Sump/Refugium?

[CKI]

what the heck is the difference? <---- yep total newb ... and rockin my canister filter

[BlindZide]

A sump will add volume to water and a gives you a place to hide all of your components like heaters and skimmer. May need to vac to get debris out of it. Also a great place to dose or do water changes and maintenance as to not disturb your DT.

Refugium is basically a smaller DT to grow pods in and do natural algae and parameter control. Some people like em, some don't. Just remember this needs to maintained as your DT would be. I guess think of it as a type of "nano" if you will with plants, sand, and snails.

All in all you can put your Refug in your sump. Make it a all in one deal.

[CKI]

Ah ok ... had a deal on craigslist for a Refugium and skimmer... but meh ... ill pass on that

[CKI]

How big of a sump would i need for a 75 gallon tank?

[Pearson]

As big as your stand allows. I'm guessing probably a 30g but you could do it easily with a 20g.

[CKI]

my problem is getting it under the stand..stand has 2 doors ... i would probably have to drain my DT and remove it and put the tank in from the top ... might just have to stay with my canister filter with weekly washes for now

[Pearson]

Originally Posted by CKI

my problem is getting it under the stand..stand has 2 doors ... i would probably have to drain my DT and remove it and put the tank in from the top ... might just have to stay with my canister filter with weekly washes for now

Does your stand not have a back? You can squeeze a 20L through the front doors at an angle, more than likely.

Having a sump is extremely beneficial to your overall system so I would highly advise you to look into one. Has your tank already cycled? If not, draining the DT wouldn't be an issue.

[CKI]

all my numbers are leveling out now ..and ive already drained the tank once before to move it from one wall to the other...what a pain! .... if i can fit a 20L under there, what else would i need for it? I am new to this stuff, but id rather get it all done and over with now rather than to wait

[Pearson]

Originally Posted by CKI

all my numbers are leveling out now ..and ive already drained the tank once before to move it from one wall to the other...what a pain! .... if i can fit a 20L under there, what else would i need for it? I am new to this stuff, but id rather get it all done and over with now rather than to wait

A couple of questions since it seems i'm the only one awake right now.

Do you have a skimmer? Want one?
Where do you put your heater for the tank?
Are you planned on dosing anything?
Are you afraid of some DIY? Running pvc, putting baffles into a sump, and a little math.

Reasons/Things to use a sump:
Most sumps have 3 chambers: Skimmer | Fuge | Return
The skimmer area is exactly what is says. It houses the skimmer and filter socks, if you want to run them.

Fuge is the refugium. Most people run cheato or some kind of macro algae. You can also house heaters, probes, and return lines here.

Return is where you put your return pump. I believe most look for 10x turnover rate. This is a good place to put your ATO (auto top off) return line in so you don't have to fill the tank up everyday because of missing water.

There's a lot more to cover and I can probably do it but I would advise you to read all the sticky's you can and if something doesn't make sense or you aren't grasping something, come back and ask. This forum has more than enough knowledge and there are plenty of people that are willing to help. Answering the same question many, many times can be frustrating so don't take it personally if someone gives you grief. Everyone started out new so don't worry if you're question seems dumb, everyone was were you are now at one point in their life.

[crsswift70]

You kind of went about this the wrong way from the beginning. Most people, when investing this much time and money, plan their tanks out. It seems like you have been doing this piecemeal, going from one step to another while never really having a plan in place. I wish you luck, but i worry you are going to get half way through this process and give up. You're in the right place to get your answers, but a lot of these questions should have been asked long before you stuck water in your tank. Good luck though!

[CKI]

Oh i wont give up ... i was going by a LFS recommendations then found this website. Whats to give up on? Sump with pumps and overflow will only cost 200... thats nothing when i''ve spent 600+ on live rock the past week

[BlindZide]

That's the mentality!

[CKI]

I really think my LFS thought this would be something done over a year as i get used to the saltwater stuff .... what a shame to he offered me a 30gal sump,pumps and overflow box for 160 ... but i knew NOTHING about em...all i knew about was HOB's and canisters...meh, live and learn! ill have to call him up and see if that deal still applies to me

[BlindZide]

Honestly the most expensive part of your sump will be the return pump. Just make sure you get a ball valve to back it down because my mag 5 drains my sump faster than my overflow when its wide open.

[batgo]

Quality skimmer will be the most expensive component of the sump.

[BlindZide]

A skimmer goes into the sump but is not sump dependent which is why I said the return pump would be

[CKI]

im calling my LFS tomorrow and seeing if he still has that used sump available ... now my next ? ... HOB overflow ... lifereef or eshopps?

[BlindZide]

LifeReef has nothing but great reviews as does eshopps and CPR. I currently have a CPR and am loving it.

[CKI]

Originally Posted by BlindZide

LifeReef has nothing but great reviews as does eshopps and CPR. I currently have a CPR and am loving it.

Thats not a tubeless design is it? if theres one thing i know about overflows, its to stay away from tubeless... other than that...yep..nothing

[BlindZide]

All overflows have a chance of failing. It depends on the user on if and when it will. People have used both which have failed and have not failed. It all depends on how the user maintains it.