Question on sump overhaul

[RAJOD]

My tank is a 42 inch talk 330 live sand and rock no corals.

Ive been redoing the sump for the past few months. Changed out the pumps new uv new skimmer. All working well but i think the space could be used more efficiently.

The problem is i think the wet dry is larger than it needs to be. I had to make a remote tank for the skimmer which adds a pump.

The wet dry is 60 gallon and runs 1400 gph through the drip plate. Id like to combine the wet dry and skimmer tank into one. This would give me more room for the chiller and maybe enough room for a fuge.

It around 5 feet. X 3 feet to work with.

Id do it if made much difference as it will probably cost 1000 to have someone make it.

Look at my tank page to get a better idea of what im dealing with

[RAJOD]

The reason the skimmer are separated for now is due to a floor drain being right in the middle of the floor. It needs to have water put down it every 3 months of so else the trap will dry out and allow sewer air to backdraft in.

The main tank only has 3 inches of live sand (no rock) and there is no room for any. Any additions will have to be done in the sump area.

But maybe I could combine those tanks and somehow keep the drain working.

1. Get rid of current wet/dry tank and build new 1 piece sump with room at end for chiller.
2. Make a new add on to wet dry. Basically sliding a new tank right next to it and drill holes to allow water to passively enter.

3. ?? Any ideas

[ken6217]

Why do you have bio balls? They are not needed with live rock and they are a nitrate factory.
Ken

[Vinny Kreyling]

X2
Ditch the bio-balls & put skimmer there on a platform.

[RAJOD]

Originally Posted by ken6217

Why do you have bio balls? They are not needed with live rock and they are a nitrate factory.
Ken

I don't have much live rock in the main, just live sand and no room for any.
I have cermedia live rock in the skimmer tank so the wet dry is needed for this type of display aquarium.

They are not a nitrate factory, that is an old wives tale. My nitrates are 0.

They work, I think people treat filtration like clothing and go with the latest fad or whats in style. If someone has a wet dry they are like "OMG you are still wearing bell bottoms from the 70s" It works.

[RAJOD]

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

X2
Ditch the bio-balls & put skimmer there on a platform.

Platform? You mean egg crate? Its in 9 inches of water which is the recommended height. There is only 3 inches above the skimmer cup.

Top of display has 3 inches of live sand (no rock)

I'm using the more effecient cermedia live rock below. Switching out the bio balls for cermedia balls. I don't know if the sand above is enough to covert all the ammonia so some form of wet/dry is probably needed. Cermedia balls are much better than the blue plastic ones same with the bricks over real live rock in terms of surface area.

[RAJOD]

I've changed it to this for now.

Took out plastic bio balls replaced with cermedia balls and bricks at the bottom.
Working good so far, nitrates 0. The cermedia in the wet dry should be superior to live rock in the display at converting ammonia and nitrite. The bricks lower the nitrate.