Why can't we be more like our dark side brothers and sisters.

[Palm Tree]

You can be like the dark side, its called the Walstad method, it involves using plants to do the filtering and normally you use a powerhead for circulation. The thing is freshwater tanks are normally more overstocked than SW so the demand for Bio filtration is greater, SW also use denitrification which again could probably be used by freshwater and skimmers which I read can be used in freshwater but not just any skimmer, its a specially designed one.
At least thats what I heard

 

[nfored]

If I could afford it I would by the fresh water skimmers, after seeing how clean my fowlr is with only a skimmer. I don't have a filter sock, a sponge, filter sock or any type of mechanical filter at all, and my salt water tank is much cleaner then any of my fresh tanks that have canister or filter socks.

I guess plant filtration would be the closest to the dark side we could get. I just like that what filters a marine tank is the decoration of that tank. Yes you can add skimmers and sumps, ect but you don't have to you can simply have live rock and power head for movement.

 

[Shaihulud]

Protein skimmers remove a lot of what would become part of the nitrate cycle in saltwater. Live rocks are just filter mediums, I am sure that freshwater contains as much denitrifying bacteria as saltwater, corals, shrimps, apistia etc are all just part of the bioload living in the live rock.