Sumps
A sump is a smaller tank either kept to the side or the bottom of the main tank, it allows a area to put all of the less attractive equipment such as heaters/skimmers etc etc out of sight, and also if enclosed in a cabinet it reduces noise.
the main tank usually has to be drilled in the base with overflow weirs or at the sides/back at the required water line to accept pipes that will lead to the sump, the sump itself can be just a box or it can be partitioned to allow a area for growing algae's to compete for nutrients or if lighting is sufficient a area that baby corals can be grown on in relative safety from fish etc.
The main reason for the sump however is it increases the gallonage of the system, allowing you to have more fish in the main display without being overstocked.
a return pump is then used to return the water to the tank as required
refugiums, i thought id tack this 1 onto sumps cos that are somewhat linked, a refugium is a small area that is safe from fish/inverts etc that will eat them, it can be as simple as a box under some small rocks made of eggcrate, or as complex as a separate tank full of algae that allows them to breed and be safe, they will swim into the tank in a few days and be eaten as they do, but their numbers will always be high if well fed, they are the best live food available so if space allows a refugium is a excellent idea.
This was taken from this (www.
.co.uk/marine1.htm) and they have a lot more info there... go have a look-see... Hope this helped... (I tried but it seems that everytime I post the link #'s are installed, ok where the ??? are type "tropical fish centre" (one word OK))
(####)
