f23power Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 so i have a 21 gallon main tank and a 10 gallon sump tank in the stand. what should i put for optimum water quality? i already have carbon in there. any other suggestions?
Cetra324 Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I wouldn't run carbon. It removes good chemicals from your water as well as bad. I only run carbon if I feel like something bad has gotten into the water that I want removed, or if I feel like my water clarity is getting a bit off. *edit* And I won't have anything in my sump except a skimmer and a heater.
f23power Posted July 29, 2005 Author Posted July 29, 2005 hmmm...should i put live rock and sand too? anyone else have a say in this?
winniebagel Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 my doubles as a fuge/sump. Have some LR in there to provide shelter for pods and other beneficial organisms, and I threw in some Chaetamorpha to help with nitrate reduction.
g0tfish Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 Also, if ur scared about the sand getting tossed around in ur sump, but it in a bucket and then put in ur sump. For a carbon, u could try chemi-pure. i kno It worked wonders in my 15g, but iuno if itll b ok in a bigger system
imafishboy Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 matt, you gotta plumb the bucket to the sump right?
f23power Posted July 29, 2005 Author Posted July 29, 2005 The way my sump is layed out, I'm using just a regular 10 gallon acrylic tank. there are no baffles. i bought a bunch of acrylic containers almost as wide as the tank and drilled a bunch of holes in them. i would then put whatever filter media i have in the containers. so i guess i can put a ball of chaeto in one of them and some sand in the other..
Kogut Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I say to go w/ the LR and LS, too. Chaeto is awesome, too. If you're ever up around Valencia (haha.) let me know. I'll hook you up w/ some.
formerly icyuodd/icyoud2 Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 Some marine aquarists worry that activated carbon depletes the aquarium of “trace elements”. While carbon has the potential to sorb certain metals considered trace elements in seawater, several factors must be considered. Activated carbon has a much greater affinity for organic compounds than metals. Foam fractioners (protein skimmers) and ozone “remove” substantial quantities of trace elements as does the metabolism of all the specimens in the aquarium. The benefits of activated carbon filtration, protein skimmers, and ozone far outweigh the possibility of trace element removal. There are many trace element additives available that replenish the “Essential elements” removed by algae, fish, and invertebrates as well as the filtration equipment necessary to maintain these specimens in captivity.
sweevo Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 My sump just holds my heaters (2 in case one fails), my skimmer and the return pump. gOtfish's idea about using a container to put a DSB in and then placing it in your sump has got me going though! It sounds like a very clever idea to me! Anyone care to comment on this idea, ie is it feasible and would it work?
Electrobes Posted July 29, 2005 Posted July 29, 2005 I also use carbon and I believe it does great in my aquarium. I think instead of not running it at all, you should just be aware of not running more than what is needed. I purposely run a barebottom refugium with a bunch of live rock and a chaeto ball. When I do water changes I can more easily see the junk on the floor, especially after I razor everything out and then I just siphon everything out, then put everything back in. Having a removable DSB doesn't sound all that bad, but I would only do it if I knew I was moving soon, other than that why have it removable?
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