General consensus on Cryptic Zone

[uwiik]

Hi all!
What is the latest general consensus on the utilization of Cryptic Zone? Thinking about employing the system into my new home tank build and weighing between pros and cons right now..

Thanks in advance

 

[Timfish]

I would encourage it. Having moved well established tanks there's almost always a plethora of sponges and "stuff" behind and under rocks, intentionally creating an area for these cryptic animals is a good way to increase the diversity in a reef ecosystem. Looking at the corals Steve Tyree is producing without skimming I think attests to the efficacy of cryptic zones.

 

[uwiik]

Ok with cryptic zone you basically wants a thick layer of detritus in the bottom right?? Overflow going to cryptic zone without any mechanical filtration prior?

 

[snorvich]

My refugia each have a top zone for chaeto, with flow, and a bottom zone (cryptic) where all sorts of stuff lives. (Each refugium is 40 gallons). I have no idea if it is beneficial.

 

[reefgeezer]

Asking for consensus here is asking for trouble .

IMHO, a cryptic zone is valuable as a place where tube worms, sponges, sea squirts. pods, and other "critters" can thrive. Their biological processes add or free "stuff" back into the water column that are good for the system. Organic laden detritus is one of the fuels for the critters biological processes, but I don't think it has to be a thick layer. Maybe what people assume is the thick layer of detritus that is often seen in cryptic zones is really the inorganic remains of the detritus consumed by the critters.

I set up a dark fuge full of rubble rock. It is fed from the return pump and overflows back into the sump. I have tube worms, sponges, sea squirts, and other stuff growing pretty well in it. There is definitely some detritus looking stuff on the bottom. I wouldn't call it a thick layer though.

 

[Lavoisier]

My refugia each have a top zone for chaeto, with flow, and a bottom zone (cryptic) where all sorts of stuff lives. (Each refugium is 40 gallons). I have no idea if it is beneficial.

I first set up a cryptic on my 90g but with Refugium, ATS, Skimmer, etc., I too have no idea if its beneficial. On my new system, I have a large cyrptic tank but face the same uncertainty. Deductively, the idea has great merit...

 

[el aguila]

I have 400G in total system been running for 8 years. My display is a 190. One of the drains goes into a 100G rubbermaid that is my cryptic fuge.

I set it up so that the water comes in and is delivered through the bottom into a plenum with 2" of fine aragonite sand on the bottom, so that water flows up through the rock. About 60-70% of the rock is DIY aragacrete.

I have about 6-8 different types of sponges, and feel that it is beneficial.