Confused by Filtration

[davea]

Hi all 

 

Really need some one to tell me in laymans terms exactly what order a sump should be set up in. I have various contradicting advice lines and all its doin is giving me a headache!

 

I have a fluval m90 tank 136 litre(18 months old) 4 compartments in the sump (25 litre approx). I currently have the following sump set up:

 

Chamber 1. Protein skimmer

2.foam sponge/block

3.live rock/ceramic rings

4.heater/ return pump

 

I just want to know is this a good setup? I was thinking of switching the sponge and skimmer around but would that make a difference to anything?

Also going to set a refuge in the 3rd chamber by adding some cheato, copepods and LED to aid. Is this a good idea?

 

Any advice is appreciated

 

Dave

[tetraodon]

8 minutes ago, davea said:

Hi all 

 

Really need some one to tell me in laymans terms exactly what order a sump should be set up in. I have various contradicting advice lines and all its doin is giving me a headache!

 

I have a fluval m90 tank 136 litre(18 months old) 4 compartments in the sump (25 litre approx). I currently have the following sump set up:

 

Chamber 1. Protein skimmer

2.foam sponge/block

3.live rock/ceramic rings

4.heater/ return pump

 

I just want to know is this a good setup? I was thinking of switching the sponge and skimmer around but would that make a difference to anything?

Also going to set a refuge in the 3rd chamber by adding some cheato, copepods and LED to aid. Is this a good idea?

 

Any advice is appreciated

 

Dave

is your drain dumping into a sock or sponge? and loose the ceramic rings as they are nitrate factories in marine tanks, do you have live rock in the display? if you do then its really unnessisary to have it in the sump, i life refugiums they help a lot.

[davea]

1 hour ago, tetraodon said:

is your drain dumping into a sock or sponge? and loose the ceramic rings as they are nitrate factories in marine tanks, do you have live rock in the display? if you do then its really unnessisary to have it in the sump, i life refugiums they help a lot.

What do you you mean by drain? 

I have 15kg of live rock in the display so will bin the ceramic rings but should i keep the small amount of live rock for the refuge?

[markalot]

Sounds fine to me.  Water comes down from the tank into chamber one.  This is usually where a sock goes but socks need cleaned so no Socks (good grief) for me, let the dirt build up in the sump as far as I'm concerned, and stir it around or vac the sump out during a water change.

 

You skimmer is in the first chamber, where the drain (the water coming from the tank) is, correct?  Good.

 

Sponge is between 1 and 2?  I removed my sponge ... get's dirty, can't be bothered to clean it.  

 

3 is some filtration, that's good, might be overkill but if it works don't change it.

 

Heater in return chamber also works fine.

 

Really, as long as the water gets back into the tank your good, lots of folks over think sumps.  

[davea]

5 hours ago, markalot said:

Sounds fine to me.  Water comes down from the tank into chamber one.  This is usually where a sock goes but socks need cleaned so no cocks for me, let the dirt build up in the sump as far as I'm concerned, and stir it around or vac the sump out during a water change.

 

You skimmer is in the first chamber, where the drain (the water coming from the tank) is, correct?  Good.

 

Sponge is between 1 and 2?  I removed my sponge ... get's dirty, can't be bothered to clean it.  

 

3 is some filtration, that's good, might be overkill but if it works don't change it.

 

Heater in return chamber also works fine.

 

Really, as long as the water gets back into the tank your good, lots of folks over think sumps.  

thanks for that (i won't point out the obvious spelling faux pas  but i'm guessing you meant socks!)

 

so if i placed my skimmer in the 2nd chamber and sponge in the 1st it wouldn't make too much of a difference? reason being is i'm not sure the new skimmer i want (tunze 9001 or 9004) will fit in the 1st chamber

 

generally like your thinking on removing the sponge and just siphoning the detritus out regulary

[markalot]

4 hours ago, davea said:

thanks for that (i won't point out the obvious spelling faux pas  but i'm guessing you meant socks!)

 

so if i placed my skimmer in the 2nd chamber and sponge in the 1st it wouldn't make too much of a difference? reason being is i'm not sure the new skimmer i want (tunze 9001 or 9004) will fit in the 1st chamber

 

generally like your thinking on removing the sponge and just siphoning the detritus out regulary

 

Ha, woops.

 

I don't like sponges or socks, let the skimmer have at the dirty water coming down from the tank.  Put the skimmer where it fits though, it's not going to make that much of a difference IMO.

[Clown79]

Why not use filter floss instead of sponges or socks? You can buy it in bulk for cheap, cut to size and replace 1-2 times a week.

[davea]

On 24/02/2017 at 7:24 AM, Clown79 said:

Why not use filter floss instead of sponges or socks? You can buy it in bulk for cheap, cut to size and replace 1-2 times a week.

I'm doing just that ordered some floss and eggcrate to build media compartments

[ReefSafeSolutions]

My dad and I like to use those "cut to fit" phosphate and carbon sponges, along with filter floss.  No idea if they do any good for our tanks but nothing is dying and everything looks pretty good so I figure it isn't doing any harm.  I don't run a skimmer and probably need to build one since my sand always has algae on it lately..

[lkoechle]

Also make sure your skimmer is in a chamber where the water level doesn't fluctuate (so 1 or 2).  

I have only had one sump and it is daunting when your first figuring it out, but after its all set ups and you see everything in action they make a lot more sense and you realize they arent really that difficult. So dobt sweat it to much.  everything can be changed around if you need to :)