I found filters are fine and my water levels were also fine, its all about how you look after the tank. As a fish tank isnt a natural enviroment its not recreating a natrual enviroment by just adding live rock. I understand what you mean but the way i have run my tanks is how they have been run successfully for decades (by others). Have you tried anything other than live rock?

I dont see how fish kept in a glass box is anything natural, there for the enviroment will be different, heck even the water is fake sea water. Another reason people wont use LR is because of the ethical issues with using it (even with the man made stuff now) and even the ethics with using RO water (wasting 10 times as much as you use).

A filter, water changes and a skimmer is the basics that you need to creat a great enviroment for marine fish.

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a debate of this kind could go on forever and if you want to discuss ethics then you have come to the right person.
i propogate corals for a specific reason that will take things way off track....not going there now.

using 'natural' or agrocrete rock is imo the only way of doing things long term due to the enviromental food chain that is needed to sustain a reef tank.
if the micro fauna and flora and not imported through the rock then i really do not see how the fish and corals are going to get the natural,rich food that they need in order to thrive.

as for r/o being enviromentally wrong then you are correct to a certain extent....what options are there though?
at best you can buy ready mixed saltwater that would've orignated (in part) from an r/o system in the first place....
at worst.....tap water....and if you have ever seen the efluent from an r/o unit then you would understand the reason it was used in the first place.

using methods that have been used for decades is not always the best thing to do as science wasn't quite as good back then as it is now.

i still would really like to see some pics of your system btw as you sound as though things are good with power filters and tapwater.

I agree LR is the only way to go when setting up a reef tank, but for a FO tank external and internal filters are fine

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I dont use the same equipment, i use the same methods (similar to the FW). The science may have been different but the bacteria and nitrogen cycle is the same.

When we start talking about reef tanks, i do agree with you that live rock would be an excellent way to make a more natural looking and and would benifit the more sensitive corals in reguards to water quality. But when it comes to fish, which are much more hardy than inverts (cuc, OS and corals)and using a filter does a great job. I will try and get some pics of my set ups, i dont have any on my computer and the min.

If we are talking about a reef tank live rock is the way to go, if you just want a few marine fish, a filter and the freshwater method works a treat.
Its not about using RO water its when people say, im protecting my corals and giving my corals better life. But with views like that (not that you have these views, just in general) why keep them in the first place. The energy that goes into making the water and keeping the system running is huge and the water wastage, all this energy and polution is pumped back into the enviroment and will only be detrimental to the wild corals in the end.

__________________
I have an underweight male leopard gecko in need of a home. If you can help please PM me for details (normal, adult male) South east London collection only. Not the ideal first animal! He's FREE but a good home is a must!