Cryptic Zone

[badgergoth]

I've just come back from a reef seminar here in Blighty, where Steve Tyree was giving a talk extoling the virtues of setting up a cryptic zone in a tank (low light, low flow) to encourage active filter feeders such as sponges and bivalves to grow, in order to remove the smaller particulate matter from the water.

The idea is that the filtration feeders are a natural replacement for a skimmer. He seemed to show pictures of good SPS coral growth using this method.

I've never read of this technique on these boards, and I was wondering if anyone had tried it. I'm planning on experimenting with it on my new setup - if I do, I'll be sure to take a bunch of pictures.

 

[Fatal Morgana]

There is always some low flow and low light area in a tank, and usually you can find sponge and other filter feeders in these area. In one of my tanks, for example, there are a few area that are like this.

IMHO, these filter feeder can alleviate some of the duty of a skimmer, but I would want to keep mind running just in case when something goes wrong.