Sump Design

[fish-rookie]

Hi guys, I wonder if you can help?

I have 3 or 4 tanks in my shed that are all linked together along with a sump tank. Usual thing: Small pump from sump to first (biggest tank), gravity feed to next tank and so on until the water is gravity fed back into sump tank. The way they gravity feed is flexi tube from one tank to next which means I can easily add or remove another tank and just increase/decrease the water in the system. All works fine etc, but lately I've taken a lot of the plants out as the various fish get bigger and plants die off etc. I like the look of the tanks without many plants and don't want to restock them heavily but I am now experiencing the inevitable algae infestation.

My question is this: Would it work if I inserted another tank into the system that was out of sight but with adequate lighting etc and filled it with fast growing plants and suitable substrate/nutrients? Will that stop the algae in ALL the tanks?

Strange one I know but if anyone has any ideas?

FR

 

[ox5477]

well in saltwater, if you have a refugium or seperate tank that you grow algae in, it helps stem algae growth in the main tank so I don't see why something like this won't work for you. The extra tank should eat up all the nitrogen and phophorus that the algae would need to grow so should stop it from thriving, though some may still form

 

[andywg]

Or you could just cut down your lighting.

 

[Davidtq]

Yeah a seperate tank with cabomba or similiar in it would help it would also help lower nitrate levels in general which is always a good thing. Get it right and you will get 0 nitrates registering in the system Im not sure if I would go for 24 hour lighting over that tank probably go for reverse lighting to help counter act over night PH swings.

 

[loadsa]

I am in the process of doing the same thing. Will be going with reverse lighting. My thinking behind it is that with a marine you are trying to inhibit nuisance algae by using up all the phosphates etc, you are also burning CO2. So my thinking is at night plants give out carbon dioxide even though I am using CO2 in the main tank I am hoping that the plants in the sump will help to suppliment it during the day.

 

[fish-rookie]

Ah, didn't think about reverse lighting. That would also help a lot!

Many thanks for the ideas guys!

FR