Ok so I have been contemplating this style of aquarium for a some time now, and since I will be living in Colorado for the next foreseeable future, I think it is time to try it out and share my successes or failures with y'all. I have been following a friend of mines 40gal breeder tank build for a while (I don't have a link to his thread), and find his success with full natural filtration to be a foreshadow into the future of advanced reef keeping. I know the practice has been around for many years with Leng Sy revolutionizing the refugium, but I think it is time for more attention to the natural order of biological filtration. Since I don't have any blueprints made up with the design of the system I will have to explain it the best I can in words. Even though this thread won't have questions per say, feel free to read all of it as a giant question.
The system will be divided up into four separate containers varying in size with the smallest tank acting as the coral reef. The first tank will simulate a mangrove forest estuary where freshwater tank waste water will top off the entire system. This tank will fluctuate in salinity and nutrients consistently during the day, but in theory should stabilize before it reaches the coral tank. This tank will have its own canister filter to aid in some gas exchange, and have a small return pump from the sump supplying it with saltwater like mini tides. As top off water is added into this container it will start overflowing the container more aggressively into the following container that has a deep san bed and macro algae. BTW the first container will be mud, rock, and sand. The second container will have no return pump supply from the sump to help level out nutrients from the top container. As the water chain reaction continues from the first container into the second container, it will again spill into the third container that contains a deep sand bed, sponge, gorgonians, some soft corals, aiptasia or rock anemones, and more macro algae for a final nutrient scrub. I hope that by the time water reaches into the third container nitrates, phosphates, and other macro nutrients will be consumed like a natural lagoon. A more aggressive powerhead and wave makers will occupy this container to synthesize fore reef currents. Continuing the process, water will reach the final aquarium and sump that is a full mixed reef with everything you would expect to see in a display tank.
So that is the beginning idea, as it becomes more detailed I will update with pictures and build details. This is intended to be more of an experiment more than anything, so if anybody has thoughts, concerns, or additional ideas let me know! Can't wait to get up to Colorado and meet all y'all!
The system will be divided up into four separate containers varying in size with the smallest tank acting as the coral reef. The first tank will simulate a mangrove forest estuary where freshwater tank waste water will top off the entire system. This tank will fluctuate in salinity and nutrients consistently during the day, but in theory should stabilize before it reaches the coral tank. This tank will have its own canister filter to aid in some gas exchange, and have a small return pump from the sump supplying it with saltwater like mini tides. As top off water is added into this container it will start overflowing the container more aggressively into the following container that has a deep san bed and macro algae. BTW the first container will be mud, rock, and sand. The second container will have no return pump supply from the sump to help level out nutrients from the top container. As the water chain reaction continues from the first container into the second container, it will again spill into the third container that contains a deep sand bed, sponge, gorgonians, some soft corals, aiptasia or rock anemones, and more macro algae for a final nutrient scrub. I hope that by the time water reaches into the third container nitrates, phosphates, and other macro nutrients will be consumed like a natural lagoon. A more aggressive powerhead and wave makers will occupy this container to synthesize fore reef currents. Continuing the process, water will reach the final aquarium and sump that is a full mixed reef with everything you would expect to see in a display tank.
So that is the beginning idea, as it becomes more detailed I will update with pictures and build details. This is intended to be more of an experiment more than anything, so if anybody has thoughts, concerns, or additional ideas let me know! Can't wait to get up to Colorado and meet all y'all!