New setup help

[thc444]

Hello everyone. I’m completely new to the marine aquarium / reef systems. Past experience with Cichlid keeping many years ago.

The setup I’m working on consists of (so far)
75 gallon 48”x18”x22” drilled with one overflow
48 Inch SunDial T5HO 4x54watt with 4 Lunar Lights
Aqueon ProFlex Model 3 sump 1650 GPH.
I’m planning on adding 50lb of base rock and 60lb of live rock.
I have on hand, enough Southdown aragonite sand for a 4+” deep sand bed.
No skimmer heaters or power heads yet.
I’m also planning to use the center section of the sump as a Refugium. with live rock rubble with a DSB or miracle mud.
I’ve read a lot of articles on the setup and cycling of the tank and plan to add live rock and sand at the same time to start the cycle and cure the LR. I’ll also add power heads and heaters when the cycling starts.
The first (of many questions to come) is, should the Refugium be started at the same time the tank is cycled? It seems to me if I use live rock in it, it should cure and cycle with the LR in the display tank, right?
Second, the sump I’m using is setup for a skimmer in its last chamber. I have read that skimming is “the only way to maintain healthy water chemistry” and have also read that skimming “isn’t that important” I tend to believe that skimming would be nothing but beneficial to the system and plan to utilize a skimmer. That being said, wouldn’t a skimmer, placed after the Refugium remove the macroalgae algae, copepods and isopods I’m attempting to cultivate? Also with a skimmer in the same chamber as the return pump is there a risk of pumping micro bubbles into the display tank? Anything I'm missing for a startup? I should add i'm using RO/DI water for this setup.

 

[mr_X]

yes. cycle the entire tank, including the refugium, minus the macro algae. the cycle will probably kill the algae. add that after the water change at the end. perhaps after you add some livestock even. btw, skip the miracle mud. it's a waste of money IMO. just use sand.

yes, you are right about the skimmer after the fuge. i would put the skimmer in the intake area, before the fuge.

 

[thc444]

Thanks for the advise on the mud, I thought it was pretty expensive too. I'd likr to put the skimmer before the fuge, but the sump I have won't work that way. I'll have to figure out another way...thanks

 

[cmor1701d]

That's a strange looking sump. Why the two filter socks if the middle tube is the drain? That doesn't make sense to me.

Skip the dsb in the sump. There's not enough area for it be of much use. You can put down a small sand layer if you have something that will root in it, otherwise just add macro algae after the cycle is complete.

 

[thc444]

Yea I know what you mean about the filter socks and the drain tube configuration. The pictures on Aqueon's web site confused me too. The way it works is the drain tube goes into a clear tube with a cap on the lower end of it. This makes for a quieter flow of water (i'm told) into the first chambet of the sump. The water from the tank fills the tube and overflows into the plate that the filter socks sit in. It then flows down through the socks and continues up over the first baffel to the fuge area. I'll try and post some pix. when I get a chance. If you are curious check out Youtube, some guy in NYC has posted some pretty informative videos on this sump, one of the driving forces in my buying it instead of trying to build one.
As far as the DSP in the fuge, I guess you are right 5" of sand would really limit the space in there. I assume you would still go with the LR along with the macro algae? I thought I might try and get some mangroves going, more to see if I could get them going than anything else.

 

[cmor1701d]

Yes to LR rubble in the fuge area.
I don't understand why they sump is designed that way. It leaves no room for the protein skimmer or other equipment in that chamber.

 

[thc444]

HopeI didn't make a mistake with this unit. Got it on the advise of my LFS and the youtube vids. The mfgr. says to put the skimmer in the last chamber with the return pump when running a fuge. Danger of micro bubbles getting into the display tank with it there?

 

[mr_X]

of course.