is this a good sump/refugium setup?

bankspower

New member
http://cgi.ebay.com/150-Gallon-Aqua...738321487QQcategoryZ46310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I want to put a sump on my 55 gallon aquarium and get rid of my bak-pak and Emperor 400. I am not very creative, nor do I have any experience on how to build my own refugium, but I found this setup that claims to be everything I need. Does this look like a good deal, or should I just consult you guys and build my own? The physical building process doesn't bother me, it's the measurements, filtration, baffle placement, skimmer placement, etc. I don't have a clue on. Thanks again for your help, I don't know what I'd do without this site and the wealth of information available here.

Shawn
 
Looks good to me. :) $250 sounds kinda good considering that skimmer sells for over $150 itself.
 
Just out of curiosity, pretty decent skimmer or no? I didn't see what brand it was. If I were to set this thing up what would take care of mechanical filtration? Is there a place to run carbon, or isn't that needed? Sorry for all the newbie questions, but I figure this is the place to ask! T

Thanks

Shawn
 
Looks like a coralife super skimmer 220 to me. I have the 65 model and it works really good. btw, that means that skimmer in that set up will work on up to a 220 gallon tank.
 
I just called them back and asked more about the refugium. The total refugium volume is about 20 gallons with a flow rate of 800 GPH. The skimmer is a Catalina brand. You can take a look at it on http://www.catalinaaquarium.com When I asked about mechanical filtration he mentioned that it came with bioballs for the first chamber. I was under the impression that bioballs are not needed when live rock is used. In that case how can one mechanically filter the water?

Shawn
 
Dont use the bio balls. They can eventually cause a nitrate crash. The live rock in your tank or sump will filter the water. You can also add a bag of Chemi Pure carbon in the chamber where the bio balls go. Or buy carbon and sock for it seperate.
 
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