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The Move to Natural Methods

April 12, 2009

Coral Reef

Many modern marine aquariums use ‘natural’ methods as much as possible. This has been achieved by the advances in knowledge that have been made over the last few years.

Some aquarists argue that it is impossible to keep an aquarium without using natural methods and I can see where they are coming from. The point they have in mind is bio-filtration, all those hard working bacteria getting rid of the toxins in the seawater. Without them we’d be in a sorry state. It’s true as well that this filtration is natural. However, if the bacteria colonies are housed in a canister filter then it isn’t completely natural, the home for the bacteria is being provided by our technology. Nothing wrong with that as it stands.

A fully natural method for bio-filtration, staying with the example, is live rock. This rock mainly comes from the wild and has bacteria present. It is a really good filtration media and, unlike the canister filter, within reason the bacteria can deal with nitrate as well. Can’t be bad!

There are new commodities on the market that are designed to replace live rock. This is a rock that appears very similar to the fully natural variety but needs the bacteria colonies kick starting in the same way a canister filter does. One running the new rocks are suitable homes for all bacteria including those that deal with nitrate. This isn’t removing ‘natural’ filtration; the difference is purely the type of rock. There isn’t any electric motor required. It also reduces the demand from the wild, unless the live rock is aquacultured in the wild.

Anyway, getting back on track, there are a few ways that an aquarist could use natural methods. Think of filtration by algae, deep sand beds, plenums, mangroves etc.

The link below is to a website article where natural methods are definitely in mind.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=551

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Bio-Media Removed

March 4, 2009

When I first started my current reef aquarium over six years ago I didn’t use any live rock. Instead, for the bio-filtration I used canister filters.

There are two Eheim Ecco canister filters installed and I have to say that they are good, well constructed and to date absolutely reliable. Anyway that’s not what I’m on about here.

Over the six years many corals on rocks have been introduced and the rock that was inert and dead is now live. It hasn’t the potential diversity of life that natural live rock has, but it has a lot of organisms on it and probably in it - there are tiny tube worms by the hundred and a high population of tiny creatures that appear mostly at night. It is also typical live rock in appearance as far as encrusting algae and the like are concerned. I have to say I can’t see that much rock anyway as most is covered up by some organism or another.

I suspected that the rock was live because of nitrate. As I had elected to use canister filters a home made denitrator had been fitted as well. There has only ever been the tiniest presence of nitrate according to the tests and it was so faint my wife and I were unsure about that. Eventually this trace disappeared as well and never re-appeared. So about two years after the trace, if there was one, had disappeared I turned the denitrator off. There continued to be no trace whatsoever of nitrate and the denitrator has remained off.

If there was nitrate present and it had disappeared then routine seawater changes wouldn’t have been the cause as these have been done bi-weekly ever since the aquarium started (though at first they were weekly). It wasn’t the denitrator as this was turned off and nothing re-appeared. I assumed that bacteria had colonized the very porous reef rocks and these were dealing with any nitrate, as well as ammonia and nitrite. I decided to remove the bio media from one of the canisters. It didn’t happen.

The canisters, both of them, were left running in full bio-mode as I didn’t do anything because of the reef, it was so successful and natural looking that I was afraid that if I made a mistake the livestock would suffer and I wouldn’t have time to generate a new bacteria population. After a while, I thought that this was ridiculous - and it was as there are two canisters and they both have the capacity to bio-filter the aquarium. So I removed the media from one, then started it up again empty as it is used for surface agitation.

To date, six months down the line, there hasn’t been a problem. So now I’m thinking I’ll remove the bio-media from the other canister. Going on previous performance it’ll be a while before anything is done! I feel certain that there isn’t a need for bio-filtration with the canisters any more.

When I removed the bio-media I expected that there would be visible life within it (Eheim sintered glass). There wasn’t, none at all, at least any I noticed. The aquarium is full of life, mobile and otherwise, so this was a surprise. On cleaning mechanical media I am always rescuing tiny shrimps.

