Filtration: How many ways do you filter your reef aquarium?

[Utahsaltnoob]

Live Rock/media
Macro Algae
Skimmer
Filter socks
Carbon reactor

 

[Ippyroy]

Refugium w/chaeto
Protein Skimmer
Bio Blocks
Filter Pads in bubble trap
Carbon

 

[MiamiViceCorals]

-Filter Pad
-Carbon in a bag
-UV Sterelizer
-Algae Scrubber

 

[Jacked Reefer]

Currently running
-filter sock
-2 Bio bricks and a whole thing of bio balls
Will be adding
-UV
-Skimmer
-Carbon Reactor
-filter cup instead of sock
-more bio media

 

[Borg]

Marine velvet.

 

[jcl123]

Building my system:

Main:
- Roller pre-filter (Klir Di7 x2)
- Large 36" Lifereef skimmer
- Wet/dry w/Maxspect bio-spheres + standard plastic balls
- Large fuge/macro algae scrubber w/Kessil H1200, 10x turnover

Emergency only:
- Pentair/lifeguard modules w/micron, chemical, and UV
- Might try ozone reactor someday

-JCL

 

[Butcher333]

Refugium : X5 macro

Clam : 6” Derasa

Skimmer : AD-600/Maxspect

(Not going to count rock and surface area or bacteria unless I’m dosing)

 

[NDIrish]

IMO; rock & sand are the only "necessities".

After that, add more filtration when and if there is a need for it:

1. Protein skimmer - Most tanks will need this to remove organic waste because water changes alone just aren't cutting it.
2. Carbon in a Media Reactor - Removes unpleasant smells from the water and a good insurance policy against contaminants, corals releasing toxins, etc.
3. GFO, algae scrubber, macroalgae reactor - When you just can't get NO3 + PO4 down, and need some help.
4. Biopellet Reactor - Another tool to reduce NO3 in your aquarium. It cultures anaerobic bacteria, which will convert nitrate into harmless nitrogen gas.
5. Calcium Reactor, Kalk Reactor, etc. - Most hobbyists with a SPS dominant system (especially acros) will need these. To keep up with alk and/or calcium demand. Somewhat optional for those with LPS/soft corals, if you don't mind manual dosing.
6. UV sterilizer, diatom filter - Great for killing algae spores and clearing persistent bacterial blooms. Somewhat effective for disease management purposes if quarantining isn't an option for you.

^^ I'm probably forgetting lots of other types of filtration.

Where did you get your diatom filter? Been looking for one and all I can find is parts for one.

 

[NDIrish]

Mechanical: protein skimmer and filter pad.
Biological: rock, sand, some algae on back of tank, rubble in sump, phytoplankton.

NO3: 0
PO4: .009

 

[ZoaAddiction81]

Seachem Hob Filter
Protein Skimmer
UV Light
Drop In Upflow Algae Scrubber
Live Rock

 

[anthonywesty]

1. Count how many ways you are filtering your reef tank (natural & mechanical) and tell us that number!
Only 1.

2. List all the ways you are filtering your reef aquarium and include the names of any filtration equipment that apply.
Live rock.

 

[Saltees]

4 ways in sump!

1. Algae Turf Scrubber
2. Xport Bio Brick & Siporax
3. Skimmer
4. UV

 

[Jered]

1. Filter sock
2. Uv
3. skimmer
4. Carbon/gfo reactor
5. Chaeto
6. Marco rock rubble (removes my marinepure 3, 4” blocks due to high levels of aluminum showing in my water)

 

[Klaas]

There are many ways to achieve filtration in your saltwater reef aquarium via natural ways and mechanical ways. Some like to keep it simple while others want as much filtration as possible! So let's talk about it today!

1. Count how many ways you are filtering your reef tank (natural & mechanical) and tell us that number!

2. List all the ways you are filtering your reef aquarium and include the names of any filtration equipment that apply.


The Minimalist Reef

Having a 450 gallon Mixed Reef.
Filter wool
Chaeto in sump
Bio pellets in reactor
Protein Skimmer, oversized
GFO reactor. Only used when Phophate level is too high. (Higher than 0.2)
Carbon (at times)

 

[NickGrab]

120g tank + 40g sump

40kg Live rock
8"Mesh sock
SRO 3000 Skimmer
70+ Marine Pure spheres
1.2l TLF Biopellets -Aquamax XL reactor
250ml Rowaphos -Reef Octo 110 reactor
36w Uv

 

[alorrick]

[]Refugium
Marinepure bio 2x2 cubes x3
Macro alge
*natural spegatti worms, cuc snails, and copods*
[]Rear chamber
Chemipure marine bag
Sponge and filter floss.
Air stone micro skimmer
*soon UV*
[] in tank.
Lots of filter feeding in the tank!
Duster worm, leathers, different xania, electric flame scallop, sponge, many softies.
Live rock and live sand 2.5" with spaghetti worms cleaning it.
For tank size a large snail CUC with a few sprinkled blue hermits to keep waste broke down.


The biggest part to my tanks success has to be the fact an ATO and refugium where added. Even if the the hang on refugium is small it packs a huge punch for any EVO 13.5 build being room constrained. ATO is a must.

 

[DxMarinefish]

I reply on 80% of my filtration to be Biological, and ones that adapt to my tank demands.

I feed 13 times a day!

1. Biological - Live rock
2. Biological - Sand in the DT
3. Biological - Fluidised Sand Bed Filter (TMC Reef-filter Bio 1000 Fluidised Sand Bed Filter)
4. Mechanical - Power filter in the Sump using Vectra S1 (Change floss Wed/Sat,
   feeds my Sand bed filter)
5. Mechanical - Skimmer (on for 12 hours when needed) (Tunze DOC 9410 DC)
6. Biological - waterfall Algae Turf Scrubber 1 (Seabreze custom build with 54 watts)
7. Biological - waterfall Algae Turf Scrubber 2 (Seabreze custom build with 72 watts) *This will be installed this weekend

Both ATS are above the DT and are fed from an Vectra S1 in the DT, that way the tank can actually run without a Sump if needed.

 

[Royce White]

A lot of live rock from gulf in 75 gal. DT and 29 gal refug., skimmer.

 

[Oliver d]

Filter sock
Skimmer
life rock and sand
water changes once a week

 

[cshplumber]

Just the basic mechanical, biological & chemical with a recently added display fuge for a natural filtration. 100gal main tank is has a minimal amount of live rock with some softies. It drains through a Clarisea SK-5000 into a sump with a skimmer, a reactor of chemi-pure blue & some Bio blocks. Return pump sends water back to main with a smaller hose going to a 30gal display fuge. That tank drains into its own sump with another Clarisea SK-5000 & another skimmer and then that sump drains back to main sump. There is a UV filter that I use only for about 2 weeks after adding new fish.
Skimmer maintenance & replacement of Chemi-pure seem to have been reduced by ½ since addition of display fuge + display fuge allows me to get smaller reef fish that would become feeders in main tank.