new 168 gallon setup - question about filtration

[thepirate]

I have purchased all of the parts to setup a 124 gallon tank with a 44 gallon sump.

i am looking at using a shallow sand base with lr in the main tank.

i am looking at dividing the sump into four sections

1) lr ruble filter - nitrifying

2) chamber for skimmer

3) refugium with magic mud and calerpa - de-nitrifying

4) chamber for return pump

am i going along the right lines? can anyone see any problems with this?

i know that most people recommend a dsb but i really don't like the look so i was hoping to get away without having to use one, i could always add more sand later if i needed it to reduce the nitrates.

also, the sump is currently a standard 48 inch tank, how do i go about dividing it? does anyone have any designs or advice as to the size of the chamber?

cheers for the help

mark

 

[fishfreek]

You can put the DSB in your sump in exchange for the magic mud. I dont belive in that stuff. Its basicly polverized live rock.

Since the sump is a standard glass tank you can segment it using glass panels that you then silicon into place. Remember not to make your return pump chamber to small as this is where your tank will show its dairly evaporation loss. The water levels in all the other cambers will remain consistant thru the evaporation. If you make it to small (Ie less than 3 gal of water) then you just might find the pump running dry on a dry summers day. If you incorporate an auto topoff in this camber then that will help. Use glass panels that wall off the chambers and let water flow over the panel wals to get to the next chamber. You do this by using panels of different heights.

 

[thepirate]

new setup

i have heard and read that a dsb can be dangerous ie. gases can build up within the dsb which are hamful to the tank inhabitants, is there any truth in this?

thanks for the advice regarding the return pump section, i hadn't thought of that!

does anyone have any designs for the sump?

cheers

mark