Live rock and sand is your filtration. The bacteria will grow on the rock and sand to take care of the ammonia turning it to nitrite then to nitrate which is less toxic ( I hope thats not backwards) So that is where your biofilter is. As far as removing floating stuff from the water column I don't personally like filter "pads" or "socks" to catch uneaten food and deitrus (poop) I think it trapps it away from the natural cycle and just lets it sit and rot fouling the water faster in the form of Phosphates mostly which can lead to alage issues. If the uneaten food and other stuff (poop
) is allowed to float free it settles in the rock and sand where your clean up crew can process it naturally. Poop, there is that word again :lol: is something like 70% or some high % of just undigested food so the corals, especially LPS, like it and snails, cucumbers, crabs all will clean it and uneaten food up. Then you have all the other good tank fauna that you introduce via live rock and starter cultures from established sand beds like pods, bristle worms, spagetti worms and such. They keep the food that falls deep in the rocks eaten and sand stirred up looking for even smaller particals of things to eat taking it one step further till basically everything is processed away.
And yes, I am a fan of a DSB just basically for the look of it and the benifit of not having to ever fool with siphoning it like you would aragonite or crushed coral. You just leave a DSB alone and let it do its thing. They act like a nutrient sink so you are not suppose to stir them up you will release lots of junk not good for the tank after about the first 2 inches. A good skimmer will take out your DOC's, Dissolved organic compounds, and some floaty things as well as keep the water looking and smelling good. Ron Shimeck has alot of good articles if you want to read further into DSB's.
I think most die hard full blown SPSers run BB and overskim because higher nutrient tanks with DSB's are not good for SPS to thrive and color up great in. They are great for your average softy/lps with a few hardy SPS for flavor IMO. LPS and softies like a higher nutrient enviroment. I would say the club is 50/50 on who runs them and its ussually a heated debate on whos way is better on the main boards in RC but there is more ways than one to skin a cat and run a succesfull reef! I personally go for the easiest way
Also I notice you are getting a canister filter. Most people just use them to run carbon only. As mentioned above they can trap deitrus and IMO are a pain to disasemble and clean every few weeks ( if you do it like you are suppose to). I know nashvegas runs a canister but he does water changes every 2 weeks like clockwork. Put the carbon in a mesh baggy to keep it in the canister. Carbon is a hot topic also on if its needed. It keeps your water from yellowing and looking clear and smelling good. It also can strip trace elements from the tank but they are easily replaced with regular water changes. It has been rumored to cause HLLE (head line lateral errosion) in fish, mostly tangs are prone, but has not been scientifically proven to do so. It's more of a theory among reefers I think. I recomend it in a smaller system because if something goes wrong its good to have to help keep things in check like if a fish hides and dies you don't find.... A small tank just can't process stuff like a huge volume of water so I personally would use it. I use it in my 270 in a canister type filter part of the time myself when I feel the water needs a little polishing.
OK all this is JMO
You will get lots of different ones and try many till you find your own way of doing things.
