Filtration: Chemical/Bacterial/Chaeto?

[FirstContact]

Do chemical, biological, and chaeto filtration work together or compete? Sulfur reactors (NO3), ozone, lanthanum chloride (PO4), carbon dosing (NOPOX, etc...), microbacter7, live chaeto? So many choices...

Re-plumbing my system: do I want to keep an upstream refugium and what would I use it for if I didn't keep chaeto?

 

[Max!]

If there's enough nutrients to go around they won't compete but if you're pulling more than you're producing, chemical will always beat biological. Don't think fuge location matters as much as some say but that's just my opinion. Caulerpa may not be a bad idea.

 

[NS Mike D]

They do different things to achieve the same results - keeping NO3& PO4 within your desired parameters. There are some other things, like using activated carbon to remove unwanted elements/compounds and as insurance policy in case something gets in your tank or if an invert decides to up the chemical warfare.

if you aren't adding macro algae in a fuge section of your sump, you can always add rubbble rock or marine pure to increase the biological filtration and house if no light that can include cryptic and semi cryptic filter like sponges.


Carbon dosing gets the organics out of your tank (via a skimmer) before they break down. Location of the skimmer then does play a role. You want it as close to the beginning of the filtration flow as possible.

 

[FirstContact]

I think I’m going to try just biological an chemical.

 

[Albertan22]

A fuge without algae could also be used as a frag tank if you decide to go with other filtration methods.

 

[NS Mike D]

I think I’m going to try just biological an chemical.

don't underestimate mechanical. Skimmers and filter socks (provided you maintain them regularly) removed the organics before they can break down.

Also, why are you deciding in chemical now. How do you know you need chemicals?

I highly suggest that you identify what NO3 and PO4 levels you want to target (usually based on the type of tank you have, mixed reef, sps only etc) and test with a reliable test kit. Chemicals are generally used to address a problem, like parameters being off.