Water exchange as only filtration

may not need to change that much water, 10-20% a week or less should be fine. Monitor your parameters and dial it in
 
Anyone ever tried such? I'm using a 55 gallon trash can of heated salt water and an aircraft type parasitic pump and ice machine stye tubing in and out.
 
If you think about it, as long as the display has enough rock and good water movement via power head's (surface agitation for gas exchange) there is no reason for other filtration depending on stock list etc.

Sumps host skimmers, heaters, reactors, but the primary means of filtration is the nitrifying bacteria which adheres to the rocks etc. You may loose some mechanical filtration but if you are not using GFO/Carbon then it should still work.
 
Check out Mr. Saltwater tank TV and look for the episode with Julian sprung. He only has a fuge and a up sterilizer on his tank. No skimmer and it's perfectly balanced.
 
It may be possible. It depends entirely on the type of tank you're aiming for. But a large fish load in a tank packed with SPS & LPS coral could be quite a challenge and things could easily go wrong. You might also need to be quite tolerant of micro algae growth.

Just curious. Why do you want to go this way?
 
It may be possible. It depends entirely on the type of tank you're aiming for. But a large fish load in a tank packed with SPS & LPS coral could be quite a challenge and things could easily go wrong. You might also need to be quite tolerant of micro algae growth.

Just curious. Why do you want to go this way?

Why not? It seems logical to filter this way, if there is more biological activity more water exchange is needed and can be adjusted. All electrolytes will naturally be in balance. Why micro algae growth? Excess nutrients will be carried away, I wonder why this isn't more mainstream?
 
Why not? It seems logical to filter this way, if there is more biological activity more water exchange is needed and can be adjusted. All electrolytes will naturally be in balance. Why micro algae growth? Excess nutrients will be carried away, I wonder why this isn't more mainstream?
i think you should try it out. i don't see why it wouldn't work.
 
You will have two issues:
1. Finding a pump or set of pumps to do this that can more or less run constantly without burning out. (tried it) There are peristaltic pumps that will do this at the rate you will need, but they are very expensive even compared to most of the expensive hobby pumps.
2. Even at that rate of change, a decently stocked aquarium will produce more waste products quicker than an exchange can get rid of.
 
People don't do it more often because buying that much salt and mixing up that much water is laborious and tiresome. Most people struggle to do 10% a week. I cannot imagine the cost of rodi filter supplies and salt needed to do that. My rodi would literally be running most the day every day to keep up
 
Might be OK depending on load. I change 10% weekly and my skimmer still pulls out a LOT of gunk. I also have a biopellet reactor and run an ozone reactor as well. Fairly large fish and invert load though.
 
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