Sumps

[xandrew245x]

I am new to saltwater tanks, and looked into sump systems for your tank and by what I have read they certainly or the best. However the more I look at them, the more I become confused on how they actually work, most of them don't have any sort of filtering media like that would be in a normal canister filter. Could someone explain this to me?

 

[deejeff442]

most use a refugium in a sump.half the sump dedicated to natural filtration.adding sand,some kind of phosphate and nitrate remover(i use chato) .if you have 3 sections then a skimmer spot then in the third your return pump section.add the heaters in the skimmer or refugium parts.there are all kinds of sumps out there you can buy with compartments for mechanical filtration but i dont run any mechanical .
i do have a skimmer and a hob reactor on the sump.you will get 1000 options and opinions on a sump .most will do a great job.i just dont like the maintenance .i am old school i guess

 

[xandrew245x]

Ok, so you basically just have a mini aquarium in one section filled with live sand and rock, then all you have to do is add a phosphate and nitrate remover to it? I wanted to build one for my 29 gallon tank, I was going to use a 15 gallon tank and section it off so i have a refugium, skimmer, and pump section, would it work?

 

[deejeff442]

if you can fit it all.you dont need rock in the sump.but i have 50 lbs of rubble in mine .
mine is simple.no sand.two sections tank drains to the chato part then to the return section that is full of the rock rubble.
i have an external skimmer and the hob reactor.

 

[deejeff442]

here is a pic.the two white return pipes at the right one right from the overflow box and the other from the skimmer.to the chato section.left is just the rubble and pump.then the reactor far left.

 

[xandrew245x]

So live sand would work fine for the refugium? I will try to draw one up tonight so I can post it for approval.

 

[al&burke]

I had a hard time grasping the whole sump idea for filtration, especially when guys were running with no mechanical filtration, ie sponges or filter media. But I converted to a sump fuge and have no mechanical filtration, just a skimmer, fuge and Algae scrubber and my paramters have been really good. Now remember all the live rock or even base rock is your filter as well. Good luck if you need any help with the layout of your sump let us know.

 

[xcali1985]

Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389813/sumps#post_3447763
Ok, so you basically just have a mini aquarium in one section filled with live sand and rock, then all you have to do is add a phosphate and nitrate remover to it? I wanted to build one for my 29 gallon tank, I was going to use a 15 gallon tank and section it off so i have a refugium, skimmer, and pump section, would it work?
basically but with dividers. I was able to find someone locally that was able to build me a sump and refugium, saved a few dollars as I got both for the price of one commercially built one.
There are DIY instructions all over youtube and google. If you are not comfortable with silicone, acrylic, &/or glass I would suggest one built by someone else. My first attempt at DIY and it worked for about 8 months, before the silicone gave out and one of the baffles fell. What a pain!
For your circumstances, I would go with the longest tank that I could fit under it, this will allow you to have room to install all your equipment, and have the biggest return section possible. I say this because the return section is the lowest section in your sump, therefore it will be the area where you see the evaporation level drop. Meaning this will show you how much to top off. If its to small of a section you can end up topping off daily or even multiple times a day.
Good luck! There are many ways to set up a tank, probably a 100 different ways just with sumps, especially when you talk about what media to add.
In closing, the reason I went with a sump setup was because I am able to save money in the long run, from not having to by all the replacement media that it takes to maintain the other methods.

 

[xandrew245x]

Ok, so you have yours set up so that the skimmer pumps from the main aquarium into the sump.

 

[xandrew245x]

I could use some help ;P, I like the whole idea of natural filtration a whole lot more than mechanical, I was going to start with a glass tank, and make acrylic baffles myself, I have worked with acrylic before, so I have a little experience with it, I'm just not sure about the whole design.

 

[al&burke]

If you are going with a glass tank I would recommend glass baffles, post what your tank size (DT DIsplay Tank) is and the size of a tank you are going to use for the sump - 20L make great sumps.

 

[xandrew245x]

My display tank is 29 gallon, I was thinking of using a 15 gallon tank as my sump, I have never worked with glass, I'm sure I could buy precut glass pieces though and silicon them into place.

 

[al&burke]

Yes - they are easy to silicon in place. A 20L is probably as long as a 29 gallon

 

[xandrew245x]

Thanks for all the helpful info with this being my first tank, I think i'm going to hold off on a sump and see if I really like keeping fish, If I do, I would like to eventually upgrade to a bigger tank, probably a 100 gallon, and then put the money into a sump.

 

[aquaria]

I was looking into this option for a sump,
http://www.**************.com/store/products/pumps-and-plumbing/sumps-and-refugiums/aquarium-sumps/aqueon-modular-proflex-sump-filtration.html#
Its fairly affordable, watch the set-up video too, it helped me understand the way it worked much better!
Good Luck!

 

[al&burke]

Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/389813/sumps#post_3447859
Thanks for all the helpful info with this being my first tank, I think i'm going to hold off on a sump and see if I really like keeping fish, If I do, I would like to eventually upgrade to a bigger tank, probably a 100 gallon, and then put the money into a sump.
No problem, that is not a bad plan - I started with a canister filter then went to a sump. If you go with a HOB filter get two of the bigger ones - the more flow a filteration the better - don't go by what the manufacturer recommends in size - I personally like the AquaClear ones. I use them all the time for QT fry tanks what ever - you will always find a use for them after you switch to a sump. Good luck and make sure you post lots of pictures, when you are ready for a sump we will be here, this is a great hobby enjoy it, do it right and you won't be sorry.

 

[xandrew245x]

If you want to follow along, I have posted a picture in my origional post "29 gallon salt water tank", and I will keep adding pictures there through my process. If after a few months, i'm still interested in the hobby, I think that I might build my own sump, thats if I don't want to upgrade to a bigger tank. A 29 gallon is a little small, but if i added a 20 gallon sump to it, it would make a worlds difference!