Aquascaper
Fish Aficionado
Play around with the powerheads, raise them away from the substrate, aim them at the glass, aim them at rockwork, etc. The best way to 'see' the flow is to mess about when you've just added food, watch where the food goes
Will This Actual Set Up Work?
- Thread starter ANIM4L
- Start date
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
will aiming at the rockwork make toom uch current staright at the corals and whatnot? or is it ok to aim it DIRECTLY at teh rockwork, im on the way to work, so i will mess with it later
Aquascaper
Fish Aficionado
You are never going to be able to recreate the amount of flow that a natural reef will get but the point is a valid one. Some corals don't like strong flow so the idea is to create different flow patterns within the tank so that there are areas of low flow and areas of high flow. That way you will be able to keep a more diverse range of corals.
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
ok i was wondering if someone could draw up a diagram for me for the sump i want to build. I was thinking about 30 gallons (36 inches, by I THINK 14x14) and use that as the sump. I just need a section for entering the sump (can put a filter pad there an dchange it ever couple days, no problem if you can show me how to put it there) and then a spot for my skimmer, then large refugium (as big as i can get, and the heater will go in here) and then the output area which will just be a cannister filter filled with live rock for sponges and whatever stuff needs complete darkness. I have the concept down for the sump, i just need to know how to build it, i dont totally understand bubbkle traps, so whereever and however you put those in please do, thanks for whoever can help me!
Ok, look out world, here comes my crazy paint skillz...
None of that is to scale, but that's a side view of a typical sump. The top is open and all those vertical lines are walls that span from the front face to the back face of the sump. You'll notice that some of the walls do not touch the bottom of the tank. That is a classic bubble trap. Usually people put their skimmer straight into a corner of the main refrigium cause its easy to just stick it there. I'd run the canister filter in a closed loop off of the refrigium section. Conversely, if you want, you could use one canister as the return pump, but a dedicated beefy powerhead is often the best choice here. just remember, water will seek its own level, so as long as there is a path for it to go, it will flow there.
Questions, comments, rude remarks, snide remarks?
None of that is to scale, but that's a side view of a typical sump. The top is open and all those vertical lines are walls that span from the front face to the back face of the sump. You'll notice that some of the walls do not touch the bottom of the tank. That is a classic bubble trap. Usually people put their skimmer straight into a corner of the main refrigium cause its easy to just stick it there. I'd run the canister filter in a closed loop off of the refrigium section. Conversely, if you want, you could use one canister as the return pump, but a dedicated beefy powerhead is often the best choice here. just remember, water will seek its own level, so as long as there is a path for it to go, it will flow there
.Questions, comments, rude remarks, snide remarks?
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
ya for ease of setting up and cuz i have most of the stuff i need, i thought of just using the cannister to take it in through the cannister and go out in the tank as the return, and the intake would be open so anything can go in for th epods and stuff, unless thats a bad idea.... thanks for the drawing, messy but i understand, stupid paint lol, thanks tho, any other ideas???
From what the Vet's say around here, very few pods if any will make it through any pump and back into the main display tank and unfortunately, a sump cannot be run without a pump of some kind...
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
ok so then what would the main purpose of a refugium in the sump be?
Aquascaper
Fish Aficionado
Dictionary Definition of a 'Refugium':
"An area that has escaped ecological changes occurring elsewhere and so provides a suitable habitat for relict species"
Translation:
"An area to grow macro algaes where the pesky fish won't eat it!"
A refugium can be more than one thing, it can be just an area for algae to grow with its own lighting, etc. and no predators or it can be an area to grow and raise pod life to feed the main tank. Depending on the use will determine to position of the refugium. If you want to grow algae it can go above or below, if you specifically want to grow pod life as a food source then it must go above (as it will drain into the main tank by gravity so all pods survive).
"An area that has escaped ecological changes occurring elsewhere and so provides a suitable habitat for relict species"
Translation:
"An area to grow macro algaes where the pesky fish won't eat it!"
