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Whiskey
03-17-2009, 04:57 AM
Hi,

I made a very expensive mistake and bought a 50 gallon tank for way more than it's worth. I'm never going to be able to move it for anywhere close to what I paid for it. I think I'm going to swallow the expense and build a reef with it.

My plan is to take up ~1/4 of the tank with a fuge/sump. The sump would be 16" high, 7" wide and extends 24" across the rear-left of the tank. The exterior of the structure will be covered with eggcrate, foam, and rubble shelves. It would be decorated to look like a cliff.

This will be my first marine tank and I need advice on the sump/fuge. I need to make sure that the flow of the water makes sense and I'm not about to make a bigger mistake by messing up my tank.

Check out the plan and comment on why it's poor or not.

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/medium/sump_overview.bmp


Cheers,
Matt

mark
03-17-2009, 05:01 AM
sump/fuge is usually a separate tank or tanks. If want to stay just with the 50g only, might be better off with the sand, LR and some macro in the display and a HOB skimmer.

Myka
03-17-2009, 05:05 AM
Sounds like a cool idea. Is that a hang on skimmer? If so, I would advise against using a hang on. It costs less to get an in sump skimmer of equal quality to a hang on. you will spend about $360 for a quality hang on skimmer, where you can buy a comparable in sump for about $180. Also, those mangroves are probably overkill, and need an extraordinary amount of light. They will need their own metal halide light. Chaeto will do fine simply under a $15 clamp on light that you can find at Home Depot with a compact fluorescent bulb in it.

Whiskey
03-17-2009, 05:21 AM
Sounds like a cool idea. Is that a hang on skimmer? If so, I would advise against using a hang on. It costs less to get an in sump skimmer of equal quality to a hang on. you will spend about $360 for a quality hang on skimmer, where you can buy a comparable in sump for about $180. Also, those mangroves are probably overkill, and need an extraordinary amount of light. They will need their own metal halide light. Chaeto will do fine simply under a $15 clamp on light that you can find at Home Depot with a compact fluorescent bulb in it.

Thanks for the info; I had no idea that mangroves required so much light. Any thoughts on the flow pattern? I noticed in most sumps that the water just passes over the fuge area, I wanted to incorporate as much biological filtration as possible but I still want critters to thrive in there.

Are these skimmers not acceptable?

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/ps-c3000/Coralife+Super+Protein+Skimmer+%28Needle+wheel%29+-+up+to+65+Gallon.html

http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-2935

http://anythingsaltwater.com/octopus-hang-on-the-back-protein-skimmer-bh300-p-1517.html

I'm trying to save money on the skimmer so I can spend on the lights :biggrin:

banditpowdercoat
03-17-2009, 05:29 AM
I have heard nothing good about the coralife skimmers. I personaly have a Aqua-C Urchin skimmer in my sump. They make a Hang On Back Version, the Remora. I like my skimmer. It seems to collect good ammounts of dark skimmate. and doesnt overflow so easily, like the Coralifes do.

Skimmers, you most deffiantely get what you pay for

Myka
03-17-2009, 05:32 AM
The Octopus and the SeaClone (in particular) are a complete waste of money. The Super Skimmer is likely to give you a wet floor, but is an ok skimmer otherwise. Honestly, make enough room in the sump for an in sump skimmer, and buy a Vertex or used EuroReef. Don't skimp on a skimmer, for a novice reef keeper, a good skimmer will buffer some of your mistakes and save your butt.

I would say toss the sponge...it will become a nitrate factory. Any media you put in the tank you want to remove in a short period of time because it will collect detritus and allow it to break down causing a rise in nitrates. Thus the point of a good protein skimmer...to remove the organic impurities before they can break down. Use some filter floss/padding instead, and plan to replace it twice a week - replace not rinse. J&L sells 18x36" rolls of it for $4 which you can cut to size. What are those colored "water conditioning" medias?

When building a sump like you are planning you need the water to overflow back into the tank, and be sucked into the sump to keep a consistent water level in the display part of the tank. If you push out of the sump with your design you will end up overflowing your tank at some point no doubt. Also, I wouldn't put sand in the sump as there will be too much flow in there it will siwrl around too much, and there really is no point with your design.

Whiskey
03-17-2009, 06:09 AM
Thanks for the advice on the skimmer and the sand.

The water conditioners would be stuff like charcoal and/or other additives, a buddy of mine has been reefkeeping for many years and he was saying he uses a few additives (I can't remember which and he's in Hawaii ATM so I can't ask him) that really seem to help his reef's health.

If the inflow is greater than the outflow then there won't be any flood issues, right? The tank will only fill the sump as the sump pumps out enough water to fill the sump... Or, is it all an issue of exact balance? Is the safety aspect of a seperate tank that there's sufficient room for the potential overflow?

I really don't want a wet floor.

banditpowdercoat
03-17-2009, 06:34 AM
Tank drains into sump.
Pump in sump pumps back into tank.
You need to keep a level in your sump that if the power goes out, and pumps shut off, the tank will only drain so much, and wont overflow the sump. This is acheaved by such means as a siphon break, or just the weir level of your overflow. When you first fill up the tank/sump, I fill TANK untill it overflows into sump. When sump is full, and no pumps are running this is the "Power OFF" level. tank is full, and sump is full. Now fire the pump up, and the pump will pump sump into the tank. Tank will then drain into sump. The ballancing act is not to pump more into tank than is draining back into sump.

es355lucille
03-18-2009, 04:54 AM
edited - removed, found answer....did not read a couple of messages. Sorry

VFX
03-18-2009, 05:20 AM
edited - removed, found answer....did not read a couple of messages. Sorry

Totally off topic but I think I'm gonna need a picture of you guitar!

:lol:

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