Corner Overflow DSB with LR ???

Hi everyone I normally just search the forum for answers and rarely post anything. I have been in the hobby for about year and a half. I have had good success with everything that I have attempted to do thus far with my tank. I search the thread but could not find anyone who had similar set up as mine.
Here is what I am trying to do” I have a corner overflow box that my protein skimmer sits in along with some bio balls that I wash every month. After the water enters the over flow it is skimmed and feed back into the over flow at a lower level any excess water feeds my Magnum Canister filter.
What I want to do it add a 4” sand bed in the corner and add some live rock put in some snails and if with any luck this should work as some additional Biological Filtration. My reasoning is that I hate the Bio Ball and am tired of cleaning them. I am hoping that the live rock and sand will function better than bio balls catching waste and having a small cleaner crew should help with the clean-up. :-/
I really don’t have any reasoning to attempt this other hopefully improving my water quality and help keep the pH up.
I just want to know if there might be any draw backs to attempting this.
Currently I have about 70-80 pounds of live rock and a 3”-4” sand bed through-out the tank.
My nitrates and nitrites are almost always near O they do fluctuate marginally but nothing to be worried about pH is normally 8.0
I will try to add some photos when I get home.

 

Research Berlin filtration method. This is what I'm thinking you are trying to do

 

very interesting setup, i would certainly replace the bioballs with sand... I'm a novice at best when it comes to the hobby, so I may be mistaking.

 

Your plans sounds great. I've seen this done with several tank on NR forum. I like to keep filtration simple as well. I run a skimmer and have live rock. If I had a refugium in an AIO tank, an overflow box (closed off like yours is) would be the way to do it. I would add the sand if you want, then add the chaetomorpha macro algae. Remove the bioballs slowly, say 1/4 of the total number each week over 4 weeks, so you don't lose your bacteria from the bio-balls (thus preventing an ammonia/nitrate spike).

 

Thank for th feed back so far.

I looked into the Berlin Filtration and I am kind of thinking along those lines however I am trying to keep in all in the overflow. Most of Berlin setups I looked at seemed more like a sump or fuge under the tank. (((I am trying to avoid the sump for now although If I can ever get the 168gal that I want I will defiantly be put a sump on that.))) The system I am trying to put in place would all be contained in the Overflow.
Here a couple of drawings that hopefully illustrate what I am trying to do.
Seano Hermano do you have link to any of those post? I would like to get some pro and cons prior to attempting this from someone who has already walked the path. What are your thoughts on chato I have heard that it can become overwelming if you dont keep it in check.

 

Sorry for the grammer I dont type so well. I cant figure out how to post the images.
here are the links.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/members/captainreef-albums-new-photos-picture10165-corner.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/members/captainreef-albums-new-photos-picture10164-photo-0274.html

 

I'll post some links in a bit.

The Berlin system consists of a skimmer and a large amount of rock. It can be in the display, the sump, or your overflow in your case. But it works the same way regardless.

Chaeto is a great form of nutrient export. It consumes nitrates in the water column (and is also a natural breeding ground for copepods which consume detritus from LR). If you prevent it from going out of control by trimming it and cutting off sections weekly or monthly then keeping it in check is no problem. Nutrients are not actually 'exported' until you remove section of the marco algae from the aquarium (you can throw these out or sell/trade to other hobbyists).

 

If you do choose to put chaeto in your overflow just be sure to provide a source of light. This can be a fl bulb, a desk lamp or a cheap clip on LED lamp. Color temperature is not that important. In fact a yellower light will result in better light.

 

One last question about the chaeto (sorry I live somewhere were the nearest LFS is an hour and half away) I like the idea of the chaeto but would I have to worry about this budding out or something an ending up in my DT?

 

OK dumb question a quick search and I found my answer.