Sumpless/Skimmerless for a week?

jb61264 · 09/22/2011, 08:25 AM

I have had my current 75 gallon SPS dominant mixed reef in place for over 2 years now. Directly below it is a 55 gallon tank that I converted into a nice sump/refugium.

Two nights ago, I was looking at my sump/refugium and noticed the acrylic baffle for my refugium had come loose and was at a 60 degree angle leaning against my return pipe...of course panic set in

Immediately, I began asking local reefing friends if they had a 55 sitting around they could spare...I was going to replicate a new sump/refugium and then just swap them out. After getting a 55 from a friend and bringing it back to my place I noticed that the tanks looked different and come to find out that my original sump/refugium (that I thought was a 55) is really some sort of non-standard 45L or something (48" x 13" x 19" versus the 55 regular 48" x 13" x 21")...unfortunately, in my stand I cannot give up the 2" of height to maintain my Reef Octopus 200 Extreme skimmer.

So now my plan (an ultimately my question to the forum) is this. I built the beananimal silent/failsafe overflow into my tank and the three overflow pipes all have a double union ball valves, including my return pipe...so I can close all of these off, remove my skimmer and basically remove the sump to replace the acrylic baffles with glass (which I should have done in the first place).

My question is, will my system be ok to go without the sump/skimmer for a week while I replace the glass baffles and let the silicone cure for 3-4 days?

allsps40 · 09/22/2011, 08:43 AM

To answer your question yes you tank will be fine for a week without a skimmer or sump. Just do a good water change to make up for not having the skimmer. The other thing is you only need to wait 24 hours for silicon to cure be fore using. Make sure to put a healthy bead of silicon on the baffles. My sump is built the same way as your and has lasted for 4 years with no issues.

ultraxr · 09/22/2011, 09:58 AM

I'm almost in the same situation. I will be taking down my sump to replace my acrylic baffles. Just make sure you have plenty of flow, with powerheads

Al · 09/22/2011, 10:50 AM

If you're going to run your tank without an overflow or skimmer, you will need some aeration, especially if you have a DSB. I would run an airstone at night. That will also break up the surface film you get on a reef tank without an overflow.

jb61264 · 09/22/2011, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al

If you're going to run your tank without an overflow or skimmer, you will need some aeration, especially if you have a DSB. I would run an airstone at night. That will also break up the surface film you get on a reef tank without an overflow.

I have two MP10's that will be running in the tank constantly...they provide pretty good surface movement...I usually also run a Koralia 750 pointed along the back of the tank behind all the rockwork but will be using that in a tub to host my LTA and mated pair of tomatoe clowns who reside in my refugium

Captainfester · 09/22/2011, 11:49 AM

not a big deal at all. keep up flow and its fine. more water changes are always good but there are plenty of people on here who run great tanks skimmer and sumpless all the time.

09/22/2011, 08:25 AM	#1
jb61264 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,112	Sumpless/Skimmerless for a week? I have had my current 75 gallon SPS dominant mixed reef in place for over 2 years now. Directly below it is a 55 gallon tank that I converted into a nice sump/refugium. Two nights ago, I was looking at my sump/refugium and noticed the acrylic baffle for my refugium had come loose and was at a 60 degree angle leaning against my return pipe...of course panic set in Immediately, I began asking local reefing friends if they had a 55 sitting around they could spare...I was going to replicate a new sump/refugium and then just swap them out. After getting a 55 from a friend and bringing it back to my place I noticed that the tanks looked different and come to find out that my original sump/refugium (that I thought was a 55) is really some sort of non-standard 45L or something (48" x 13" x 19" versus the 55 regular 48" x 13" x 21")...unfortunately, in my stand I cannot give up the 2" of height to maintain my Reef Octopus 200 Extreme skimmer. So now my plan (an ultimately my question to the forum) is this. I built the beananimal silent/failsafe overflow into my tank and the three overflow pipes all have a double union ball valves, including my return pipe...so I can close all of these off, remove my skimmer and basically remove the sump to replace the acrylic baffles with glass (which I should have done in the first place). My question is, will my system be ok to go without the sump/skimmer for a week while I replace the glass baffles and let the silicone cure for 3-4 days? __________________ In the end (and the begining) we're all just stardust anyway... Current Tank Info: 75 gallon SPS reef/55 gallon sump/6x54W TEK T5HO/Reef Octopus 200 Extreme Skimmer/Reef Octopus Single Chamber Calcium Reactor/RKL

09/22/2011, 08:43 AM	#2
allsps40 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,627	To answer your question yes you tank will be fine for a week without a skimmer or sump. Just do a good water change to make up for not having the skimmer. The other thing is you only need to wait 24 hours for silicon to cure be fore using. Make sure to put a healthy bead of silicon on the baffles. My sump is built the same way as your and has lasted for 4 years with no issues. __________________ __________ Current Tank Info: Past reef tanks: 20H softy, 29G mixed reef, 55G mixed reef, 40B sps dominant mixed reef and 75G sps dominant mixed reef. No tank currently

09/22/2011, 09:58 AM	#3
ultraxr Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va Bch, VA Posts: 321	I'm almost in the same situation. I will be taking down my sump to replace my acrylic baffles. Just make sure you have plenty of flow, with powerheads __________________ 120 gal- Softies & some LPS

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09/22/2011, 10:50 AM	#4
Al Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 503	If you're going to run your tank without an overflow or skimmer, you will need some aeration, especially if you have a DSB. I would run an airstone at night. That will also break up the surface film you get on a reef tank without an overflow.

09/22/2011, 11:49 AM	#6
Captainfester Master of the Sea Join Date: May 2011 Location: Meriden ct Posts: 1,482	not a big deal at all. keep up flow and its fine. more water changes are always good but there are plenty of people on here who run great tanks skimmer and sumpless all the time.