sump/fuge size

[renogaw]

OK. this thing is getting nasty.
on the bottom glass on the intake chamber, i'm getting lots of detritus and the qtip sponges died a little off my skimmer. There's a nasty film on top of the water where the skimmer is, and i've put in filter media inbetween the first two baffles. What should i be putting into this first chamber to get rid of this nasty stuff?

 

[earlybird]

I've got the same problem with my intake/skimmer chamber having crap on the bottom. It's not bad but would you think a snail might work? It might crawl out of that chamber but it's worth a shot?
Not sure about the film I don't have film in that chamber but in my return pump chamber I get some bubbles on one end that I just scoop out with a plastic cup.

 

[renogaw]

i don't know if a snail, but i think i'm going to throw a couple hermits in there. i guess cowries also eat detritus so maybe one of those instead.

 

[earlybird]

I was thinking nassarius, though they bury in sand I've seen several at LFS in a tank with no substrate. They eat detritus. Do hermits eat detritus?

 

[renogaw]

also wondering if i should put some rubble rock in there. I have some on my sand, but maybe some rock, a small bristle star...gotta do something. Of course, my wife totally cut me off for the month so i may just have to go with what i have at the moment...

 

[renogaw]

the 2 dr's show a ton more detrivores than here, and yes hermits are listed as them. IDK, somethings gotta eat it.

 

[earlybird]

I'm going to put the 2 rocks I have in my QT in that chamber when QT is done cycling. Could also vaccum it out when doing water changes or add a ph I guess but I don't want any more things to plug in yet.

 

[renogaw]

vacuuming is always an issue down in the sump because it works on gravity and the sump is definitely the lowest point of the tank. Hard to get a bucket lower than it. maybe when i do my pvc piping i can do something where it swirls at the bottom and keeps it floating.

 

[earlybird]

Good point. What about attaching some tubing to the intake of a mj 400? Might work.

 

[baloo6969]

hey guys, isnt the idea of having a DSB is to NOT disturb it...wouldent having snails that dig cause issues...plus afterwhile the bottom of the DSB may be a much more attractive for a snail that digs than the area your having issues with.
also have you read anything about Plenums, where you put a screen over the first inch of your DSB, then put more LS ontop of it...i think i may do this...anyone?

 

[renogaw]

talking about the first chamber where the water comes in though. i guess there's supposed to be some cleaners in the fuge area as well to help keep it clean. that's where i threw Monster and my gorilla crab, and where i'll put my other two gorillas when i can finally catch them.

 

[baloo6969]

Originally Posted by renogaw
talking about the first chamber where the water comes in though. i guess there's supposed to be some cleaners in the fuge area as well to help keep it clean. that's where i threw Monster and my gorilla crab, and where i'll put my other two gorillas when i can finally catch them.
ohhhh, well maybe you'll have to put on a sock around the tube that comes into the tank...
what about that NNR?

 

[renogaw]

nnr?

 

[baloo6969]

well since i can get my we we slaped for posting helpfull links to NON-comp sites...oggle "Plenums NNR" i've done quite a bit of reading about this, and it seems like a good idea, but i havent heard much on this forum about it...

 

[renogaw]

oh, i think that's something that was in a book i saw--put down CC and then a mesh, then sand.
ehh, i think it would be more work than i'm willing to work on. A dsb is fine imo, and even if something disturbs the sand a tad, i don't think it will be a major issue. I mean, jawfish constantly burrow through them as do snails and such, so a tiny bit of disturbance from crabs and such shouldn't be a problem.

 

[larryndana]

Originally Posted by baloo6969
hey guys, isnt the idea of having a DSB is to NOT disturb it...wouldent having snails that dig cause issues...plus afterwhile the bottom of the DSB may be a much more attractive for a snail that digs than the area your having issues with.
also have you read anything about Plenums, where you put a screen over the first inch of your DSB, then put more LS ontop of it...i think i may do this...anyone?
yes you don't want to disturb a DSB, but the top of the sand bed can and maybe should have a little turnover. so having some snails dig a little is ok. i don't think they dig more than an inch or less.
for plenums....i've also read some about them, but haven't seen much in the forums here.

 

[larryndana]

NNR (natural nitrate reduction), right?
don't think this has any help with a sump/fuge. start a new thread baloo6969, maybe some people here know some more about plenums, i'd be interested to see as well.

 

[baloo6969]

Originally Posted by larryndana
NNR (natural nitrate reduction), right?
don't think this has any help with a sump/fuge. start a new thread baloo6969, maybe some people here know some more about plenums, i'd be interested to see as well.
done, i was in the midst of doing it when u typed it.

 

[larryndana]

 

[larryndana]

i see socks on some sumps, have you thought about using one? I don't know much about them, but it would collect some of that stuff.
:notsure: seems like there is something that can be done to cut down on this....