DIY sump

[blackthunda77]

i have a 55 gal reef set up running on a penguin 330 biowheel filter. i want to get rid of that cuz i have too many suspended particles in the water and the water gets cloudy about once a week so im thining the filter is inadequate. i have a sump from a nighbor when i bought the tank from him and it came with the overflow and the return pump. i want to know if haveing just a sump will be enough to filter a 55 gal, the sump looks to be about 10-15 gallons and its made by sea clear. its about 20 in high 30 in long and 6 in wide. i wanted a wet dry but i need something that will be able to hold eonough water so i could put my skimmer and heater inside and be submerged since its air driven. i was wondering if theres a way to make some sort of tower to add to the sump to hold bioballs for filtartion or is that just for culturing bacteria so it wouldnt be nessesary? or if someone could head me in the right direction with links or hint. i dont want to spend much more $ since i pretty much have everything i need. thanks in advance.

[ellisz]

with enough LR, you don't need any bioballs and could really use anything for a sump. I use a 20 gal tank with a DIY dividerto help with microbubbles. I have my berlin skimmer, a mag5 and a mag7 in about 15 gal of water.

Works good for me. I have about 110lbs or LR in my 75 gal tank wit ha 4" DSB.

HTH

[blackthunda77]

do you have a problem with suspended particles?

[ellisz]

My water has some stuff in it but I have a 50 micron filter bag I throw on the drain from time to time.

[mrrrkva]

I would definately think about getting a GOOD skimmer if you already dont have one. Also I would skip the bioballs if you have Live rock. This is a nitrate factory. What are your water parameters? Cloudy water COULD be ammonia or nitrates. How much Liverock do you have?

Also cheap alternatives for a refugium are rubbermaid tubs. They work fine and they are very cheap, but the one you have should serve the purpose

[Anemoneman]

Overfeeding is a classic cause of cloudy water resulting in a bacteria bloom. Check for ammonia to see if you have sufficient nitrification (bio filtration). I agree with the skimmer, if you don't have one you need one. The bigger the better.
A sump is a great idea for a number of reasons.