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Sump Questions


ARsaltnewb

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I am going back and forth with myself on whether or not to build one, and I've recieved mixed mesages on other sites. I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping someone on here can help me with. First of all, is a 10g sump with a fuge worth building for a 29g tank? If so, what kind of flow rate would you guys recommend for the return pump? There would be about 50" of head. I'm not sure what other info would be needed. I really appreciate the advice I have been recieving on here. Thank you!

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For a fuge, low flow is preferred. A Cobalt MJ1200 should be adequate as a return pump. I think a sump is worth it. Wouldn't it be nice to get your heater out of the display?

It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, you could simply use some egg crate to separate the Chaeto algae from the return pump. A prefilter (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/maxi-jet-double-pack-prefilter-1.html) will help prevent bits from getting into the display. I'd also use a filter sock for mechanical filtration.

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like seabass said, a sump is always better than no sump.. and if you don't put one on in the beginning you'll be trying to figure out how to add one later on, which isn't always easy..

 

if you're not comfortable drilling use an eshopps overflow, they're pretty good overflows and at a pretty decent price..

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Where do u put a ATO sensor in the sump?

If there are no baffles to determine water levels, you can put it anywhere in the sump. If you have one or more baffles to maintain a constant water level (for a skimmer as an example), then put the ATO sensor in the return pump section (this section will vary with evaporation).

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Thanks alot for the advice. So I could do it without putting baffles in? Would a cadlights pls 50 elite be a good skimmer to use? How many gph would I want moving through the fuge? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, but I really appreciate the feedback. I think I am going to build a sump though.

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So I could do it without putting baffles in?

Definitely.

 

Would a cadlights pls 50 elite be a good skimmer to use?

I haven't actually looked at that one, so I don't know. Read through these other posts to see what others think about it.

 

How many gph would I want moving through the fuge?

There isn't one right answer. But for a 10 gallon sump (holding less actual water), I'd say less than 100gph.

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if you're going to get a skimmer I'd recommend at least one baffle.. most skimmers don't work well with varying water levels..

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or a cheap clip on work light and a cheap cfl.. ~$15 total compared to that $60 LED bulb, not that it isn't sweet, I'd love to get one at some point, but we all gotta start somewhere..

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I'm going to say it depends. if you have an ATO in your sump it needs to have some kind of snail guard if you plan to put snails down there.. personally I like having a few snails down there..

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I was looking at the ato from autotopoff.com. Is it better to have it in the sump or dt?

ato only works in whatever body of water actually changes levels.. if you have a sump it's gotta be in the sump, if you have a sump with baffles it has to be in the chamber with the return pump..

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If I build the sump with a baffle to keep the water level right for the skimmer, would I want the water to flow under the baffle or over?

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It flows over the baffle, and is completely sealed on the bottom/sides. Basically the water enters this section, then overflows to the return section. The water level in the return should be a little lower than the skimmer section (when everything is running).

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If you only have one baffle after the skimmer and before the pump, it doesnt matter for bubbles. Bubbles will get into the return chamber.

 

A skimmer is going to produce bubbles low in the water, so using two baffles clears more bubbles. So an over then under, is good.

 

An over under over is best, but takes up a lot of room, and harder to glue. You really want silicone on both sides of your baffles, if you use acrylic (make sure its cell cast) especially so; the acrylic will pull off on the weak glued side.

 

I still think a high GPH is better for clearing detritus and particulates, through your pre filter. Tee off the return, with ball valve, for your fuge for slow flow through.

 

If I build the sump with a baffle to keep the water level right for the skimmer, would I want the water to flow under the baffle or over?

 

You should be able to fit a 20 tall under your 29 easy. A standard 10 gallon is pretty small, will limit you far more than the cost difference.

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A 20 tall won't fit in my stand. I built it myself, and admittedly went a little overboard with the supports. I'm pretty sure it could hold a whale, but unfortunately it only left me with enough room inside for a tank that's around 20" long. I think I'm either stuck using my 10g I have at the house or finding a 15 tall or 16 tall.

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Personally, I would lose the fuge then. Buy the biggest skimmer that will fit. Have a very good mechanical filtration, i like socks because they are washable. And a high GPH rate pump.

 

A TLF 150 with half ROX half GFO.

 

Put some decorative macros in the display for nutrient sequestration and harvest for removal. Gracilaria, some Caulerpas, dragons breath, etc.

 

Ive never had good luck with chaeto myself, it either gets eaten, or withers and dies releasing back nutrients.

 

Optional a little TLF 150 for Zeovit stones, for the OCD types.

 

And a Turbo Twist x3 UV. Run slow, it should kill most things that pass through it. Algae, Ich, bacteria, etc.

 

I have a fuge on my frag tank, its mostly a poop catcher. Its the last fuge im doing.

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I know this is a stupid question, but what is ROX and GFO? I'm just starting out and I have seen people talk about GFO but I never really knew what it was.

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I know this is a stupid question, but what is ROX and GFO? I'm just starting out and I have seen people talk about GFO but I never really knew what it was.
Rox is bulk reef supply's premium carbon. GFO is a phosphate remover media.
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