removed my filter sock

[Ricky1066]

OK maybe another dumb question but I removed my filter sock because i have none and I mean no movement in my sump The sock gets dirty and I have some sedement on the bottom of my sump I had a small piece of chateo but when i had the problem with the sump it got sucked up into the main tank in a bunch of pieces so I have maybe 3 strand left Is that going to survive and grow? I know it keep geting through the eggcrate I put there

also the sock was always dirty which I know means it is doing its job but I dont know if I should have movement for the chaeto?

[Aquarist007]

what size of pump are you using for flow through the sump?

If you have a skimmer you don't really need the sock.

confusing if you have no flow in the sump how did the chaeto get sucked into the main tank

[Aquarist007]

answering your question--the tinest piece of chaeto will grow

[Ricky1066]

I have as I am sure you know capn the hob filter goes straight down to sock one line of plexi with a eg crate to seperate it sump pump on the other side I assume the sump is pulling water as It (chaeto ) is always up against the eggcrates and if a strand breaks off it goes right through the crate and up the pum

But I have the hose in the sock so It is silent so the water nevermoves maybe there is some under current butthe surface dead calm

[Aquarist007]

there has to be movement. If you keep the sock you should change it every second day or it becomes a nitrate factory like the bioballs you got rid of

[Aquarist007]

I am trying to remember a picture of your sump
Can you not glue a piece of plastic or acrylic half way up each piece of egg crate. This would give you a great sectioned off space for a refugium and your chaeto would stay in. You can aslo add sand and reef rubble then withou worrying about it getting sucked up also

[Aquarist007]

your sump here seems to serve no purpose--with your skimmer a hang on the tank.
You should be able to turn it into an ideal refugium
On the 75 gal you only need about 200 gph flow through it

[Ricky1066]

I would love to turn off the sump I told you I am always afraid of a flood ( i know it is rare) But the sock is always dirty I do rinse it every other day. I have gotten used to it being the way I tell the water needed to be replaced. I have it marked and I knwo when it goes below that about 16 cups a day how much to add.

As I said As I learn I will *** the bigger sump with in the tank skimmer but after all the money I just spent It will all have to wait for a while.

[Aquarist007]

If you have flow into and out of the sump right now--where is the risk of adding a couple of baffles and turning it into a refugium
That,s going to cost under 20 bucks

[ILoveReefer]

To keep the chaeto from becoming sucked into the pump I use a plastic grid sheet. The plastic sheets sold in craft supply stores used for needle work. I would have to second capn_hyliner about the baffles. It's easy and cheap. By the way I use the plastic grid sheet so the cheato doesnt go over the baffles into to next compartment.

[Ricky1066]

I am goingot have to get a photo of my sump it is one side in with a sock a 2 inch space inbetween where there was a blue sponge (which I removed) now it is just one side in and one side out.

I was told not to use it as a fuge because the sand would get sucked into the sump..

again Maybe stupid but what is the baffle for?

[Ricky1066]

I just read this and my sump is fed from hob overflow-----



Time to make a point! The water entering the refugium should come from below the main tank's water surface not from the overflow, if so equipped. Why? Surface water is skimmed from the main tank into the overflow. This surface water is laden with oils and other dissolved organics. Why would you want to dump this into your refugium? Better to place a small powerhead inside and just below the water surface of the display tank to provide oxygenated

[Aquarist007]

you want to make sure that the water is skimmed first then it goes to the refugium and back to the tank--otherwise copopods etc will get skimmed out

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Ricky1066
I just read this and my sump is fed from hob overflow-----



Time to make a point! The water entering the refugium should come from below the main tank's water surface not from the overflow, if so equipped. Why? Surface water is skimmed from the main tank into the overflow. This surface water is laden with oils and other dissolved organics. Why would you want to dump this into your refugium? Better to place a small powerhead inside and just below the water surface of the display tank to provide oxygenated

also a turbulent surface with a counter clockwise flow from returns to substrate and back to the overflow will address surface area issues

[Ricky1066]

Ok do you forget you are talkning to a newbie here

That all sounded to me like blah blah ablah 0---- blah?

I think for now I will leave it the way it is It is my way of doing my top offs and my filtering the sockis laways dirty so at leastr I knwo it is clenaing something. I have to do more reading on the fuges

[Ricky1066]

But now I am also wondering if I am never going to have coepods since I filter the water and have a skimmer?

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Ricky1066
Ok do you forget you are talkning to a newbie here

That all sounded to me like blah blah ablah 0---- blah?

I think for now I will leave it the way it is It is my way of doing my top offs and my filtering the sockis laways dirty so at leastr I knwo it is clenaing something. I have to do more reading on the fuges

sorry
in the tank organic laden water rises to the surface where it is skimmed off. It returns to lower levels of the tank usually via return lines that point down ward

So the flow in the tank is from bottom to top to filter back to bottom. If you draw a circle around these words with your finger you will see that you draw a counter clockwise circle.

You want to adjust power heads so they enhance this flow not work against it.
So if you are making the surface turbulent make sure you direct the turbulence in the direction of your overflow

[Ricky1066]

OK Now I have that hob skimmer and My pump is in the main tank down in the middle so it is not skimmeing the top is that ok?
I as you can see with the hose

I have the two powerheads facing the rock if I make them one face the back and one face the front I get the whirpoll and al my sand is always moving no tsure if the sand moving is ok> it leaves mountains and holes in different spots