What is YOUR Nutrient Export Scheme?

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

This could be an informitive thread to many, especially newer reefers that are deciding on the best means and combinations of such means to export nutrients from their aquarium systems. What am I talking about? Filters! Biological, mechanical and chemical filtration is used in all of our tanks (for the most part) in one form or another to export nutrients that we import via feeding, source water, etc. There are obviously so many things being used today; Protein skimmers, refugiums with macroalgae, deep sand beds, live rock and live sand, denitrators, algae scrubbers, probiotic systems, granular ferric oxide (GFO), etc.

So... what do you use in your system(s)?

These are some other points to include that will determine how much "exporting" is really necessary, and would also be helpful to include:

• What is the size of your tank?
• What do you keep in it (fish/coral/invert)?
• How often and what are you feeding?

One person keeping a single flame angelfish in a 29 gallon biocube with Xenia will surely have a different means of exportation than a heavily stocked 300 gallon Acropora dominant aquarium, and remember, there is no right way or one way to skin this proverbial cat.

 

[NanoNano]

20 Gallon Rectangular "High" Nano tank.

Biological Filtration:

25+ Premium Cured Live Rock from Aquarium Arts
20 Pounds CaribSea Arag Alive Sand

Aquafuge2 Med HOB Fuge with:

Live Sand
Chaetomorpha
Mangroves

Chemical Filtration

Tunze 9002 Protein Skimmer

BRS Reactor Containing:

Chemi Pure Elite (has GFO)
Purigen

Weekly Water Changes

RO/DI Water
Seachem Reef Salt

Inhabitants:

Chordates:

6 Line Wrasse
2 False Percula Clowns
1 Dwarf Golden Moray Eel

Inverts:

20 Dwarf Ceriths
5 Ceriths
5 Nerites
2 Mexican Turbos
2 Nassarius
Peppermint Shrimp
Emerald Crab
2 Scarlet Hermits
1 Blue Leg Hermit
1 Stomatella

Corals:

All kinds of Zoas and Palys
Florida Ricordeas
GSP
Frogspawn
Micromussa
Chalices
Baby Plate
Pink Porite
Finger Leather
Candy Cane
Meteor Showers

Feed every 2 to 3 days.

Rod's Food
Squid
Silversides
PE Mysis

 

[MRPET]

210 gal tank

fuge/phos reactor/podibio

lots of fish tons of corals i feed very heavy oyster/roti feast plus lots of fish food im on about my 8th week of the prodibio and so far i love it...

 

[Murfman]

300 gallon tank, 125 gallon sump with Turf Algae filter
Aqua Euro Classic 400 Skimmer
250# live rock

Mixed reef with 14 fish
feed flake 2x day with auto timer
feed frozen 1x every 3 days
feed nori every 2 days

 

[Paul_N]

75 Gallon DT
30 Gallon sump

Biological Filtration:

100+ lbs of Live Rock
5" DSB

vodka dosing (6ml/day) + Microbacter7

*experimenting with Lanthanum Chloride for phosphate control*


Chemical Filtration

ASM G3 skimmer - I skim wet

TLF reactor Containing:

carbon changed every 2 weeks

RO/DI Water
Oceanic Salt

Inhabitants:

Fish:
Purple Tang
Fox Face
Target Mandarin
Yellow Coris Wrasse
Green Chromis
Starry Blenny
Fire Fish
Zebra Dart
High Fin Blenny
Barnacle Blenny

Inverts:
Cortez hermits
Turbo snails
Pistol Shrimp
Tuxedo Urchin

Corals:

SPS,LPS,Clams


Geo 618 Calcium Reactor
DIY Kalk reactor

Feed every day.

Rod's Food
Spectrum pellet food
nori 2x/week

Only thing in my sump is the skimmer, carbon reactor and return pump. No fuge or macro algae. I do use a filter sock on my drain pipe changed out every couple days.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

Good Stuff! Here's mine...