I was really pleased with the state of the bio-media. When washed only a very small dusting of dirt appeared, one rinse and it was gone. This was down to the four weekly mechanical media cleaning, also the mechanical media set-up. The entire mechanical media was before the bio-media, taking the form of a coarse sponge, a very fine filter ‘cloth’ one half inch thick and another fine sponge, so the filter ‘cloth’ was sandwiched tightly between the sponges. It clearly worked.

During the operation on the canister I noticed a fair growth of some toadstools in one area on the reef. All the corals grow at a quite fast rate and the toadstools are the fastest. So out came the sharp scissors and off came their heads. Very drastic sounding but it has been done several times before without mishap. They grow back rapidly.

Toadstool Coral

I also noticed more new corals growing beneath, toadstools again, six in all. Four were removed entirely and two left. The photo (sorry, it isn’t particularly good) shows the cut ‘stalks’ and also the two small new ones that were left.

The cut corals look awful at first but they don’t stay that way for long. First polyps re-grow, then the heads start to increase horizontally and the stalks lengthen.

It’s all quite miraculous really.

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Live Rock A ‘Different’ Way

March 1, 2009

Live rock is quite rightly highly rated by marine aquarists, particularly by those with a reef, for both its filtration capabilities and its appearance. It is natural, what could be better than that? Well, nothing really, but nevertheless there are drawbacks in its use.

The first negative is that it is expensive and it’s bound to be with the cost of air freight never mind transport to the final destination in the US or Europe. This cost is generated by both weight and bulk.  Nevertheless, aquarists buy it and can reduce their costs by using base rock underneath the reef which is less expensive. Another way is to reduce the amount required by putting face rock on a framework of plastic supports which means less is required, though care has to be taken that there is still an adequate amount for effective bio-filtration.

Some enterprising aquarists manufacture their own live rock though the numbers who do this are low and the result is not usually as good looking as the real stuff (in my opinion).

Other aquarists use dead inert rock as a reef and employ canister filters for the bio-filtration. This is what I did with my current reef. The bio-media is being removed from the canisters as the rocks are now live.

The last paragraph leads me into the reason for this text. My aquarium (over six years old) is now using rocks as its main bio-filtration, as said the rocks were previously ‘dead’. After setting up the aquarium, before the canisters could be used they had to be ‘matured’, that is a bacterial culture had to be started within them. It could have been done another way - I could probably have used maturation fluid to establish a bacteria colony on the rocks in the first place, they are very porous. The rocks when used initially were not very ‘reefy’ looking though they are now.

If only there were rocks that were both porous and ‘reefy’ in appearance many aquarists would be pleased. Well, it seems there are now.

Artificial ceramic reef ‘rocks’ were brought to my attention by a comment on the forum, they are named Vida Rocks. So of course, never having heard of them, I went onto the internet and had a look. I have to say that the appearance of the rocks seems good, they are natural looking taking the shape of ordinary rocks, arches etc. An aquarist would be able to create a good looking aquascape with them.

The rocks are stated to be highly porous. This means that they should present a suitable habitat for those bacteria that protect our livestock. The bacteria culture would have to be kick started in the same way that a canister filter is by the use of maturation fluid, but this is not a problem. With this method nitrate will probably appear in the aquarium but this is easily reduced by a seawater change. As the ceramic article is porous the possibility, or maybe probability, arises that nitrate could be dealt with as with natural live rock. Bacteria could establish inside the rock in low oxygen areas. It would be great if this occurred.

So we have a system that will present an ‘authentic’ reef appearance and provide adequate bio-filtration. Over time the rocks will become more natural looking as organisms take over the surface areas. These organisms could be introduced on rocks with corals attached.

