Bill Goody
Aquarium Service
Saltwater Aquarium Bio Filter Guide
As the old saying goes, "there's more than one way to skin a cat" and this quote is especially true for keeping a successful aquarium. There are many techniques and methods but they all generally follow the same math. I will list a couple of popular methods and the reasons behind why they work.
Live Rock
Live rock is a very powerful filtration tool in the saltwater aquarium. It hosts the beneficial bacteria needed for breaking down waste in great numbers. Not only is it a supreme filtration method but it is also natural and will eventually host it's own colony of tiny creatures.
Protein Skimmers
Protein skimmers are the best mechanical filtration (physically takes out particles) for saltwater aquariums. The bubbles basically drag dirt straight out of your aquarium! How cool is that? With just using a skimmer as your main waste remover, you will need a filter to break down the dissolved waste. And of course, keep up with your water changes.
Refugiums
This is my personal favorite and if built big enough, probably the best filtration system. This is basically a natural plant growing area for your aquarium. As you already know, plants will absorb the waste and clean the water naturally.
Reactors
Reactors can be a great addition to any reef aquariums that need supreme water quality. Reactors can be filled with any kind of media from nitrate removing bio pellets, to phosphate removing agents. There are also reactors made to add elements into the aquarium like the calcium reactor.
Wet-Dry Filters
Wet dry filters are notorious for creating excessive nitrates (nitrates are the finished product of waste). These systems are old and outdated. There are much better methods now. Just using live rock instead of the blue bio balls is considered much better and recommended.
Combinations of these filters
Most people who have had long term success with reef tanks and saltwater aquariums in general have combinations of these filters. Anytime you add one of these filters you are adding a piece that helps remove waste from their environment. The cleaner the environment, the healthier the inhabitants.
There are some schools of thought that say you shouldn't have a protein skimmer if you have a refugium since the protein skimmer will take all the food out for the refugium. This could be true and it also doesn't have to be. Most people who say this take really good care of their tanks and have top tier equipment. My guess is that their water is just simply too clean for the refugium so they must stop their skimmer (which is usually oversized anyway). I would say if your tank is heavily stocked then adding all the filters except the wet dry (never use the wet dry) is a good idea.