things to put in the sump

1 sick reef · 12/02/2009, 07:45 PM

what should i put in there ?

spleify · 12/02/2009, 07:49 PM

Is it going to be a sump, or a refugium.

Sump; heater, skimmer, return pump, probes, sencors, thermometer, etc. basically anything you don't wantin the tank

Refugium; all the above plus, a light and some kind of macro algae, maybe sand and rock.

1 sick reef · 12/02/2009, 09:49 PM

so sump and refugium are the same thing do i bennifit more by putting live sand and algae in to it

spleify · 12/02/2009, 10:17 PM

Well they are similar, but not the same. A sump will basically add water volume and offer a place to "hide" your equipment. A refugium does that too, but with the added benefit of having a section where you could house rock or sand or macro algae, or any combination of these.

tangdiver · 12/03/2009, 05:41 PM

I have a sump/fuge combo....best of both worlds.

Good luck.

1 sick reef · 12/03/2009, 06:14 PM

should i put fish in it?

uncleof6 · 12/03/2009, 06:14 PM

In the interest of clarity: A refugium and a sump are not the same thing, nor are they related. A refugium is a place of "refuge" i.e. a safe haven for animal life that would otherwise be subjected to predation in the main display tank. A sump is a water management container. A refugium will not contain water management and "filter" type equipment, and will be tied to the system, and fed (food) similarly as a display tank would be. A sump may contain a "fuge" section, but due to the generally small size, and being separate from the system food chain, this section is not of much use as a 'refugium' but more as an algae filter, for nutrient export, and therefore a water management component, rather than a refugium. Rock rubble in a sump or "fuge" section, accomplishes nothing better than bio balls would.

FWIW,

Jim

mrpopo · 12/03/2009, 06:31 PM

Whatever you decide to set up I wouldn't keep fish in, they just add an extra bioload and you can't see them. You can use it as a fish jail if one get out of control and has to be removed from the display.

1 sick reef · 12/03/2009, 07:26 PM

ok no fish but i should add some lr and algae

JTL · 12/03/2009, 07:48 PM

Good place for pods and cheato. I look at it as a refug for pods and other little critters that would be quickly consumed in the DT. I keep some LR rubble in mine. I want to get a good pod population for a mandarin goby otherwise I would just use it for removing nitrates and phosphates.

Jim96SC2 · 12/03/2009, 10:25 PM

The more I read and see the more the fuge in todays every-day aquariasts useage is for:

1) Keeping unsightly macro algae out of the DT so you can use it for nutrient export.
2) Fish food grower.
3) DSB filter.

1 sick reef · 12/03/2009, 10:30 PM

the person who owend the tank before me had live sand and carbon but ive herd not to leave carbon in the tank

spleify · 12/03/2009, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1 sick reef

but ive herd not to leave carbon in the tank

Are you referring to GAC(granular Activated Carbon)? If so, you can, and IMO, should run GAC 24/7. Others have different opinions on this. But I feel strongly about running it.

Here is a good article on GAC, very good read.

Does a Reef Tank Need Carbon?

HTH

Good luck

Bobby S. · 12/03/2009, 10:51 PM

What will the carbon do for the water, and you would have to put it in a bag of some sort right?

uncleof6 · 12/04/2009, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby S.

What will the carbon do for the water, and you would have to put it in a bag of some sort right?

Read the article that spleify linked to.

Water needs to flow through the carbon, not around it. Putting bags of carbon in your sump is not near as affective as using a carbon reactor, or similar "flow through" device.

Jim

potterjon · 12/04/2009, 08:46 AM

I tried the Deep Sand Bed in my fuge and really didn't like it. It ended up just being the place where all the detritus landed and was tricky to clean. It kind of freaked me out. Now I just keep live rock and chaeto down there. The more rubble rock or live rock you can put in your fuge, the less needed in the display tank, if that is your goal.

Sisterlimonpot · 12/04/2009, 09:40 AM

A remote deep sand bed (like the one in your fuge) needs plenty of sand sifters to remove the detritus and stir the top end of the sand. Otherwise you were heading down a road that wasn't going to be pretty.

I have to agree that using GAC 24/7 is the way to go. And definitely using a reactor of some sort (it works more efficiently) and a regular routine to change the spent GAC is a must.

reefsic · 12/04/2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by potterjon

I tried the Deep Sand Bed in my fuge and really didn't like it. It ended up just being the place where all the detritus landed and was tricky to clean. It kind of freaked me out. Now I just keep live rock and chaeto down there. The more rubble rock or live rock you can put in your fuge, the less needed in the display tank, if that is your goal.

Same here.

However for newbie's I would just stick to basics and have a micron bag to rid all the large debris and a protein skimmer. If the space is adequate, you can always add additional Media Reactors.

