Most of our clients actually didn't really ask the very detail of the salt water aquarium system we made for them. Why? well.. if i have to explain to you from A-Z, we'll be needing to go back to our A-level Chemistry and Biology notebook, because there are LOTS to take in. Salt water aquarium system have many varieties too, depending on the main usage (for aesthetic or for breeding). And this knowledge requires lots and lots of experience. But if in case you're curious, here is the salt water aquarium system made simple for you!
Your salt water aquarium is basically a mini ecosystem of the ocean compacted into a glass box. And so you need to know that there will be whole bunch of bacteria (good or bad), fishes and corals' excretions and so on. Without a proper filtration system and weekly maintenance, your aquarium will be extremely dirty. The salt water aquarium is generally dirtier and harder to maintain than fresh water, therefore it is a requirement to build another ecosystem 'below' the aquarium that will take all the bacteria and excretions from the main salt water aquarium system itself.
Now, before we move on with the more detailed explanation about the filtration system, we need to go back to the very basic of water chemistry. Once you know it, you'll find it much easier to understand the system of the filtration. There are 3 main components you need to remember: Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates. They are all byproducts of organic waste breaking down in an aquarium and all are toxic at some level to your fishes and plants. At this moment, the wastes are required to be broken down into something else that can be utilized by other organism. The break down can be listed down in four part process:
1. The excretion from fishes, plants and foods breaks down and release ammonia.
2. This ammonia is very toxic to fishes and needs to be converted to nitrite by nitrifying bacteria.
3. Nitrite is also toxic to fish, and needs to be converted to nitrate once again by beneficial nitrifying bacteria.
4. Nitrate is not nearly as toxic, and is used by plants or algae to help them grow.
So the filtration system does not only filters out the dirt out of the aquarium, it actually houses a whole bunch of bacteria required to break down the bad chemical out of the ecosystem, This type of filtration system is called biological filtration.
2. DRY/WET SUMP
The reason why it's called Dry and Wet sump is because the filter media is exposed to air and water at the same time instead of being submerged. This way, the bacteria that is responsible in converting ammonia to nitrates does a better job. And the better the conversion efficiency, the healthier the tank. Now, to make a good dry/wet sump, you need to set it up like making a sandwich. First we put in course sponge and fine wool to help with straining out particles. Then comes the bioballs, kaldness and coral fragments that act as a home to the aerobic bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrate.
1. THE OVERFLOW
The overflow is the first step where the water inside the display tank goes into the filtration system and it is also used to maintain steady water levels in the display tank. The only way water goes over and into the overflow is if the water level in the main tank exceeds the height of the overflow. The excess water flows over and then proceeds down the drain and into the sump. We used a Durso Standpipe to silence the overflow. Without it, you can hear the water rushing down the bottom of the overflow like Niagara fall or a gargling noise from the chamber every second of your day!
3. THE MANGROVE BIO FILTRATION
Mangroves are responsible in nitrates and phosphates level in the water. They absorbs the excess organic materials in your water. Thanks to this, your aquarium wont be experiencing algae bloom and your fish are safe and healthy from the excess nitrates. We usually added mangrove to the system when they are in their seed form which looks like a long pods. They are commonly fatter on the bottom and narrower at the top. The seed will the be placed in layers of soft cotton wool to grow overtime. This part of filtration is good as a quarantine for your sick fish, the mangrove will naturally absorb the bad bacteria off your fish.
4. THE SKIMMER
The protein skimmer is used to remove organic compounds from the excess organic waste by using the polarity of the compound itself. As the water with the organic wastes comes in, the air are injected together and passed through a water pump that cuts the air bubble into smaller air bubbles. The smaller bubbles skims the protein more effectively. The water movement hastens diffusion of organic molecules, which effectively brings more organic molecules to the air and collected on the skimmate collection pump.
5. CHILLER
Now, here comes the easy part. most of the water in this part is clean and safe to go to the main aquarium already, but we need one last step before returning the healthy water back to its original place. The chiller, like how it is named, is to chill down the temperature of the water to about 24 to 25 degree celcius, anymore than that will make the coral bleach and die and destroy the whole ecosystem. After the water is chilled to the optimal temperature, the water is then returned back to the filtration system until it reaches the big pump that will pump the water back to the aquarium.
6. HOME SWEET HOME
That whole journey is pretty tiring, but at least the water that returns is completely clean and safe for the fishes and plants. One reminder for every salt water aquarium owner is to frequently clean the filtration system (twice a week), change the water in the aquarium every month, and don't overfeed the fishes and leave the remains of the food in the aquarium. Other than that, you're all set! Thanks for reading, i hope this helps.