Sump help

[uberlink]

A sump came with a system I recently acquired, and I'm not sure it's the very best design. I'd love your thoughts.
It's a 15 gallon tank divided into three equal sections. Water drains down from the overflow into the first section, which is filled to the top with bioballs. I flows from there into a refugium section, which has a layer of live mud, a layer of live sand, a lot of nice live rock, various macroalgaes and a couple of small mangroves, and assorted snails, hermits, and cleaner clams. Water flows from there into a final section, which contains a skimmer fed by ORP controlled ozone, a UV sterilizer, and a canister filter.
I'm wondering about the wisdom of the bioballs section, in particular. Would I be better off with LR rubble in that section? Something else? Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

 

[memphis]

JMHO but I would remove the bioballs and move the skimmer to that part. I would think having by the return pump would cause bubbles in the tank. You can get some LR rubble in that part also if you so desire...

 

[craig7220]

I have my skimmer in the first section so that microbubbles don't get pumped back to the tank. LR rubble would probably be the better choice although the bio balls can be very effective as long as you keep them free of junk. They can become nitrate generators.

 

[uberlink]

Thanks. I'll think about swapping it around as you suggest.
One question: why would LR rubble be any better than bioballs, in terms of nitrates and gunk collection?

 

[uberlink]

bump

 

[memphis]

I've never used them but from what I read they are a nitrate trap. The rubble will give you a little more area for the good bacteria.

 

[azfishgal]

I've been told if you put the skimmer before your refuge, it will take out the "good" stuff that the refuge needs. My sump fuge is going to be Live Rock > refuge > Skimmer > filter sponge > return. My filter sponge will probably break up any bubbles that the skimmer would produce. But it's not up and running yet, so time will tell. It's the same sump my lfs uses and in looking at it everything works great, I see no air bubbles going back up to the tank.

 

[memphis]

Pre-skimming. The surface water is introduced into the protein skimmer prior to reaching the biomedia. This method strips the additional organics in the drained surface waters, thereby lessening the bioload on the bacteria colonies residing on the media, etc.
Its all good... If there are no bubbles then there is no problem. I've never heard of a skimmer taking out good stuff though. I guess if you have a lot of critters in there you would want some food to make it through or something but the filter sock would catch that.
What do I know... Someone enlighten me with what good stuff would be taken out. I may want to relocate mine.

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by Memphis
Pre-skimming. The surface water is introduced into the protein skimmer prior to reaching the biomedia. This method strips the additional organics in the drained surface waters, thereby lessening the bioload on the bacteria colonies residing on the media, etc.
Its all good... If there are no bubbles then there is no problem. I've never heard of a skimmer taking out good stuff though. I guess if you have a lot of critters in there you would want some food to make it through or something but the filter sock would catch that.
What do I know... Someone enlighten me with what good stuff would be taken out. I may want to relocate mine.

I'll try and find where I read that (here on this forum).

 

[trainfever]

Dump the bio balls, they are useless they way you have them. Bio balls are supposed to be kept damp, not wet. The water is suppposed to drip over them. The balls are not supposed to be submerged in the water. You are not allowing bacteria to grow and so the bio balls have no use at all.

 

[uberlink]

Originally Posted by trainfever
Dump the bio balls, they are useless they way you have them. Bio balls are supposed to be kept damp, not wet. The water is suppposed to drip over them. The balls are not supposed to be submerged in the water. You are not allowing bacteria to grow and so the bio balls have no use at all.

Thanks. That was my general feeling. I am going to dump the bioballs. I'm trying to decide whether I should (a) replace them with LR rubble, or (b) just empty that compartment and move the skimmer over there. That would give me more room to work in the last of the three compartments, which contains a UV sterilizer, a canister filter, and the main pump.
THoughts on that?