There must be disadvantages though, and there are. The ceramic rock is not loaded with bacteria by Mother Nature as the natural stuff is. Also, the life forms that could appear in the aquarium when using natural live rocks are not there. The life that could appear with natural rocks is a gift, and there is often quite a lot of it even after the transport time and ‘curing’ process. However, natural live rock could also bring undesirables such as aiptasia (glass anemones) etc which will obviously not occur with the ceramic type. Undesirables could appear in the course of time anyway as coral rocks will be introduced to a reef system and so the threat remains.

I am all for the move to ‘natural’ based aquarium husbandry as are most aquarists and this hasn’t changed. Live rock and deep sand beds (DSB’s) are a good example. This ceramic rock has aroused my interest. If the ceramic rock has been ‘matured’ with bacteria and is combined with a DSB it would amount to very nearly the same thing, with a difference.

The difference is that live rock for the most part is taken from the wild reef areas. By using the manufactured rock the demand on the wild resources would be reduced which generally would be good. Local fish shops (LFS’s) would probably state that it would affect their trade, so they could sell the ceramic variety. They could even sell more of it as it would no doubt be cheaper particularly as it does not have to be air freighted, at least in the US where it is manufactured (I do not know the price).

For an aquarist who is considering extending their reef (or fish only aquascape) this ceramic rock could be considered. It will need a little time to mature (bacteria) so if increased stocking is envisaged care would be needed.

For an aquarist who is just setting up a marine system it is a consideration as a particular aquascape design can more or less be achieved. The normal constraints on stocking after maturation would apply, as with a canister filter. Unlike a canister filter, hopefully the industrious bacteria within the ceramic rock would within reason have an effect on nitrate levels.

Have a look and see what you think:

http://www.cerameco.com

I look forward to comments by aquarists who use it.

(Aquaristsonline.com does not have any links, personal or commercial, with the above internet site)

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Mud Bed Aquarium Filtration

August 24, 2008

Mud bed filtration is similar to that of other sand based aquarium filtration systems, however the substrate is made of such a small grain size that it is very much like mud. A good filtration method to equate a mud bed to is the refugium.

In the refugium filtration method various types of macro algae are grown in the fine sand. The mud bed filtration system is effectively the same, however instead of sand mud is used instead. It is not just normal mud though, it is a mud which is full of various elements and minerals. These elements and minerals are slowly released from the mud into the water column.

A mud bed system is normally run in an aquarium or some other container located under the main display aquarium. Some aspect of mechanical filtration is required to remove any large particles from entering into the mud filtration area. This can be performed at the end of the overflow(s) by passing the water through very small chunks of live rock etc. After the water has been through the mechanical filtration it enters the mud filtration aquarium. The macro algae consume nutrients from the water and various elements are slowly released into the water from the mud bed. The water then normally passes through some type of grid or through another chamber full of small pieces of live rock the purpose of which is to prevent any of the macro algae from leaving the mud area and blocking the return pump. Once the water has passed into the pump area it is returned to the display aquarium.

In a mud based system the lights are normally left on for 24 hours a day. This allows the macro algae to photosynthesise and grow. It is only when macro algae grow that they consume nutrients from the water. It is best to use lighting which is designed for the growth of plant life. A couple of fluorescent tubes will suffice, ensure as said that they are for plant life and have a Kelvin rating of around 6000. Lights with this Kelvin rating have more colour in the yellow/red area which benefits the plants.

A normal rule of thumb for a mud based filtration system is to pass in the region of 10 times the total water volume per hour. This needs to be considered when designing the aquarium system as the total amount of water in the system will determine both the overflow size and the size of return pump required.

As with a refugium there may be a requirement to harvest the macro algae if it becomes too dense. Never pull the algae out by the roots - instead cut the plants back with an old pair of scissors or similar. Harvesting the algae will allow more light to penetrate into the areas where the algae grows. One point to remember is that you should not add this macro algae back into the aquarium as you may reintroduce the nutrients back into the water.

A mud based system combined with macro algae removes a lot of the nutrients (nitrate, phosphate etc) and dissolved organic compounds as well as replenishing trace elements.

