filters?

[Brandonjkoontz1]

Starting me second tank. 30 gallon tall. My other 30 gallon has 2 penguin 350 bio wheel power filters. I started that tank with damsels so I want to do somthing where my stock wont be so limited. Its also a fowlr so I don't have a skimmer on it. This new tank I'm ganna try and do a reef tank so does anyone have suggestions on filtration system?

 

[spoonman]

Maybe a 10 gallon sump/refugium?

 

[Hondatek]

Algae turf scrubber.

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

I'm pretty new to the hobby. Iv looked into sumps but I still don't really understand what exactlly goes into one or how it works. Can you shed some light on the subject for me? Id really appreciate it. Iv tried looking it up but every time I find somthing about them it ends up just being for sale with little to no info on the system itself.

 

[Grizz]

Sumps Explained

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

Thank you. So helpful. Ill deff be doing one on my new tank.

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

So iv been trying to figure out how I'm going to put this together. I understand how a sump works and why there good but I'm still not sure what equipment goes into one. I know there's all kinds of different varients but I'm not sure what I should look into getting. Its for my 30 gallon and I'm clueless. =\

 

[Schism]

You will want a skimmer for your sump. Only necessary thing is a return pump. Your going to need an overflow box as well. I highly suggest drilling your tank and installing overflow bulkhead and return bulkhead alone with box.

Hang on the back overflows can be unreliable cause your sump to drain and a big mess on the floor. Power outages also can cause problems with hang on overflows.

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

When you say drill the tank you mean connect the whole system to the DT?

 

[Schism]

I mean drilling the display tank to accept 2 bulkheads. One for the overflow and one for the return line from the sump.

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

Alright. And the over flow just moves water from the dt to the sump?

 

[Hondatek]

Yep. If you do not decide to drill the tank the only hang on overflow i would use is a CPR with the aqua lifter pump. I have had power outages with mine and it always starts up on it's own .

 

[Sniperhank]

The aqualifter is a life saver. It kept siphon on my system great until it burnt out, and I then almost overflowed my DT.

Either way, a nice sump setup is what is needed for a good reef. It gives you space for your skimmer and fuge. Along with that you can put anything in there from heaters and so on. I'm planning on putting all the above back into my sump once I fix my issue, which has a dual reactor w/ GFO and activated carbon with the addition of an algae scrubber. I've come to the conclusion that it is turning into overkill, but I really like the DIY projects.

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

Yeah I'm going to keep doing research to find out more about what to put into it (skimmers algae scrubers filters ect.) And I think I'm ganna go with your advice to drill it. Along with how the set up should actually look like. Just like I said before I'm a novice and my knowledge on the subject is virtially zero. =\ so your advice is really appreciated. Thank you.

 

[J33ps]

This is what I made out of a ten gal tank easy cheap and u have a sump and fuge in one I had a return pump but u can get one for 40 dollars the tank is 13 or go to a goodwill the light is a shop like 10 and I put glass 4 to 6 in away from the side for the water to flow back in and a skimmer ones at 9 in high the lower one is at 7 then the water hits the return pump and goes back up to the top tank I put cheato algae in there for nitrates I had a sump but got rid of it because it was a nitrate factory with the bio balls and that it doubled the clarity in my tank in the first week I put it in I'm into the hole thing maybe 60 dollars

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

Cool that looks really good. Whats the reason for putting them a different hights though? Just for water flow?

 

[J33ps]

Ya water flow gives more air in the water and keeps the cheato algae in the middle

 

[Brandonjkoontz1]

So I should do the overflow to a middle section where the biological filtration is (cheato? Not sure what that is) to another section with a filter then another with a skimmer possibly? I'm sorry Im sure I sound like such a noob but I'm so confussed. The more i read about the system the more i feel like im getting ahead of myself in not truly understanding the layout. Or there's a bunch of termanology I don't understand. =\

 

[J33ps]

Don't worry about it your first chamber is the 9 in high one depending on what you use for a tank that is where your incoming and your skimmer will go I put a sock on the end of my incoming line then it goes down to a middle chamber that has your hair algae or cheato algae that helps with nitrates then u go to the7 in high chamber that is where your return pump will go I also put filter pads on that so I could filter what ever is left that the filter sock did not get and or so the cheato algae doesn't or hair algae doesn't get clogged in ur return pump

 

[J33ps]

Make sure they are wide enough to fit a skimmer and the incoming PVC pipe, you could cut holes in ur tank but I was to lazy to do that lol