You guys read this? States study shows very little difference between filtration

[gotoneon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11211290#post11211290 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acrylic_300
I agree that live rock is the key ingredient to zero nitrates. I haven't tried it but I suspect you could run a tank with live rock, live sand and power heads....nothing else.

Word, My 600 is just that way with 500lbs of rock and 300 lbs of sand, lots of circulation, no water changes, light stocking. A simple logic, enjoy more, worry about less.

 

[ScarabRa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11211290#post11211290 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acrylic_300
I agree that live rock is the key ingredient to zero nitrates. I haven't tried it but I suspect you could run a tank with live rock, live sand and power heads....nothing else.

yep!!
Eng (1961) and Emmens (1986) "Berlin method"


Add a skimmer to above, and you have another well documented "Successful" method.

"Sourced from The Reef Aquarium, Volume 1, J. Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung

The modern "Berlin method" of aquarium keeping began with the work of Peter Wilkens and the marine aquarium club in Berlin. Although these systems are called natural systems, they do differ from those described by Eng (1961) and Emmens (1986) by incorporating protein skimmers in their design.

The basic elements to a Berlin method aquarium include: strong light, live rock and sand, protein skimming, and calcium additions. A trickle filter is not used as the live rock and sand perform the biological filtration. It is also common to see automatic top-off systems in place to offset water evaporation due to the strong light."

ALL My tank has been set up this way since junior Highschool (1983)
I added a skimmer to my STANDARD setups in 1989 (cause I could afford one, finally..lol)
I have had what is deemed a "refugum" since 1989. started out as a "prolifera" algae scrubber, but ended up having tons of biological life.

Funny how the "Trends" change overtime.

 

[beaglelax]

I guees you have to find what works for you but in the few years and many more to come in the future its nearly impossible and really not nessacery to have 0 nitrates, im trying to think of a way to explain it but in some form or another a few doesnt hurt, im not talking about 100ppm or what not but anywhere from 5 to 15 isnt gonna wipe a system, again i have found in this hobby what works for you doesnt work for me, but we get to compare and contrast

 

[JNye]

won't you always have nitrates even if you read zero. they are simply taken up before they show up...either by anarobic bacteria or algea. my tank has zero phosphates and nitrates always yet my cheato is doing fine and growing, and i still have to clean my front glass.
also i just don't trust those stupid tests we use.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11204333#post11204333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
Sounds like the salt comparisons done by aqua craft.

Or worse!

As others have pointed out, there is no way I can look at the data here and derive the same conclusion. There is not much of a control and there is no real protocol.

This looks like pure advertising to me.