Berlin method effectiveness

[CrisisReef]

Hello everyone I’m working on starting a 75g coral farm style tank. Mostly egg rate with coral on top and live rock for filtration underneath. The tank has no sump and thus is limited in filtration methods. I was planning on a simple HoB style filter but they are just so freaking loud in my bedroom and any submersible filter is either under powered or very expensive. I did some digging and found that a lot of older tanks ran on what is known as the Berlin Method. Basically all of the filtration is ran by having high flow and a lot of live rock. This combined with low fish stocking apparently makes for some very stable and simple reef tanks. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this style and can comment on its effectiveness and possible pitfalls. I have also been thinking of running a HoB filter only during the day with only mechanical and chemical filtration to help out without disrupting the biological filtration. The tank would be only coral with most likely a single tomini tang.

 

[ichthyoid]

A single tang in a 75 gallon tank full of coral might consume any nutrients the tang will release. Depending on size of tang, number and types of coral, etc. Worst case, you could just control nutrients with water changes. The best way would be continuously changing water, which minimizes nutrient swings.

 

[Steve Burton]

I use Penguin 350 Biowheel filters filled with matrix, they are very quiet if you keep the water level high.

 

[CrisisReef]

I use Penguin 350 Biowheel filters filled with matrix, they are very quiet if you keep the water level high.

I’ll have to look into that, thank you!

 

[CrisisReef]

A single tang in a 75 gallon tank full of coral might consume any nutrients the tang will release. Depending on size of tang, number and types of coral, etc. Worst case, you could just control nutrients with water changes. The best way would be continuously changing water, which minimizes nutrient swings.

That’s what I was hoping. I plan to feed corals consistently and have a pretty high coral stock. I’ve just never ran a tank without a traditional filter so the idea is a little daunting, but I can’t really think of any reason it wouldn’t work. So I figured I’d ask on the forums to get other opinions!

 

[Steve Burton]

I’ll have to look into that, thank you!

The draw back to running the water level that high in a reef tank is an ATO sensor won't easily fit, but if I ran one long term I would definitely DIY a bracket to make it work.
I 86 the stock filter pads and put the matrix in mesh bags to easily be removed to rinse in tank water during water changes.

 

[enderg60]

I run my 75g QT tanks on half a gallon of bio media, after cycling I was able to keep nitrates below 5 with 30 fish in there. The only reason it has a sump is for the ATO and filter roller.

Get a tomini or a convict tang. Mine are voracious eaters and great for frag tanks. Id also recommend black foot snails since the population can self regulate to the tanks needs.

 

[CrisisReef]

I run my 75g QT tanks on half a gallon of bio media, after cycling I was able to keep nitrates below 5 with 30 fish in there. The only reason it has a sump is for the ATO and filter roller.

Get a tomini or a convict tang. Mine are voracious eaters and great for frag tanks. Id also recommend black foot snails since the population can self regulate to the tanks needs.

I’ve never heard of Blackfoot snails, I’ll look into them. Also I thought convict tangs got a little big for a 75? I don’t know much about all of the tang species though to be fair, this is the first time I’ve had a tank big enough for one.