What Redfishbluefish said. All it does is automate your tank, nothing else. Most people do not even have one....to clear up a lot of this tell us about your tank and plans for the tank.. Once we know this we can better direct you to what you need.
Equipment more or Less?
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redfishbluefish
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Rock and sand in a sump are for the bacteria that help break down detritus (fish poop). The bacteria live in the rock and sand. The plant thingys (common type is Chaetomorpha Algae), is to utilize the unwanted nitrates and phosphates the fish produce. Think of the nitrates and phosphates as fertilizer for the algae. It's a great way to "export" these unwanted chemicals. A simple clamp on fixture (found at HD) and a compact fluorescent bulb is all you need to grow macro algae in the sump.
alan.lee3
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When I started, I started with the bare minimals.
Tank, Canister Filter, Lee's Protein Skimmer, Light.
After more and more research, I've upgraded to a sump. Haven't gotten to the dosing or reactors yet.
Live Sand is beneficial for the tank with it's bacteria. The plants inside the sumps are usually macro algae. Takes away ph and nitrates. Pods hides, breeds, lives, and then gets sucked in the return for your fishes to eat.
Tank, Canister Filter, Lee's Protein Skimmer, Light.
After more and more research, I've upgraded to a sump. Haven't gotten to the dosing or reactors yet.
Live Sand is beneficial for the tank with it's bacteria. The plants inside the sumps are usually macro algae. Takes away ph and nitrates. Pods hides, breeds, lives, and then gets sucked in the return for your fishes to eat.
zwulfke
Reefer Extraordinaire
rock more than sand as the rock holds the bacteria that changes the ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate the last a bit more complicated. The sand can help with this but, there is many bare bottom tanks.
A sump is like a filter where the water is moved and lets things settle out. It adds water volume and allows a place to add dosing . It also all your stuff can go in there like your skimmer and heater to hid them. A refug is a place for cherto or other algae to allow export of nitrate and phos also allows pods to grow without being bothered or eaten
A sump is like a filter where the water is moved and lets things settle out. It adds water volume and allows a place to add dosing . It also all your stuff can go in there like your skimmer and heater to hid them. A refug is a place for cherto or other algae to allow export of nitrate and phos also allows pods to grow without being bothered or eaten
Its just a way of having extra rock/sand in your system without have to put it all in the display tank. A sump is an area where you usually have all of chemical/mechanical filtration and a refugium (can be built into a sump) is where you have natural filtration by way of macro algae(plants that eat waste)
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Mandee
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Z06-Hec
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actually i can give a little advice...
In my opinion...
the more equipment you have the less work you have to do... I helped someone here at work start a tank and I asked him, how lazy are you?
If your super lazy and wont pay attention to things and do tests all the time you need more equipment... some to do things automatically and some to keep an eye on things for you...
I dont have any auto dosing systems in my tank. I have an ATO for auto top off, for evaporated water. Sump with a skimmer in it, no FUGE.
In my opinion...
the more equipment you have the less work you have to do... I helped someone here at work start a tank and I asked him, how lazy are you?
If your super lazy and wont pay attention to things and do tests all the time you need more equipment... some to do things automatically and some to keep an eye on things for you...
I dont have any auto dosing systems in my tank. I have an ATO for auto top off, for evaporated water. Sump with a skimmer in it, no FUGE.
