How the tank is Setup
This tank is run on a modified Berlin method. I have over 300lbs. of Fiji and Samoa live rock, about a 3-5" live sand base and a large protein skimmer. I use nothing else for filtration. The aerobic bacteria on the rock/sand serve to break ammonia down into nitrite and then into nitrate. The deep live sand bed provides area for anaerobic bacteria to grow which breaks the nitrate down into nitrogen gas which is then released into the atmosphere at the surface of the water. The protein skimmer removes organic material from the before it has a chance to break down and cause problems. I keep a 30 gallon trash can constantly mixing with new salt water from which I do 2 gallon water changes every day. I also drip 1 or 2 gallons of kalkwasser every day.(1 or 2 depends on how lazy I feel). The kalkwasser provides calcium and alkalinity and also helps to keep Ph stable. I have a 15 gallon refugium which I have lit reverse to the tanks lights, which helps keep Ph stable at night. There is about 20lbs. of live rock and about a 5-6" live sand bed in the refugium along with some caulerpa and halimeda species macroalgae. I set this refugium up mainly to provide extra copepods to the tank for the Mandarin fish that I have in the display tank.
