Plenum or Berlin Pros and Cons?

[trupel]

Which filtration system is better and why?

[ELGORDOINAVW]

man did you open a can of worms. IME plenums are a system that has proven itself however with time they can be a ticking time bomb, berlin however seems more of a miniture replica of the ocean LS/LR to filter. I however am a advocate of Bare Bottom tanks, makes cleaning easy but has it's draw backs.

[trupel]

so you dont have any LS at all?

[tinyreef]

i'm with gordo, plenums and berlin can both be effective.

 

the plenum's "bulletproof"-ness (don't really like that term) is enticing but that's also the inherent drawback of plenums (imo). when an issue crops up (people usually do have them) there's really nothing you can (suppose to) do other than a teardown or revert to a hybrid system, temporarily or permanently (e.g. american-style/berlin elements). the plenum setup is supposed to be able to handle itself (if done correctly) so messing with it, if you have a problem, kinda defeats its purpose.

 

berlin demands a little more work and attention but you're much more able to affect changes (positive and negative results tho). you can gauge the functioning of a berlin system better thru skimmers and collected detritus/debris.

 

you can always cheat and do a hybrid like most people end up doing but that wasn't your question. however, i think a hybrid is the 'best' as it borrows the preferred elements/aspects of each different style of filtration. exactly which hybrid depends on the aquarist and each unique setup. hth

[trupel]

What would be the "Ideal" hybrid system?

[palaegic]

There are no ideals.

 

There is what works and what doesn't. You can find outstanding tanks using plenums or deep sand beds, and you find stunning bare-bottom tanks. Conversely, you can find absolute catastrophes of both setups as well.

 

The best way to think of "ideal" is how ideal you plan on being with maintaining whatever setup you choose. It's much more about the water you use, the lights you have selected, and the chemistry you maintain rather than the specific method you are using.

 

If you want a recommendation; consider a 1 to 2 inch deep sandbed to start - no plenum. As the tank matures, you can add a skimmer if you choose. Check out Members Nanos to see what sort of other setups are working, (or not working) for folks. I know we have a couple of other Aussie nano-keepers, hopefully they can offer up their experiences as well.