Do I have to double my supplement amounts now that I have a sump?

AliKat · 10/07/2007, 01:16 AM

I now have a 29 gallon sump under my 55 gallon tank. Do I have to change my supplement amounts to account for it? Thanks!

Bebo77 · 10/07/2007, 01:46 AM

you might...

AliKat · 10/07/2007, 02:56 PM

I sure wish someone would give me a definite answer on this, as I'm about to do my aquarium supplements for the day.

Anyone? Anyone?

moo0o · 10/07/2007, 03:02 PM

uh huh, yes you do, you are increasing the amount of water in your system meaning youd need to add more calcium/alk when you do your supplements. go use the calculator to find out how much more.

frag master flash · 10/07/2007, 03:12 PM

Sorry, but I don't know if there is a definative answer. It would also depend on what is in the sump (no lighting, refugium, frags, etc). You could always increase your supplements, by say 25% for a few days or a week and measure to see how things are going. That would be the only way to know for sure.

AliKat · 10/07/2007, 03:18 PM

Thanks! I'll just play it by ear.

baldgeek · 10/07/2007, 04:43 PM

FWIW, I did adjust mine up a bit depending on how much water is in the sump. Not that I am an expert, but since most say something to the effect of "total water volume," I too sump volume into account.

jdieck · 10/13/2007, 01:42 AM

No you do not need to. Increasing the water volume does not increase the calcium and alkalinity consumption rate.
If you were to add more corals of consumers then you might need to adjust it.

Having said that, while daiily supplementation volume does not change (because the consumption does not change), if you need to make an increase to existing levels then you will need more supplement as you need to increase the ion content on a larger volume of water.

Look at it this way:
In one case you have a 1 gallon bucket with 50 white marbles and 50 black marbles, in the second case you have a 2 gallon bucket with 100 white marbles and 100 black marbles the concentration of black marbles is the same in both buckets (50%). A pointed ears gnome comes every night while you are asleep and takes out 10 black marbles from each bucket. The next morning you will need to add only 10 black marbles to each bucket regardless of the size of the buckets to turn them to the original levels.

Now you notice that the concentration of black marbles of 50% is below your target because you like to see more black than white and you want to increase the concentration of black marbles to 75 %.
Then for the 1 gallon bucket you need to add 25 black marbles (and remove 25 white ones) to end up with 75 black out of 100 or 75%
For the second bucket you need to add twice as many or 50 black marbles (and remove 50 white ones) to have 150 black marbles out of 200 or 75%

So the first case is similar to consumption and the second case is similar to an increase in ion concentration.

10/07/2007, 01:16 AM	#1
AliKat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 590	Do I have to double my supplement amounts now that I have a sump? I now have a 29 gallon sump under my 55 gallon tank. Do I have to change my supplement amounts to account for it? Thanks!

10/07/2007, 01:46 AM	#2
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	you might... __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

10/07/2007, 03:12 PM	#5
frag master flash Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: FL Posts: 47	Sorry, but I don't know if there is a definative answer. It would also depend on what is in the sump (no lighting, refugium, frags, etc). You could always increase your supplements, by say 25% for a few days or a week and measure to see how things are going. That would be the only way to know for sure. __________________ All my corals are rare cause they've survived under my care. Current Tank Info: 35 gallon mixed reef rubbermaid sump and 15g fuge, ER 8-2

10/13/2007, 01:42 AM	#8
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	No you do not need to. Increasing the water volume does not increase the calcium and alkalinity consumption rate. If you were to add more corals of consumers then you might need to adjust it. Having said that, while daiily supplementation volume does not change (because the consumption does not change), if you need to make an increase to existing levels then you will need more supplement as you need to increase the ion content on a larger volume of water. Look at it this way: In one case you have a 1 gallon bucket with 50 white marbles and 50 black marbles, in the second case you have a 2 gallon bucket with 100 white marbles and 100 black marbles the concentration of black marbles is the same in both buckets (50%). A pointed ears gnome comes every night while you are asleep and takes out 10 black marbles from each bucket. The next morning you will need to add only 10 black marbles to each bucket regardless of the size of the buckets to turn them to the original levels. Now you notice that the concentration of black marbles of 50% is below your target because you like to see more black than white and you want to increase the concentration of black marbles to 75 %. Then for the 1 gallon bucket you need to add 25 black marbles (and remove 25 white ones) to end up with 75 black out of 100 or 75% For the second bucket you need to add twice as many or 50 black marbles (and remove 50 white ones) to have 150 black marbles out of 200 or 75% So the first case is similar to consumption and the second case is similar to an increase in ion concentration. __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium Last edited by jdieck; 10/13/2007 at 01:58 AM.

10/07/2007, 02:56 PM	#3
AliKat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 590	I sure wish someone would give me a definite answer on this, as I'm about to do my aquarium supplements for the day. Anyone? Anyone?

10/07/2007, 03:02 PM	#4
moo0o Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SJ,CA Posts: 1,694	uh huh, yes you do, you are increasing the amount of water in your system meaning youd need to add more calcium/alk when you do your supplements. go use the calculator to find out how much more.

10/07/2007, 03:18 PM	#6
AliKat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 590	Thanks! I'll just play it by ear.

10/07/2007, 04:43 PM	#7
baldgeek Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 94	FWIW, I did adjust mine up a bit depending on how much water is in the sump. Not that I am an expert, but since most say something to the effect of "total water volume," I too sump volume into account.