Cryptic Zone Filtration

[Paolo Piccinell]

No relevant studies, unfortunately... just my experience.

All that I know about the matter comes from my 1500 litres (about 400 gals) sps dominated tank.
I stored 200Kgs (more or less 450lbs) of live rocks in my sump since 18 months ago.
Hi water flow, no light, sediment is left on its own.
All the rocks are now covered with sponges, critters, worms, hydrozoids...
During the night an incredible density of floating organisms can be seen swimming in my sump, it MUST be of some help to the tank.

I never fed corals, I just feed fishes and set dry skimming... the cryptic zone (together with my dsb) is feeding my corals enough to grant an high grow rate.

 

[Osteoclast]

Again as suspected no long-term data only "theory" or individual observations ( N equals one). I will await actual objective data before setting up this adjunctive system to support my reef. Thanks for those who replied. The theory sounds great but if someone has more objective data especially with controls let me know. Thanks again.

 

[ferprof]

There are some new investigations about sponges.
http://www.coralscience.org/main/art...es-4/tunicates#sthash.8trHed3b.dpuf
http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/climate-a-ecology-16/reef-sponge-recycling
http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/climate-a-ecology-16/caribbean-sponges

 

[ferprof]

http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/reef-species-4/tunicates
There are some new investigations about esponges and their role in reef water filtration.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Same Job as UV

Same Job as UV

How does cryptic zone filtration work and how does it compare to a protein skimmer or 'fuge? Does anyone here use a cryptic zone? How does one go about setting one up? Are there any risks in using a cryptic zone?

Back in the days of the coral blight Steve Tyree's tanks faired fat and pretty. No one was using UV back then. Steve was threatened with a lawsuit if he said anything and they tried to blame him for bringing in the blight.
IMO they can't sell millions of rollers worth of cheep under powered toy UV fixtures if you bon't think you need them.
Cryptic zones have their own beauty, you need a dark cards that will let open it for viewing. Also they are the best place for calanoids to spawn because of slow current. The cryptic system removes suspended particulate organic matter (POM) room the water column. That includes among others bacteria, coral slime, avd virous.
In every system I build 50% of the water volume is devoted to the cryptic zones as prescribed by Steve Tyree before he left Califoria.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Theory and My Observations

Theory and My Observations

Again as suspected no long-term data only "theory" or individual observations ( N equals one). I will await actual objective data before setting up this adjunctive system to support my reef. Thanks for those who replied. The theory sounds great but if someone has more objective data especially with controls let me know. Thanks again.

Yes here is theory and observations; that work sio well my kids won't let me have back the 48 inch prototype.
Water flowing through the dark refugium should cause flaked feed sprinkled on the surface of the water in it to move less than 10cm per second.