What do you have in your sump?

N

nyc joe

Guest
So I have a 20 gal. sump.
it has 3 chambers.
-one is the down tube. has a tennis ball of cheato and a chunk of live rock i couldnt fit in the DT so there it stays in the corner.
-one is the return. mag 5 or 7 (have both) just in case with s sponge around it.
-the middle is a calm fuge.
between the baffles of the down tube and and the fuge. I have a simple sponge felt liner i bought at the LFS. cut to fit perfect.
in this middle i have a 4-5 inch sand bed with some crushed coral towards the back.live rock rubble suspended on eggcrate a few inches higher than the sand.(pretty interesting, borrowed someones idea) with a small eggcrate ladder leading up to the rock. kinda like a duplex condo.
and another tennis ball of cheato.
-dont want to do a skimmer, yet. (maybe eventually)
-I do have a jug of carbon and a sock. but havent broken that out yet. Or should I?
-seeded with tons of copepods, DT and sump. and i see them, they are everywhere.
let me ask you guys what else can i do to make the sump super useful?
just got a catalog and am drawn to purigen, ceramic things, dont really know. I just want to make sure that all will be well when i get my seahorses in there its good. and ill be prepared.
Thanx for the advice.
-Joe
 
bla403

bla403

Member
I have 3 chambers also.
1st Section::
Downpipe
Live Rock rubble (couple pounds)
Pump that goes to my chiller then through a uv (on a timer) and then it empties into the middle section in my sump through a small reactor with some chemi-pure
Heater in between sections ... I dont think its ever turned on.
2nd Section:
Reef Octopus Skimmer
Small Media Reactor noted above
Output for my DIY auto-top off
3rd Section:
Return Pump
4 Mangroves
Small HOB refugium with inlet & outlet in this section
Float Valve for Auto-top off
Refugium:
Handful of chaeto & 4" sand bed
Tons of Rotifers
I know there are a lot of things packed in this small space....
Took pictures of it, left side then right.

 
N

nyc joe

Guest
would it make sense to have purigen or some sort of media in the return section?
like purigen? etc
or is it good just left alone?
 
bla403

bla403

Member
Purigen and other medias need flow or most of the water will just go around them. Thats why I put them in my media reactor. For me it doesnt matter since its another open loop and water is constantly circulated so the affect is there.
 
N

nyc joe

Guest
would it make sense to put a reactor in the sump?
I am getting seahorses and it seems the frozen food brings up phosphates.
the tank is 2 months old, and so far i only have a bunch of snails and copepods in there. I just want to know what things i should have in there. i have a few macros in the sump, and a few decorative ones in the DT. We'll see how those turn out.
I just want to be prepared.
anything else i should think of for the long run?
Thanx
-Joe
 
bla403

bla403

Member
Honestly you dont need that stuff but it helps to reduce the number of water changes needed to keep your parameters in check.
I am going away on vacation for a week so I'm getting my water changes done now and changing on the media so that the tank will be good for a week without me here. The auto feeder feeds too much even on the lowest setting for me so I know I will get some extra stuff in the water while I'm gone.
Also drilled the protein cup and built an auto top off to cover me for a week.
 
bmkj02

bmkj02

Member
I have my GFO reactor from Bulk Reef Supply, Octopus 150 skimmer, 2 heaters and a uv light in my 20g sump. I have a seperate 30g ref
 
rlablan

rlablan

Active Member
I have a combination sump/fuge. There is my down pipe is a self contained box where I put my felt and sponge medias, also my carbon and anything like a chemipure or w.e., shoule I run that.... and then what is my "fuge" now, for my few hermits, a mine urchin and alot of LRR (couple pounds) and then there is baffle, then a large empty area with only my UV sterilizer (a very small unit for some extra disease control) where my huge skimmer will go too, eventually, and then a few baffles with teeth, and then my return section with my submersible pump.
I had chaeto but it died and I have yet to get more but I have 0 nitrates all the time, so... it doesn't really matter at this point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top