Adding a below tank sump to a nanocube. Is it necessary?

glb · Apr 7, 2015

I have a 12g nano running with a phosban reactor. At some point I'll add an ATO and maybe a little skimmer. I hung the lid over the tank to make room for the reactor but there's not much space in the behind tank sump for anything else. Water quality overall is good with the exception of low ph (due to high co2) which I am successfully treating with kalk by manually dosing. I thought about adding a below tank sump to provide a higher water volume, increase gas exchange and make room for a skimmer, doser, continuous ph monitor or any other equipment I might want later. I'm not planning to have SPS in the tank at this point, just LPS and soft corals. Would a sump be more of a hassle than it's worth? I'm on the fence and would appreciate input. [emoji4]

glb · Apr 7, 2015

dmort · Apr 7, 2015

Hi, I run a 12 gallon aquapod. I removed the lid and threw it away (it was in lousy shape) and added an ato, a remora nano, a Doser, and a coral compulsion 40 watt led bulb. I run chemipure elite in one of the chambers. It grows softies like crazy. 2 clowns.

glb · Apr 8, 2015

dmort said:
Hi, I run a 12 gallon aquapod. I removed the lid and threw it away (it was in lousy shape) and added an ato, a remora nano, a Doser, and a coral compulsion 40 watt led bulb. I run chemipure elite in one of the chambers. It grows softies like crazy. 2 clowns.

Wow. That's great. The remora is a skimmer?

soggytees · Apr 8, 2015

Hmm...I think that ultimately depends on you. I can see a sump being easier in the long-run, but that does defeat the purpose in an AIO which is that it is compact and self-contained. I like having a sump on my systems, and I find the AIO sump compartments to be cramped...but they're doable...it's ultimately going to come down to your preference.

krystalreef · Apr 8, 2015

If you want to house more equipment then yes it would be a good thing to get one but if you have enough room for a hang on the back skimmer and reactor and refugiom and ato then why bother

d2mini · Apr 8, 2015

10g Fusion here.
No sump.
No protein skimmer... yet.
Just marine pure spheres in the filter compartment, the filter sponge, and a 5g ATO container with Kalk in it.

hart24601 · Apr 9, 2015

I kept a biocube 14 for years without a skimmer or sump. I eventually went full SPS and it was packed, had to trim weekly. Used saturated kalk, but that eventually couldn't keep up so I got a doser but never did get a sump for it. Eventually sold it to get down to 1 tank, but had no issues at all. Sad I didn't take a pic from the 100% SPS, but here was a pic before that. I only did 100% SPS because of room issues and LPS tend to sting other coral.

TarHeelReefer22 · Apr 9, 2015

Anytime you can increase your water volume in this hobby it is a good thing! Also, you are adding more customization to your filtering capabilities which will prove to be more effective than the behind the scenes compacted filtration of the biocubes or HOB models. I don't see anything wrong with sumping the smallest of systems and have a friend who has a pico four gallon display and very well hidden ten gallon sump! Good luck

dmort · Apr 9, 2015

Yes, the remora is a skimmer the pump is in the first chamber and it returns to the second. I'll take a picture of the setup.

dmort · Apr 13, 2015

Here's my 12g. You can see a little shelf on the upper left for my dosing pump, the remora hanging on the back, I have a tunze osmolator nano on the return chamber on the right side. I also have a heater, some live rock rubble, and a gooseneck with a par 38 bulb.

I removed the black vinyl from the back of the tank where I have the live rock and it is lit opposite the tanks cycle. I used to grow chaeto back there but it got messed up and it took me a while to clean it all out.

I also glued a piece of acrylic over the 1st section intakes to force that section to overflow. On the aquapod 12gallon there are little cut outs at the tipiddle and bottom of the first chamber, so the filtration sections from all levels of the tank. I wanted to skim the surface so I glued a panel over those bottom and middle in takes.

I also upgrade the return pump and I put a hydor rotating flow deflector on it. I have a koralia nano for additional circulation.

glb · Apr 14, 2015

dmort said:
Here's my 12g. You can see a little shelf on the upper left for my dosing pump, the remora hanging on the back, I have a tunze osmolator nano on the return chamber on the right side. I also have a heater, some live rock rubble, and a gooseneck with a par 38 bulb.

I removed the black vinyl from the back of the tank where I have the live rock and it is lit opposite the tanks cycle. I used to grow chaeto back there but it got messed up and it took me a while to clean it all out.

I also glued a piece of acrylic over the 1st section intakes to force that section to overflow. On the aquapod 12gallon there are little cut outs at the tipiddle and bottom of the first chamber, so the filtration sections from all levels of the tank. I wanted to skim the surface so I glued a panel over those bottom and middle in takes.

I also upgrade the return pump and I put a hydor rotating flow deflector on it. I have a koralia nano for additional circulation.

Thanks for all the detail!