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  #1  
Old 01/09/2008, 05:14 PM
NanoCubeNewbie NanoCubeNewbie is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Only ALL Natural Filtration???

Is anyone running only all natural filtration methods? Such as just Chaeto and LR? Without skimmers, floss, sponges, etc...

If so, please explain your set-up and if it's been successful.

If you think it's not possible, please explain.
  #2  
Old 01/09/2008, 05:52 PM
jmjohnson jmjohnson is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
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people do it all the time. Just make sure to have plenty of live rock and a very large refugium 10 to 20% or larger and have a deep sand bed. But this way requires more water changes and thus may not be the cheapest method in the long run. Though you can always add a skimmer down the road.
  #3  
Old 01/09/2008, 07:07 PM
nengland nengland is offline
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People do it. I did it. Make sure you have an overflow and a refugium. (get the refugium anyway for if nothing to hide the equipment and increase your water volume!)

I tried the miracle mud method. I wouldn't do it again though. Cyanobacteria was a big problem. That made me think that it wasn't exporting the nutrients nearly as well as the model should have.

Eventually I got rid of the mud, filled the fuge with LR, left the chaeto and started the skimmer back up. Things seemed a lot happier then.

Someone gave me a tip... if you're going to grow chaeto in the fuge then alternate photoperiods with the display tank. I was told (though I didn't care to verify) that it helps maintain a consistant PH in the system.

NanoCubeNewbie, is this for a nano tank? There are small (and cheap) skimmers just for this setup. With such a small water volume it'd be risky (imho) not to have something scrubbing the water. Bad things can just happen too quickly in small systems.
  #4  
Old 01/11/2008, 10:55 AM
NanoCubeNewbie NanoCubeNewbie is offline
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Location: Tucson, AZ
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This tank is a 24 gallon Nano Cube. I have the Chaeto and LR in 2 of the 3 chambers in the back. I have about a 2" sand bed. I may, in the future when I add fish, get a small skimmer. I was just trying to keep things simple and keep the sleek look of the cube without hacking it to add accessories and things hanging all around.

I don't understand why they make these "all-in-one" packages but then you need to add a bunch of extra stuff to them.
  #5  
Old 01/11/2008, 11:11 AM
NanoReefWanabe NanoReefWanabe is offline
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you dont "need" to add a bunch of stuff

you could like run the all in one as is...but be prepared to change the filters etc...weekly if not more frequent...as bioballs and filter pads become nutrient sinks....i have heard good things about those little ceramic rings...but they have to be down stream in the filtering process...that way raw pollutants like detritus are caught ahead of time and can easily be removed via changing pads/ floss...

i would like to think rings and bioballs work fine provided there is not any rotting or decaying material in them....people use them in denitrifying coils all the time...but that water is fairly clean before entering the coils...

on a side note...most all filtration done in a salt water tank is done naturally...through bacteria and micro organisms...skimmer are used as water polishers, removing dissolved organics from the water, which through stringent husbandry can be done with regular water changes..especially in small tanks with low bioloads..
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  #6  
Old 01/11/2008, 11:31 AM
NanoCubeNewbie NanoCubeNewbie is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Thanks for the reply....that's what I've been hoping to hear. Although I have removed all the bio-balls and ceramic rings and stuff. I do have some filter floss that the water goes through first which I can easily change weekly when I do a water change. After the floss there is only chaeto and LR rubble and some chemi-pure.

Thanks for your post!
 

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