blue light. Can’t seem to find a light that could do that with a 15-16 gallon tank becasue the water volume also plays an effect. Also is a natural filter action system possible? A tank with no filter, canister, or sump. Would love to hear ideas from everyone. Much appriciated

By far - the best light would be 'the sun' - i.e. (you can look on this site) there are many reefs that are lit by outside light - and there are numerous ways to do that. (IMHO) - However, there are any number of LED's that can mimic that - and many Halides - that purport to do so as well.

Yes - a no filter tank is possible - it's called - basically the 'Berlin method'. Live rock and lots of flow. IMHO - with that small a tank - with minimal water volume (like you're attempting) - just like the open ocean - water changes are needed.

 

[Lavey29]

Check out the awesome reef of the month with natural sunlight here.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hello I wanted to ask people here about building a all natural reef tank that would be fully elevated. What kind of lighting would be the best for mimicking the natural sunlight of the ocean, specifically the GBR? Also, what lighting would be possible to match the colours of blue when you dive into oceans? There are many Led lights, Metal halide lights, and T5 lightings that are more to growing corals than mimic the colour of the underwater ocean. When light is reflected upon water’s surface, it’s qualities usually refract red hues of light which in return display blue light. Can’t seem to find a light that could do that with a 15-16 gallon tank becasue the water volume also plays an effect. Also is a natural filter action system possible? A tank with no filter, canister, or sump. Would love to hear ideas from everyone. Much appriciated

Well, addressing the natural filter portion of your question first, yes it is possible (and the second link below is the build thread for a 17 gallon tank that runs a "natural" filtration system like you describe):

Mixed reef tank with no mechanical filtration (Natural Filtration)

Hi, as the title says, has anyone successfully done this method? I'm really interested in this method and challenge as it doesn't really have any mechanical filtration except for a powerhead/wavemaker, and the tank only depends on the sandbed and live rock. I got inspired by Dannys Aquarium from...

www.reef2reef.com

17g (70L) "Filterless" nano cube build.

11/9/2022 ; Hi everyone. Starting off a new adventure with a new technique. Im building a cubic 16 inch tank starting from dry rock and sand. I will try my best to not use any MECHANICAL filtration (ie filter sponges etc) as much as possible (inspired by Dannys Aquarium from YouTube). The most...

www.reef2reef.com

HOW??

Here's a crazy 1. I see these nano reefs with a few LPS and soft coral in lobbies around, with a HOB skimmer and nothing else, clearly neglected, power heads disintegrating and falling apart. Yet the coral survives. Brown, usually, not many vibrant colors. But the clown fish are fat and...

www.reef2reef.com

With the regards to the lighting, obviously natural sunlight is the best sunlight imitation (the Reef of the Month link below gives a fantastic of example of this), but - assuming that you don't have access to that/accounting for the fact that it sounds like you're wanting to recreate a deeper water environment - the next best would probably be Kyocera's LED lighting which they specifically built to recreate ocean lighting at various depths (2.5m and 11m to be precise). These are only available to the Japanese market though. Barring that, there are a number of different LED's which can be used, though you would need to research precisely what the light spectrum is like at that depth, and you'll likely have to play with the spectrum of your LED a bit to get it there/as close to there as it can go.

KYOCERA Develops World's First Full-Spectrum LED Aquarium Lighting; Innovative technology mimics sunlight at specific underwater depths; designed to optimize growth of corals and marine plants | News Releases | KYOCERA

Kyocera announced that the company developed the world’s first full-spectrum LED lighting for aquariums.

global.kyocera.com

REEF OF THE MONTH - October 2022: Joe's 400-gallon Majestic Sunlit Reef (A Living Memorial to Kelly)

R2R Username: @jdpiii3 Build Thread: Our 400 Gallon In Wall Natural Sun-Lit Reef Introduction: My name is Joseph Palermo and it is an honor to have been selected as Reef Tank of the Month. I am humbled to be in the company of so many...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Clowny1221]

By far - the best light would be 'the sun' - i.e. (you can look on this site) there are many reefs that are lit by outside light - and there are numerous ways to do that. (IMHO) - However, there are any number of LED's that can mimic that - and many Halides - that purport to do so as well.

Yes - a no filter tank is possible - it's called - basically the 'Berlin method'. Live rock and lots of flow. IMHO - with that small a tank - with minimal water volume (like you're attempting) - just like the open ocean - water changes are needed.

