Rubble, Rock or NOTHING in the Sump?

[ReefRondo]

Just some brightwell Xport bricks for me. No nonsense, easy to keep clean and HUGE filtrations capabilities.

 

[sp1187]

SeaChem Matrix
to make up for the no rock in the tank.

 

[shneerf]

Collects more detritus too though, but the fluidized sandbed would counter that issue.
I was considering a mesh container of sand also, as this is a bare bottom system for high flow.

I think sand in a sump would be fine with the filters before it. I've had sand in a sump, never cleaned it in 2 years and never had an issue with detritus. Wouldn't a fluidized sand bed break up into tiny particles over time? Not sure if that would be an issue if it did anyway.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

As much rock as you can squeeze in there the better! Any size it doesn’t matter.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I run both large and small rocks, plus Mud in my sump. don't have a lot in the Display. I take my larger rocks out of the sump every six month or so and clean them.

 

[Dannielou]

I maintains an average of two pounds of Chaeto in my sump to keep PO4 under control and works great. Rocks are dirty and from past experience with live rock, you do not know what you are going to get. Perhaps clean lava rock may offer a clean experience.

 

[Shooter6]

I think sand in a sump would be fine with the filters before it. I've had sand in a sump, never cleaned it in 2 years and never had an issue with detritus. Wouldn't a fluidized sand bed break up into tiny particles over time? Not sure if that would be an issue if it did anyway.

Yes that is my question too about the fluidized sandbed. Only reason I'm considering adding any sand to the sump is to add live sand, to up my bacterial strain diversity since this system is bare bottom.

 

[Reefvision]

Putting sand in small bucket and no light would allow for some denitrifying bacteria to get going as long as water in sump is not “ through the sand “ and just flows over the top of bucket . Not sure where I read this but seems plausible to me .

 

[glb]

I use the larger leftover rock from the original build. There’s only four pieces so they’re easy to take out and clean

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

I don’t have a sump

 

[Shooter6]

Putting sand in small bucket and no light would allow for some denitrifying bacteria to get going as long as water in sump is not “ through the sand “ and just flows over the top of bucket . Not sure where I read this but seems plausible to me .

My current idea is to use a couple of the black baskets from hm depot we use for nems. Place the sand in them, possibly line them with the mesh used in algae scrubbers if the sand is to fine, then elevate the baskets off the sump floor with pvc this will allow flow all around the sand. Having the baskets after the filter floss pads and skimmer should minimize detritus buildup in it so no need to vacuum it. If anything throw some of the sand snails in each basket to keep it from compacting over time.

 

[Reefvision]

Sounds ok -I have my( bucket o sand) after socks in section where normally a skimmer would be but I pump from there to remote skimmer then back to sump. There’s flow over this bucket but not a lot as that would cause a “sandstorm “ and not allow the denitrifying action I’m after. I have no detritus build up in bucket and sand is not turning to rock so far anyway.

 

[tamanning]

I have an eshoppes with rubble and a small amount of sand mixed with miracle mud with caulerpa prolifera

 

[Don Lidtke]

I am using bio blocks in the hopes that this will help dealing with nitrates.

 

[phillygeeks]

I have 50 pounds of LR I have kept going in a vat for almost 2 years now. I plan to place that in my sump with a dry rock scape in the DT. Fingers crossed this gives me success of having established rock to offset the downside of dry rock

 

[Jubei2006]

So I mainly have large pieces in my sump. I keep some rubble around for frag plugs, and to seed quarantine tank/hospital tank as well. I keep it for bacterial surface areaand copepod habitat in combination with a refugium. I do need to get some more rock!

 

[Coug92]

I have about 30 or so ceramic balls and a couple ceramic plates in my 112 gallon system. Very clean and keeps my nutrients very low. I built couple racks out of acrylic rods to stack them up to the water line in a full wall like An abacus. ThT way water has to flow through them all.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Nothing in the sump but a a course sponge before my return pump section. A bag of Chemipure Blue in medium flow drain section. (changed out every 90 days). And water.
It’s clean and it works.

 

[phillygeeks]

So I mainly have large pieces in my sump. I keep some rubble around for frag plugs, and to seed quarantine tank/hospital tank as well. I keep it for bacterial surface areaand copepod habitat in combination with a refugium. I do need to get some more rock!

Have you already or do you plan to use dry rock for your DT?

 

[Wasabiroot]

I have a tall sump (Eshopps) underneath my AIO 50G. It's pretty cramped and not optimally laid out (relatively new in reef keeping) but the refugium is stuffed full of ceramic blocks, rock, and even had ceramic biorings in there for a bit. I have a mandarin dragonet that I have kept happy for a month now and he does not appear to be losing weight. I attribute that to the ample space for pods to thrive. I also dose phyto I grow periodically to keep the pod population higher. I like the idea of a separate area with another ecosystem. I had a slate pencil urchin that did what urchins do, so he was banished down there but there's tons of microfauna and sponges for him to snack on, and I plan on giving him some seaweed from time to time.