Whats Wrong With A Wet/Dry?

[tazdevil]

I would like to add this-

Since I've been using LR/LS as a filtration means, the fish never looked healthier. I had taken a hiatus from marine aquariums for several years (last time I had a tank, canister filters were all the rage!). Those fish never seemed to look as vibrant. I can only attribute this to a natural constant food source being present, being able to graze on the LR.

 

[camp6]

QUESTION - If wet/dry's are efficient at converting wastes to nitrates and nitrates are utilized by plants, wouldn't it cheaper to raise macroalgaes in an area after the wet/dry part instead of spending the money on sand, sand critters, etc. involved in utilizing a DSB as filtration?

I was considering doing this on my new tank setup. more specifically a refugium after the W/D, and maybe even placed above the tank (so the flow will go-tank into sump/W/D to above tank to refugium, gravity fed back to main tank) any thoughts on this guys?

 

[Joey French]

Good idea, did it for a while. In response to the earlier post about the bioball/ caulerpa filtration setup, have you ever looked into ATS? This seems like an area you may find interesting, even if only to get some ideas for your system if you decide to give it a shot.
Joey

 

[Sleek07470]

Technically then, with a large enough sump and a deep sand bed with live rock, would it be possible to eliminate water changes and only use a top off system supplimented with trace elements and kalkwasser?

-Doug

 

[Anonymous]

if you do a search on the word 'factory', in the gr forum,you should turn up a whole buncha threads on the subject of wet/dry's

 

[mark78]

QUESTION - If wet/dry's are efficient at converting wastes to nitrates and nitrates are utilized by plants, wouldn't it cheaper to raise macroalgaes in an area after the wet/dry part instead of spending the money on sand, sand critters, etc. involved in utilizing a DSB as filtration?

This is what I would recommend for a heavy fish load in a large tank, you really need good bio filter for some tanks (though usually not reefs). A heavily planted large fuge will go a long ways in reducing the nitrate the wet/dry produces. I had a wet/dry on my 75g freshwater plant tank, dispite not doing a water cange for months, the nitrates were still under 10ppm from plant use.

Technically then, with a large enough sump and a deep sand bed with live rock, would it be possible to eliminate water changes and only use a top off system supplimented with trace elements and kalkwasser?

I have read of tanks going years like this. It requires a tank over 300 gallons to even attempt IMO and I would not recommend it. Theres a lot of additives you can't test for, how do you know your dosing the right amount? Because the maufacturer says so? They claim to have products to magically cycle your tank overnight too... small frequent water changes is the best way to keep your water stable.