To sump or not to sump?

EvilE · 02/10/2008, 07:45 PM

Do YOU have a sump for your tank? This is just a curiosity thread....

EvilE · 02/10/2008, 09:06 PM

bump

AquamanE · 02/10/2008, 09:08 PM

Yes- good place to put other gadgets, leaving DT less cluttered. increases total system volume increasing stability of tank.

EvilE · 02/10/2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AquamanE
Yes- good place to put other gadgets, leaving DT less cluttered. increases total system volume increasing stability of tank.

I know the pros to it, just curious as to how many have a sump or not

xenon · 02/10/2008, 09:10 PM

If you have the room, its always a good idea!

ACBlinky · 02/10/2008, 09:20 PM

I went from a sumpless 14g to a sumpless 30g (still up and running), to a sumpless 65g, and took the plunge when I got my 90g -- I decided to go with a drilled RR tank even though it cost more, because I heard so many good things about having a sump, and I was sick of seeing equipment in the display.

I will never, EVER go sumpless again -- any tank I set up in the future will have a sump/fuge at least 1/3 the size of the display. Having a sump is brilliant, I just love it. When I do a water change the fish have no idea anything is even happening, I can hide my heater, use a filter sock to catch debris and detritus, and now that I have a huge ball of chaeto there are zillions of pods and NO3 & PO4 are undetectable.

yoboyjdizz · 02/10/2008, 09:25 PM

Yes sumps are only a plus!

alve · 02/11/2008, 12:06 AM

I would never go without one

The Saltman · 02/11/2008, 12:15 AM

To many pros for me to not have one. Increased water volume, place for tank equipment, and actually helps lower tank temperature.

EvilE · 02/11/2008, 02:46 PM

what about a canister filter? They hold 3-4 gallons of water (I know it's not the same thing, but better then nothing right?

miwoodar · 02/11/2008, 02:55 PM

Sumps - yes.

Canister filters - maybe. I try to avoid things that mechanically filter my water because I don't want to clean them as often as they should be.

ratherbediving · 02/11/2008, 03:03 PM

Canister filters are really useful for eliminating ammonia and nitrite. These are important to control, but with a lot of live rock (and usually a relatively low bioload) in a reef tank, these usually aren't the problem.

In a reef tank, the big issues are nitrate and phosphate. A canister filter won't do anything for those compounds. Instead of a canister filter, invest in a high quality protein skimmer-- either hang on back, or if you can afford a sump and have the skimmer in there, all the better. The idea with the protein skimmer is it will pull out organic compounds that will eventually degrade into the Nitrate and phosphate, thus help keeping those levels in control.

GatorReefman · 02/12/2008, 10:14 PM

I would recommend a sump for all the above reasons. I believe they are useful in helping get the water saturated with O2 and blowing off the CO2 gases. Also, You could add a fuge in there to help control the nitrates as well. In the past, I had used a very small volume wetdry/ sump and was able to grow all kinds of sps for an extended period. You can add your chemicals like kalkwasser there as well. On the negative side, evaporation is probably greater than with a sumpless tank, but when you are dosing, it is a minor point.

View Poll Results: Do YOU have a sump for your tank?
Yes	43	86.00%
No	7	14.00%
Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

02/10/2008, 07:45 PM	#1
EvilE Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,944	To sump or not to sump? Do YOU have a sump for your tank? This is just a curiosity thread....

02/10/2008, 09:06 PM	#2
EvilE Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,944	bump __________________ Targzissians Are Obviously Reptilian Current Tank Info: 55 gallon african cichlid FW, 55 Gallon mixed reef SW

02/10/2008, 09:08 PM	#3
AquamanE Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 6,544	Yes- good place to put other gadgets, leaving DT less cluttered. increases total system volume increasing stability of tank. __________________ Eddie Soler FMAS BOD Member MACNA 2013 Chairman "I'd rather die living than live to die" Current Tank Info: 200G mixed reef with 60G sump, Radion LED’s , Bubble King skimmer, blah blah blah.

02/10/2008, 09:20 PM	#6
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I went from a sumpless 14g to a sumpless 30g (still up and running), to a sumpless 65g, and took the plunge when I got my 90g -- I decided to go with a drilled RR tank even though it cost more, because I heard so many good things about having a sump, and I was sick of seeing equipment in the display. I will never, EVER go sumpless again -- any tank I set up in the future will have a sump/fuge at least 1/3 the size of the display. Having a sump is brilliant, I just love it. When I do a water change the fish have no idea anything is even happening, I can hide my heater, use a filter sock to catch debris and detritus, and now that I have a huge ball of chaeto there are zillions of pods and NO3 & PO4 are undetectable. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

02/10/2008, 09:10 PM	#5
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	If you have the room, its always a good idea!

02/10/2008, 09:25 PM	#7
yoboyjdizz Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 3,137	Yes sumps are only a plus!

02/11/2008, 12:06 AM	#8
alve Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Redwood City, CA Posts: 312	I would never go without one

02/11/2008, 12:15 AM	#9
The Saltman Moved On Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Northwest Ohio Posts: 1,642	To many pros for me to not have one. Increased water volume, place for tank equipment, and actually helps lower tank temperature.

02/11/2008, 02:46 PM	#10
EvilE Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,944	what about a canister filter? They hold 3-4 gallons of water (I know it's not the same thing, but better then nothing right? __________________ Targzissians Are Obviously Reptilian Current Tank Info: 55 gallon african cichlid FW, 55 Gallon mixed reef SW

02/11/2008, 02:55 PM	#11
miwoodar Likey the bikey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,371	Sumps - yes. Canister filters - maybe. I try to avoid things that mechanically filter my water because I don't want to clean them as often as they should be. __________________ Mike On hiatus. I'm either out riding my bicycle, playing with my family, or throwing ferts in my planted tank. Or working. I hope I'm not doing that though. Current Tank Info: 140 DIY Cube

02/11/2008, 03:03 PM	#12
ratherbediving Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 558	Canister filters are really useful for eliminating ammonia and nitrite. These are important to control, but with a lot of live rock (and usually a relatively low bioload) in a reef tank, these usually aren't the problem. In a reef tank, the big issues are nitrate and phosphate. A canister filter won't do anything for those compounds. Instead of a canister filter, invest in a high quality protein skimmer-- either hang on back, or if you can afford a sump and have the skimmer in there, all the better. The idea with the protein skimmer is it will pull out organic compounds that will eventually degrade into the Nitrate and phosphate, thus help keeping those levels in control.

02/12/2008, 10:14 PM	#13
GatorReefman Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northeast , Florida Posts: 243	I would recommend a sump for all the above reasons. I believe they are useful in helping get the water saturated with O2 and blowing off the CO2 gases. Also, You could add a fuge in there to help control the nitrates as well. In the past, I had used a very small volume wetdry/ sump and was able to grow all kinds of sps for an extended period. You can add your chemicals like kalkwasser there as well. On the negative side, evaporation is probably greater than with a sumpless tank, but when you are dosing, it is a minor point.