Restarting a reef. Some questions....

[Craig Wolanyk]

I am resetting up a reef tank after being away from the hobby for about 7
years and I know that a lot has changed.

I was thinking of running a deep sand bed refugium with a protein skimmer
and no wet-dry section. I have read that mechanical filtration is not
necessary (and raises nitrates).

Do people still use mechanical filtration and activated carbon?

Is a plenum in the sand bed beneficial also?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

Craig

[selgado]

I've been using a wet-dry sump type filter for the last year as part of
a well rounded approach to denitrification. I also have a dsb refugium
with lots of macro algaes which are pruned regularly. I always register
0 nitrates. Knock on wood I have never had a problem with any nuisance
type algaes. I take that back. When I first set up the refugium, I had
small patches of cyano her and there in my main tank. All I did to
solve that was suck it off the rock and eventually my refugium took
over. I believe that my refugium was actually contributing to the
increased nutrient levels as it took time to begin functioning properly.


Craig Wolanyk wrote:
> I am resetting up a reef tank after being away from the hobby for about 7
> years and I know that a lot has changed.
>
> I was thinking of running a deep sand bed refugium with a protein skimmer
> and no wet-dry section. I have read that mechanical filtration is not
> necessary (and raises nitrates).
>
> Do people still use mechanical filtration and activated carbon?
>
> Is a plenum in the sand bed beneficial also?
>
> Thanks in advance for your opinions.
>
> Craig
>
>

[Marc Levenson]

This page might summarize where we are today. ;)

http://www.melevsreef.com/overview.htm

Marc


Craig Wolanyk wrote:

> I am resetting up a reef tank after being away from the hobby for about 7
> years and I know that a lot has changed.
>
> I was thinking of running a deep sand bed refugium with a protein skimmer
> and no wet-dry section. I have read that mechanical filtration is not
> necessary (and raises nitrates).
>
> Do people still use mechanical filtration and activated carbon?
>
> Is a plenum in the sand bed beneficial also?
>
> Thanks in advance for your opinions.
>
> Craig
>
>

--
Personal Page:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Rod]

>I've been using a wet-dry sump type filter for the last year as part of
>a well rounded approach to denitrification
For denitrifacation, you need anaerobic bacteria(low oxygen). wet dry filters
produce aerobic bacteria because of the oxygen rich water passing over the
filter media. aerobic bacteria is great (much better than anaerobic) for
converting ammonia to nitrite, then to nitrate, but thats where it stops, and
the nitrates will continue to build. You would get better denitrifacation by
removing the filtermedia, so the aerobic bacterai wont compete with the
anaerobic bacteria. Let the anaerobic bacteria grow, so it can perform
denitrifacation to its full potential.

[George Patterson]

Rod wrote:
>
> You would get better denitrifacation by
> removing the filtermedia, so the aerobic bacterai wont compete with the
> anaerobic bacteria.

How about adding a cannister filter with media that encourages bacterial growth?

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

[CapFusion]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Rod wrote:
>>
>> You would get better denitrifacation by
>> removing the filtermedia, so the aerobic bacterai wont compete with the
>> anaerobic bacteria.
>
> How about adding a cannister filter with media that encourages bacterial
> growth?
>
> George Patterson
> I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

Adding media to canister will encourage excess nitrate..

CapFusion,...