Sump Design - Input requested

[Akadios]

Hello everyone,

I am preparing to make my sump for my 75gal Display. I plan on using a 29 Gal tank.

In the intake zone The Skimmer is planned to be an Eshopps x 120 the small foot print will allow me to make the intake area smaller. There will be a heater in this zone and the output for the Fluval 206.

In the refuge zone I am considering splitting the zone with 1 risen divider which will hopefully allow for 2 individual spinning chaeto balls. I plan on bare bottom and no live rock.

The Return zone will contain a Lifegard 2200 and the intake for the Fluval 206

In the Fluval 206 I will have no filters and the 3 bins will have 11oz Chemipure blue in each basket put in on alternating 1 month schedule.

Input welcome I would rather do it right the first time.

 

[DLHDesign]

One of the things I found was that macro grows best when it has early access to nutrients. Having it located after the skimmer will result in a depletion of nutrients, which may result in your macro struggling.

I would also suggest that the heater be located as close to the return as possible. This location would allow for more stable temperatures in the DT, as the heat source would be closer to when the water is being returned into the display.

 

[Mandelstam]

Only thing I would question is the need to split the fuge into two sections if you're going to grow cheaeto in both. Why not put some live rock and other macro algaes in one for example?

 

[JoshH]

I would also suggest that the heater be located as close to the return as possible. This location would allow for more stable temperatures in the DT, as the heat source would be closer to when the water is being returned into the display.

Just make sure it's not in the same section as the return as this section is where your evaporation will take place, potentially exposing your heater to the air.

 

[Akadios]

Only thing I would question is the need to split the fuge into two sections if you're going to grow cheaeto in both. Why not put some live rock and other macro algaes in one for example?

I wanted just chaeto and I wanted it to spin. If I actually get a ball going around in a circle it can only be able 8 inches due to water height there. felt like that waste of 4 inches of space, or I could just have two 5 inch balls.

What other macro to use? I could fill the other side with live rock too.

 

[Akadios]

One of the things I found was that macro grows best when it has early access to nutrients. Having it located after the skimmer will result in a depletion of nutrients, which may result in your macro struggling.

I would also suggest that the heater be located as close to the return as possible. This location would allow for more stable temperatures in the DT, as the heat source would be closer to when the water is being returned into the display.

Won't the pods that come out of the refuge area get skimmed if I do it after?

 

[Mandelstam]

I wanted just chaeto and I wanted it to spin. If I actually get a ball going around in a circle it can only be able 8 inches due to water height there. felt like that waste of 4 inches of space, or I could just have two 5 inch balls.

What other macro to use? I could fill the other side with live rock too.

If you get it growing well you'll probably have to harvest it quite often if you want it to be free floating and spinning. If you for instance use Triton they suggest you don't spin it and actually let there be some die off at the bottom from shadowing.

I just think that if you are dividing your fuge into two parts, why not take advantage of that and set them up with two focuses? There are a ton of other kinds of macro algae to use. Or, if you can block one section from light you can use it as a cryptic zone. Or you can just put some sand and live rock in there and use it as a potential prison/isolation refuge for fish/inverts.

If you put sand in one section though you'll need to change the baffle you suggested. Something like acrylic with cut slots in the middle or something like that.

I'm not saying your idea is bad, this was just my reflections/thoughts.

 

[Akadios]

All much appreciated, is there a benefit to having a different kind of macro?

 

[Reef-junky]

Get rid of the canister filter and get rid of all those baffles. You only need 4 baffles. Three to make a bubble trap and one after the skimmer to set the water height. If you want you could put the return pump in the middle and have the fuge last. Run a tee off the return and let that feed the fuge. I would also put live rock in the sump. Your probably going to want to run something with the chaeto as well. I would also pick up another heater and a controller to sync them up. That gives you a back up for when one dies. I would also consider get a fan for the summer and using evaporation as cooling. I wouldn't run that Chemipure blue crap. That stuff is probably a load of BS. You would be better off with carbon and gfo. The canister will cause NO3 to go up if you don't stay on top of cleaning it. Not worth the time or effort. That's besides the fact that you can just put that blue crap in the sump in a bag.

