Berlin Method???

So I am thinking about which direction I want to go with my 90gal and I am kinda confused. If I am using live rock and live sand and a skimmer(a.k.a.) Berlin Method, i don't need a filter system of any other type? Also is this true if I plan on running a sump/refugium? Im curious to hear what you'll think.

 

I don't believe that "live" sand is part of that system. Metal halide lighting is though. I believe that once you add a sump and/or refugium, you are no longer following the "Berlin method".

 

A pure Berlin is simple L/R bare bottom and hell of a skimmer and lots of light M/H are a gotta have . And thats the key factor the skimmer and lights L/R not so much base rock will do just as well .

I set up my first pure Berlin in about 1980 or 1981 or so ? If you want more info look for anything by Peter Wilkens he is the granddaddy of them he and his club in Berlin Germany and the Berlin museum hit up on this methoed back in the mid 1970's

I like them O.K went almost Berlin this time Kept my fuge and thats about the only variation on this 90 that I did . Running a Bullet skimmer on it holding DOC's to very low levels , I could strip the water entirely But I like to keep a little NO3 and PO4's in the system for coral and plant growth it was with the pure Berlin we began to find out you could over skim a system at some point.. We where getting the water so pure it was burning up and starving out the corals .

 

I'm curious as to why MH is necessary for this system. What if you only want to keep soft corals or LPS? Can you use VHO and still have it be considered "Berlin-ish?"

 

Do you not need to have much flow in the berlin system?

 

So I guess what I am trying to figure out is with the proper amount of live rock , a good skimmer, and algea and live rock in the refugium, can I get away with not running a cannister filter? I wand a sand bed in the DT. I would love to save some money on a filter and spend it somewhere else like MH lighting.

 

Do you have a sump? I ask because I'm wondering how you'd run the refugium if you don't? I would think that with enough live rock, live sand, a good skimmer and a refugium, you wouldn't need any other type of mechanical filtration. Not many people use cannister filters in this hobby anymore.

 

Metal Halides create far more photosyntheses and hence a higher redox level . and more oxygen like a natural reef along the equator there is a reason the major reefs all set along the latitude and longitude around the world depending on the dominate species of coral living on the reef and why all reef building corals IE. SPSS are all closer to the equator it's the sun! Don't look at the sun Forest . Oh I have no data just did some common sensce reasoning yrs ago.

 

I would definitely go for a sump over canister filter IMO you will beable to hide away the sump and equipment e.g. heater and skimmer and give you an oportunity to run a refugium with macros and/or use iron based media.

 

Very interesting. I had no idea why MH were a requirement. Now I do