Sump Setup Advice

[SaltwaterNuB]

I just purchased this 40g sump for my 135g tank. I also purchase an aqua metic turboflotor t1000 skimmer and a return pump. I have 10" with over flow boxed.
1?- how should I set my sump up? Return, refugium, skimmer... So on...
2?- do I need to run both overflows?
3?-does anyone have feedback on the skimmer?
4?- the skimmer is missing its lid, will this be a problem?

 

[obscurereef]

Very sleek sump. And I have the same skimmer. Works great and my friend who uses the same one on his 300 gallon tank has had it for 8 years and still works great. Well it can overflow or build up a lot of foam. Using a left over lid from a jar would help.

Usual order is: filter sock, protein skimmer, refugium, then return. You can always switch the order, but having the skimmer before the refugium makes it so that it doesn't suck up all the pods that will flow over to the next chamber.

I have 2 overflows, but one is used for emergency. Depends how you want to plumb it.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

That's great news. I totally scored on this set up. Everything cost me around $115. Can I run a single sock and skimmer in first chamber? In second I was going to do bio balls/rings on bottom and a refugium on top (using a piece of acrylic with holes of water flow) the flowing into the return... I'm so happy that I've heard suck great news about the skimmer.

 

[obscurereef]

Jealous! Rock rubble would be better, but I'm sure one rock works. I don't recommend bio balls b/c they are nitrate factories. Just do the refugium (with sand or rock rubble).

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Rock bubble...? Foreign to me. Can you specify

 

[obscurereef]

The way it is set up right now is hang on the back. Being that it has no lid on, you'll probably end up with organic waste on the floor...If you can fit it, I recommend putting it in the sump. That way you don't have to turn it off and on everytime you take it out to empty (which for me is 3-5 days).

 

[obscurereef]

Rock bubble...? Foreign to me. Can you specify

Rock rubble are just small pieces of rock that you can buy or it comes with rock that you order. Basically what breaks off of the pieces of rock.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Yeah I don't want to use it as a hob. So do you think I'd be able to use it in the first chamber where the water enters the sump. In refugium- sand bed, rock, and chaeto?

 

[obscurereef]

Yeah you could put it in the first chamber. Are you going to have the filter sock there b/c I doubt they would both fit. For the refugium, exactly. And you can get a $10 reflector and CFL light bulb from Home Depot or Walmart as long as it's 5000K-65000K.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

I m almost positive that both will fit in first chamber. I'm going to double check after work. Also as for my inlet from my overflow to my sump- should I plumb in a gate valve? And is the water just gravity fed?

 

[mr_X]

No valve on the display drain. You never want to restrict that. You can adjust intake to the sump by choking off the return pump (at the outlet).
Judging by owning multiple skimmers, I would use that turbofloater on nothing larger than a 75 gallon tank.
The size of the skimmer plus the pump gph is what I'm going by. Look to other manufacturers' skimmers rated for 250 gallons and you will see what I mean.
It's certainly not going to hurt you to use it, but you could purchase something more efficient.
Putting the skimmer in the sump instead of hanging it on the back will also save you in the event that it overflows. If you have an "event" in the tank which causes the skimmer to overflow, it will continue to do so until your sump is empty.
You could burn out your return pump, have no filtration and heat until you are aware of the problem, and have a terrible mess on your floor. There is no good reason to hang it on the back if you have a sump.
As far as rock rubble is concerned, you can simply take a hammer to some larger rocks.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Thanks X for all of your helpful tips. I will have the skimmer inside instead of hanging. Also all of the research that I've done says that this skimmer is rated for up to 250g... I'm going to give it a try and see how it works. I currently am running a canister 350 and a fluidized bed hob filter. I can't wait to get the sump and skimmer up and running. My water quality should improve greatly. Thx

 

[mr_X]

Yes, it's rated for 250 gallons. It was rated so about 10 years ago, when they first developed the skimmer. Skimmers have evolved since then. The turbofloater did not.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Gotcha! Thanks. I'll probably run it for a couple months until I can afford a better one. Can't hurt... Your profile pic cracks me up. Haha

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

@ oreef- if I do sand/rock in my second chamber don't you thing that the sand will make its way through my bubble trap and into return chamber? Also I am going to get a piece of glass cut to set on the rock for my chaeto to sit in. This glass will have a bunch of holes for good water flow. Would it be a plus to also sandwich a few filter pads between the rock/sand bed and the chaeto? Your guys' input has been greatly appreciated!

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Something like this.

 

[bazeball05]

Don't use the filter pads, not necessary...

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Ok great. Thx, otherwise you think everything will work out well. You don't think the sand will move into the return chamber?

 

[bazeball05]

No it won't. It will will stay nestled in the bottom

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

I have a 50lbs bag oh silica sand, can I use that in my refug chamber? Or would live sand be better...