Name all the ways you "filter" your reef aquarium?

[Cadidaddy44]

All of the above, plus…
I don’t know if I’m over doing it… but here goes
1) live rock 70lbs
2) 40lb live sand. give or take
3) corals and clams
4) filter sock ( mesh ) sump
5) skimmer. Sump
6) reactors
A* bio pallet reactor
b* rowa reactor for phosphates
c* carbon\ reactor for water clarity
d* co2 scrubber
7) refugium
And of course the one I can’t and won’t skip is water changes !!!! 20% Weekly…

 

[Bruce Burnett]

100 gallon display
In tank
Rock
Sand
Coral
Water movement, Keeps things stirred up.
Water changes
In sump
Carbon reactor
Skimmer
Ice cap in sump ats
75 micron mesh sock
Trying to decide if I should spend money for roller mat and get rid of sock.

 

[Who me?]

Currently experimenting with a minimal filtration setup...
100 micron sock followed by skimmer and Xport blocks in the sump.

No liverock in display tank and only about 1/2" of sand.

0 chemical filtration.

2.5% water change every other day plus 10% on Sundays

 

[Homey D. Clownfish]

I've tried Cheato in refugiums several times over the years. It just never seems to work as advertised in my systems. I've had better luck with unlighted refugiums full of ocean cultured live rock, rubble, and sand... and boat-loads of pods. Seems like along with just an ok skimmer, a little live phyto and a little organic carbon always does the trick for me. Every time I get away from this protocol, things go downhill.

This might be a silly question because I’ve never done a refugium before, but pods can live in an unlit, macroalgae less refugium with just live rock?

 

[Paul B]

DIY reverse undergravel filter, DIY skimmer with ozone, DIY Algae scrubber

 

[ReefGeezer]

This might be a silly question because I’ve never done a refugium before, but pods can live in an unlit, macroalgae less refugium with just live rock?

Absolutely. Many forms of life will flourish in the dark. Copepods and arthropods, heterotrophic bacteria, sponges, and tube worms to name a few. Ocean cultured live rock, live rubble rock, and live sand introduce a lot of the organisms that would do well in a dark refugium.

This type of refugium is referred to as a "Cryptic". There is lots of information available on line. Some makes claims I would question. I will say that my tanks seem to run better when I have a well established one running.

 

[dstockwell]

Rock
Sand
One coral that came on live rock
Filter in overflow
Filter in first sump before bioballs, sponge before return pump
GFO in return sump
Skimmer in second sump, refugium after skimmer returning to first sump return chamber
U.V.

 

[Quietman]

Very minimal here with ATS/UV only on a fairly mature softie/lps system with low/mod fish load. 3.5 years old now - below was adopted at 2 year point when I just couldn't get things stabilized.

Using an Algae Turf Scrubber (Santa Monica Filtration) and a UV Filter (AquaUV sized for tank to target both algae and pathogens continuously). That's really it. Occasionally, I'll add a small bag of GAC but that's only every few months. Took out mech filtration except for the course sponge before pump chamber (Red Sea Reefer 170). Removed skimmer when installed ATS. Haven't done water change in a year and half (so far ICP every 6 months is find and dandy). Water is crystal clear, feed moderate (1 cube plus 1/8 nori sheet/daily). No water changes for last 15 months.

 

[vlangel]

I am old school so subscribe to KISS as well. My system has live rock/sand, a refugium and I do weekly water changes (5-10%). This works great for my softie/macro algae dominant tank.

 

[ShoalSister]

3 fowlr set ups. All have:
Live rock and live sand
Eheim canisters, (the 125 g has two 600s, the smaller tanks have 350s) and inside are: mechanical, bio balls, charcoal pad, purit, Floss.
Protein skimmers on each
Modest regular Water changes

And always use ro/di water, 7 stage filtration.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

My other = when ORP drops below 250 I go old school with the drop in and diatom powder, after two days I can hit 450.

 

[-XENOMORPH-]

60 gallon main, Live sand, live rock, 25 g sump...filter sock, Skimmer, weekly 5 gallon change.

 

[Krw]

Filter Sox every 3 days
allege scrubber
phos reactor
monthly water change

 

[CaseyWagner]

In the tank: sand, rock, coral, CUC
In the sump: Seachem Aqua Vitro Skimmer, CoralBox 80 fluidized media filter, lots more rock
Beside the sump: Eheim 250 Canister full of filter floss

I need to pick up some mesh bags to put the matrix, carbon, and GFO in with the floss

 

[RiptideAquaculture]

cant decide be like us and use it all of the filtering!

​

 

[Bruce Burnett]

DIY reverse undergravel filter, DIY skimmer with ozone, DIY Algae scrubber

You know still wish good undergravel filters were available. I think their use reverse flow along with a diatom filter for maintenance is hard to beat. But even those are hard to come by.

 

[Paul B]

I still use both of them.

 

[monicalooze]

KP Live Rock
Pacific Oysters
Sponges
Zeolite
Blue Hypnea and Dragons Breath in display
Bio Balls
Canister
Charcoal