[Subsea]

In most things that I do, I try to keep it simple. While working on my Marine Engineering degree, I took a chemical oceanography elective at Texas Maritime Academy. I had just started up my first marine aquarium, Galveston Bay biotheme. In those days nobody did marine aquarium. It was 1971 and I had just completed 4 years active duty in the Air Force. For my substrate, I used crushed up oyster shells which I got from an agriculture feed store. It was used with chicken feed to assist with grinding up food in the gizzard. I collected my salt water on an incoming tide near the Galveston jetties. Anemones and peppermint shrimp were also collected on the jetties. More tank inhabitants were collected in the salt water marshes of Galveston Bay. These included grass shrimp and green mollies. For live rock, I found an oyster cluster with many small feather dusters and other filter feeders.

Initially, I monitored pH and attempted to inject chemical controls to keep it constant. Too much work and no fun, I left it alone to fend for itself. The tank responded well to being left alone. This was my first step in using natural filtration methods. Carbon dioxide in the athmosphere and abundent calcium carbonate in the water provide buffering and trace mineral make up. Carbon dosing was not invented by advanced hobbiest. It is a by product of carbon dioxide in the athmosphere and photosynthesis in the ocean. As I continued in the hobby, literature became available to learn more. For me, it all came together with John Tullock's book "The Natural Reef Aquarium". One important theme from the book was to establish a biotheme that was compatiable. Many hobbiest mix and match tank mates with disastrous results. However, the central theme of the book was "less technology, more biology". The average hobbiest today may think, that "old school" method was ok then but we are so much more advanced and have improved on that "old school science". As one begins to study on the science behind the biology and chemistry, you will begin to understand that nature is very efficient. An in depth talk with microbiologist about the efficiency in which nature recycles and keeps things working has lead me to appreciate natural filtration.

In this thread, I will discuss some of the methods of natural filtration including some of the science that makes it work.