Sump Filter Requirements/Reccomendation

St00 · 11/14/2014, 07:28 PM

Hi, I am setting up a 90gallon bowfront with coast to coast beananimal overflow, im done the tank, now im working on the sump. I see so many vastly different designs, what should I be incorporating?

I have a 25?gallon tank for sump, its 30"l x 12"w x14"h.. I was going to make the first section 9.5" tall x 10" long for my skimmer and in from DT lines, and after that probably a few baffles as bubbletrap, and then I don't really know, do I need carbon / bio media / foam filters?

Is a refugium with DSB and LR really enough? Should there still be mechanical filtration of some sort either way? What about activated carbon, I don't see too many designs with this, is it not really necessary?

I get that the LR/DSB is sort of the equivalent to the bio media, so I assume with a fuge the bio is not required?

Thanks guys, and I apologize I know these are newbieish questions, but I am having a hard time figuring this part out, and my tank hasn't really made any progress in the last week because I am not sure enough to continue..

St00

St00 · 11/14/2014, 07:42 PM

I should have also said that the tank is going to be a reef tank.

St00

Reef or Die · 11/14/2014, 10:16 PM

If you have room in the sump to put a fuge with rock and chaeto algae go for it. But if space is tight just put skimmer then bubble trap then return. I prefer running carbon in a small reactor also but you could just place some in a bag and out it in a high flow area of the sump. I always recommend a bag of chemi pure elite as a bare minimum.

St00 · 11/15/2014, 05:07 AM

Hey, thanks for the reply!

I do have room, my original design had 6 1/2" at the opposite end of the incoming water for a fuge, and the return section in the center with a valved tee going into the fuge.

So is it not at all necessary to have some kind of mechanical filtration? Like sponge or socks? I was thinking a sponge could be cut to fit right into one of the bubble trap slots.. Or if socks are better, I could put a sock holder at the end of the bubble trap..

St00

11/14/2014, 07:28 PM	#1
St00 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 10	Sump Filter Requirements/Reccomendation Hi, I am setting up a 90gallon bowfront with coast to coast beananimal overflow, im done the tank, now im working on the sump. I see so many vastly different designs, what should I be incorporating? I have a 25?gallon tank for sump, its 30"l x 12"w x14"h.. I was going to make the first section 9.5" tall x 10" long for my skimmer and in from DT lines, and after that probably a few baffles as bubbletrap, and then I don't really know, do I need carbon / bio media / foam filters? Is a refugium with DSB and LR really enough? Should there still be mechanical filtration of some sort either way? What about activated carbon, I don't see too many designs with this, is it not really necessary? I get that the LR/DSB is sort of the equivalent to the bio media, so I assume with a fuge the bio is not required? Thanks guys, and I apologize I know these are newbieish questions, but I am having a hard time figuring this part out, and my tank hasn't really made any progress in the last week because I am not sure enough to continue.. St00

11/14/2014, 07:42 PM	#2
St00 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 10	I should have also said that the tank is going to be a reef tank. St00

11/14/2014, 10:16 PM	#3
Reef or Die Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New York Posts: 393	If you have room in the sump to put a fuge with rock and chaeto algae go for it. But if space is tight just put skimmer then bubble trap then return. I prefer running carbon in a small reactor also but you could just place some in a bag and out it in a high flow area of the sump. I always recommend a bag of chemi pure elite as a bare minimum.

11/15/2014, 05:07 AM	#4
St00 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 10	Hey, thanks for the reply! I do have room, my original design had 6 1/2" at the opposite end of the incoming water for a fuge, and the return section in the center with a valved tee going into the fuge. So is it not at all necessary to have some kind of mechanical filtration? Like sponge or socks? I was thinking a sponge could be cut to fit right into one of the bubble trap slots.. Or if socks are better, I could put a sock holder at the end of the bubble trap.. St00