I hand a 46 bow fish only . I have been set up for a little more than a year. I have been using a fluval 304 canister filter, no protein skimmer or sump, all of my levels are perfect. Everywhere I read everyone has sumps and skimmers so I've been looking to upgrade my filtration and am not sure which way to go. Can I continue to use the canister and add a hang on back protein skimmer or get rid of the canister and get a sump. I appreciate any info or advice anyone has, thanks in advance.
Protein skimmer, sump info....
- Thread starter Mbnym74
- Start date
- Tagged users None
hybridazn
Acro killer.....
Imo I would at least add a hob Skimmer, but if you have the ability to add a sump I would do that first. If a sump is not high on your list they do make a hob refugium as well. You could have 2 benefits of a sump (skimmer, fuge) without needing the extra pump, plumbing and so on that is needed to run a sump.
If I added a hob fudge and skimmer I would still use the canister. It might just be easier to go the whole way and do a sump. How big of a tank should the sump be in, I have been watching you tube videos, it doesn't look that complicated or maybe I can just buy one.
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
If you're making it work I would not feel obligated to change your set up just because it's different.
Lots of times from reading online it can seem like there's only one "best way" to reef and that's a stereotypical Berlin-method tank with a sump, protein skimmer and live rock.
It's the most common, probably the best documented and probably one of the easier ways. But… It is definitely not the only way to reef.
If you just want to add a skimmer, Tunze makes a really sweet line of nano skimmers that go inside your display and mount with magnets on the side glass. Very compact, quiet and effective — people seem to love them.
This seems like a more sensible route if you want to do something different but are fairly happy with your set up.
Lots of times from reading online it can seem like there's only one "best way" to reef and that's a stereotypical Berlin-method tank with a sump, protein skimmer and live rock.
It's the most common, probably the best documented and probably one of the easier ways. But… It is definitely not the only way to reef.
If you just want to add a skimmer, Tunze makes a really sweet line of nano skimmers that go inside your display and mount with magnets on the side glass. Very compact, quiet and effective — people seem to love them.
This seems like a more sensible route if you want to do something different but are fairly happy with your set up.
Thanks for the info, I'm going to check that outIf you're making it work I would not feel obligated to change your set up just because it's different.
Lots of times from reading online it can seem like there's only one "best way" to reef and that's a stereotypical Berlin-method tank with a sump, protein skimmer and live rock.
It's the most common, probably the best documented and probably one of the easier ways. But… It is definitely not the only way to reef.
If you just want to add a skimmer, Tunze makes a really sweet line of nano skimmers that go inside your display and mount with magnets on the side glass. Very compact, quiet and effective — people seem to love them.
This seems like a more sensible route if you want to do something different but are fairly happy with your set up.
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
Well, I've seen it claimed and rationalized that it's ideal to have the same size sump as display....with a third equal volume of water on standby.
Realistically, get the biggest sump you can fit that is practical to work in and which fits your equipment. (A tall, skinny 55 gallon tank is out, for example....too hard to work in it with the tall sides.)
You can try to size it according to how much water might drain from your tank during a power-off....you would figure the base sump volume you want (skimmer requires a certain height....your available footprint for the sump determines the rest: H x W x D), then the amount of drain/power-off water the sump would possibly get during a power outage and make sure the sump is MORE than big enough to handle that volume.
I have a standard 30 Long sump on a 100 gallon system. (38 gallon, 50 gallon plus sump) It ordinarily runs about half-full, so it can hold around 15 gallons of "flood water" (or a little more than 15% of the water from the displays) if the circumstances went that way.
That's not gigantic, but it's pretty big compared to what you see under a lot of tanks. It came in real handy when I had my one disaster...a precipitation event where my returns clogged up - including the siphon breaks - and all the pumps seized. The tanks drained down to the main return outlets that were heavily clogged, and which are half way to the bottom of each tank! (For returns, I run 1" PVC vertical spray bars that are drilled so that all the exit holes are in the lower half of the tank.) The sump was full with the saltwater meniscus poking up over the rim of the sump when I found it.
Not one drop spilled that day that wasn't a tear of sadness from my eyes.
Realistically, get the biggest sump you can fit that is practical to work in and which fits your equipment. (A tall, skinny 55 gallon tank is out, for example....too hard to work in it with the tall sides.)
You can try to size it according to how much water might drain from your tank during a power-off....you would figure the base sump volume you want (skimmer requires a certain height....your available footprint for the sump determines the rest: H x W x D), then the amount of drain/power-off water the sump would possibly get during a power outage and make sure the sump is MORE than big enough to handle that volume.
I have a standard 30 Long sump on a 100 gallon system. (38 gallon, 50 gallon plus sump) It ordinarily runs about half-full, so it can hold around 15 gallons of "flood water" (or a little more than 15% of the water from the displays) if the circumstances went that way.
That's not gigantic, but it's pretty big compared to what you see under a lot of tanks. It came in real handy when I had my one disaster...a precipitation event where my returns clogged up - including the siphon breaks - and all the pumps seized. The tanks drained down to the main return outlets that were heavily clogged, and which are half way to the bottom of each tank! (For returns, I run 1" PVC vertical spray bars that are drilled so that all the exit holes are in the lower half of the tank.) The sump was full with the saltwater meniscus poking up over the rim of the sump when I found it.
Not one drop spilled that day that wasn't a tear of sadness from my eyes.
Last edited:
If your tank is working for you the way you have it, why change? I know of coral farms who run without skimmers, just lights, flow and change the filter socks daily. H20 changes once a week. The hassle to add a sump on a tank that has been up and running just isn't worth it. Now if you were going to switch tanks, then sure you could drill/plumb it for a sump.
If it isn't broke, don't fix it
If it isn't broke, don't fix it
Forgot one thing - if you really wanted to make life easy on the next system, get a HUGE sump. Do all your water changes through that, your dosing, etc. The best tank/system I've ever seen for health was a friends in Florida who had a 45 cube with a 150G Rubbermaid sump. Overkill, sure, but dilution is the solution to pollution! Need a water change? Turn the return pump off, change the water in the sump (while everything else save the return pump is running in the main tank), let it swirl around a bit then plug the return pump on. We'd spend more time looking at all the cool stuff growing in the sump that would naturally show up than I'd care to admit
