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It was mentioned in another thread about the use of a cryptic zone for filtration(Schwagg's tank). I would like to hear from any of you that may have tried this method or have researched it as well.
Cryptic zone
- Thread starter grouper therapy
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one of the tanks i take care of has one. Its just a fuge with no light. BUNCHES of sponges and stuff growing down there. Definitely works, just no clue if its any better then a light fuge.
you can do it with any dark space, some egg crate(or anything that sponges can grow on) and a good amount of flow through it.
you can do it with any dark space, some egg crate(or anything that sponges can grow on) and a good amount of flow through it.
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As compared to a lighted fuge?
skriz
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Most setups will have cryptic areas in some form or another.
For it to be effective, it needs to be quite large. You can have sponges and other non-photosynthetic life in there. I would reccomend a moderate flow, not really a high flow, through the "Scrubber". You want enough flow to allow the transport of "food" to the lifeforms, but not so much that it blows by them.
IMO, a good (make that great) skimmer will do more for you than scrubbers and refugiums (as far as nutrient export is concerned).
For it to be effective, it needs to be quite large. You can have sponges and other non-photosynthetic life in there. I would reccomend a moderate flow, not really a high flow, through the "Scrubber". You want enough flow to allow the transport of "food" to the lifeforms, but not so much that it blows by them.
IMO, a good (make that great) skimmer will do more for you than scrubbers and refugiums (as far as nutrient export is concerned).
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I have mine setup this way:
Overflow >> Skimmer >> Cryptic Zone >> Sump >> Return pump
All my sump circulation flows through it ~1200GPH. It is the size of a standard 55 gallon tank. The flow is slow enough that most or the detritus that the skimmer doesn't get settles out in it. Like I said in the other thread, I don't really have mine setup like I would like but I do get lots of life growing in there even with a decent skimmer in front of it.
Raj is right, most people's overflows are tiny cryptic zones and for whatever reason, I get different life growing in my overflows than my cryptic zone tank.
Overflow >> Skimmer >> Cryptic Zone >> Sump >> Return pump
All my sump circulation flows through it ~1200GPH. It is the size of a standard 55 gallon tank. The flow is slow enough that most or the detritus that the skimmer doesn't get settles out in it. Like I said in the other thread, I don't really have mine setup like I would like but I do get lots of life growing in there even with a decent skimmer in front of it.
Raj is right, most people's overflows are tiny cryptic zones and for whatever reason, I get different life growing in my overflows than my cryptic zone tank.
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I have some rocks in one of the baffles in my sump and there's tons of sponges in that section, guess it's the same idea.
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They way my display is set up, I've got one. Didn't know it was called that, but I've got a 20L that I built a hill of live rock the entire length of the tank, sloping from the front to the back. I made sure to leave plenty of space under the rock, using PVC and egg crate, but I set up a couple pumps in there so that in order for water to go into the filtration system, it has to pass through all the live rock and the cryptic zone.