A lot of aquarists who utilise a mud based system for filtration do not run a protein skimmer. It is not recommended to do so by these aquarists because of the amount of particulate matter which is extracted from the water by protein skimmers. When viewing a mud based system you can actually see the fine particulate matter in the water. The water is still clear, however it is full of fine matter which some life in the aquarium can use for energy.

Of course there are also aquarists who do choose to run a skimmer, however the majority of these run the skimmer part-time (i.e. throughout the night, turned on/off via the use of a timer). The majority of these aquarists decide to run a skimmer as they are very wary of turning it off. I have run a system using a mud based method combined with live rock for many years without problems. The only thing you need to ensure when you run a system like this is that detritus is removed from the main display aquarium regularly and that weekly water changes are performed. A lot of aquarists who do not run a skimmer on their mud based systems do not have a sand bed in the display aquarium due to the build up of detritus which can occur. Instead they go ‘bare bottom’ in the aquarium. The glass which is visible at the bottom of the aquarium quickly becomes covered in coralline algae as well as other types of life so looks more natural as time passes.

The aquarists who decide not to run a skimmer have reported a higher level of particulate matter visible in the aquarium water which the corals, and other filter feeders consume. Because of the amount of particulate matter in the water column you should see good polyp extension from your corals as well as hopefully having success in keeping some of the harder to keep corals. Obviously you cannot just expect to be able to keep these more difficult corals just because you are running a mud based system - you must still ensure that you have optimal water parameters and that the requirements for the livestock in question are met.

Implementing a mud based filtration system is fairly straightforward. It is best to have an aquarium which is split into three or four sections. This can be accomplished yourself using glass and baffles or you can have one made for you at your local fish shop.

The first area is where the live rock is placed and is where the water from the display aquarium, via the overflow(s), enters the filtration aquarium. The purpose of this section is to remove any large detritus from the water as well as break up any air bubbles. Using live rock in this area is a good idea rather than another type of media as it is a natural filtration medium and will actively help in filtering the water rather than hindering it as other types of media could do.

The second section is where the mud is placed as well as the macro algae (caulerpa etc). The mud is poured into this section and the macro algae planted within it. To give the macro algae a chance to put its roots down trap it gently under a piece of live rock. Once the macro algae takes hold the piece of live rock can be removed. It is advisable to add a few varieties of macro algae as some may not take root. Caulerpa is one species which does tend to do well and there are numerous varieties available. Because of the amount of water flow which can be created in the central chamber some people choose to create small containers 1 inch or so high and 1-2 inches apart in the bottom of the chamber. This prevents the mud from moving around and building up in a pile at one end of the chamber.

The third or fourth section is where the return pump is located and is protected from the second central section via a baffle of some type or even more chunks of live rock contained in a chamber. If you are running this mud aquarium as your sump then your heaters for example can also go in this area.

A couple of fluorescent tubes will suffice for the lighting above the mud section and should remain on for 24 hours per day. As said attempt to use tubes which are designed for plant life as this will help the macro algae grow.

Because of the mud releasing essential elements into the water the mud bed will eventually expire, therefore it is recommended that half of the mud bed is replaced about every two years however I would recommend that you rely upon the manufacturers recommendations in this area.

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The Plenum - Could It Work For You

August 17, 2008

The word plenum is not a term which the majority of beginners have actually heard of especially when it comes to filtering the aquarium. The plenum however is very similar to that of a deep sand bed however both the creation and design are entirely different.

So what actually is a plenum?

A plenum is not a filtration unit but is actually a space which is located under the substrate and separates the substrate from the bottom of the aquarium.

This space (the plenum) is full of both the water and any organic waste as the water is diffused into it. A plenum is also sometimes referred to as a Jaubert system as Dr Jean Jaubert was the individual who discovered it.

The structure of a plenum is actually very very simple. It is basically a deep layer of substrate which is suspended above the bottom of the aquarium to create a space or a void if you will.

