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What is in your sump?

A_Lee

A_Lee

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Just wondering what kind of gadgets and toys you all have in your sumps :)
Also, for my new tank I'm working with a fairly small sump, so I am pretty limited on space. Right now I have my protein skimmer, heater, and my return pump.
I am thinking of running a sack of carbon or a sack of GFO somewhere. No room for a Rxtr so I am thinking about either putting it under the outtake of my skimmer (so any water exiting the skimmer will hit the media), or under my filter sock. Obviously, neither of these areas would prove anywhere near as effective as utilizing a rxtr of some sort, but again - very limited on space. Which would you do?
 
All I've got in my sump is a heater, a skimmer, and a return pump. I also use dosing pumps for two part, but those aren't in the sump, of course. :)

I don't run carbon or GFO except under unusual circumstances, but I think it's probably most effective to put it wherever gets the most flow.
 
[quote author=LeviT link=topic=5135.msg63184#msg63184 date=1226287262]
water



jk, skimmer and heater
[/quote]

Yeah, I sure you've got water in the sump! haha ;)
So, what do you all do for nutrient export? I have no room for a refugium (unfortunately) in my sump set-up. I plan to do a 10% water change weekly, or once every two weeks. I figure throwing a sack of carbon and a sack of GFO in there could only benefit.
And in regards to chemical media ... is there a "better" brand of carbon to use? Or a better brand of GFO (I heard the aluminum based stuff is bad) to use? Any thoughts on Chemi-pure elite?
 
[quote author=Raddogz link=topic=5135.msg63187#msg63187 date=1226290216]
What's in my sump?

Skimmer, carbon, and return pump
[/quote]

Do you have a refugium? How do you run your carbon? Sitting passively in your sump, or in a Rx of some sort?
 
[quote author=A_Lee link=topic=5135.msg63185#msg63185 date=1226288896]
So, what do you all do for nutrient export? I have no room for a refugium (unfortunately) in my sump set-up.
[/quote]

I grow macro algae in my display tank. They look great and suck up nutrients too.
 
Carbon resides in a Phosban reactor.

No refugium per se. My overflows as of late have been cultivating mysid shrimp, baby snails, sponges, and giant aiptasia.
 
Sponges, and giant aiptasia could be good for filtering I guess :)

pixelpixi
I am thinking about going BB in this new tank, so I am not sure I grow macros in my tank. I've had many problems with Caulerpa growing everywhere [including the rocks] in my last tank, and I don't want to risk going through that again.
 
skimmer, heater, return pump and trying to repopulate my sponge cultures, new move and all

I'd do macroalgae but I don't have a light down there and would rather not to be perfectly honest.
 
I feel you on the light inside the stand. Well, the footprint of the stand is roughly 18"x16" ... so you can see how cramped it will be there. If I add a refugium (or any sort of Rx) it would probably fit, but I would have NO room left. And when it comes time for maintenance, the last thing I want to do it struggle to get things done in there making a big mess.
Plus a light fixture for the refugium is just one more thing I would need to plug in :)
 
How big is your tank? and how tall is the stand?

In my sump I have a skimmer, three heaters and a bunch of rock to break up bubbles (I don't have baffles). My pump is external and my fuge is on the other side of the room.

You should not need to run Carbon or any chemical filter regularly, only when you have problems. Buy a Phosban reactor to have on hand, stock some Carbon and pull it out when you need it.
 
[quote author=Dyngoe link=topic=5135.msg63308#msg63308 date=1226341420]
How big is your tank? and how tall is the stand?

In my sump I have a skimmer, three heaters and a bunch of rock to break up bubbles (I don't have baffles). My pump is external and my fuge is on the other side of the room.

You should not need to run Carbon or any chemical filter regularly, only when you have problems. Buy a Phosban reactor to have on hand, stock some Carbon and pull it out when you need it.
[/quote]

My tank (not yet set-up) is a 35g Oceanic cube, with matching Oceanic stand. I don't know the height off the stand the top of my head, but I do know there is room for a 22" tall skimmer, with a couple inches to spare. The sump is ~18-20g and is custom made by TruVu to fit specifically into the stand.
 
OK, the reason I asked is because fuge size is proportional (in some ways) to tank size. You could get away with a 3 Gal or even less fuge and have decent nitrate absorption for what should be in that tank. I'm looking at a small Tupperware container I have here that holds three gallons and could easily fit in your stand above your sump and to the side of a skimmer. Just build a small shelf and you should be good to go. Even better would be to buy a small acrylic tank like an Eclipse 3. Tupperware can be annoying to work with if you are drilling and gluing it. Rigid acrylic is much easier. It all depends on your budget.
 
I was considering doing something similar with a 2.5 gallon tank or something, but I'm going for less clutter with this new set-up. One less light fixture on a timer to plug in, and more room in my sump.
I am prepared to use carbon and [or] GFO on a regular basis, in addition to a 10% water change every other week to help control nutrients.
 
My sump contents;


pre-hair algae bloom;
AquaC EV-120 skimmer in the "input" section, ditto heater
Live rock and rubble with humungous Chaeto lump in the middle section
Return pump in return section

hair algae bloom;
skimmer, heater
No chaeto directly under middle refugium section
Live rock with GSP, mushrooms ricordia and mangroves in middle refugium section
return pump.


The mangroves were a half hearted attempt at nutrient export, but they are useless.
Using the fuge as a "livestock holding cell" instead of a pure macro fuge was a mistake.

In the future, the LR and livestock (and maybe mangroves) will leave the middle section for
pure chaeto.

V
 
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