Aquarium:

• 48" x 36" x 24.5"H, 183 gal gross volume, ~ 150 gal net
  
• 22 x 20 x 14"H sump

Biological Filtration:

• SSB, lace rock, LR rubble
  
• Prodibio (sparingly)

Chemical Filtration:

• Carbon ran passively in media bag placed in filter sock

Mechanical Filtration:

• 300 micron nylon mesh filter sock on drain
  
• SWC Mini S cone skimmer

Inhabitants:

Fish:

• Apolemichthys arcuatus (Bandit Angelfish)
• Serranocirrhitus latus (Sunburst Anthias)

Coral:

• Dendrphyllia sp.
• Rhizotrochus typus
• Tubastrea sp.
• Monomyces sp.

Feeding:

• Fish fed minimum of 4 times per day, generally 6-10. Feed heavy Ocean Nutrition Angel Formula and NLS pellets daily, PE Mysis at least every other day. Nori fed at least every other day.
  
• Corals fed 2-3 times per week, either PE Mysis or large Hikari Krill.

Maintenance:

• Bi-weekly water changes, 25%, with RO/DI water and IO salt.
  
• Filter sock changed as necessary, generally every 3 days.

 

[TopNotchCorals]

TANK=24x24x20 50G Cube
Biological Filtration=35lbs. fiji premium 10lbs. tonga branch 2" SB
Chemical Filtration=2xBRS single reactors GFO(high capacity)/Carbon(ROX) BRS 2part ca/alk/mag via 3xDrews Dosers
Mechanical Filtration=SWC Xtreme 160 Cone Skimmer, Autotopoff.com ATO,

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Aquarium:

* 72" x 34" x 24"H, 250 gal
* small sump? LOL!


Biological Filtration:

* LR 150lbs
* 3" Sand Bed


Mechanical Filtration:

* ORCA 250 Skimmer


Inhabitants:

Fish:

* Naso Tang (Naso lituratus)
* Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
* Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
* Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
* 2x Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
* 2x Picasso Clownfish (Amphiprion percula)
* Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus)
* Neon Goby (Elacatinus oceanops)
* Niger Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
* Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
* 4x Hawaiian Flame Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus jordani)
* Blue Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus cyaneus)
* 3 Striped Damsel (Humbug Dascyllus)
* Crosshatch Trigger (Xanthicthys mento)

Coral:

* SPS
* LPS
* Soft
* Zoas & Palys

Feeding:

* Fish fed once a day and I use a mixture of things frozen and dry.
* Corals fed every so often a variety of frozen.

Maintenance:

* I am bad about water changes and only do them once every few months. (I don't recommend it)

Water Flow:

* 4x mp40w

 

[beaslbob]

I harvest some macro algae and in FW live plants and fish.

but basically I recycle nutrients using plant life.

 

[Azurel]

I have a 60g cube(24x24x24)

I am running for mechanical filtration a Euro-reef USA classic 135 skimmer.
Mechanical/Chemical filtration a Greyseas media reactor with carbon..replaced once a month. Also De*nitrate passively in the sump.....

Biological filtration: about 70lbs of live rock and 30-35lbs of agralive sand and a huge colony of long stem Anthailia(sp?)....And 4 clams( not the real reason for them) but they do filter the water and 2 of which are over 7''.

As for life:

Fish:
Pair B&W Clowns
Pair Red Firefish
Redhead Elegant Psuedochromis
Yellowhead Jawfish
Sickly Fillimented Flasher wrasse

Corals:

12''+ Pagoda cup coral
about 100+ ricordea florida and yumas
Orange wall Anchor
Gold Aussie torch
various Zs and Ps
Various SPS

Inverts:
Fire Shrimp
Carribean cleaner shrimp
5 clams:
7"+Big Momma maxi(Taihitian maxima)
7" Squamosa
2x 3"+ Squamosa
1" baby maxima that came along with Big momma

 

[Alpha Aquaculture]

120g
Acans and Chalices, LPS
Heavily target fed every other nite, Rods Food
No fish

Algal Turf Scrubber with two 12"x24" plates, one plate cleaned per week, alternating
Aqua-C EV 180 Protien Skimmer
Macro Algae, Red Bubble mostly
Siphon out detritus daily from the barebottom
Weekly 35% water changes
Small amount of aragonite sand, 6" deep, maybe 5-10 lbs
250 lbs live rock
RO water for top off
Carbon and chemical filtration media every once in a while if needed in small amounts

 

[DivineStyler]

