Need some advice, thanks

[smoke20ster]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

The sump is not really used in the wet/dry type application in SW. The main reasons to have a sump are :

Greater water volume = better water stability
A place to put a skimmer/heater/reactors
You can build in a refugium for to grow macro algae for nutrient export

Do you already have the tank/stand? or is it something you are looking at buying?

All ready have the stand that I built, and have the tank already..its the old style 45 tall from all glass aquariums (i think it was discontinued, and redesigned) not bad for 50 dollars, though.

So the sump would just be like another aquarium under the primary one?

[digital-audiophile]

Basically, yeah.

There are a few different designs, some people use a series of baffles to maintain water levels in the skimmer chamber and to control micro bubbles. A cool design though that I think I just got my head around (and I think I am going to swith to) has just one baffle in the middle just above the water line with a hole drilled in the lower part of the baffle with a ball valve.

If you have room for the sump it is something to look at, hwoever you would need to either drill you tank or look at a hang on overflow to move the water to the sump, and then a return pump plumbed in to return the water.

[smoke20ster]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

Basically, yeah.

There are a few different designs, some people use a series of baffles to maintain water levels in the skimmer chamber and to control micro bubbles. A cool design though that I think I just got my head around (and I think I am going to swith to) has just one baffle in the middle just above the water line with a hole drilled in the lower part of the baffle with a ball valve.

If you have room for the sump it is something to look at, hwoever you would need to either drill you tank or look at a hang on overflow to move the water to the sump, and then a return pump plumbed in to return the water.

Yeah drilling isnt a option for me...unless I go to a different aquarium, and use this 45 for the sump. Since noone in my home town drills glass I would haveto go with a HOB overflow box.

Thanks for all the help thus far guys/gals....greatly appreciated!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

A cool design though that I think I just got my head around (and I think I am going to swith to) has just one baffle in the middle just above the water line with a hole drilled in the lower part of the baffle with a ball valve.

Pictures? Links? I'm in the process of redesigning my sump.

[Shipwreck]

A sump is primarily a holding tank for extra water, pumps, skimmer, heater, calcium reactors, sensor probes, autotop off and any other equipment that you don't want to see hanging in you main tank.

A fuge or refugium is a place to hold additional liverock, house a deep sand bed and grow macro algae (most common is Cheato). The purpose of this area is to add to the filtration of your system. The additional live rock provides more surface area for the beneficial bacterias to grow, as well as to give an area for pods (copepods, mysis, etc) to grow and breed with no preditors. A deep sand bed (optional) creates an area of low oxegen and denritification will occur. The macro algae is used to export excess nutrients. As the algae grows it takes up the same nutrients that the bad algae's use. You then remove a portion of the macro and dispose of it, thus removing these nutrients from the system.

[smoke20ster]

Old 12-14-2007, 05:08 PM #1
smoke20ster
squid

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 5

Some questions
OK, Ive talked to a few of you yesterday about this 45tall, after sitting down and loooking at the aquarium...and what I wanted to invision it to be.

Ive looked into a much larger aquarium. Going from a 45tall(25x18x25) to a 75tall(48x18x21). So what I wanted to know....hopefully a few others I talked to will remeber my other thread, Im also going with a "sump" as I was pointed in that direction.
Since its not glass, yes glasscages.com wont ship to Nebraska(for glass) and driving to Des Moines, IA is the closest they will ship to so I kind of get screwed, it was cheaper to go with glass in the same size....I hadto go with a acrylic, overflow built in "reef ready". Looking like around 500 shipped (tank, all the bulkheads, acrylic tops, and drilled, overflow, and finally a sump), unless someone has another source?

So, knowing that I will need 2 Hydor Koralia #4's, a skimmer(not sure what kind) and a 48" light (looking at a T5 or T6 with a possible MH or just all T5/T6 bulbs with lunar lights)

Does anyone have any suggestions concerning the tank, or what have you?