Need Opinions Please!

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by gregghia
bump...
RBALDINO, The light bulb just went off! Got it... thank you.
When you boil it down seems like the sump is the best way to go for a high quality "complete" tank standpoint that is aesthetically top notch and it seems like you learn alot. I can see all the beneifts as I read.
I still need to ask this... Do I need to do a sump? My grand plan would be take what I have in my current 29 gal: 2 Chromis, 1 Blenny, 1 Shrimp, 1 Gramma, small cleaner crew (eventaully add 1-2 percs) and get into a few soft corals. Also would do about 70 lbs of LR and LS. Really want to keep it in check....
I wanted a 55 or 75gal more for the clean look in the living room, higher quality water and really don't mind it looking a little empty. I guess thats a "reef" but I am not jam packing it.
Do folks have success with HOT filter + skimmer and no sump? I know I am overthinking this but I want best results and same time minimize any risks AKA floods.
Thanks.
If you're about to spend the money on a new setup, then I would definitely invest in setting the new tank up with a sump. If you don't, then decide later on that you wish you had, it'll be a pain to change over.
That said, you don't need a sump to have a successful reef.

 

[scotts]

Rb, Well you know what, I gotta admit I disagree with you again. Although that is cool for Greg because he can make up his own mind on what he wants. IMO you do not NEED a sump. Especially if you are upgrading from a smaller tank. There are many people on here that do fine without a sump. One thing that I did when I wnet from my 55 to my 125 was to use my old tank as a sump under the new tank. Granted as has been stated I do have an overflow box in my tank, but that was my choice. I also don't think that you need a submersible pump, my pump is an exterior pump and works well. OH and I have PVC pipe too.
So any way as far as all of that it is apples and oranges.
Greg I just saw that you are new here. So let me give you a little better help than me yakking at you. At the top right of the screen is the search button. Click on it and it will bring up the search option, click on the advanced search and put in what you want to search for, in this case use the word "sump" or even "refugium" Or some spelling like that. You will find many posts about sumps and it may help you find answers to questions you did not know to ask. Also there is an Archive section at the bottom of the main screen, there might be some info for you there also.
HTH
Scott

 

[dwendler4]

man you dont need a sump, dont listen to radicals that tell you you need one.... the only thing is, if you dont get the sump set up, you gotta get quality stuff... you need a good skimmer, the red sea prizm skimmer is a great one, get a good filter, check out the rena filstar xP2, its great, real heavy duty... i have this set up in my 75 and its great... these are just my suggestions, you decide what you want to do

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by Scotts
Rb, Well you know what, I gotta admit I disagree with you again. Although that is cool for Greg because he can make up his own mind on what he wants. IMO you do not NEED a sump. Especially if you are upgrading from a smaller tank. There are many people on here that do fine without a sump. One thing that I did when I wnet from my 55 to my 125 was to use my old tank as a sump under the new tank. Granted as has been stated I do have an overflow box in my tank, but that was my choice. I also don't think that you need a submersible pump, my pump is an exterior pump and works well. OH and I have PVC pipe too.
So any way as far as all of that it is apples and oranges.
Greg I just saw that you are new here. So let me give you a little better help than me yakking at you. At the top right of the screen is the search button. Click on it and it will bring up the search option, click on the advanced search and put in what you want to search for, in this case use the word "sump" or even "refugium" Or some spelling like that. You will find many posts about sumps and it may help you find answers to questions you did not know to ask. Also there is an Archive section at the bottom of the main screen, there might be some info for you there also.
HTH
Scott
If you look at my post above, you'll see that I wrote "That said, you don't need a sump to have a successful reef."
I haven't been telling him he has to have a sump; I've been telling him what he needs to set up a sump if that's the direction he chooses to go in.

 

[gregghia]

Scotts and rbaldino I appreciate both your comments.... and I see what both of you are saying. Scotts I have been doing extensive searches on sumps at this site.... there is great info on why they are good, how to build them, etc but again no info on SUCCESS without a sump. That being said maybe that is the point that the LARGE MAJORITY of great tanks have sumps or could it be that most people with great tanks that don't have sumps aren't posting.
dwendler4 what is your setup... run into anything major from a problem perspective?

 

[92protruck]

Gregghia, you are going thru the same analysis I did. I wanted easy and went with the Emperor 400 for a place to run media, carbon, phospate remover, etc and the Remora Pro. It worked just fine. But I, like most everybody, kept adding more corals and got tired of the look of the tank with all the stuff hanging on the back and the maintenance issue on the skimmer I mentioned in the earlier post. So, now I have a sump with all the equipment neatly hidden from you, easier maintenance, more water volume, easier to add chemicals or trace elements, easy to throw in a bag of carbon, etc. I think the HOT equipment will do just fine with a lower bio-load like you are thinking but I think the natural progression for most is to go to a sump and then we all wish we would have started out that way.

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by gregghia
Scotts and rbaldino I appreciate both your comments.... and I see what both of you are saying. Scotts I have been doing extensive searches on sumps at this site.... there is great info on why they are good, how to build them, etc but again no info on SUCCESS without a sump. That being said maybe that is the point that the LARGE MAJORITY of great tanks have sumps or could it be that most people with great tanks that don't have sumps aren't posting.
dwendler4 what is your setup... run into anything major from a problem perspective?
You can definitely have a nice reef tank without a sump. My current 29 gallon tank is sumpless, but the 50 I had before used a sump, and I know that it was easier and more visually pleasing. If you can afford it, I would go with a sump. But if you choose not to, you'll be fine anyway.

 

[gregghia]

After all that... I WENT WITH THE SUMP. Just purchased today the 75 gallon setup with the works! Thanks all.