Dont understand sumps

[fish master]

Iam switching my 90 gallon fowlr tank over to reef aquarium. In my tank ive been running 2 canister filters for filtration. but now iam going to a sump system. But what i dont understand is how the sump refugium filters the water. Does protien skimmer do all the filtration. water returns from tank to sump. Goes thru a sock which catches the big stuff. maybe goes thru protein skimmer. then goes around baffles for air bubble, no filtration there. Goes thru refugium area.( over sand around live rock thru plants or algae). no real filtration. then to pump and back to tank. I dont see where water is cleaned except for protein skimmer. Am i missing something. With the cannisters the water is push thru a course then medium then fine filter then some media to filter the water. also they have prefilters in the tank when i clean them the are disgusting. Iam the type of person that doesnt want someone to tell me what to do, i want that person to explain it to me so i understand why or how.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by fish master http:///t/394054/dont-understand-sumps#post_3506867
Iam switching my 90 gallon fowlr tank over to reef aquarium. In my tank ive been running 2 canister filters for filtration. but now iam going to a sump system. But what i dont understand is how the sump refugium filters the water. Does protien skimmer do all the filtration. water returns from tank to sump. Goes thru a sock which catches the big stuff. maybe goes thru protein skimmer. then goes around baffles for air bubble, no filtration there. Goes thru refugium area.( over sand around live rock thru plants or algae). no real filtration. then to pump and back to tank. I dont see where water is cleaned except for protein skimmer. Am i missing something. With the cannisters the water is push thru a course then medium then fine filter then some media to filter the water. also they have prefilters in the tank when i clean them the are disgusting. Iam the type of person that doesnt want someone to tell me what to do, i want that person to explain it to me so i understand why or how.
LOL...I'm with you, I also used two canister filters on my 90g and changed to a sump system...but it works. I even had the skimmer die and not be replaced for 2 months, and yet, all critters in the tank are happy and healthy. I believe the macroalgae is why my system is working so well. That takes all the bad out of the tank water and leaves it pristine....free of nitrates and phosphates. The macros actually do better without a skimmer, and grows like wild flowers as it absorbs all the bad out of the water. Being able to hide things like a heater is priceless. and the ugly water line is in the sump instead of at the top of my display, from the water line going down at top off time. The display water level always stays right where it should.
The only thing is that canisters run completely silent, the sumps (at least mine does) has the sound of running water all the time, and it takes some getting used to. It sounds like the water running in a brook or creek and I find it relaxing. The one in my bedroom (wouldn't you know it) had a gurgle sound (like an emptying bathtub) besides the running water...I sleep alone since my husband passed away, or that tank would get tweaked until it stopped that bothersome noise...LOL...I got used to it.
The rocks, sand and macro are real filtration, just natural opposed to mechanical filtration...and extra organic matter the natural filtration doesn't use is taken out by the skimmer, and large particles are trapped in a filter sock...I opted for a HOB Whisper overflow filter for trapping large particles and adding media such as carbon if I want it, because I found filter socks to be a pain in the butt...and bending over is painful for me.

 

[acrylic51]

I do agree with what Flower had posted......There is no reason you have to run filter socks, some do and some don't depends on how you set the system up.....There does have to be a way; place for large particulates to be removed from the DT though.....Most would prefer the removal to happen in the sump area, and to capture them some opt for filter socks or some type of filter media or depending on the sump it might just settle in a certain area, but the big key is the decaying matter must be removed somehow, someway shape or form......
Protein skimmers aren't a must, but are super handy.....Some might add or say that you can run without, and I'm very hesitant to state that is entirely true.....Fuges and skimmers do similar things to a degree, but IMO 1 isn't better than the other....I feel they somewhat work hand in hand.....There is no "magic bullet" that will remove everything 100% of the time, and that is where I think both are equally important. A skimmer isn't going to skim/strip 100% of the water that passes by it each time, and just as a fuge won't completely filter everything on a single pass, so I offer redundancy.......
I will offer an argument about sand being a major player in filtration.....Not exactly true, when you can look countless places and see many thriving; low nutrient systems, that don't employ sand, so technically speaking sand really isn't part of the filtration equation......

 

[bang guy]

I respectfully disagree. Live sand is a fantastic filtration method. One of many.
The only time it is not a major player in your filtration system is if you have no sand in your system.

 

[acrylic51]

Bang I never stated it wasn't a good filtration, but I do argue the depths most use isn't a true DSB, was also pointing out isn't necessary since BB tanks thrive without it....so I argue the fact it's not a necessity or "must have in a reef tank.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I don't like to have to siphon out detritus in my sumps. I tried that, and it was a pain in the butt! So, I therefore opted to use mechanical filtration (quilters batting) as the first filter section of my sump. Next is my skimmer, and then my return chamber is loaded with healthy live rock.
When I do water changes, I don't pour the new water into the display tank, I pour it into the return chamber of my sump to stir up what is left of the detritus that was building up in the rocks. It is then returned to the display tank and the corals go nuts.
Live sand can be a great filter method as long as you have plenty of biological filtration in it - worms, filter feeders, bacteria, etc. etc. etc. but most people buy that stuff from the store that they call "live sand." I have opted for a sandbed in my new tank for the simple fact that I like to see the waxing and waning of microfauna in the sandbed. I also intend on asking a friend for a cup of sand out of his tank in six months or so to populate the sandbed with different critters... to keep the biological filtration diverse.
Barebottom tanks are great because they don't allow the build up of detritus in the display tank (or it can be easily siphoned out) and you can push a lot of flow through the tank without disturbing the sandbed. However, some of these systems run so sterile that the corals end up being nutrient deficient. I've seen it both ways. So, I figure a half way decently maintained sandbed, even though less than 2", is plenty to have some added "kick" of biological filtration.

 

[acrylic51]

 

[acrylic51]

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/394054/dont-understand-sumps#post_3506911
Bang I never stated it wasn't a good filtration, but I do argue the depths most use isn't a true DSB, was also pointing out isn't necessary since BB tanks thrive without it....so I argue the fact it's not a necessity or "must have in a reef tank.
I'll definately agree a sand bed is not a must have.
About the only must have I can think of is saltwater. What do you consider a must have?

 

[acrylic51]

Exactly water!!!!!