How it works is, although slightly scientific, also relatively simple.

As the water moves slowly through the substrate the nitrifying bacteria in the upper level use up all of the oxygen in the water and convert the ammonia to nitrite and then the nitrite to nitrate. The nitrate which remains is the transported with the water down towards the plenum. As the water reaches the lower levels of the substrate the nitrate is then slowly broken down into nitrogen gas by the denitrifying bacteria which live in the very low oxygen levels of the substrate.

The reason the water moves slowly through the sand is due to the anaerobic action being performed in the lower levels. The anaerobic actions produces heat which heats up the water in the plenum area. This heated water moves up through the substrate which therefore displaces the cooler water above it causing the water to move through the substrate at a very slow rate.

A slow rate of water movement is important in a plenum as it assists in the prevention of a dangerous build up of hydrogen sulphide.

The upper levels in the substrate will become home to various organisms which can either be introduced via the aquarist or are organisms which have relocated from their home in the live rock. These are very important, the same as they are in a deep sand bed. Their job is to keep the upper levels of substrate ‘turned over’ and clean from both detritus and waste.

The above is how a plenum operates but how do you actually make one.

Again this is relatively simple. Not as simple as a deep sand bed as it does require a bit of DIY but simple all the same.

The items listed below are required to make the plenum. This list is not set in stone and can be modified to suit your/the aquariums needs.

Marine safe PVC piping.
Egg crate to make the grid from.
Screening.
Aragonite based sand with a granular size between 1 and 2 mm.
Live Sand.
Silicone.
Tie Wraps.

The recommended minimum required depth of substrate in a plenum is 2 ½ inches when placed on top of the plenum grid therefore you need to ensure that you obtain enough aragonite/live sand to accomplish this.

The first thing you will need to do is actually create the support which the substrate which sit on top of and create the plenum. Personally I find that marine safe PVC pipe is the best for this. These, when laid on their side provide a lot of strength for the substrate held above it.

I would recommend that you cut this piping in lengths of two inches or so and ensure that you have enough of them to support the weight of the substrate above it. Remember that you may also be placing rock on top of the substrate in the aquarium so make enough of them to support this as well. If you are unsure make more than you think you will need.

Once all the support have been kit you will now need to make the grid. The grid is basically there to hold the substrate up and also to prevent any of the substrate from falling down into the plenum area and effectively making it useless.

The easiest way I have found to do this is use eggcrate and cut this to the same dimensions as the inner dimensions of your aquarium. It does need to be noted that the grid needs to be a very tight fit so take your time cutting it. Once cut it can then be attached to the supports. I have found that tie wraps are excellent for this.

The basic structure of the plenum is not in place, however if the substrate was to be placed into the aquarium at this point it would simply fall through the eggcrate into the void. This is where the screen is used.

Cut the screen so that it is slightly larger than the inner dimensions of your aquarium. Once cut carefully place it into the aquarium, fold up the edges and carefully silicone it to the side of the aquarium. You will need to allow the silicone to cure which normally takes about 24 hours but once cured you should have a screen which no substrate will fall through.

Once cured you will be in a position to add the lower level of substrate. Add 1 ½ inches or so of aragonite and give it a really good stir using your finger to remove as many pockets of air as possible. Also be exceptionally careful not to tear the screen otherwise all your hard work will go to waste.

Now that the first layer is in place you will need to cut a second screen to slightly larger than the inner dimension of the tank, and silicone it in place as you did the first screen.

Once the curing process is complete put another 1 ½ inches of the aragonite sand into the aquarium. As with the first layer give it a really good stir with your fingers to remove as many air pockets as possible again being careful not to damage the screen.

Now we are ready for the live sand. Add about 1 inch or so of live sand to the top of the final layer - a screen is not required this time as it does not matter if the live sand mixes with the top layer.

The plenum is now complete and ready for water. When filling with water fill it slowly to avoid creating any air bubbles and mixing all the sand up.

