Need help with a sump!

crusing52 · 01/26/2006, 10:02 PM

Hello. I have a 55 gallon tank with 75# of live rock and a 3-4" sand bed. It has been cycling for about 4-5 months. I've added a few snails and some crabs. I would like to add a sump. I have read the do it yourself section and seen some good ideas, but I'm
not quit sure on how I should set up mine. Do you need a refuge? Should I use Bio Balls or some kind of sponge. I've read some negetive things about wet dry systems. And finally how many gallons should I make it? I have a all glass tank so i'm going to purchase a overflow box this weekend.

FriendToNemo · 01/26/2006, 10:27 PM

IMO there's NOTHING better than the refuge/sump combo. My tank cycled VERY quickly and has been quite healthy and I attribute it to the sump. I made mine out of a 20l aquarium as well. Used 1/8" plastic from the LHS. I wiish I had some good pictures to show you but I don't.

NO to the bio-balls... everything I've read and experienced indicates they just build up Nitrates. My return goes onto filter media that sits on top of eggcrate (from the lighting dept at the LHS). There's some great examples in the DIY section. Melves Reef Site is loaded with great info: http://www.melevsreef.com/sump.html

The best lesson from his site is the use of the baffles to trap the air bubbles.... originally I couldn't get a lot of flow because of the bubble generation... his baffle solution fixes this nicely. Take some of your LR and throw it in the refuge section and some Chaeto and you'll be in good shape!

Fast Fred · 01/26/2006, 11:07 PM

Excellent advice FTN!

otterpop510 · 01/26/2006, 11:24 PM

yeah, melev's reef site is a great resource in terms of thinking about sumps and refugariums

egdevilboy · 01/27/2006, 12:25 AM

1) a refugium is not necessary, but it is nice to provide a safe environment for copepods to grow

2) check out http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

3) if its a DIY i would recommend maybe jsut a HOB flter like a penguin 350 or Aquaclear 500

stelow · 01/27/2006, 02:59 AM

To Reef Central
It's really quite simple to set up. My sump is used for extra water volume, a place to keep my heater and my Euro-reef skimmer. This works for me, I have no refugium but I do keep one single 5 lb piece of live rock in my sump, on the return side. I use a 20 gallon long glass tank with one 5 inches tall piece of glass siliconed to the bottom and sides across the witdh of the tank. The single piece of glass used in the tank does a few things, one it keeps the water level on the side where my skimmer pump and heater are from ever dropping to low. It also keeps the skimmed water from my tank near my skimmer pump longer and reduces microbubbles from entering my return pump. My drain hose goes directly into my sump on the skimmer side, and it just lays on the bottom; I cut the drain hose end, in the sump under the water with a slit in it about three inches long that releases air coming from the overflow.

crusing52 · 01/27/2006, 06:35 AM

Wow melev's reef site has a ton of info!!!!! I'll check it out today. Thanks again.

petermai · 01/27/2006, 06:39 AM

i have a sump also and it's set up like so...i have a cpr overflow box that drains water down into a diatom bag(mechanical filtering) to the sump/refugium below. in the first section is where my heater and my skimmer is, then it goes over the baffles into the refugium which i've packed fairly tightly with chaeto, and live rocks/sand. i have some clip on lights to help the chaeto thrive, then it goes over another baffle into the return section, and from there the eheim takes the water back up again. hope this makes sense to you.

01/26/2006, 10:02 PM	#1
crusing52 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 132	Need help with a sump! Hello. I have a 55 gallon tank with 75# of live rock and a 3-4" sand bed. It has been cycling for about 4-5 months. I've added a few snails and some crabs. I would like to add a sump. I have read the do it yourself section and seen some good ideas, but I'm not quit sure on how I should set up mine. Do you need a refuge? Should I use Bio Balls or some kind of sponge. I've read some negetive things about wet dry systems. And finally how many gallons should I make it? I have a all glass tank so i'm going to purchase a overflow box this weekend.

01/26/2006, 11:07 PM	#3
Fast Fred Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northfield, NJ 08225 Posts: 1,170	Excellent advice FTN! __________________ Ya know, for a clown fish, you're not very funny! Member of the New Jersey Reefers Club Current Tank Info: 125g Reef Ready AGA /55g Top Fin Tank for a sump/refugium/ LifeReef Skimmer/ Changing over to SPS only

01/26/2006, 11:24 PM	#4
otterpop510 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: oakland, ca Posts: 1,018	yeah, melev's reef site is a great resource in terms of thinking about sumps and refugariums __________________ huh? you mean those are not purple people eaters in my avatar? Current Tank Info: home: 75 gal reef, 18 gal planted discus; class: 20 gal reef and some goldfish which won't die..

01/26/2006, 10:27 PM	#2
FriendToNemo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 52	IMO there's NOTHING better than the refuge/sump combo. My tank cycled VERY quickly and has been quite healthy and I attribute it to the sump. I made mine out of a 20l aquarium as well. Used 1/8" plastic from the LHS. I wiish I had some good pictures to show you but I don't. NO to the bio-balls... everything I've read and experienced indicates they just build up Nitrates. My return goes onto filter media that sits on top of eggcrate (from the lighting dept at the LHS). There's some great examples in the DIY section. Melves Reef Site is loaded with great info: http://www.melevsreef.com/sump.html The best lesson from his site is the use of the baffles to trap the air bubbles.... originally I couldn't get a lot of flow because of the bubble generation... his baffle solution fixes this nicely. Take some of your LR and throw it in the refuge section and some Chaeto and you'll be in good shape!

01/27/2006, 12:25 AM	#5
egdevilboy Moved On Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southern Florida Posts: 620	1) a refugium is not necessary, but it is nice to provide a safe environment for copepods to grow 2) check out http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html 3) if its a DIY i would recommend maybe jsut a HOB flter like a penguin 350 or Aquaclear 500

01/27/2006, 02:59 AM	#6
stelow Moved On Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Indiana, USA Posts: 472	*To Reef Central* It's really quite simple to set up. My sump is used for extra water volume, a place to keep my heater and my Euro-reef skimmer. This works for me, I have no refugium but I do keep one single 5 lb piece of live rock in my sump, on the return side. I use a 20 gallon long glass tank with one 5 inches tall piece of glass siliconed to the bottom and sides across the witdh of the tank. The single piece of glass used in the tank does a few things, one it keeps the water level on the side where my skimmer pump and heater are from ever dropping to low. It also keeps the skimmed water from my tank near my skimmer pump longer and reduces microbubbles from entering my return pump. My drain hose goes directly into my sump on the skimmer side, and it just lays on the bottom; I cut the drain hose end, in the sump under the water with a slit in it about three inches long that releases air coming from the overflow.

01/27/2006, 06:35 AM	#7
crusing52 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 132	Wow melev's reef site has a ton of info!!!!! I'll check it out today. Thanks again.

01/27/2006, 06:39 AM	#8
petermai Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: san francisco, ca Posts: 191	i have a sump also and it's set up like so...i have a cpr overflow box that drains water down into a diatom bag(mechanical filtering) to the sump/refugium below. in the first section is where my heater and my skimmer is, then it goes over the baffles into the refugium which i've packed fairly tightly with chaeto, and live rocks/sand. i have some clip on lights to help the chaeto thrive, then it goes over another baffle into the return section, and from there the eheim takes the water back up again. hope this makes sense to you.