Whats the best filtration for an SPS aquarium???

[luk81a]

Starting an sps system and have run DSB's and refugiums before but just not sure if it is needed for an sps system. Would live rock be more affective in the sump that a DSB??? I just want it to work.

[elegance coral]

IMHO
Water changes, LR in the display, quality skimmer in sump, media reactors for carbon/gfo, and filter socks but only if you can change them out every day/every other day. Nothing else in the sump. Just keep the system clean and your SPS will thrive.

[luk81a]

I have the two little fishes phosban reactor to run GFO. Should I get another reactor to link up together but run carbon before it flows into the phosban reactor? When you run activated carbon, do you have it running permantly? or on a timer? I heard that carbon will pull all the major & miner trace elements out?

So I was looking at Organit R from Brightwells. Its an organic absorbtion resin.

Does not actively remove trace, minor, or major elements from aquarium.
May be used in conjunction with, or as a replacement for, activated carbon.

Any comments or experience about using carbon and/or the product I mention in reactors would be great.

[64Ivy]

IMHO
Water changes, LR in the display, quality skimmer in sump, media reactors for carbon/gfo, and filter socks but only if you can change them out every day/every other day. Nothing else in the sump. Just keep the system clean and your SPS will thrive.

^ Dat! ^. I DO store my extra LR in my sump though.

[reeferman1128]

I prefer a sump with a area for extra live rock and an area for macro algae to grow. I keep it bare bottom with no sock and I siphon the bottom a few times a week. I use no media reactors anymore. Just live rock and Macro. My bio load is on the low side. I takes the same amount of time for me to siphon than it does to change socks and clean them.

[Alex T.]

I have the Bulk Reef Supply dual reactor which holds both gfo and carbon. Personally, I feel that carbon in a reactor is much more efficient than a filter bag in the sump that passively polishes the water. I had a bad experience running ROX carbon, and personally feel it's much too aggressive, so I just run the normal stuff from BRS.

In addition to what others have said, I've found that a clean sump helps tremendously with an SPS tank. I use a filter sock that is changed 3 times per week, and also have a large sponge wedged tightly between two baffles. Every other week or so I use a turkey baster to draw any detritus out of the sump and release it into the filter sock before changing it. Every 3 months I'll shop vac the sump dry, clean the slimmer body and pump in RODI and vinegar and wipe the sump clean with a dedicated aquarium sponge before refilling the sump with fresh saltwater. I also squeeze out the sponge in the baffle with water drawn from the tank during a water change weekly. Like many have said, detritus is your enemy in an SPS tank. I'd rather remove it a little at a time rather than wait until the tank looks dirty. I also take the butt end of my Kent scraper and vigorously stir my shallow sand bed to get any gunk into the water column so that it can make its' way to the filter. Before doing this, I clean the glass and turkey baste the rocks clean. After seeing Vivid Aquariums' instructional video on performing these tasks, I've been doing it ever since. Getting the water column as filthy as possible for an hour or so every week has progressively made my tank more clean every week, and my SPS have responded very well with good colors and polyp extension.

[Sosa29Reef]

Thanks for the info, I am setting up my sump now got a few modifications I have to make now
I am going to be doing now as I prepare for my first SPS tank...

[dunk373]

I have the Bulk Reef Supply dual reactor which holds both gfo and carbon. Personally, I feel that carbon in a reactor is much more efficient than a filter bag in the sump that passively polishes the water. I had a bad experience running ROX carbon, and personally feel it's much too aggressive, so I just run the normal stuff from BRS.

In addition to what others have said, I've found that a clean sump helps tremendously with an SPS tank. I use a filter sock that is changed 3 times per week, and also have a large sponge wedged tightly between two baffles. Every other week or so I use a turkey baster to draw any detritus out of the sump and release it into the filter sock before changing it. Every 3 months I'll shop vac the sump dry, clean the slimmer body and pump in RODI and vinegar and wipe the sump clean with a dedicated aquarium sponge before refilling the sump with fresh saltwater. I also squeeze out the sponge in the baffle with water drawn from the tank during a water change weekly. Like many have said, detritus is your enemy in an SPS tank. I'd rather remove it a little at a time rather than wait until the tank looks dirty. I also take the butt end of my Kent scraper and vigorously stir my shallow sand bed to get any gunk into the water column so that it can make its' way to the filter. Before doing this, I clean the glass and turkey baste the rocks clean. After seeing Vivid Aquariums' instructional video on performing these tasks, I've been doing it ever since. Getting the water column as filthy as possible for an hour or so every week has progressively made my tank more clean every week, and my SPS have responded very well with good colors and polyp extension.
i want to stay on topic but please share the problem you had with rox i suspect i have a problem using way to much of it.

[Alex T.]

i want to stay on topic but please share the problem you had with rox i suspect i have a problem using way to much of it.

Where do I start?

Switching to ROX was the only thing I changed in the system at the time, and I noticed a reduction/death in coralline algae growth, recession of SPS corals at the base, pale colors and decreased polyp extension. I lost many LPS at that time as well.

Some will point to things like increased water clarity from ROX, but many of us (especially in this forum) know our tanks pretty well. My water was very clear when I made the switch, and I never noticed an increase in water clarity above what I already had. It just seemed cheaper at the time to run ROX at a reduced amount than the bulk stuff. I even ran half of the recommended amount and it still happened. I took my carbon and GFO offline and added an extra feeding, since I believed a large water change would compound the problem.

