Turning my sump into a fuge help.

Sy1983 · 01/27/2014, 01:28 PM

Hi,

So looking for a little help turning part of my sump into a fuge.

I have a 100 gallon tank and 21 gallon sump set up for about 6 months now. I've got an overflow to the sump (In tank), and the sump is made up of three chambers the first has poly and carbon filter pads above bio balls, the second has the protein skimmer, and the third the return pump. I'd like to use part of my sump to grow some chaeto or caulerpa to help with nitrates/phospates, algae in my display tank and to feed a sea hare I recently got to help with the algae, I'm not 100% on how I would do this.

Do I remove the filters and bio balls to move the skimmer to the first chamber? Can I put my skimmer in the third chamber with the return pump, or do I need to use a chaeto basket instead.

Any help would be brilliant.

Thanks

Sy

snorvich · 01/27/2014, 01:34 PM

How much live rock do you have in the DT? I would avoid Caulerpa at all costs and stick with chaeto or gracillaria. The macro cannot be in the return pump chamber.

Cymonous · 01/27/2014, 01:35 PM

I would remove the filters and bioballs, move skimmer to first chamber, make 2nd chamber the fuge. You don't want the skimmer in the same chamber as the return just in-case that water level fluctuates. You also want to make sure the water level is within the range the skimmer requires.

IanWR · 01/27/2014, 01:39 PM

This may be an opportunity to switch to a new sump. You can make one yourself, there are lots of resources here to help with that. The advantage of making a new one would be that you could design it to your own needs. Plus if you went bigger, it would add volume to your system which is never a bad thing.

Sy1983 · 01/27/2014, 01:52 PM

Thanks for the replies.

I've got roughly 65lbs of live rock in the DT if that helps. I'm going to increase this by about 20lbs but this will not be for a couple of months.

I've been running on a reduced light cycle, that a algae magnet, and the sea hare have reduced the main algae bloom for the time being and the sea hare is currently eating Nori, so there is no rush for the change just looking for something more sustainable in the long term.

Cowdogz · 01/27/2014, 01:57 PM

I would put the skimmer on the first chamber, and replace the bio-balls with live rock rubble.

01/27/2014, 01:28 PM	#1
Sy1983 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2	Turning my sump into a fuge help. Hi, So looking for a little help turning part of my sump into a fuge. I have a 100 gallon tank and 21 gallon sump set up for about 6 months now. I've got an overflow to the sump (In tank), and the sump is made up of three chambers the first has poly and carbon filter pads above bio balls, the second has the protein skimmer, and the third the return pump. I'd like to use part of my sump to grow some chaeto or caulerpa to help with nitrates/phospates, algae in my display tank and to feed a sea hare I recently got to help with the algae, I'm not 100% on how I would do this. Do I remove the filters and bio balls to move the skimmer to the first chamber? Can I put my skimmer in the third chamber with the return pump, or do I need to use a chaeto basket instead. Any help would be brilliant. Thanks Sy

01/27/2014, 01:34 PM	#2
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	How much live rock do you have in the DT? I would avoid Caulerpa at all costs and stick with chaeto or gracillaria. The macro cannot be in the return pump chamber. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

01/27/2014, 01:35 PM	#3
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	I would remove the filters and bioballs, move skimmer to first chamber, make 2nd chamber the fuge. You don't want the skimmer in the same chamber as the return just in-case that water level fluctuates. You also want to make sure the water level is within the range the skimmer requires. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

01/27/2014, 01:39 PM	#4
IanWR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: SK, Canada Posts: 214	This may be an opportunity to switch to a new sump. You can make one yourself, there are lots of resources here to help with that. The advantage of making a new one would be that you could design it to your own needs. Plus if you went bigger, it would add volume to your system which is never a bad thing.

01/27/2014, 01:52 PM	#5
Sy1983 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 2	Thanks for the replies. I've got roughly 65lbs of live rock in the DT if that helps. I'm going to increase this by about 20lbs but this will not be for a couple of months. I've been running on a reduced light cycle, that a algae magnet, and the sea hare have reduced the main algae bloom for the time being and the sea hare is currently eating Nori, so there is no rush for the change just looking for something more sustainable in the long term.

01/27/2014, 01:57 PM	#6
Cowdogz Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 85	I would put the skimmer on the first chamber, and replace the bio-balls with live rock rubble.