Bio ball removal help in eshopps sump, and a few other questions.

[ap2honda]

Hello, I have a few questions.
I have a wet/dry eshopps sump should I remove the bio balls as many recommend (nitrate factory)? I was thinking of replacing the empty chamber where the bio balls were at with my skimmer. I have read how people are concerned about micro bubbles. I was wondering, do I need to make a bubble trap or will laying the water line on the ground submerged to prevent bubbles? Should i use a few bio balls to make a small chamber that will break the returning water therefore preventing micro bubbles? Will that wall that has an opening to the second chamber (where the rio return pump is at) prevent micro bubbles -since the slit for water to go over is submerged?
What recomendations and advice do you have regarding having the skimmer in the first chamber and dropping chaeto in the first chamber and then on the second chamber run the rio pump that returns water to the tank? On the other hand should I place chaeto in the chamber with the return pump? Does anyone have a DIY eshopps wet/dry to fuge mod because I couldn't find any threads on it. Also I have read on GFO reactors...are there any negative effects on running them for example poisoning or something possibly going wrong? Should I stay away from GFO reactors and what type of gfo reactor do you recomend? Is it the same as a phosban reactor? Should I just go for a zeovit system?... where do you even purchase those things??
Do you recomend a GFO, chaeto, zeovit or just run a skimmer with a HOB carbon filter and how often do you recommend running carbon and any other type of reactor?

Here are my tank specs so far: (tank is still empy as im saving for more AI lights and a second vortech mp40)

* 135 gallon 48 L x 60 W x 28 H
* lighting Aqua Illuminations
* Power head vortech mp40w es
* in tank overflow box with durso return pipe
* eshopps wet/dry filter
* 125 lbs of Buna ultra live rock from live rocknreef
* will have 1 1/2 - 2 inch sand bed fiji pink.
* Aqua clear 110 HOB filter
* Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer
* rio 2500 pump for water return pump.


Aquarium will mainly be a SPS dominatated tank with a few softies (zoas, palys) and LPS

Sorry for the last 2 pictures I don't know how to rotate them. ( you can see them better on the link)

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd481/orlandodc2/eshops1.jpg

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd481/orlandodc2/eshopps2.jpg

 

[ap2honda]

Actually the pictures came out just fine instead of being backwards.

 

[ap2honda]

Anyone care to chime in? I could sure use someone knowledge on
These subjects, I'm looking into adding water towards the end of the week.

 

[ap2honda]

:deadhorse: Im sure might feel like that but can someone who has dome this chime In or take pics of their setup?

 

[Orcrone]

I had a similar question a couple of weeks ago. Here's a link to that discussion.

I've implemented a few of the simpler recommendations. I rinsed the bioballs, cleaned out the bottom of the sump and put chaeto in the chamber between the return pump and skimmer. Currently my nitrates are holding around 2.5. This weekend I plan on cleaning the bottom of the sump a bit more, replace the prefilter media and put in a 100 micron filter pad as recommended by blitz560. I know that bioballs are infamous as nitrate factories, but I'm not finding that to be the case in my display right now.

 

[alton]

Go to http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html
I definitely do not like the design of your sump/trickle filter. And my two cents bio balls are not that bad my nitrates for the last 10 years have been between 2 and 5.

 

[ap2honda]

Orcrone would you happened to have a pic on how you did your sump? I only have two chambers. If I drop chaeto by return pump, I'm assuming I would need eggcrate to separate it from the pump so it won't get sucked in?

Is it necessary to keep a filter pad or socks? You couldnt just collect detritus from the sump floor? I've never had a sump before so still trying to understand.

So far from reading your forum. I'm thinking on putting the skimmer and return pump on right chamber. And on left chamber ( where water comes down put chaeto in it. Do I leave the drip tray system? Remove it? Half size it to have easier access to the chaeto? Or in all honesty should I sell my sump and buy a better one? I just bought it but if that's the honest better approach I'd sell it and can you recomend me a decent one?

 

[Orcrone]

Orcrone would you happened to have a pic on how you did your sump? I only have two chambers. If I drop chaeto by return pump, I'm assuming I would need eggcrate to separate it from the pump so it won't get sucked in?

My sump is shown in the link in my other post in this thread. I don't have any pics with the chaeto in the sump but if you need one I could take one this weekend. The only difference between the pic in the link and the current configuration is the chaeto sitting in the chamber between the skimmer and return pump. I also put some eggcrate against the wall separating the chaeto from the return pump.

Is it necessary to keep a filter pad or socks? You couldnt just collect detritus from the sump floor? I've never had a sump before so still trying to understand.

Either would probably work. It's just easier to use the filter pad or sock and wash them than have to siphon out of the bottom of the sump which would require removing skimmer, chaeto, etc.

So far from reading your forum. I'm thinking on putting the skimmer and return pump on right chamber. Just be careful. You may wind up with a lot of microbubbles from the skimmer being pumped back into the tank. And on left chamber ( where water comes down put chaeto in it. Do I leave the drip tray system? Remove it? Half size it to have easier access to the chaeto? Not sure about what's best here. Or in all honesty should I sell my sump and buy a better one? I just bought it but if that's the honest better approach I'd sell it and can you recomend me a decent one?From what I've seen most people don't purchased premade sumps. They usually just get something like a 40 breeder and customize it as they wish. My setup was purchased used with the sump, so I'm just going to stick with it.

 

[ap2honda]

Thanks for the reply I think I'm gonna run the skimmer on the first chamber and no socks or filter pad and try that out. And then on the return pump chamber I'll put chaeto and eggcrate will divide the pump area. I'm gonna try to not run filter pads or socks so I the Copepods wont get stuck in the sock/pad. I want to eventually buy a mandarin goby and I'm trying to have a good set up for the Copepods.

 

[TurtleSoup2]

if you run it ths way you pump will get cloged with cheato... its not bad unless it get soo much cheato stuck to wwhere the pump cant operate correctly.. some pics of how you have it set up would be nice

 

[ap2honda]

I havnt started on the sump mod yet. I was going to block the chaeto from the pump via a eggcrate wall. I will post pictures as soon as I am done.

 

[ap2honda]

UPDATE*
I finished my sump... at first I was going to use bio balls to break the water current coming into the sump from the tank but turns out bio-balls float. I decided to remove them and leave the down pipe unobstructed. The current from the water pushes all detritus through the skimmer lift I made and on to the right wall where I can easily siphon it out. On the right chamber I made a refugium section for pod growth which will have chaeto in the future and I also made an eggcrate wall to divide the chaeto section and the return pump. I have zero micro bubbles...in fact I'm not sure there is any strong current going through the chaeto area to tumble it (as read for chaeto growth) so I'm going to have to think of something to make it tumble maybe a nano pump? pictures are as follows:

What do you guys think? Im pretty happy with the way it turned out.
Thanks Orcrone your thread helped me out with the Ideas. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to post, Im open to suggestions and thanks for the help!

 

[Orcrone]

You're very welcome, but I didn't do much. That thread just consisted of others helping me out.