Sumps and Refugiums, what's the difference?

anubisxero

anubisxero

Member
Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2473508
How much did you end up spending on it Jason, if you don't mind me asking? I'm going for the 60 for our 135g tank.
Sure, no problem. I actually price quoted about 3 or 4 different websites online all the way through checkout to see how much they ACTUALLY cost, considering when many have free shipping but add tax and whatnot. But, the one i bought was 441.98 with free shipping and was here in less than 7 days. :)
Although, because i'm somewhat of an idiot and didn't measure my stand it's so large, I have VERY little room underneath to manuever around and get into the fuge, so i've been racking my brain tonight as to how I can either fix my current stand, or design a new one built specifically to the fuge. =/

Jason
 
anubisxero

anubisxero

Member
Originally Posted by Megan84
http:///forum/post/2473829
Yikes!! 5 minutes more research and I found the one including bioballs for about $750! As said in a previous post, this claims to not need a protein skimmer. Am I being lied to? I thought a skimmer was an absolute necessity, no questions asked.
A sump/refuge is a filter. Correct?
It is a form of filtration and no bio balls are not required. Some people condone the use of them while others absolutely HATE them due to the fact they often build up nitrates when a lot of them are used and they create water quality issues. And honestly, the median price i've found online for a good sump/fuge has been about 500 dollars tops. Most around 300 and up. 1000 even 750 is WAY too pricey in my opinion and i pay nearly 500 =) Btw, welcome to the hobby, as you can tell it's rather expensive but incredibly rewarding when you get everything up and going.
Jason
 
candmreef

candmreef

Member

I bought this sump for little money and it had bioballs and a media tray. I busted the left side out with a hammer and removed eveything. That enabled me to put the skiimer and sock on that side and some rock and cheato in the middle. I need more baffles but very inexpensive and I already owned the hammer.
 
anubisxero

anubisxero

Member
Originally Posted by candmreef
http:///forum/post/2474002

I bought this sump for little money and it had bioballs and a media tray. I busted the left side out with a hammer and removed eveything. That enabled me to put the skiimer and sock on that side and some rock and cheato in the middle. I need more baffles but very inexpensive and I already owned the hammer.

@ "but i already owned the hammer"
Looks good!
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2473805
I know... he just doesn't have the time to do it. The little time he is home he wants to spend with his little girls, sleep and relax. If we had started out *right* on our journey, he would have built the sump/ref and not even start messing with a cylinder filter like we have right now. I also wish I had found this message board 3 months ago. I honestly believe we would have avoided the many little mistakes we've made and made a lot wiser choises in the equipment we purchased. We've burned a crapload of money so far... ughhh don't get me started

Spider, I hear ya. I was not sure if I should mention the cheap route. Some people have no problem with spending the money and others are cheap(like me
) Just wanted to offer it up. When I first started I have not idea how much money I literally poured into my tank. For every issue that I had the lfs had a $20 miracle bottle of something that would make it go away.
Then I found this board, learned to do things the right way and my problems went away.
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
Megan, First of all welcome to the board
and let me say that you are starting out in a much better way than I did when I started in this hobby.
Now if I may be so bold, do NOT buy anything until you have done your research. Also there are many ways to set up a tank, so even a single opinion is not advisable, try and get a couple. For instance some people here like CC as their substrate, others hate it and like LS as their substrate.
Now for my opinion
a sump is not required for a tank. Many people here do not have them. They are a great thing to have. Some of the good things about a sump is that you can put equipment in there and leave your tank looking cleaner. For instance a heater should go in your sump. Also bigger is better in this hobby so the extra water volume in your system is a bonus. You can also put things like cheato in your sump, and your choice of skimmers exapands by having a sump. A sump is not required, but a skimmer IS required. The skimmer removes things from your water that cannot be removed by mechanical filtration. Similar to what a RO unit does for your supply water.
As far as listeneing to and/or buying from your lfs. Listen to what they say, then tell them you will think about it, come back here and research what they said. It will save you money and heartache in the long run.
BTW here is a thread I made long ago that might help you out. https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/205584/so-you-are-new-here
 
anubisxero

anubisxero

Member
Well obviously don't buy everything everyone tries to sell you!

That's not at all what we're talking about. But of course, DIY projects are much cheaper, if you trust yourself to do the job and have the time to put into various DIY projects. And that by no means rush into whatever you're doing whenever you need something done in this hobby, that's definitely not the way to go. But if I can afford to pay for something I view as a good product and not have the hassle of building it myself, yeah i'm gonna do that. Especially when it comes to a sump that's going to hold 45 gallons worth of water underneath my aquarium sitting on my beautiful carpet.
I am however doing my own plumbing, god help me. ^_^
 
anubisxero

anubisxero

Member
Originally Posted by Scotts
http:///forum/post/2474206
Megan, First of all welcome to the board
and let me say that you are starting out in a much better way than I did when I started in this hobby.
Now if I may be so bold, do NOT buy anything until you have done your research. Also there are many ways to set up a tank, so even a single opinion is not advisable, try and get a couple. For instance some people here like CC as their substrate, others hate it and like LS as their substrate.
Now for my opinion
a sump is not required for a tank. Many people here do not have them. They are a great thing to have. Some of the good things about a sump is that you can put equipment in there and leave your tank looking cleaner. For instance a heater should go in your sump. Also bigger is better in this hobby so the extra water volume in your system is a bonus. You can also put things like cheato in your sump, and your choice of skimmers exapands by having a sump. A sump is not required, but a skimmer IS required. The skimmer removes things from your water that cannot be removed by mechanical filtration. Similar to what a RO unit does for your supply water.
As far as listeneing to and/or buying from your lfs. Listen to what they say, then tell them you will think about it, come back here and research what they said. It will save you money and heartache in the long run.
BTW here is a thread I made long ago that might help you out. https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=205584
Very well put!
 
megan84

megan84

Member
That makes sense! Thanks for clarifying on the skimmer issue too. You will all be so proud of me. I am notorius for impulse buying. Not a great trait in this hobby. Oops. BUT...I went to the LFS and ONLY bought a tank and stand (on sale of course:) I haven't bought anything else and am spending my weekend off hanging out here and learning. YES!
wish me luck, i'm sure i'll need a bit!
 
willlovesfish

willlovesfish

Member
Welcome Megan
This hobby is one of the best, but expensive, still worth it imho

Good for you only buying the tank and stand for now. This way you can research all of your equipment first and do it right the first time. If I could go back I would have saved some heartache of money. Lost a lot of fish from lack of knowledge. I any case, I am sure you will do just fine, good luck and keep us all posted, pics work good too!
 
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