Thank you for the source and explanation

 

[Clowny1221]

Well, addressing the natural filter portion of your question first, yes it is possible (and the second link below is the build thread for a 17 gallon tank that runs a "natural" filtration system like you describe):

Mixed reef tank with no mechanical filtration (Natural Filtration)

Hi, as the title says, has anyone successfully done this method? I'm really interested in this method and challenge as it doesn't really have any mechanical filtration except for a powerhead/wavemaker, and the tank only depends on the sandbed and live rock. I got inspired by Dannys Aquarium from...

www.reef2reef.com

17g (70L) "Filterless" nano cube build.

11/9/2022 ; Hi everyone. Starting off a new adventure with a new technique. Im building a cubic 16 inch tank starting from dry rock and sand. I will try my best to not use any MECHANICAL filtration (ie filter sponges etc) as much as possible (inspired by Dannys Aquarium from YouTube). The most...

www.reef2reef.com

HOW??

Here's a crazy 1. I see these nano reefs with a few LPS and soft coral in lobbies around, with a HOB skimmer and nothing else, clearly neglected, power heads disintegrating and falling apart. Yet the coral survives. Brown, usually, not many vibrant colors. But the clown fish are fat and...

www.reef2reef.com

With the regards to the lighting, obviously natural sunlight is the best sunlight imitation (the Reef of the Month link below gives a fantastic of example of this), but - assuming that you don't have access to that/accounting for the fact that it sounds like you're wanting to recreate a deeper water environment - the next best would probably be Kyocera's LED lighting which they specifically built to recreate ocean lighting at various depths (2.5m and 11m to be precise). These are only available to the Japanese market though. Barring that, there are a number of different LED's which can be used, though you would need to research precisely what the light spectrum is like at that depth, and you'll likely have to play with the spectrum of your LED a bit to get it there/as close to there as it can go.

KYOCERA Develops World's First Full-Spectrum LED Aquarium Lighting; Innovative technology mimics sunlight at specific underwater depths; designed to optimize growth of corals and marine plants | News Releases | KYOCERA

Kyocera announced that the company developed the world’s first full-spectrum LED lighting for aquariums.

global.kyocera.com

REEF OF THE MONTH - October 2022: Joe's 400-gallon Majestic Sunlit Reef (A Living Memorial to Kelly)

R2R Username: @jdpiii3 Build Thread: Our 400 Gallon In Wall Natural Sun-Lit Reef Introduction: My name is Joseph Palermo and it is an honor to have been selected as Reef Tank of the Month. I am humbled to be in the company of so many...

www.reef2reef.com

Awesome! Thank you for the threads. Will check them out

 

[Clowny1221]

Well, addressing the natural filter portion of your question first, yes it is possible (and the second link below is the build thread for a 17 gallon tank that runs a "natural" filtration system like you describe):

Mixed reef tank with no mechanical filtration (Natural Filtration)

Hi, as the title says, has anyone successfully done this method? I'm really interested in this method and challenge as it doesn't really have any mechanical filtration except for a powerhead/wavemaker, and the tank only depends on the sandbed and live rock. I got inspired by Dannys Aquarium from...

www.reef2reef.com

17g (70L) "Filterless" nano cube build.

11/9/2022 ; Hi everyone. Starting off a new adventure with a new technique. Im building a cubic 16 inch tank starting from dry rock and sand. I will try my best to not use any MECHANICAL filtration (ie filter sponges etc) as much as possible (inspired by Dannys Aquarium from YouTube). The most...

www.reef2reef.com

HOW??

Here's a crazy 1. I see these nano reefs with a few LPS and soft coral in lobbies around, with a HOB skimmer and nothing else, clearly neglected, power heads disintegrating and falling apart. Yet the coral survives. Brown, usually, not many vibrant colors. But the clown fish are fat and...

www.reef2reef.com

With the regards to the lighting, obviously natural sunlight is the best sunlight imitation (the Reef of the Month link below gives a fantastic of example of this), but - assuming that you don't have access to that/accounting for the fact that it sounds like you're wanting to recreate a deeper water environment - the next best would probably be Kyocera's LED lighting which they specifically built to recreate ocean lighting at various depths (2.5m and 11m to be precise). These are only available to the Japanese market though. Barring that, there are a number of different LED's which can be used, though you would need to research precisely what the light spectrum is like at that depth, and you'll likely have to play with the spectrum of your LED a bit to get it there/as close to there as it can go.

