Wet dry sump?

[Ksturg]

So what are anyone's thoughts on a wet dry sump? I'm thinking of buying a pro clear 75 for my 55gal. Are they worth using? Does the trickle filter really harbor the benificial bacteria on the bio balls?

 

[GoVols]

So what are anyone's thoughts on a wet dry sump? I'm thinking of buying a pro clear 75 for my 55gal. Are they worth using? Does the trickle filter really harbor the benificial bacteria on the bio balls?

They are good for fish only setups.
The Bio-Balls break down ammonia and nitrites but can lead to high nitrates and that's not good if your running a reef setup.

 

[Ksturg]

Ok so what if I just use some live sand and some live rock in it as well?

 

[GoVols]

Ok so what if I just use some live sand and some live rock in it as well?

I'd just run the sand and live rock and just get a nice sump for a protein skimmer or run a refugium.
Live rock takes care of all three things because of it's deep pores that takes care of the nitrates.
If the Bio Balls produce nitrates then the are floating around in the water column and harder to find their way into the live rock.

Read this article and see if it makes sense. Read his point #5 closely.
I had this happen in my tank with Seachem Matrix. Pulled it out and let my live rock do it's job and my nitrates went down.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/8/chemistry

 

[Ksturg]

Ok I will read it...so if I just use the live sand and live rock and no bio balls it would be ok to use for my reef...I have a canister filter that I use now I just hate cleaning it once a month.

 

[GoVols]

Ok I will read it...so if I just use the live sand and live rock and no bio balls it would be ok to use for my reef...I have a canister filter that I use now I just hate cleaning it once a month.

I'd try to convert it into a refugium or run filter socks and a good protein skimmer in it. I had a trickle filter in the 1990's that already had room for a protein skimmer in it.

 

[Feet4Fish]

I have used and continue to use wet drys with great success. They will allow you to carry a higher bioload. They are far more efficient at denitifrication than most methods but the key is to have an answer for the nitrates. That can be biopellets, refugium, ats, sulfur denitrator , etc.

 

[GoVols]

I have used and continue to use wet drys with great success. They will allow you to carry a higher bioload. They are far more efficient at denitifrication than most methods but the key is to have an answer for the nitrates. That can be biopellets, refugium, ats, sulfur denitrator , etc.

If your running bio-pellets then you don't have any need for a trickle filter, at all.
Have you see how many reefs that have crashed with bio-pellets over the long haul?

A denitrator is very hard to keep nitrates at .3-5 ppm.

 

[Feet4Fish]

The trickle filter is to break down the ammonia and nitrite. The biopellets handle the nitrate and perhaps phosphate to a more minor extent.

 

[GoVols]

The trickle filter is to break down the ammonia and nitrite. The biopellets handle the nitrate and perhaps phosphate to a more minor extent.

bio-pellets handle all three.

Your giving him bad advise.

 

[GoVols]

@Ksturg
Please read the Randy Holmes-Farley article that I gave you and pay close attention to his point #5.

If anybody's going to debunk him then their giving you bad advise.

 

[Ksturg]

I use a canister filter now and with monthly cleaning I keep my nitrates at 5ppm. I did read that article and I think I am just going to go with a dsb and some live rock as my bio load is only 2 clowns 1 bicolor basslet 1 firefish and 1 mandarin. And 10 corals so I don't think I will need anything but the natural filters. I am not running a skimmer now but I plan to try to find a small one in the near future.

 

[Feet4Fish]

In my opinion, biopellets don't exist in the proper environment to allow all the necessary bacteria to perform all three functions.

 

[GoVols]

In my opinion, biopellets don't exist in the proper environment to allow all the necessary bacteria to perform all three functions.

You have your opinion and you could not give me a bio-pellet nuclear bomb.

You can read the article above and learn about bio balls and nitrates too.

 

[GoVols]

I use a canister filter now and with monthly cleaning I keep my nitrates at 5ppm. I did read that article and I think I am just going to go with a dsb and some live rock as my bio load is only 2 clowns 1 bicolor basslet 1 firefish and 1 mandarin. And 10 corals so I don't think I will need anything but the natural filters. I am not running a skimmer now but I plan to try to find a small one in the near future.

Just read up on how to do a DSB.
They can be dangerous if you disturb them but they do handle all three.

 

[Ksturg]

I have a dsb in my dt and my power heads move the top layer but I never stick anything down into or sift it around. I also have 100lbs of live rock in my 55gal... what is your thought on how much live rock I need in my sump?

 

[GoVols]

I have a dsb in my dt and my power heads move the top layer but I never stick anything down into or sift it around. I also have 100lbs of live rock in my 55gal... what is your thought on how much live rock I need in my sump?

lol,'
The more Live Rock the better but with your low bio-load the 100lbs is good.

Did his article make sense on his point #5?

 

[Ksturg]

It did and that's why I'm going to ditch the bio balls and go with the live stock! Here is my tank and my ten gallon that I'm using to cure about 20lbs of rock to use in the sump. And I guess my sand bed isn't considered deep it's only 3 -4 inches

 

[GoVols]

It did and that's why I'm going to ditch the bio balls and go with the live stock! Here is my tank and my ten gallon that I'm using to cure about 20lbs of rock to use in the sump. And I guess my sand bed isn't considered deep it's only 3 -4 inches

Looks good. but the sand needs to be deeper.
If you start to see tiny bubbles come up threw a DSB, then it's working. The tiny bubbles are the nitrates being gassed off. A lot of reefers are using DSB's in remote buckets with pumps so the display is safer if the sand bed was to be disturbed.

 

[Ksturg]

So would I need live sand or could I just use live rock on the bare bottom of the sump....I found a eshopps 100 for $30 that comes with everything but the pump but it looks like the center chamber was set up for bio balls. Here is a pic of it.