Sump set up

[Frickmiester]

I just got my new 90 gallon tank I am planning on making a reef tank however I need some good input on how to set up the sump I know I will need a protean skimmer but what should I put where anything you can tell me will help thanks a lot!

Here are some pictures of the sump

 

[erichm20]

I have not seen this type of sump. Does it have 4 chambers? There is really no set way to do it- depends on what you want to do. Yes you usually will put your skimmer in there and return pump at a minimum. A lot of people will put extra live rock in there or go with a refugium and grow macro algae. I'm sure you gave some thought to it when you purchased this model- what did you have in mind as far as how you would use it?

 

[Frickmiester]

Well I though I would have the skimmer in the first chamber the "intake chamber" then the larger woul be some type I micro algae then the smallest chamber would have water probes and heater then the last chamber the return pumps

 

[erichm20]

That sounds perfect to me. It looks like a nice sump!

 

[Frickmiester]

What kind of micro algae should I get?

 

[motorzrcook]

sump setup

hello, just wondering what size sump you got and how much and where you got it from, just wondering.

 

[Frickmiester]

For the size il have to get back to you I got it from a local store wet pets by Steve in Norman ok have to get back to you on the price I think it was around 100?

 

[Frickmiester]

I bout it with the tank an stand and crown

 

[Frickmiester]

Here's the tank

 

[erichm20]

The most common macro algae used are caulerpa and chaetomorpha. I use chaeto. Whatever works for you really- anything that will help to pull out nutrients.

 

[Frickmiester]

So is the algae pulling out ammonia or nitrites and nitrates or

 

[Frickmiester]

Where the water overflow is with the black sponge there I was going to put small bags of carbon ontop of the sponge to help pull out some chems

 

[erichm20]

The algae will lower nitrates and phosphates. Your beneficial bacteria in the system will take care of ammonia and nitrites. You could run carbon like the way you said.

 

[Frickmiester]

I was thinking of getting a mandarin fish a red male female pair with a couple of clown ms and a couple of royal gramma but I heard that the mandarin eats Pollups or something from the coral what exactly is that? If you know a lol off topic from the sump but?

 

[erichm20]

Mandarins only eat pods not polyps. You need a tank that is well established at least over a year old to ensure you have enough pods for the fish. You could def get the clowns and the gramma.

 

[Frickmiester]

What exactly are pods? What is made up of them?

 

[erichm20]

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/pestscopepods/a/aa061200.htm