 

[Akadios]

Why get rid of the filter, it has only chemipure blue in it, no filter pads at all? In other threads people have said it was more effective than low and mid range reactors.

I probably will add the live rock I'e been debating it.

What baffles would you suggest removing? I was told bubble trap after skimmer section to avoid bubbles in the chaeto. Then I could do away with it after I suppose. However What is the reason?

 

[Reef-junky]

Why get rid of the filter, it has only chemipure blue in it, no filter pads at all? In other threads people have said it was more effective than low and mid range reactors.

Not sure who told you that a canister is better then a reactor but that is totally wrong. That canister serves no purpose other then to trap detritus. If you don't have a lot of turbulence inside that thing crap is going to settle which means you are going to have to clean it out like you would a filter sock. On top of which you can just put that stuff in the sump in a mesh bag. That stuff sounds like a load of BS at any rate. I would use stuff that 100s of people have used and you know it will work. If you get rid of the canister and keep everything in suspension your skimmer will do the work for you. You gain nothing by having that canister and risk causing your self problems.

 

[Reef-junky]

What baffles would you suggest removing? I was told bubble trap after skimmer section to avoid bubbles in the chaeto. Then I could do away with it after I suppose. However What is the reason?

First off it doesn't matter if you have bubbles in the cheato. The cheato will actually get rid of some of the bubbles for you. You only need one bubble trap and that is right before the return. One baffle to set the water height for the skimmer and that's it. You are just going to waste space inside the sump by having all those baffles and trust me in a small sump like that you will end up with small chambers to begin with.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Agree about too many baffles. Only need one baffle next to the skimmer and than the three baffles for the bubble trap next to your return.

 

[Reef-junky]

What you want is basically something like this:

 

[Reef-junky]

If you put media in your sump or a canister filter for that matter some of the water will bypass the media and some will go through it. A reactor on the other hand forces all the water to go through it that is why a reactor is more effective at running media then just putting a bug of it in a sump or canister filter. You combine that with a much smaller footprint and it's clear to see why a reactor is better.

 

[DLHDesign]

Won't the pods that come out of the refuge area get skimmed if I do it after?

Good question. Yes; possibly - likely, in fact. But if you have pods coming out of your fuge, then you don't need to worry about a few losses. Just make sure that you turn off the skimmer when adding new seed populations for an hour or so and you won't loose many to the skimmer-of-doom.

 

[Akadios]

If you put media in your sump or a canister filter for that matter some of the water will bypass the media and some will go through it. A reactor on the other hand forces all the water to go through it that is why a reactor is more effective at running media then just putting a bug of it in a sump or canister filter. You combine that with a much smaller footprint and it's clear to see why a reactor is better.

What do you mean by this it seems most of the reactors have rather small power heads that pull out a portion of water, run it through them and put it back into the sump. Is this not the same functionality that would be achieved with the 206 I already own? I am not concerned about cleaning it because I always clean my tanks weekly. My planted tank's 406 is a full tear down almost weekly because my Dwarf Gourami keeps trying to build bubble nests. If it drew water from the clean side of the sump the cleaning would be minor in comparison.

 

[Akadios]

What you want is basically something like this:

Is one of these considered better or are they considered pretty even.

 

[Reef-junky]

What do you mean by this it seems most of the reactors have rather small power heads that pull out a portion of water, run it through them and put it back into the sump. Is this not the same functionality that would be achieved with the 206 I already own? I am not concerned about cleaning it because I always clean my tanks weekly. My planted tank's 406 is a full tear down almost weekly because my Dwarf Gourami keeps trying to build bubble nests. If it drew water from the clean side of the sump the cleaning would be minor in comparison.

No only part of the water that makes it in the canister will get filtered. A reactor is more efficient because all the water that makes it to it will go through the media. It's not the same.

 

[Reef-junky]

Is one of these considered better or are they considered pretty even.

Some people consider have the return in the middle better.