Need advice on my sump

[EbolaB]

I am building my sump. Its a 60 gallon tank. I am adding photos of my tank with baffles drawn on the tank. Each baffle is 1/2" less than the next to give a waterfall affect. Will this setup work is my question? Any adviceis great. Thanks in advance.

 

[zwulfke]

Mine is the same other than my skimming chamber looks good to me

 

[pdiehm]

I don't think I'd use bioballs. I'd either make that first compartment big enough for a skimmer, or make some sort of contraption for filter socks.

I think I would go with the skimmer, and the center area for the return, with the refugium (though after months of reading, concluded that refugiums are often times too small to really make a difference).

My sump: Skimmer --> Heaters --> Return. That middle section, I could easily use for timeouts, or toss some rock in there, for some pods with some snails/hermits, but for now it's just a heater housing section.

 

[zwulfke]

Where he has bio balls I have live rock and rubble I clean it out every couple of months

 

[EbolaB]

So no bio balls? I will have live sand, rock, micro algae, and a small cleaner package in the refugium. Should i just remove the bio ball section and use filter socks? My thought with bio balls is more filtration the better.

 

[hejjo]

I'm about to set up a 150 and instead of using bio balls I'm going to use matrix by seachem. I will have it in a mesh bag in case of detritus build up so I can easily rinse it off if that happens. Unlike the bio balls the matrix will be submerged.

 

[zwulfke]

They tend to hold junk and can become nitrate producers. I just keep a stack of lr in that part with my skimmer I would have to take a pic

 

[EbolaB]

Ok. So sounds like bio balls are not the solution. Should i remove the baffle between the intake and bio ball area and just use filter socks with another media? Other than the bio balls is there anything elsei should change?

 

[hejjo]

Bio balls house bacteria and matrix does the same but much more efficiently. 1 liter of matrix is equivalent to 4,600 bio balls lol.

Research matrix by seachem. A lot of people swear by it I however am new to it but it sounds pretty amazing to be honest. It's like 10 bucks per liter on eBay n they recommend 1 liter per 50 gal

 

[zwulfke]

you can use socks I don't because pods get stuck in them and they take out a lot of good stuff but, some use them. I would personally fill it up with either LR or you can remove it and put a filter sock on the inlet. this would give you more space for the fuge. Then you could separate the LR and sand from the cherto. mine when I set it up is all I have that is why there is filter socks to catch sand that was kicked up. In the skimmer chamber there is now LR and no socks and in the second chamber there is cherto behind the eggcrate

 

[zwulfke]

the matrix looks like another LR alternative to me but, I do not like the fact its so tiny I would bag it and dump it in the inlet chamber so I could remove and vacuum

 

[theblackpearl]

i would not put a refugium in your sump......refugiums need to operate at around 300 gph to be effective....my guess is your return pump is much larger...consider putting your fuge in its own tank.....My refugium is in a 29 gallon tank by itself.....I have it above my tank in a closet so that it can overflow back to my 125g display.....i pump around 300pgh to the refugium and it all overflows through a 1" tube back to my tank.... i would consider using a 7" sock filter inlet kit or 2 4" sock kit
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/cpr-sockit-7-sock-it-filter-sock-holder-2-inlets.html

 

[EbolaB]

Sounds like the matrix is a good alternative to bio balls. Im thinking matrix in placeof bio balls and use live rock in the refugium. Are my baffles for the bubbles low enough? They are approximately 1 1/2" below the next if that makes sence.

 

[hejjo]

Bio balls house bacteria jus like lr but matrix has more space for it. And yes if it's not in a place with enough current detritus can build up which is why I recommended it to be placed in a bag for easy removal so it can be rinsed.

It's like adding lr but better and doesn't take up space like lr

 

[EbolaB]

Should i swap the refugium and return area and use a smaller pump to pump water in and out of the refugium?

 

[heathd.hd]

You could try something like this. I made this it's 2 pieces so it goes in my stand. But the theory is. Left - right. Refugium, return pump, skimmer with sock holder, ato area. So water from my return comes down and splits going both into my refugium and my skimmer section than flows into the return area. I have a valve on the return for the refugium so most of my 1200 gph draining goes into the skimmer section. Idk if I explained it very well but it works golden.

 

[zwulfke]

that is awesome

 

[heathd.hd]

that is awesome

I stole some ideas from melves reef honestly. I have tools and manufacturing / construction back ground so I just dove in. It works awesome. I have a wp-10 in the refugium to keep my cheato ball rolling. My cheato grows awesome I couldn't be happier.

 

[danangelo]

Looks good is the refugium still in the middle?

 

[heathd.hd]

@danangelo who was the question direct twords?