How does a sump filter the water?

nano reef

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ok, so at risk of sounding like a total idiot I just have to ask! How the heck does the sump filter when its basically a big body of water! WE are putting together our second system. Our first being a tiny 10 gallon...well, I quickly got struck with reefing frezy! LOL So we purchase a 72 gallon bowfront. If I had more room I would have gone larger! Anyway, I am buying the rest of the system mostly used besides the pump and I am looking at several sumps and skimmers, lights,overflows and powerheads!

I know I dont want a wet/dry but I can see how that filters with bioballs but sumps have no place to put purigan and chemi elite and poly sponge ect.. Thats what I use for my 10 gallon. I know you can use socks and there are bubble traps that have a place for a sponge but is the sponge there to filter? Would I have to buy media reactors in order to use carbon ect?

Also, I s it okay to oversize a skimmer and a pump? My tank is 72 gallons but skimmer I am looking at is seaside aquatics ES5, which I think is a bubble magnus curve 5 with a better pump (sicce 200.) It says its for 80 gallons. I am getting a great pkg deal with a sump and rock. Also when purchasing my pump I am thinking of a Jebao dc. Not sure which gph but since its adjustable I am hoping I can make it work with the tsunami overflow that I plan on getting and dont know exact gph of. I do plan to get pump new though, since they are pretty cheap not like pumps and skimmers that are outrageous!
 
Well, if its slower flow, then its a settling tank. Otherwise its a body of water for the equipment that filters and heats the water. It can also be used as a biological filter such as with macro algea, a DSB or even miracle mud.
 
A sump is somewhere you put things you don't want to see or won't fit in the display tank.
 
Your sump is only as good as what you have in there. Here are examples of "filtering" things that are found in sumps:

Skimmer
Filter socks
Algae
UV Sterilizer
Carbon
GFO
BioPellets
Deep Sand Bed

And I'm sure other things that aren't coming to me right now.
 
A sump is a great extension of your display tank. It in itself is not the filter. How you use it and what equipment you put inside, filters your water
 
When I buy a skimmer I buy the biggest one I can fit in the sump. Skimmers are hard to oversize in my opinion. I run a a skimmer rated for 80-150 gallons on my 60 gallon.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

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