How to build a detritus trap....

[fatdaddy]

I replaced my sump with an acrylic sump with a large filter sock and baffles. Same protein skimmer, etc. With 36 hours, the red slime is already breaking up and receding in the tank.

I bought the original sump with the tank and it was a home made 30g (guessing here) aquarium with acrylic walls siliconed in However, the thing was a detritus trap. It had an area for a refugium which had sand,rock etc, but with the water flowing over the top, the detritus would get caught in the refugium. Settle to the bottom, and start to rot.

I've tried cleaning it out a few times, but it seems that no amount of work would keep up with it.

It gives me ideas for building a trap that can be cleaned out weekly. I've seen only one such trap in all my reading. Has anybody tried this?

 

[Sk8r]

Frankly, I'd just add sand, rock, and a LOT of bristleworms and micro hermits plus a fighting conch to the fuge and let them handle it.

 

[fatdaddy]

It was swarming with bristleworms, amphipods, etc. I hear hermits are no go when trying to cultivate pods. I didn't think of the conch.

I tried altering the sump several times by adding a powerhead, chaeto/lights, and swiss cheesing the baffles, washing all the sand in both sump and tank, but without luck. No wonder the previous owner sold it.

I'm planning to drill the 30g and then add it back as a fug. I was going to leave one baffle in to create a detritus trap, that I'll clean as needed. If it doesn't trap anything, I'll eventually remove it.

 

[Sk8r]

My fat, silly hermits couldn't catch my fast little mysis---dim as both are. Probably they get a few, but I kinda doubt it. It's an interesting thought, however. Most of mine spend all their time pulling algae and scarfing fishfood when they can get it.

My concern with a detritus trap is that it might build up nitrates unless you build it to lift and dump daily...

 

[A sea K]

I have'nt tried it but am thinking of using one on my next system. It would have to be an area of very low diffused flow to allow the detritus to settle out of suspension then be vaccumed out as needed.

Sounds like a good idea if you have the additional sump space.

 

[Esquare]

I've had moderate success with a 20 long, enough so that I am planning on a custom acrylic-settling tank. You may get some ideas from this thread.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1447814