So now we should have a plenum area at the bottom topped with a screen, on top of this screen is some aragonite sand followed by another screen. On top of this screen is some more aragonite sand and then the live sand. All of this is supported via some pvc piping to take the weight and create the plenum space.

In a plenum system it is recommended that little or no water flow be directed across the surface of the substrate. It is also recommended that a protein skimmer be utilised with a plenum as this will assist in the removal of any dissolved organic compounds which are not removed by the plenum.

It is easier to introduce a plenum to a new aquarium rather than the modification of an existing one. If you are interested in introducing a plenum to an existing system you will either have to remove everything from the display aquarium to introduce it or build a plenum in a separate aquarium and attach it to the system using overflows and pumps.

As with the introduction of any filtration device you will need to monitor the water parameters carefully so that you know that the nitrogen cycle is functioning properly.

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What Is Natural Aquarium Filtration

August 15, 2008

There is one thing that I have learnt in all my years of keeping aquariums - do not underestimate nature!

It still amazes me today how powerful natural aquarium filtration actually is and how many ways there are to actually filter an aquarium or provide additional nutrient export by using the power of mother nature.

Nowadays whenever I am asked for my recommendation as to the best way to filter a marine aquarium I always mention natural filtration. In my opinion and this is purely my opinion live rock mixed with a remote deep sand bed has to be the ultimate natural based filtration available at this moment in time.

The prime advantage of using natural based filtration methods is its efficiency and the advantages that it gives to the aquarist.

A lot of people however have never heard of natural filtration never mind actually understand what it is.

So what is natural filtration?

Any filtration technique applied to an aquarium actually does have an element of nature in it - the bacteria however in a lot of occasions the container upon/in which the bacteria lives is not natural - it is manmade.

A good example of the above would be a canister filter. The bacteria is natural, however the holding device if you will has been manufactured.

Therefore a good way to explain natural filtration is that it is where the bacteria live in any area which has not been manufactured by man.

This is not a set rule however as there are exceptions to natural filtration. One of which would be using macro algae as a nutrient export tool.

Numerous natural filtration methods can be employed in the home aquarium. Some can be implemented for use as a primary filtration method whilst others can be utilised as an additional nutrient export tool.

As already stated natural filtration can be and is an exceptionally powerful tool. Think about the ocean - it is huge, however the natural filtration devices which are in use in the ocean are very similar to what we can use.

The rock structures on the coral reefs are similar to live rock filtration, grass beds are similar to a refugium/macro algae, mangrove swamps are a much larger scale of mangrove usage in the aquarium etc.

Can you see how powerful this type of filtration can be. The ocean has been filtered this way for millions of years and it can and does work in the aquarium.
Although our aquarium are minute compared to the size of the worlds oceans the end result is the same - excellent water parameters.

There is a point which needs to be made however, the filtration has been termed as natural filtration simply because it is similar to what is used in nature or is the same as is used in nature but on a much smaller scale but there will always be an element of human involvement.

That’s right - the care and maintenance. As with all things in this hobby the correct care and maintenance techniques need to be applied and this is no different with natural aquarium filtration. Nature can again be involved in this area for example using hermit crabs, snails etc to keep the rocks/sand clean however there will always be a time where we need to get involved to keep it just right and running at optimum efficiency.

If you are just starting out in this hobby or already have an aquarium and are using man-made filtration then I really recommend that you at least consider natural based aquarium filtration. It is absolutely amazing how powerful it actually is.

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Cryptic Zones - Another Filtration Possibility

August 14, 2008

There is a scientific term used which is called ‘the gradient concept’. This term basically describes how various marine organisms can be graded according to the amount of light which they receive.

There are two zonal categories which are most commonly used, these are the exposed and the semi exposed zones.

