Need Advice on Reef Tank Sump Setup

[hrandh2]

I have a 29 Gal FOWLR tank that has been running for 8 months. My inhabitants are: 1 Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Fire Shrimp, 1 Emerald Green Crab, and 8 Blue leg hermit crabs. I want to convert this existing setup to a reef tank with sump filtration. Right now I have a Marineland Emperor 400 Wet/Dry filter. My questions are:
1. Which type of filtration should I incorporate into the sump?
2. What parts will I need to plumb the sump?
I thank in advance anyone who takes the time to answer my questions.

 

[hrandh2]

C'mon, a little help please. I need advice on wheter or not to go with Berlin Filtration or Ecosystem filtration, and how to install such a device to an existing tank. Please reply.

 

[xtech]

WHAT ARE YOUR NITRATES READING AT?do you have any live rock ?do you have live sand?
in my opinion your bioload isnt very high right now and you may not need to add anything else. you may want to add a skimmer more so than another filter,or you could also add a small wet dry with bio balls and live rock mix. i have a mix of live rock rubble and bio balls in my 90.nitrates are always at or below 20 ppm and i have a heavy bio load.
naso tang
lionfish
4-4stripe damsels
someother damsel thingy
lm blenny
2 serpent stars
sand sifter starfish
decorator crab
foxface
flame angel
tigertail
and about 14 different types of coral
oh and i also run a fluval 404 that i clean out at least once a week with 10% water change monthly,as well as 125 lbs of lr in the tank

 

[hrandh2]

xtech,
My Nitrates vary between 15ppm - 25ppm all depending on how late in the month it is.
I have approximately 30 lbs of Live Rock.
I have approximately 20 lbs of Live Sand.
I forgot to mention that I have been running an Aquarium Systems Seaclone 100 protien
skimmer for three months.
I have 24" Florescent Lighting (Zoomed Reefsun 50/50 5000k/Actnic Blue bulb)
My only aspirations as far as the reef tank is concerned is to add one more rock with these
blue mushrooms.
No Competitor Links please (Item # EX39).
I notice that you think my bioload is low, should I increase the bioload to benefit the reef tank setup?

 

[chosen1608]

Let me start this by saying that I am in no way an expert; however, you have a couple of issues to deal with. the first is going to be lighting. If you plan on having a true reef setup then you are going to need better light. the best would be to upgrade to metal halides. In the previous post, I don't think he was saying that you need to increase your bioload. Although you can, I would not do this until you are able to correct your water parameters with what you have now. Your nitrates and trites should be 0. Now, onto the sump. the sump itself is not going to reduce your bioload. It is more of an area to place heaters/protein skimmer/pumps to keep them out of your main tank. If you want to use this as a bioload reducer then you really need a sump/refugium combination. The refugium is natural bioload reducer...meaning it uses natural plants/cleaner crew to remove waste products. do a search on this site and you can get more info on sump/refugiums. Hope this helps. Squidd has a large post about this very topic...I think it is in this forum

 

[bob a.]

Wet dry filters are usually not a good thing on a reef. Thats probably why you are running with the nitrate levels that you are now. More live rock would be a big help. As mentioned by chosen, the sump helps to lower the overall levels. Remember, the solution to pollution is dilution. More water, more leeway with all the levels. Using some algae in the sump like chaeto will also help to pull out nutrients like nitrate and phosphate. Run as good a protein skimmer as you can afford, it will pull out more of the waste before it starts to breakdown. You can plumb as much stuff as you want into the sump, as long as it fits. There are no shortage of good ideas on how to design it. Good Luck.

 

[hrandh2]

First I would like to thank xtech, chosen1608, and Bob A. for your time and advice. I have reached a decision on my sump. I am going to go with a Eurofil 60 Berlin Filter Sump. I did some research on the internet and found out that Wet/Dry filters are too efficient at producing nitrate for a reef tank setup. However, I still have some questions.
Once I setup the sump, how long should I let it cycle before disconnecting the Wet/Dry filter?
Will Compact Florescent lighting be sufficient for 8-10 Mushrooms?
Finally, can I use caleurpa instead of chaetomorpha in the sump to achieve similar results ( A
friend has some rare caleurpa taxifolia growing in his refugium)?

 

[bob a.]

I am not familiar with the eurofil sump, lots of people make em out of a smaller tank or a rubbermaid container. You would need a hang on tank overflow box to get the water down to the sump and a return pump in the sump to get it back up to the tank. Theres quite a few internet resources on building a sump so start googling away.
I am not sure what needs to cycle in the sump unless you are adding new rock. If it is a sump using bioballs or something else, then its still a wet dry with its problems.
I dont know how many watts your lamps have, but with a 29 high tank, probaby something around 100 would do the trick. You could use calurpa instead of the cheato, but keep in mind it can go sexual and that can mess things up a bit. I run a 18w flourescent photo flood on 24 hours a day for the refugium which also helps to keep the ph levels more constant. The cheato does well with it. If you want more info on that look at reefcentral.org and search for melevesreef or something like that. Good Luck

 

[squidd]

Once I setup the sump, how long should I let it cycle before disconnecting the Wet/Dry filter?
>>>A sump doesn't need to cycle as it's basically just "additional water volume being added...bacterial populations will start at 0 in the sump, but multiply and grow quickly...With only two fish and 30 lbs LR you should have plenty of surface area currently to carry the load till the sump/fuge is up to speed<<<
Will Compact Florescent lighting be sufficient for 8-10 Mushrooms?
>>> How many watts PC you planning on running..I'd suggest at least 130 (2x65) to start and the Shrooms should be fine...<<<
Finally, can I use caleurpa instead of chaetomorpha in the sump to achieve similar results ( A
friend has some rare caleurpa taxifolia growing in his refugium)?
>>>Caulurpa can be used successfully, if you take precautions to keep it from going sexual and releasing gametes/toxins into the water<<<
.

 

[hrandh2]

Thank you Bob A. and Squidd for answering my questions. Based on both of your responses to keeping Calurpa in the refugium, I have decided to go with the Chaetomorpha algae instead. I finally have an understanding about what a sump really is, and I will post what lighting I buy and possibly pictures too.

 

[xtech]

forgot too mention...keep that skimmer clean....i clean mine every 2-3 weeks