How is my sump actually cleaning my water?

stephen1_fergus · 08/14/2007, 09:34 PM

I have been told that it is not wise to have bio-balls in a wet/dry fitler for a reef tank. Therefore I took them out. Now There is a lot of water dripping noise and I am not sure what sump is actually doing with my water besides sending it through a sponge. I do have carbon and Phosguard for my phosphates. I guess I'm going to get some macroalgea for the sump to. Is that going to be the main thing that keeps water water quality up?

Sk8r · 08/14/2007, 09:39 PM

Do you have a skimmer? That would remove amino acids as kidneys do for us.

Deep sandbed and rock pile and cheato ball [avoid caulerpa] would function also to restore oxygen and remove some nitrate and phosphate.

A skimmer is one of your most important purchases. You don't state the size of your tank. But you can have both the refugium and the skimmer by having the skimmer sit on eggcrate lighting grid above the refugium area. You need a PC light for the cheato.

Southern Boy · 08/14/2007, 09:41 PM

So you had a trickle filter and now your converting it to a sump?How exactly is your sump set up? Is there any baffels that control the heigth of the water?Can you give us a pic or discribe how it is set up.Is there more than 1 section? Do you have a protien skimmer?

bertoni · 08/14/2007, 09:55 PM

If there's nothing in the sump, it's not doing much except providing a bit of volume and some aeration. People use them to hide equipment like heaters, etc, and to hold skimmers.

reefnetworth · 08/14/2007, 10:00 PM

or just tell the manufacturers brand name. someone will know what it looks like/how its set-up.

08/14/2007, 09:34 PM	#1
stephen1_fergus Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 18	How is my sump actually cleaning my water? I have been told that it is not wise to have bio-balls in a wet/dry fitler for a reef tank. Therefore I took them out. Now There is a lot of water dripping noise and I am not sure what sump is actually doing with my water besides sending it through a sponge. I do have carbon and Phosguard for my phosphates. I guess I'm going to get some macroalgea for the sump to. Is that going to be the main thing that keeps water water quality up?

08/14/2007, 09:39 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Do you have a skimmer? That would remove amino acids as kidneys do for us. Deep sandbed and rock pile and cheato ball [avoid caulerpa] would function also to restore oxygen and remove some nitrate and phosphate. A skimmer is one of your most important purchases. You don't state the size of your tank. But you can have both the refugium and the skimmer by having the skimmer sit on eggcrate lighting grid above the refugium area. You need a PC light for the cheato. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/14/2007, 09:55 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	If there's nothing in the sump, it's not doing much except providing a bit of volume and some aeration. People use them to hide equipment like heaters, etc, and to hold skimmers. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/14/2007, 10:00 PM	#5
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	or just tell the manufacturers brand name. someone will know what it looks like/how its set-up. __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping. Last edited by reefnetworth; 08/14/2007 at 10:07 PM.

08/14/2007, 09:41 PM	#3
Southern Boy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fort pierce, Florida Posts: 671	So you had a trickle filter and now your converting it to a sump?How exactly is your sump set up? Is there any baffels that control the heigth of the water?Can you give us a pic or discribe how it is set up.Is there more than 1 section? Do you have a protien skimmer?