The exposed zone is an environment which is in shallow water and receives a lot of strong sunlight. This is the zone which is typical of the upper reef, otherwise known as a shallow reef. The water currents in this zone are normally quite fast and chaotic, therefore any organisms which live in this area have to be able to withstand such high currents. Due to the high currents there is normally a lot of suspended matter moving around in the water; however with the strong water current a lot of the filter feeding organisms struggle to extract these from the water. This zone is where the majority of the light loving high current SPS corals live and is effectively the environment which we attempt to replicate in the majority of our reef aquariums.

The semi exposed zone is similar to the exposed zone but both the light and water currents are considerably less. Because of the lower water currents filter feeding organisms are able to extract the particulate matter from the water more easily. This zone is similar to that of deeper reef conditions, and is otherwise known as the back reef. In this zone there are still a huge range of photosynthetic organisms which can survive but this zone, because of the lower light conditions, also provides the non photosynthetic organisms with a place to thrive. Again this environment can easily be replicated in our reef aquariums.

In the marine aquatic world there are effectively three more zones which are:

  1. Semi Cryptic
  2. Cryptic
  3. Filter Feeding

The semi cryptic zone is the zone which occurs in the sections of the reef which are either deeper down the face or in naturally occurring overhangs in the reef structures. This zone has a very low light level and can only support photosynthetic organisms which can survive in this type of area.

The cryptic zone is the zone which occurs in the sections of the reef where light if any is far too weak to support any photosynthetic organisms in any way at all, and can only support non photosynthetic organisms. In the natural reef this occurs either within caves or deep into the overhangs of a reef structure.

The filter feeding zone is effectively a combination of the semi cryptic zone and the semi exposed zone. The difference in this mixed zone is that there is little light but very strong water currents, therefore particulate matter in the water can be delivered and consumed via the various filter feeding organisms. This zone is normally where the non photosynthetic soft corals occur.

Understanding the differences between the zones enables you to be able to see what zones you currently have in your aquarium - you will be surprised as to how many you actually have. You will probably find that you have many or even all of these types of zones in parts of your aquarium, however some may be quite small - e.g. small caves in the rock face.

You need to consider these types of zones when setting up a new reef system and also when introducing corals into the aquarium. When purchasing a new coral you need to understand the requirements of the coral and ensure that you have an area of the correct zone available in your aquarium to support it.

In your aquarium you will have various zones in various sizes, however one which is a valuable addition to the aquarium is the implementation of a designated cryptic zone.

A designated cryptic zone can easily be implemented into an existing system by adding a new aquarium into the system, possibly next to the sump, in the sump etc. This aquarium is filled with aquarium water via an overflow from the main aquarium or a tee off from an existing overflow. A small amount of substrate needs to be added. On top of this substrate is placed some pieces of live rock, sponges, sea squirts, non photosynthetic corals etc - effectively any non photosynthetic organism which can survive in a cryptic zone. The aquarium should then be effectively covered up to prevent any light from entering. Dirty water (un-skimmed as DOC’s are a requirement in this area) is fed to this aquarium at a very slow pace and there is minimal water current. This un-skimmed water is best fed into the cryptic zone along the top of the water. What this does is allow the particulate matter in the water to slowly settle down onto the organisms so that it can be consumed. The matter also falls onto the substrate. This allows for the growth of the organisms and therefore more removal of particulate matter from the water. Water from the cryptic zone normally overflows down to the sump so that it can be skimmed therefore for this reason you will need to install the cryptic zone aquarium higher than the sump so that it can overflow. It is also advisable to add some types of cleanup crew into the cryptic zone aquarium so that they can deal with any particulate matter on the substrate, rock work etc.

I have seen various designs of a designated cryptic zone in use. Some have even been combined with deep sand beds/plenums. Occasionally if you open up the covers and have a look you will be amazed at the life which is growing in there and how fast it grows. The thing I like about a cryptic zone is that sponges can quite easily grow. Sponges are a good filtration tool and utilising a cryptic zone will afford you the opportunity to grow some of them.

Of course more than one zone can be implemented whether this is directly in the display aquarium or by using external aquariums.

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