30 Gallon Shallow (24 x 24 x 12)
16 GAL sump with center fuge

Bio Filtration:

30 Pounds Premium Rock
30 Poinds CaribSea Arag Alive Sand
10 Pounds Miracle Mud and Chaetomorpha in fuge

Mechanical Filtration/Dosing:

SWC Extreme 120 Cone Skimmer
Filter Floss
.ROX Carbon
Brightwell Microbacter7
Brightwell Reef BioFuel

Weekly Water Changes:

10% Weekly RO/DI
Tropic Marin Pro Mixed at 1.025

Fish/Inverts:

Black and White Clownfish Pair
Watchmen Goby
Bullseye Pistol Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Snails and Hermits

Coral:

Green Stylophora
Green Acro
Watermelon Chalice
Pink and Blue Chalice
Frogspawn
Duncan
Torch
Misc Zoa and Paly colonies

Food:

Frozen Mysis and Blood Worms Daily (Fish)
Cyclops and Rotifers Bi-Weekly (Coral)

 

[ReeferRob]

65 Gallon Cube 25x25x25
40lbs. Marco Premium Fiji Dry Rock(no live after 9 mnths)
1+" shallow sand bed

200 Micron Filter Sock Changed every 2nd day
MSX 160 Skimmer
20Lbs. More Marco in Sump.
Prodibio dose every other week.
Weekly 5-10 gallon water changes
ESV Salt
BRS Lignite Carbon Passive Bag change every 3 weeks.

2 Snowcassos
3 McCoskers Wrasse
1 Angulatus Wrasse
1 Orange Back Wrasse
1 Six Line Wrasse
1 Solar Wrasse
1 Mandrin
2 Blue/Green Cromis

ORA Conch
Handful Blue Legs
Handful Astrea Snails
1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
1 Blood Red Shrimp
1 Formea Star

MP20 and Korilla Nano (One in DT one in Sump to keep detritus in suspension for the skimmer

Feed NLS Pellets 3-4 times a day
PE Mysis every other day
Ocean Nutrition Roti-Feast, Arctic Pods and Oyaster Eggs every few days.

 

[SaraB]

Aquarium:

• 268 gallon display
• 45 gallon cube display
• 110 gallon sump filled to 60 gallons
• 75 gallon fuge w/DSB
• 2-20 gallon surges
• 70 gallon frag tank

Biological Filtration:

• SSB in displays, DSB in Fuge, Live rock, LR rubble, Chaetomorpha

Chemical Filtration:

• Carbon and GFO run in separate Deltec Media Reactors

Mechanical Filtration:

• 300 micron filter sock on drain
• H&S A250 skimmer

Inhabitants:



Fish:

• Purple Tang
• Achilles Tang
• Powder Blue Tang
• Naso Tang
• Magnificent Fox Face
• Bangaii Cardinal
• Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse
• Pair of Lineatus wrasses
• Trio of Pylei wrasses
• Trio of Attenautus wrasses
• Exquisite wrasse
• Pair of Flavoguttatus anthias
• Waitei anthia
• Pair of Bellus Angels
• Randalli Goby/pistol pair
• Tomini Tang
• Tailspot Blenny
• Blue Accessor

Inverts:

• Blue leg hermits
• Scarlett hermits
• Turbo snails
• Astrea snails
• 2 Cleaner Shrimp

Corals:

• SPS
• LPS
• Softies (Ricordea, zoas, leather)

Feeding:

• Fish fed minimum of 2 times per day, generally a mix of mysis, Rod’s Food, Butterfly/Angel Mix. Also at nori every other day for the Tangs and throw in some pellets or flake once in a while.
• Corals must fend for themselves!

Maintenance:

• Weekly water changes of 40G with RO/DI water and Tropic Marin salt.
• Filter sock changed as necessary which is about every 3 days.
• Top-off water is fed through a Deltec Kalk Reactor

 

[inactive]

Aquarium:

• 48" x 13" x 21"
• No Sump

Biological Filtration:

• DSB(Monterey Sand) 80lb Lb

Chemical Filtration:

• None

Mechanical Filtration:

• AquaC Remora w/Mj1200

Inhabitants:

Fish:

• Lawnmower Blenny
• Pink Skunk Clownfish Pair
• Spotted Hawkfish
• Chalk Basslet
• 2 Unknown Damsels
• 2 Sapphire Damsels
• Blue Flavertix Pseudochromis
  

Coral:

• Everything except softies
  

Feeding:

• Toast 2-3 times a day, meaty mix at night time for coral...everynight.

Maintenance:

• 10g change every 10 days.

 

[ReeferBen]

Aquarium:

• 48" x 36" x 24" H, taking ID it comes out to 160
• 20 G long inline frag tank
• 40 gal Breeder sump, water runs about 3/4 the way up
• I figure 160 gal - 20 gal from LR displacement + 20 from frag tank, + 20 from sump give the total system volume of 180gal.

Biological Filtration:

• Live rock, not sure on poundage
• Denitrifing Midwest aquatics sulfur reactor

Chemical Filtration:

• ROX carbon from Bulk reef supply
• GFO from BRS, both run in a dual Bulk reef supply reactor

Mechanical Filtration:

• Gen 2 Bubbleking mini 200 skimmer
• Euro-reef RC180 skimmer
• use filter sock ocasionally

Inhabitants:

Fish:

• Yellow Tang
• Sailfin Tang
• Sohal Tang
• fangblenny
• 2x lawnmower blenny
• pink tail trigger
• Yellowtail Tamarin wrasse
• Pair of black ocellaris
• Foxface

Coral:

• .20 + acro colonys
• 15-20 Acan colonys
• -10 Chalice frags/colonys

Invert:

• Maxima clam
• Crocea clam
• derasa clam
• Peps (as long as the trigger hasnt finised them off)
• majonos/aiptasias lol
• used to have some snails and crabs but now I have lots of shells lol.

Feeding:

• I feed rods original or extra green formula everyday, usually a 1" x 2" chunk, which sticks to the vortech and blows all over the tank.
• Green seaweed sheets on a clip every day unless I forget
• Some pellet inbetween the other feedings fed by hand.

Maintenance:

• all water is RO/DI 0 TDS for topp off and w/c
• tank is dose daily bulk reef supply 2 part by my liter meter 3
• water changes are about 45 gal on a net water volume of 180 for a 25% change every 2 weeks
• tank is BB so I also stick a filter sock on the sump once a week and siphon the detritus from the main tank into the filter sock to keep it from breaking down in the tank.

 

[Mavjoy]

Aquarium:

* 36"x18"x21"
* 30 gallon sump filled to 15 gallons

Biological Filtration:

* 20 pounds of Live Sand
* 60-70 pounds of Live Rock (20% LR and 80% Macro Rock)

Chemical Filtration/Dosing:

* BRS Dual reactor with GFO and Carbon
* Prodibio(Biodigest and Bioptim)

Mechanical Filtration:

* ATB 840 V1.5 skimmer

Inhabitants:

Fish:

*Maroon Clownfish
*Yellow Coris Wrasse
*Midas Blenny

Corals:

*SPS(70%)
*LPS(15%)
*Softies(15%)

Invert:

*Crocea Clam
*Cerith Snails
*Nassarius Snails

Feeding:

*Pellets and Flakes for the fishes(twice a day)
*Oyster Feast and Roti Feast for the corals(twice a week)
*Coral Frenzy and Cyclop-Eeze(once a week)
*Reefbooster(once a week)

Water Flow:

*Tunze 6025 and 6045
*Vortech MP10

Maintenance:

*Bi-weekly water changes of 15 gallons(D-D H2o with RO/DI water)
*2 part ESV-Bionic for CA and ALK with dosing pumps on timer
*Carbon changed every 4-6 weeks and GFO every 8-10 weeks.

 

[schminksbro]

100 gallon display/30 gallon sump/30 gallon frag tank
almost 100% SPS
gold rim tang
maroon clown
yellow tang
6 line wrasse
damsel
lyre tail chromis
green chromis
3 Bartlett's Anthias

approx 100 lbs live rock
dsb in sump
heavy flow with 2 Vortech MP40s
ASM G3 skimmer mesh modded
200 micron filter sock changed daily
carbon actively in a reactor changed weekly

Microbacter 7
Vodka
water changes weekly-bi weekly

feeding several times a day one or more of the following
Rods food
home brew
pellets