display fuge as only form of filtration or mostly?I would love to hear back from

[Devaji108]

I posted this in the reef section but thought i would post here as well as you fine folks would enjoy the idea have more insight...

Ok I know this is not the norm. but let me explain my vision...

I am in the process of my build a 40br with a 40br sump. tank is going to focus on gorgonians, LPS, softies and a few easy well placed SPS like birds nest and montis..

I was/am gonna run an upflow ATS for my filtration and carbon once in a while in a HOB filter. I really really like the idea of biology vs technology. (tech. has it place) just saying i like that methodology.

but i have all this space in my sump that would be just adding water volume.
and I really want to macro tank anyway. prob. was gonna set one ip anyway so why not just do a display refuge It would be 2 feet of the 40br sump so 2'x 18" 13" as i baffle for my bubble trap is that high that would give me space in my return section for my pump, heater and ATS or HOB skimmer if i need it.
so the display fuge would be 24.3 gallons.

I will be using mostly all LR 80-90% form TBS or live reef n rock.
would get a bag of LS to add to my dry.

the more i am thinking about this idea the more i am liking it.

my plumbing would be from DT to fuge trough bubble trap to return with an upflow ATS or skimmer if i needed. prob not an ATS as it would out compete the other macros.

I would frame my stand to display the fuge. paint the return section so the focus would be on the DT and fuge.

Thoughts?

should i just stick with keeping them separate and run the ATS? but the way i look at it the macro display fuge is like an enjoyable ATS and long as the N & P are filtered out...

would love to hear back from ppl that have displays fuges. of course any and all photo/vids would be helpful to.

:beer:

 

[Devaji108]

wow thought we would have a good conversation going on this topic...
I am having trouble deciding this one...
anyone?

 

[bfin3]

If you balance it with your bioload I don't see why it wouldn't work pretty well. I would put the sump on a slightly lower separate stand. It will be easier to see/enjoy, will look cleaner, and you can use less return pump because of less height difference

 

[Devaji108]

i would be under the stand if i go that rout I have one of those metal 40br top and bottem stands and was going to either leave it open or trim it out so you can see in to it.
but at this point I think i have just decided to go with the ATS and skimmer if needed and have a separate 20L macro tank.

all tho it's tempting to do some sea grass down there...haha
but i think until i learn more about Macros it will be nice to have a stand alone system.

 

[FinzAquatics]

My 75 gallon seahorse tank is essentially a display refugium. I have no source of filtration.. All I have is macro algae and powerheads. My biggest battle is maintaining a high enough level of nitrates to allow the macro to thrive. I find myself overfeeding and overdosing to ensure the macro and feed and grow.

Feel free to check out my thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2502261

 

[phobos2deimos]

What Carmen said. At a certain point, nutrient level can actually go too low and you'll actually be dosing n/p among other things. It's easy once you get a feel for your tank, signs of deficiencies, and signs of overdosing.
I say go for it! I wouldn't bother with the ATS if you go with macros.

 

[Devaji108]

yeah i think for now I am gonna keep them separate. 40br with an ATS
and a 20L macro.
i think it just safer that way. ( until i get the hang of it) I might to water changes form the 40br to the 2OL type of thing. so the 20L might be a Remote display fuge type of thing.

I Am excited to the Macro and cant wait to get it up and running!!

 

[carmelpi]

I'm running a 40br peacock mantis tank with a 30g sump and an ats. I have quite a bit of macro algae of different sorts running throughout the system (including two mangroves) and have found that the macro have actually out-competed my ats! I went from having amazing results with the ats to next to no growth, while my Red gracilaria, codium, fauchea, red grape caulerpa, halimeda, and sea lettuce are going crazy.

My ammonia is 0, nitrites 0.0138, nitrates 1.7, phosphates 0.34. My alk, pH, and calcium are low, though, thanks to the halimeda sucking it all out. :/ This is in a daily-fed system with a 5" peacock mantis shrimp.

 

[Devaji108]

^ nice I would love to see your tank!

 

[carmelpi]

I'll post a full tank shot soon.

 

[Devaji108]

^ fts?

 

[carmelpi]

Oops!! Sorry lol. Here

It's still a wip, but it's going well.

 

[Devaji108]

thats a cool tank!

 

[carmelpi]

Thanks

 

[Saltliquid]

I found in the late 90s that caulerpa, the few species with low caulerpenyne content, as is in the ocean with phyto, can control any and all water issues with work.
But it takes out much of your mag and cal-carb to name just two making good KH and PH a bit tricky.
It came to complete fruition when my wife found an endemic local caulerpa morph, what a find, been using it for 5 years now externally.
I did it for nearly two years as an experiment on tap water top ups and no water changes, it took care of all my sps and far more beautifully, with dosing!
There are many display algae in the tanks as well that i trim and chuck.

 

[sde1500]

I think this would be a very cool idea. I'd love to do some sort of side by side set up. With one tank being a reef tank, and the other being a macro algae display tank used for nutrient export. Just skip the skimmer entirely.

 

[vlangel]

I think this would be a very cool idea. I'd love to do some sort of side by side set up. With one tank being a reef tank, and the other being a macro algae display tank used for nutrient export. Just skip the skimmer entirely.

I have a reef/seahorse macro fuge side by side system. For the seahorses health I also have a honkin'skimmer but if i didn't have the ponies I think I wouldn't need the skimmer.

 

[vlangel]

This is a pic of it before the macros matured. It's much prettier now.

 

[Devaji108]

^ nice!!

 

[Saltliquid]

To affectively use algae, along with other bio functions to completely purify your water, there is a lot involved!
To even try to copy the oceans phyto functions it is quite a diverse set up to get working well!
This is a tiny part of mine, being the algae part!