I'm running a ULNS so I have no fuge or Micron bag in my sump. Currently, I have my sump baffled with LR, Phos & Active Carbon Media, a Zeolite Reactor and my Skimmer!

jet fixer · 12/04/2009, 02:02 PM

Ulns?

reefsic · 12/04/2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jet fixer

Ulns?

Ultra Low Nutrient System

Sisterlimonpot · 12/04/2009, 02:33 PM

Just because I can Here

12/02/2009, 07:45 PM	#1
1 sick reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: east side wal-mart Posts: 112	things to put in the sump what should i put in there ?

12/02/2009, 07:49 PM	#2
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Is it going to be a sump, or a refugium. Sump; heater, skimmer, return pump, probes, sencors, thermometer, etc. basically anything you don't wantin the tank Refugium; all the above plus, a light and some kind of macro algae, maybe sand and rock. __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

12/02/2009, 10:17 PM	#4
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Well they are similar, but not the same. A sump will basically add water volume and offer a place to "hide" your equipment. A refugium does that too, but with the added benefit of having a section where you could house rock or sand or macro algae, or any combination of these. __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

12/03/2009, 05:41 PM	#5
tangdiver Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sioux Falls South Dakota Posts: 1,231	I have a sump/fuge combo....best of both worlds. Good luck. __________________ Its unwise to pay to much or to little When U pay to much U lose a little $ When U pay to little U sometimes lose it all because the thing U bought was incapable of doing the thing U bought it to do Current Tank Info: 6' long, 3' wide, 2' high, My tank is not worthy of Tank of the Month

12/03/2009, 06:14 PM	#7
uncleof6 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: AWOL Posts: 12,013	In the interest of clarity: A refugium and a sump are not the same thing, nor are they related. A refugium is a place of "refuge" i.e. a safe haven for animal life that would otherwise be subjected to predation in the main display tank. A sump is a water management container. A refugium will not contain water management and "filter" type equipment, and will be tied to the system, and fed (food) similarly as a display tank would be. A sump may contain a "fuge" section, but due to the generally small size, and being separate from the system food chain, this section is not of much use as a 'refugium' but more as an algae filter, for nutrient export, and therefore a water management component, rather than a refugium. Rock rubble in a sump or "fuge" section, accomplishes nothing better than bio balls would. FWIW, Jim __________________ "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (oft attributed to Einstein; most likely paraphrasing by Roger Sessions; compactly articulates the principle of Occam's Razor) Current Tank Info: 325 6' wide Reef

12/02/2009, 09:49 PM	#3
1 sick reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: east side wal-mart Posts: 112	so sump and refugium are the same thing do i bennifit more by putting live sand and algae in to it

12/03/2009, 06:31 PM	#8
mrpopo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Savannah, Ga Posts: 54	Whatever you decide to set up I wouldn't keep fish in, they just add an extra bioload and you can't see them. You can use it as a fish jail if one get out of control and has to be removed from the display.

12/03/2009, 07:26 PM	#9
1 sick reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: east side wal-mart Posts: 112	ok no fish but i should add some lr and algae

12/03/2009, 07:48 PM	#10
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	Good place for pods and cheato. I look at it as a refug for pods and other little critters that would be quickly consumed in the DT. I keep some LR rubble in mine. I want to get a good pod population for a mandarin goby otherwise I would just use it for removing nitrates and phosphates.

12/03/2009, 10:25 PM	#11
Jim96SC2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 311	The more I read and see the more the fuge in todays every-day aquariasts useage is for: 1) Keeping unsightly macro algae out of the DT so you can use it for nutrient export. 2) Fish food grower. 3) DSB filter.

12/03/2009, 10:30 PM	#12
1 sick reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: east side wal-mart Posts: 112	the person who owend the tank before me had live sand and carbon but ive herd not to leave carbon in the tank

12/03/2009, 10:51 PM	#14
Bobby S. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: TN Posts: 76	What will the carbon do for the water, and you would have to put it in a bag of some sort right?

12/04/2009, 08:46 AM	#16
potterjon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Asheville,NC Posts: 933	I tried the Deep Sand Bed in my fuge and really didn't like it. It ended up just being the place where all the detritus landed and was tricky to clean. It kind of freaked me out. Now I just keep live rock and chaeto down there. The more rubble rock or live rock you can put in your fuge, the less needed in the display tank, if that is your goal.

12/04/2009, 09:40 AM	#17
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	A remote deep sand bed (like the one in your fuge) needs plenty of sand sifters to remove the detritus and stir the top end of the sand. Otherwise you were heading down a road that wasn't going to be pretty. I have to agree that using GAC 24/7 is the way to go. And definitely using a reactor of some sort (it works more efficiently) and a regular routine to change the spent GAC is a must. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

12/04/2009, 02:02 PM	#19
jet fixer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Litchfield Park, AZ Posts: 718	Ulns?

12/04/2009, 02:33 PM	#21
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Just because I can Here __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress