| Ok well this thread looks to be a good one so lets see if we can get the ball rolling. As I mentioned above we must look at the whole system when we are breaking down a reefing method. As most know I run my tank a little different the most of the latest fads out there. Even though my system looks complicated it is designed to be as simple as possible.
Most of everything we do in our tank is in search for good water quality and mine is designed under that same way. Most everything we do in regards to filtration is for the removal of 2 elements (P and N). I learned along time ago that the simplest way to deal with these is to remove them and to not attempt to create complex systems to remanufacture or recycle them.
For this reason my tanks water flow is designed to remove them directly from the water column. All things bad in a tank are associated with detritus (food, waste, and so on. Basically P and N) the flow system circulates detritus in the water column, this makes the detritus available to corals and other critters that may need them for food (instead of sinking it in a sediment bed and feeding it) at the same time the detritus is alway being removed via the overflow (mine is 16 feet long). Once down into the sump it is pulled through a very large skimmer running wet (wet=pulling out more solids). I use UV (alot) to remove various nasties in the water column that may excape the skimmer. I am looking to kill pathogenic bacteria and protozoa, algal cells and spores, and pretty much any planktonic critters. The concept behind this is that I believe natural food sources to be very poor and loaded with the P and N that I am trying to get rid of, that and most of the pathogenic forms tend to be open water swimmers.
Every few weeks the detritus in the water column builds up to a point where I feel the need to put on a 5 micron felt sock. I usually keep it on about 2 days max. After removing it, the water is stripped of most all detritus, and thus I leave the process to start all over again. I do also have a carbon and phosphate chemical filters attached to the tank but only use them while the sock is on.
That is pretty much it, I do not use or have to use a DSB/plenum to break down or sink P and N because I remove it from the system prior to it being broken down (so no need for nitrification or denitrification) I also know that no matter how good my system is some will always get through, and this is where the LR comes into play.
On the water change front, I dont believe i them. Folks do water changes for two reasons, to dilute polution and to replace elements used up by the inhabitants. For me on the polution front, I choose to remove it on a constant basis and not to sink it or store it in the tank, so I dont need to do one for that reason. On the replenishment of elements, I perfer not to use the lowest food grade of additives that can be purchased (which is exactly what all salts mixes are). Instead I replenich the elements through the use of a calcium reactor and kalk addition. On the reactor I use a high grade media from rowa and on the kalk I use analytical grade calcium Oxide. for trace I use the same line of analytical grade additives but thier doseing is very few and far between.
Anyway thats about it.
MIke |