Slowly, things returned, but some SPS and all my LPS were lost during that time. I didn't change my photoperiod, add a new coral, change bulbs, add a new fish or change my salt brand. ROX for me was a really bad idea. While I ran it, my skimmer actually pulled a lot less foam as well, so I knew it was stripping nutrients (and who knows what else) much too quickly. I personally feel it's just too good at stripping available nutrients in a tank and leaving next to nothing for other organisms to feed on. I'm sure there are many that use it successfully with no issues, but there are many others that have experienced the same thing as me.

[bskiba]

my tank is bare bottom. I have cleaned out most in my sump so there isn't any places where detritus collects and my corals have responded well. I rund gfo,carbon, and big skimmer. I suck up a little detritus that collects in corners when I do weekly water changes.

[luk81a]

I want to run carbon in a reactor, but can you have it running all the time? as it will strip the water of all trace elements as well. Or you just continue to replenish the water all the time?

[dunk373]

Where do I start?

Switching to ROX was the only thing I changed in the system at the time, and I noticed a reduction/death in coralline algae growth, recession of SPS corals at the base, pale colors and decreased polyp extension. I lost many LPS at that time as well.

Some will point to things like increased water clarity from ROX, but many of us (especially in this forum) know our tanks pretty well. My water was very clear when I made the switch, and I never noticed an increase in water clarity above what I already had. It just seemed cheaper at the time to run ROX at a reduced amount than the bulk stuff. I even ran half of the recommended amount and it still happened. I took my carbon and GFO offline and added an extra feeding, since I believed a large water change would compound the problem.

Slowly, things returned, but some SPS and all my LPS were lost during that time. I didn't change my photoperiod, add a new coral, change bulbs, add a new fish or change my salt brand. ROX for me was a really bad idea. While I ran it, my skimmer actually pulled a lot less foam as well, so I knew it was stripping nutrients (and who knows what else) much too quickly. I personally feel it's just too good at stripping available nutrients in a tank and leaving next to nothing for other organisms to feed on. I'm sure there are many that use it successfully with no issues, but there are many others that have experienced the same thing as me.
I am having similar issues colors fading and browning out. My system calls for 2 cups and I ran 6 cups to get rid of a cycling odor (I added a tank to my system). So I stopped it and seems things are getting better after a day or two.

[moondoggy4]

Reading along.

[bskiba]

I only run 1/2 cup of carbon or so. I change it every 2-3 weeks. Carbon will only strip so much from the water but I wouldn't overdo it. same as Gfo. I wouldn't start off with double the suggested amount because it could stress your coral. Any changes should be slow with most things in this hobby.

[pimp2daizzo]

rox is grate but you dont want to run it for a long time...rly i would save your money and buy the cheaper carbon

[Alex T.]

rox is grate but you dont want to run it for a long time...rly i would save your money and buy the cheaper carbon

Totally agree. I'd rather change it more often than use ROX again.

[pimp2daizzo]

Totally agree. I'd rather change it more often than use ROX again.

yep! i used half a cup of rox and 2 cups of the med grade and i hated the rox it strips way tpo much if u want it to be clear run a sock. and if you want it clear for picture turn off the filter for 15 min before you take picks.. helps sometimes.

i also find if i have to much flow in my reactor with carbon my tank is cloudy and if its to slow its cloudy it has to be just right. sounds funny i know but im not playing lol


what do you guys think a good bio filter is????

zeolite(matrix)

[dunk373]

I use lots of live rock and denitrate man that stuff works

[pimp2daizzo]

I use lots of live rock and denitrate man that stuff works

denitrate is just zeolite right??? i was looking on ebay and found 20lbs for 25 buck and i thoguht about addeding a 3rd filter box to my system and just put it all in there lol.

but this time i wont do it at 2am like i did my fuge last night lol pipe are on a angle and i forgot to put a valve in lol system went from clean looking to a diy job fast

[dunk373]

It's made by seachem it's just porous rock with vary low flow bacteria colonizes it. My trates will stay from 5-10 without it and I put denitrate in and it drops to nothing in about 3 months. I know because I have removed it twice and the same results each time. And it never goes bad.

[Ralph ATL]

IMHO
Water changes, LR in the display, quality skimmer in sump, media reactors for carbon/gfo, and filter socks but only if you can change them out every day/every other day. Nothing else in the sump. Just keep the system clean and your SPS will thrive.


exactly! bare-bottom sump! easy to wet-vac with water changes..

I do have 18in by 12in one flat rock (with billions of grooves and holes) on it's side to keep some bacteria from vodka & vin dosing in sump. easy to pull out.

[dieselgrk]

Don't have a lot of time:
-bare bottom
-remote deep sand bed
-phosphate remover
-carbon

Have a lot of time:
-zeovit

[oscar.millan]

I've been running ROX for over a year without issue. Change it out every 2 to 3 weeks and run it 24/7. Running approximately 1.5 cups in a 180g. I think this stuff does great.

As far as gauging how clear your water clarity was before and after, that's not as accurate as measuring PAR values and ORP. I'd take a second look at these values, they would bring a whole new perspective and insight to the real cause of the problem.

[pimp2daizzo]

I've been running ROX for over a year without issue. Change it out every 2 to 3 weeks and run it 24/7. Running approximately 1.5 cups in a 180g. I think this stuff does great.

As far as gauging how clear your water clarity was before and after, that's not as accurate as measuring PAR values and ORP. I'd take a second look at these values, they would bring a whole new perspective and insight to the real cause of the problem.

your crazy!!! j/p...i know rox works well and it rly does make the water clarity go up but i can get close to the same with a cheaper carbon but i have to replace it soon...i also found a lot of my corals got pale when i used it its just a lil to strong for my liking, but i do know it work and it works grate