What filtration to use?

[Lockes]

I will be setting up a propagation and aquaculture system (fish and coral) so need to know what type of filtration would be best.

In quite a few journals the use of a trickle filter is used in aquaculture so is this good?

This is not suitable for a reef tank or propagation because of nitrates right?

So for a joint prop and aquaculture system would a sump, LR, LS and skimmer be best?

 

[sammy33]

It may work to your advantage to set up seperate systems for the fish and the corals especially in the larval stage. The tiny fry would have a hard time working against the required flow for most corals and would likely not survive a ride in a protein skimmer. Put a breeding pair of fish in a dedicated tank, move the fry as they become available to to a gentle grow out tank then consider moivng them when large enough.

Once the larval fishes reach a juvenile stage you could probably add them to a combined coral/fish system. Consider the amount of food that you would need to feed fish through the various stages of growth. Most corals may benefit from the seconds of specialized micro food that the juvenile fish don't consume. So at the juvenile stage you could possibly share the same system water and benefit both the fish and corals from the elevated feedings.

As far as filtration in the larval stage that would be limited as you would not want the fish sucked up into a filter. Frequent water changes and gentle movement via airstones is often used. Once in the juvenile stage it would be best to use what you list - sump, LR, LS and skimmer.