New Marine 4foot X 2 Foot X 2 Foot

[ostrow]

The OR pumps get very hot. And like GL said, they don't handle head pressure well at all. A Mag pump would be better for you than the OR, or best like GL said is an external pump. A Sequence Reeflo Dart is also a good option. More efficient and quieter than the Ampmaster, or an Iwaki/Panworld. But I like the Reeflo series best.

For internal circulation the OR is simply a terrible choice. Inefficient, hot, comparatively noisy. Seio is better, though they have problems starting up when turned off or when power goes out. Plus they tend to seize. Tunze is expensive though reliable. Best flow for the money by far IMO/IME is a modified maxi-jet. See www.mjmods.com for that. Very easy to do. Can see them in action at www.ostrows.us

But... do you plan on FOWLR or are you planning on corals from the start? I see the MH lighting but you don't mention corals. If no corals, no need for MH lights. If no corals, no need for super high flow in the tank. If corals, then you do need more flow.

Also, if using MH lighting, make sure you have cooling fans blowing across the water under the lights, or things will get toasty in there!

 

[andywg]

If you plan to have the tank for longer than 2 years, you want Tunze for in tank circulation, the amount you save in electricity (24,000LPH is only 62W) recoups the expensive outlay at the start. It is hard to get hold of them in America though, especially after a fire on the Tunze island last Winter.

Seio are farily good, though still don't touch the Tunze for LPH/W. Also Seio are made by Rio, and while they are not new Rio powerheads, we all know the devastation that Rio pumps have previously caused to a number of other reef users when they failed and leached a whole load of toxins into the tanks (read: Nuked!)

I would use a fairly small (in comparison) sump pump as sumps don't really need the turnover of the main tank (and skimmers work better with a slower through-flow) and put the circulation in in the Powerheads.

Assuming you have a decent size sump, I would advocate a Deep Sand Bed with macro growing over it. If you make sure the DSB is over 6" you should be fine (8" would be superb).

Trickel filtration is great, so long as you have a decent amount of filter floss above any live rock rubble, and are religious in cleaning it. If it was really that bad, all the shark keepers wouldn't use it. but you do need to clean it, and often (think 3 times a week or so) to get the best results.

 

[SkiFletch]

Trickel filtration is great, so long as you have a decent amount of filter floss above any live rock rubble, and are religious in cleaning it. If it was really that bad, all the shark keepers wouldn't use it. but you do need to clean it, and often (think 3 times a week or so) to get the best results.

Agreed. I should have clarified better. I know I dont have the motivation to clean it enough to actually have one in my home

 

[Sunny.C]

Ok i am a little confused now, from what i gather you guys think the sump design is good but the pumps are not the best.. right???

I have got more info on how the sump will work hope it helps.

Water movement

1.Over the wier
2.Into skimmer
3.Through coral rubble
4.across nitrate filter
5.through bubble baffle(i think it says that, fax not clear)
6.back to tank splits.

I will be starting only with live rock, i will like to add coral in later on but not alot.

 

[Sunny.C]

This is what i have been told about the setup.

1.The coral rubble will be part submerged. The drawing was not
accurate. So there will be some trickle through the coral rubble. The
nitrate filter will be submerged at all times and there will be no trickle through it - it runs across it. The skimmer is a downdraft skimmer built into the sump, it is not really "inline" or "in-sump". It takes the water first and all the water goes through it. Much better design than you will find anywhere.

2.Skimmer: oxygenates water, removes waste such as ammino acids, fatty acids, large organic molecules, phosphates.
Coral rubble: made from calcum carbonate, very good surface area, again more oxygen as it runs over the surface, plus very good bilogical filtration, can help buffer the pH.
Nitrate filter: Removes all nitrate - awesome can't recomment highly enough. Way better than a normal deep sand bed.
Mechanical filtration (not shown in drawing): Section in the bubble baffle - egg crate with filter wool on top - takes out the particles.
Bubble baffle: Stops micro bubbles getting through to the pump and therefore into the main tank.

then again everyone tells me different stories dont know what to go for

 

[andywg]

The skimmer is a downdraft skimmer built into the sump, it is not really "inline" or "in-sump". It takes the water first and all the water goes through it. Much better design than you will find anywhere.

Unless you have a fast flow through the sump. Skimmers operate best with a slower flow rate through them than most venturi skimmers provide, which is why the most effective skimmers are tall thin air stone driven ones, as you can get more air in without more water flow. Some proteins take up to two minutes of contact time with a bubble before transferring out of the water to the skimmer.

2.Skimmer: oxygenates water, removes waste such as ammino acids, fatty acids, large organic molecules, phosphates.
Coral rubble: made from calcum carbonate, very good surface area, again more oxygen as it runs over the surface, plus very good bilogical filtration, can help buffer the pH.
Nitrate filter: Removes all nitrate - awesome can't recomment highly enough. Way better than a normal deep sand bed.
Mechanical filtration (not shown in drawing): Section in the bubble baffle - egg crate with filter wool on top - takes out the particles.
Bubble baffle: Stops micro bubbles getting through to the pump and therefore into the main tank.

then again everyone tells me different stories dont know what to go for

Exactly what is the nitrate filter? If it is chemical based then it will need to be replaced periodically. It is possible to control nitrates with more natural filters in reef tanks (harder in FOWLR) through Deep Sand Beds and/or macro-algae growth.

Mechanical filtration needs careful maintenance too, to prevent any particles sitting in it decomposing and becoming nitrate factories.

Looks a fairly good sump setup. What you have to remember is most advanced reef setups are done by people with a fair amount of DIY involved, as such everyone has theur own view on what works and what doesn't. I am a large fan of DSBs, but as a number of people tried them a few years ago (with them set up wrongly) a lot of sources say not to bother with them.

 

[Sunny.C]

Nitrate filter - elemental sulfur and calcium carbonate gravel.
any good?