A refugium can be more than one thing, it can be just an area for algae to grow with its own lighting, etc. and no predators or it can be an area to grow and raise pod life to feed the main tank. Depending on the use will determine to position of the refugium. If you want to grow algae it can go above or below, if you specifically want to grow pod life as a food source then it must go above (as it will drain into the main tank by gravity so all pods survive).
yup, and the addition of macro algae to a refrigium keeps your nitrates low and your fish healthier
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
does it make the tank any healthier? like take out bad contaminants or anything, stop algea, anything good (other than what skifletch stated)? i know a sump is more water, more areas to put equiptment, and stuff like that, how important is it to make a refugium ro sump, do they really have MASSIVE beniefits?
also, when water evaporates, do you top it off with saltwater or with ro/di water? when i do a water change i top off with saltwater obviously,m but sinec evaporation leaves behuhind salt, raising the salinity, wouldnt i want to add ro/di water?
also, when water evaporates, do you top it off with saltwater or with ro/di water? when i do a water change i top off with saltwater obviously,m but sinec evaporation leaves behuhind salt, raising the salinity, wouldnt i want to add ro/di water?
Aquascaper
Fish Aficionado
The refugium/sump itself doesn't do anything apart from increase the total water volume of your system, it's what's in there that does the work. Fill it with live rock and it will remove Nitrates, fill it with macro algaes or mangroves and it will remove Nitrates and Phosphates. This reduces the nutrients for bad algaes to absorb and grow with thus making the tank 'healthier'.
Simply.......yes. The benefits are asthetic as well as physical, it allows ugly equipment to be hidden as well as creating an undisturbed area where macro algae can grow without being eaten by herbivores. Not to mention a QT area for any troublesome additions to the tank.
You've answered your own question.
Top off is the addition of pure water to replace that lost by evaporation
Water change is the removal of old tank water to be replaced with freshly mixed saltwater
You're correct about the RO/DI topoff. Heres a quick list of sump benefits
Increased total water volume - This dilutes your water of accumulating pollutants, and helps avoid issues that occur quickly in sumpless tanks.
Skims the surface - Helps remove surface scum for crystal clear water.
Lowers temperature - An applicable concern if Halide lighting is used.
Hides equipment - Heaters, protein skimmers, monitoring probes, grounding probes and more can be moved to the sump & out of the display tank to keep your tank looking more like a reef and less like a machine.
Consistent water level - The display tank will maintain the same water level all the times; evaporation only effects the water level in the sump over time.
Safe place to pour in additives - Adding chemicals or new (Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized) water in the sump allows it to mix before entering the display tank.
Increased circulation - The return water from the sump is yet another way to move water in your tank. You can point the return outlet(s) in different directions to create flow, instead of putting more powerheads in your display tank
Increased oxygenation - As water drains into your sump, air mixes in the water, allowing beneficial gas exchange, releasing CO2 and adding fresh O2.
Increased total water volume - This dilutes your water of accumulating pollutants, and helps avoid issues that occur quickly in sumpless tanks.
Skims the surface - Helps remove surface scum for crystal clear water.
Lowers temperature - An applicable concern if Halide lighting is used.
Hides equipment - Heaters, protein skimmers, monitoring probes, grounding probes and more can be moved to the sump & out of the display tank to keep your tank looking more like a reef and less like a machine.
Consistent water level - The display tank will maintain the same water level all the times; evaporation only effects the water level in the sump over time.
Safe place to pour in additives - Adding chemicals or new (Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized) water in the sump allows it to mix before entering the display tank.
Increased circulation - The return water from the sump is yet another way to move water in your tank. You can point the return outlet(s) in different directions to create flow, instead of putting more powerheads in your display tank
Increased oxygenation - As water drains into your sump, air mixes in the water, allowing beneficial gas exchange, releasing CO2 and adding fresh O2.
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
awesome thanks for the answers!!! I am definitely gettign a sump then, it definitely is worth the trouble. i will still need diagrams on plans to build it, but the return will be my rena xp3, and i am going to try to get my hands on a marineland sos overflow because i lvoe thier products and... wlel why not
ANIM4L
Fishaholic
anyone got any ideas for an overflow, is it easier to make my own or better to buy one? and can people help me with a sump design, i am just trying to get a few examples to work with thanks
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