I think one of the biggest problems folks have when looking at the so called natural meathods of filtrations (ex: dsb, algae refugium and so on) is that they assume them to be the simplier method as they are a natural process. In fact they a brutally complex and very inter dependant upon each and every pathway they take. Just in the bacterial cycling mode it is not one bacteria sitting on top of another in a linear fashion. It looks more like a tree with multiple branches (pathways) each with a different out come and a different biproduct. Natural bacterial pathways are designed to always be in a state of flux, with multiple strains picking up nitch pathways to make up for short comings and problems. If you screw up one of the major pathways you send the system into chaos and large fluxes then take place, things like power outages, oxygen depervations, medications, fluxes in ph, orp and anything really that has an impact in the various bacterial populations can have dramtic and long term negative effects on the whole system. And all this is just in what happens in the wild and not the true way it is in closed captive system, in here all of the above problem become more evident.
As per BB system and those that run them, I think Bomber and others are of a like mind to myself. I concede!!!! They are to complex, they are to inerdependant upon each pathway they use, they dont have the ability to do what they need to do because of scale and recruitement, the list goes on. When we are talking about BB system or Sand system all we are talking about is waste and detritus removal, I would love to just be able to put sand in a go back to bed? and not to worry about it, BUT it doesnt work that way. So instead I will deal with my detritus/nutrients/waste in real time and just remove them instead of tryingn to lock them into cycles or organics. Truely its just as simple as that. Thier is no magic formula to running a BB tank, You use well designed flow to keep detritus in the water column, this allows it to be used by the corals for food and also allows it to be removed from the display to a place where it can be processed. In the processing place folks use skimmers, some use ozone, UV and a variety of other things if they want, you make the call on what you need or want. If you water flow in the main tank is set up well you will end up with a couple of piles of detritus that you syphon out. Also give your LR a blow from time to time to make sure detritus/waste doesnt build up.
For my tank I syphone the piles once a month at best, I use an external pump with an inline jacuzzi filter on it, then just hose in and out. Take about a 1/2hour on a 16 foot tank. Atthe same time I blow off the rocks and use a filter sock to catch the detritus. If this is a maintence nightmare, well I guess I dont understand the meaning.
Anyway sorry for the long post.
Mike
As per BB system and those that run them, I think Bomber and others are of a like mind to myself. I concede!!!! They are to complex, they are to inerdependant upon each pathway they use, they dont have the ability to do what they need to do because of scale and recruitement, the list goes on. When we are talking about BB system or Sand system all we are talking about is waste and detritus removal, I would love to just be able to put sand in a go back to bed? and not to worry about it, BUT it doesnt work that way. So instead I will deal with my detritus/nutrients/waste in real time and just remove them instead of tryingn to lock them into cycles or organics. Truely its just as simple as that. Thier is no magic formula to running a BB tank, You use well designed flow to keep detritus in the water column, this allows it to be used by the corals for food and also allows it to be removed from the display to a place where it can be processed. In the processing place folks use skimmers, some use ozone, UV and a variety of other things if they want, you make the call on what you need or want. If you water flow in the main tank is set up well you will end up with a couple of piles of detritus that you syphon out. Also give your LR a blow from time to time to make sure detritus/waste doesnt build up.
For my tank I syphone the piles once a month at best, I use an external pump with an inline jacuzzi filter on it, then just hose in and out. Take about a 1/2hour on a 16 foot tank. Atthe same time I blow off the rocks and use a filter sock to catch the detritus. If this is a maintence nightmare, well I guess I dont understand the meaning.
Anyway sorry for the long post.
Mike
I've seen a starboard tank in real life and I can tell you that this guys coral was so healthy, I didn't even notice the bottom.
