info please

[thepomonacow]

I recently recieved a reply to a message in the beginner forum. SOne of the sharks said, "i would not use an airpump in ANY saltwater aquarium, NOR a filter"
This baffles me. I dont know of any tank that can go without filtration. I think I am mis-understanding what he/she said. All of you use filters... right....and air pumps.

 

[ed r]

I don't think anyone uses air pumps. "Filter" can mean a lot of things. Some people still use filters, especially with fish only tanks. Modern reef tanks with deep sand beds get their biological filtration through the use of live rock and live sand. Protein skimmers are still used by many people, but I wouldn't really call them a filter in the usual sense. Mechanical filtration is not needed in these cases. You should probably do some searches on the various message boards. You also need to decide just what type of tank you are going to have and what creatures you will be keeping. That has a great bearing on how the tank will be set up. Good luck.

 

[fshhub]

ia nswered it tthere, and Ed R summed it up pretty good too
IMO, natural biological filtration is much better thatn a canister or hang on filter

 

[thepomonacow]

FshHub: I read around some more. I just find it amazing that it is possible...I think I will try it with the new tank I am getting in July. I am sure I will be posting questions when that time comes. Thanks.

 

[bluemarlin]

I think you may be misunderstanding what these folks are trying to say. Their tanks are up and running ecosystems. They have mature rock, mature sand beds and mature systems. They are not newly setup systems. (Correct me if I am wrong here)
With a newly set up system, it is entirely possible you will need some type of filtration through the use of hang on or sump filters. Escpecially if you wish to start placing creatures in the tank right after it has cycled. The only way to accomplish the "filterless" system is to get the aquarium established. That is, get the biological filtration in the LR and DSB to a point that it can maintain the inhabitants and then slowly remove your filters. I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[thepomonacow]

Yeah...it makes sence....I have been reading more about it today and last night. Ill let ya know how things go.

 

[ed r]

I would not use a mechanical filter even on a new tank, especially if it is to be a reef tank. The biological filtration does need to build up in a new tank. That is what occurs during the initial nitrogen bacteria cycle you read so much about. A mechanical filter does not take the place of the biological filter. In fact, if not cleaned almost daily, it can make matters much worse. Running water through a mechanical filter traps detrius and uneaten food in the filter. No sandbed fauna can reach it there to process it into other useful forms. So it remains there and breaks down through ammonia, nitrite, to nitrate. It stays in there as nitrate (That's where the nitrate factory term developed.) until you clean the filter out. This all happens very quickly. Read more about biological and mechanical filtration. They are inter-related but totally different things. You must have biological filtration. Many arguments can be made against mechanical filtration.

 

[fshhub]

no clarification needed, IMO, you need no filtration(standard mechanical)
th lr and ls, is the filter and cleaning system, even from teh start, once cycled, it will do the job, along with a cleaning crew and a skimmer, that is ALL you will need, PERIOD,
ed r is doing a great job of explaining and i agree, only to add that when you clean a filter or change the filter media, you only disrupt things again and again, possibly creating a mini cycle, by taking bacteria out of the equation too, MEANING less stability in the system you have
i just set up one for my boss at work,
i cycled the tank, with sand adn shrimp, then added lr, then after all was stable(and done cycling and curing), i turned on the skimmer and added fish, the system is only about 4 months old, and is beaustiful, and we have nitrates under 20, with somewhat conservative stocking(i would have gone a little lighter, but you know bosses, and worse yet, mine is a woman, you know all the pretty colors she wanted), anyhow the tank is done except for her corals which we are deciding on now, while i get teh lighting around and build a canopy for it
note: teh nitrateds could be a little lower but i am pleased tehy are tehre in such a new system with that fast of a stocking, and no algae yet(starting to grow), and the dsb is not fullly establishd and working yet either

 

[fshhub]

thepomonacow
Please contact me, my email address is in my sig
tanks man

 

[jdl/dayton]

This is a misnomer regarding the Nitrogen Cycle. Compared to the vastness of the oceans you still must suppliment the naturally occurring cycles in your tank with water changes and some filtration from time to time. Change that water and change it often. This mimics the natural transfer of wastes in the oceans to deeper waters and out of the reef.