Upgrading to tank with sump

[Bray84]

So I'm upgrading my tank in few weeks and doing a sump for first time and got the basic idea what's going on with a sump but like to know what's best to use as dont like idea of bio balls. Also can I do the transfer of rock and fish in a day of setting up new tank with all water from my old tank into new tank but will only be about 35-40% of new tank, also it's fish only tank at min why I'm getting bigger so can do corals

 

[willbratz]

Use live rock rubble. Drop a CuC in there. Add some cheato algae... That should be a good starting point.

 

[Bray84]

Do put a sand bed in sump with rock,what's the cheato for?

 

[willbratz]

I do not have a sand bed in mine just live rock and a cleanup crew. The cheato algae will help prevent other nuisance algae from forming in your DT my consuming the food that the nuisance algae would consume to live and thrive in your tank.

 

[Bray84]

What cuc would b good to use and will u need a light for them, cool well might use it in future when tank gets full with corals and maybe more fish

 

[willbratz]

Crabs snails. You will is you add cheato, but that can be handled with a simple clamp on bulb

 

[Bray84]

Do u run any carbon in the sump?

 

[willbratz]

I do not but I do run GFO and a nitrate blocker in my 2 phosban 150 reactors...

 

[Bray84]

Would carbon b ok to add in sump as need more info on reactors as never used before

 

[Rutrag]

Would carbon b ok to add in sump as need more info on reactors as never used before

Reactors in their most simple form hold filtration media and have water forced through the media. Bulk Reef Supply has a couple of models, and the Phosban 150 model by Two Little Fishies is also very popular. (Bulk Reef Supply has some good videos on their site as well as YouTube you can watch to get a better idea.) They generally use a dedicated powerhead to pump water through them from the sump and return the water to the sump, but many can be used as HOB units as well.

Just for purposes of clarification, what willbratz is advocating is using the sump as what I would consider to be a simple refugium with live rock and the chaetomorpha algae. The chaeto is both a breeding ground for pods as well as working to remove nitrates. The live rock will do the same.

Here is a video I made of my sump. I do not have a refugium section like willbratz, but I use a small amount of bioballs, an oversized skimmer, filter socks, and a media reactor. (It's the BRS media reactor, but you can't see it very well due to it being under the stand.) My method of nutrient removal I guess would be more chemical and mechanical where willbratz method is more biological. Either method can work, but the refugium method is far better for raising pods.

Aquarium sump explanation - YouTube

 

[willbratz]

Reactors in their most simple form hold filtration media and have water forced through the media. Bulk Reef Supply has a couple of models, and the Phosban 150 model by Two Little Fishies is also very popular. (Bulk Reef Supply has some good videos on their site as well as YouTube you can watch to get a better idea.) They generally use a dedicated powerhead to pump water through them from the sump and return the water to the sump, but many can be used as HOB units as well.

Just for purposes of clarification, what willbratz is advocating is using the sump as what I would consider to be a simple refugium with live rock and the chaetomorpha algae. The chaeto is both a breeding ground for pods as well as working to remove nitrates. The live rock will do the same.

Here is a video I made of my sump. I do not have a refugium section like willbratz, but I use a small amount of bioballs, an oversized skimmer, filter socks, and a media reactor. (It's the BRS media reactor, but you can't see it very well due to it being under the stand.) My method of nutrient removal I guess would be more chemical and mechanical where willbratz method is more biological. Either method can work, but the refugium method is far better for raising pods.

Aquarium sump explanation - YouTube

Great video! And in a round about way that's the point I was trying to make. Plus we get the added bonus of hiding hideous equipment LOL

 

[Bray84]

Cool vid it helps alot. My skimmer is in first part where the water first enters the sump so bio balls are in nxt part so if put some rock instead of bio ball will i need a lot of rock

 

[Bray84]

Here's pic from manual