Best method for nutrient export?

[vijaym85]

I have a couple of different filtration methods that I collected over the years and need help choosing the best combination of options for my new tank.
I am not sure if I can safely combine all of them or if I even need to.

Tank 75G
Sump 20g
Skimmer ATB840 V2


1)Ozone
2)UV
3)Carbon and or GFO in Reactor
4) Vodka
5)Biopellets/Reactor
6)MB7

7) something you might include?

 

[deangelr]

IMO best nutriet export is achieved through algae through.. having a refugium or mangroves or some plant to uptake N and P..

I run GFO and BIO pellets (used to do vodka) because I am not able to run this sort of setup.. Its is import to activly export N and P..

Vodka, Biopellets MB7 are a little redundant.. No experience with ozone or UV

 

[bertoni]

UV doesn't help with nutrient exports, and ozone might not do much either. The others all can be useful, if the skimmer is good enough. Each tank is different, so people see different results from the various methods you've mentioned.

I agree that growing and harvesting a macroalga can help a lot, using either a standard refugium or an algal turf scrubber. Better skimming might be worth considering, depending on the current setup, too.

 

[chuckreef]

I've gone too far (Po4 too low) using GFO and vodka dosing.
I've never gone too far (Po4 too low) using just skimming and water changes.
For this reason, I think the best is just skimming and water cahnges with intermitant use of one of the other methods as needed.
By "best" I mean that is easiest for me. What is easy for me, however, may not be "best" for you.

 

[vijaym85]

I see where everyone is coming from and thanks for responding. I guess that over the years I have bought into a lot of diffrent forms of filtration, some to my own peril and with others new forms of success.
I am concerened about combing all the above methods I listed in my inital post and the potential negative effects they could have if mixed. Do you see any harm or unwanted effects coming from mixing all the above?
For instance will using ozone be counterproductive to using Biopellets or vodka or is it ok?
Can one imploy carbon dosing with Biopellets and vodka at once or should I choose one or the other?
If I use Carbon dosing should I still use GFO?

 

[bertoni]

GFO might interfere with carbon dosing, either the pellets or the vodka, since it can remove phosphate and leave nitrogen in the water column by starving the bacteria on the pellets. I agree that dosing both vodka and the pellets might be redundant and perhaps cause problems in some cases. The other filtration methods should interact reasonable well.

 

[vijaym85]

thanks Bertoni,
whats your opinion on Bio pellets? Should I use them or is it just a fad?

 

[grandp10]

tagging along.

 

[bertoni]

Some people seem to get good results with the pellets, but there's not enough experience to be sure they work a large percentage of the time.

 

[vijaym85]

In regards to Ozone and Uv, will they help control the amount of bacteria produced by the BioPellets and Vodka and is that a good or bad thing if they do? I know Ozone helps increase skimmer efficency but wil it ruin or aid in my carbon based biological filtration?

 

[bertoni]

Neither ozone nor UV are going to affect the bio-pellets, and likely not the vodka dosing.

 

[coolname1]

Weekly water change and a refugium full of macro algae are the best method in my book.

 

[deangelr]

GFO might interfere with carbon dosing, either the pellets or the vodka, since it can remove phosphate and leave nitrogen in the water column by starving the bacteria on the pellets. I agree that dosing both vodka and the pellets might be redundant and perhaps cause problems in some cases. The other filtration methods should interact reasonable well.

I monitor my P level with a hanna photometer, if it gets lower than .02ppm I plan on taking out the GFO.. I think its important to have a good way to know your phospate levels for the reason you stated above.

 

[Easily Distracted]

In my opinion, skimming, carbon and regular water changes are tried and true and should be the foundation for a nutrient exporting plan. Skimming is mechanical and self reliant. It reacts to sudden bioload changes in a tank environment. Carbon can handle sudden changes as well and as long as it's changed, is a simple and effective way of absorbing byproducts from your water column and getting them out of your tank and into the trash. Water changes are simply the most straight forward method of "out with the old and in with the new". As long as you use a good salt formulated for your needs, you can quickly and effectively replenish elements essential to your reef.
That being said, I fully advocate additional methods such as refugiums, GFO, biopellets, etc... as a means of potentially enhansing you system and experimenting to further the hobby. I just feel that things can happen mutch more quickly in an equarium than in nature so skimmers, carbon and regular water changes are worth their weight in gold in, if nothing else, a failsafe.

 

[UVvis]

In regards to Ozone and Uv, will they help control the amount of bacteria produced by the BioPellets and Vodka and is that a good or bad thing if they do? I know Ozone helps increase skimmer efficency but wil it ruin or aid in my carbon based biological filtration?

Bacteria in the water column, UV and O3 will control that. However, that defeats the purpose unless skimming, as you just incorporate N and P into bacteria that you kill later.

O3 in large enough doses will remove carbon from they system in the form of CO2. It does help with skimmer production for the charged ends it puts on organics. A low dose of O3 with carbon dosing would be useful to make organic N and P export more effecient.

 

[vijaym85]

I have read in the past that ozone and zeovit should not be combined, and while I don't have all the facts on this perhaps some of you may. I assume it has to do with killing of the benefical bacterial starins produced by the I zeovit method but that's just my guess. But what I was wondering; is the mechanism in which Biopellets work, different enough that we can use ozone safely with them unlike with zeovit and why?

 

[bertoni]

I would guess that ozone is safe with ZeoVit, but with pellets, the bacteria live on the surfaces, so they won't be affected by ozone.