KYOCERA Develops World's First Full-Spectrum LED Aquarium Lighting; Innovative technology mimics sunlight at specific underwater depths; designed to optimize growth of corals and marine plants | News Releases | KYOCERA

Kyocera announced that the company developed the world’s first full-spectrum LED lighting for aquariums.

global.kyocera.com

REEF OF THE MONTH - October 2022: Joe's 400-gallon Majestic Sunlit Reef (A Living Memorial to Kelly)

R2R Username: @jdpiii3 Build Thread: Our 400 Gallon In Wall Natural Sun-Lit Reef Introduction: My name is Joseph Palermo and it is an honor to have been selected as Reef Tank of the Month. I am humbled to be in the company of so many...

www.reef2reef.com

The detailed and informative explanation and overview really fits well to my questions

 

[Clowny1221]

By far - the best light would be 'the sun' - i.e. (you can look on this site) there are many reefs that are lit by outside light - and there are numerous ways to do that. (IMHO) - However, there are any number of LED's that can mimic that - and many Halides - that purport to do so as well.

Yes - a no filter tank is possible - it's called - basically the 'Berlin method'. Live rock and lots of flow. IMHO - with that small a tank - with minimal water volume (like you're attempting) - just like the open ocean - water changes are needed.

This may be a ridiculed question but, is it possible to implement the Berlin method while developing a process of “natural“ water change cycle?

 

[Clowny1221]

This may be a ridiculed question but, is it possible to implement the Berlin method while developing a process of “natural“ water change cycle?

like a natural water change that occurs with no physical water change

 

[MnFish1]

This may be a ridiculed question but, is it possible to implement the Berlin method while developing a process of “natural“ water change cycle?

Yes - of course - IMHO - the reef exchanges 1000000 percent of its water daily. that was the point

 

[Spare time]

None. There are no "natural" style reef tanks because nothing about this hobby is "natural" except that we keep living things. The best way to keep a reef tank is the way that keeps the inhabitants low in stress and healthy. There is also no "natural" filtration for our tanks. Its also a misconception that "natural" = better. This is a common fallacy not just in reefing.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Hello I wanted to ask people here about building a all natural reef tank that would be fully elevated. What kind of lighting would be the best for mimicking the natural sunlight of the ocean, specifically the GBR? Also, what lighting would be possible to match the colours of blue when you dive into oceans? There are many Led lights, Metal halide lights, and T5 lightings that are more to growing corals than mimic the colour of the underwater ocean. When light is reflected upon water’s surface, it’s qualities usually refract red hues of light which in return display blue light. Can’t seem to find a light that could do that with a 15-16 gallon tank becasue the water volume also plays an effect. Also is a natural filter action system possible? A tank with no filter, canister, or sump. Would love to hear ideas from everyone. Much appriciated

The short answer is yes, it is certainly possible to have a 'natural' no mechanical/chemical filtration reef aquarium. I've been keeping such outwardly 'simplistic' systems for a long time and still have a small nano that I started 14 years ago after downsizing from a 55g (click on my tank build link at the bottom of the page or hop over to Nano-reef to get the full blown 100 page version).

Lighting:

For small nanos people use lighting that contributes as little heat as possible to the tank. This would be LED arrays and contributes to why they are on virtually every small nano in the world. I made my own many years back so that I could custom tailor it to my tastes (old school 'bright', in my case) and provide a broader spectrum than what was being sold in the market place. If you search carefully, you can find good commercial units that can provide not only enough of the blue spectra (violet to cyan) that corals need, but also have a good amount of white light in order to mimic more shallow reef areas.

 

[Nano sapiens]

None. There are no "natural" style reef tanks because nothing about this hobby is "natural" except that we keep living things. The best way to keep a reef tank is the way that keeps the inhabitants low in stress and healthy. There is also no "natural" filtration for our tanks. Its also a misconception that "natural" = better. This is a common fallacy not just in reefing.

And that's why 'natural' should always be in quotation marks

 

[Clowny1221]

The short answer is yes, it is certainly possible to have a 'natural' no mechanical/chemical filtration reef aquarium. I've been keeping such outwardly 'simplistic' systems for a long time and still have a small nano that I started 14 years ago after downsizing from a 55g (click on my tank build link at the bottom of the page or hop over to Nano-reef to get the full blown 100 page version).

Lighting:

For small nanos people use lighting that contributes as little heat as possible to the tank. This would be LED arrays and contributes to why they are on virtually every small nano in the world. I made my own many years back so that I could custom tailor it to my tastes (old school 'bright', in my case) and provide a broader spectrum than what was being sold in the market place. If you search carefully, you can find good commercial units that can provide not only enough of the blue spectra (violet to cyan) that corals need, but also have a good amount of white light in order to mimic more shallow reef areas.

Thank you for the clarification, and yes quotations are important in terms of the idea of “natural” tanks.

 

[Clowny1221]

Yes - of course - IMHO - the reef exchanges 1000000 percent of its water daily. that was the point

Got it