Sump design help

[andreasch]

Hello everyone. I need your help please about sumps.

I have a 600 liters tank (2m x 50cm x 60cm) and am gonna make my first reef tank. Am in the process of changing my sump I was using so far for freshwater and I'll make a new one with dimensions 120cm x 30cm x 45cm (that's the max I can get). The guy who will make me the sump told me he will make me a 4-chambers one. He asked me if I want a specific design of the sump or if want to leave it on him to do it how he thinks is best. And since I am new to this, can u suggest me anything on how to do it, or some details I shall have in mind from before?

I know i need 1 chamber for filter media, 1 for skimmer/reactors, one for the return pump, so I have one chamber left. He asked me if I want this chamber to be used as a place to put new fish there for acclimation before add them on main tank. Is this a good thing to have? I thought it would be better to use it as a refugium instead of this but tell me also what u think please

Thanks in advance and sorry if all these questions are already answered in previous posts and didn't notice them.

 

[thegrun]

Most of us use a three chamber sump, the first chamber for filter socks and your skimmer, the second for a refugium and the third is your return pump section. I do not like the idea of a section for fish acclimation at all! Fish should be quarantined in a completely separate tank away from your display.

 

[mcgyvr]

Its really based on what equipment you intend to run but as stated most just do 3 sections..
drain/skimmer section, a fuge section and a return pump section..

I like to have provisions for filter socks to run them on tank cleaning day,etc... but I don't run them all the time as its just too much work and I think its best to let everything flow around where it can be consumed..

 

[BoisBlancBoy]

Its really based on what equipment you intend to run but as stated most just do 3 sections..
drain/skimmer section, a fuge section and a return pump section..

I like to have provisions for filter socks to run them on tank cleaning day,etc... but I don't run them all the time as its just too much work and I think its best to let everything flow around where it can be consumed..

First off I'm not trying to hijack the thread.

Mac I do like your logic for letting things flow around to be able to get consumed. Does much collect into your fuge? Any creatures in there that do housekeeping?

 

[ratherbeflyen]

My sump is a converted 75 gallon tank. It has 3 chambers and I made the fuge section the first chamber. I did that for a couple reasons.

1. It's the highest chamber so it has more total water volume.
2. Waste and uneaten food going though the drain is food for organisms living in the fuge.
3. When my fuge was past the mechanical filter socks, every time I harvested algae small pieces would end up in the display tank. Not anymore.

 

[andreasch]

So actually you all suggest me to go with 3 chambers sump? Is there any negatives to keep it in 4 like my LFS suggested?

 

[ratherbeflyen]

I think you can have success with either a 3 or 4 chamber sump. Even though I only have 2 walls, I think of mine as really having 4 chambers, fuge, filter, skimmer, return. It really depends how long your sump is. If my sump was longer I would have incorporated a frag tank into the sump. Longer yet, and I would include a top off reservoir. If I had a 20 gallon sump, I would have a filter sock and a heater. I would also have water on the floor every time the pump turned off, so I have a 75 gallon sump.

 

[mcgyvr]

First off I'm not trying to hijack the thread.

Mac I do like your logic for letting things flow around to be able to get consumed. Does much collect into your fuge? Any creatures in there that do housekeeping?

I do have a few crabs/snails in my sump and TONS of pods and some bristle worms,etc... I tried to design my sump such that the amount of detritus that can settle was kept to a minimum (under flow sections vs over the top flow) and I run a powerhead down in my fuge section to keep it from settling too much and I do stir it up on occasion as needed.. For the most part though there is very little detritus that settles down there..

 

[andreasch]

thanks everyone for your replies.

Since i see that everyone is using filter socks, why to go to socks instead of the filter wool, since they both do the same job but socks needs to get out and clean every 2-3 days?

 

[ratherbeflyen]

I don't think there is any significant difference between a filter sock and filter floss. They both remove particulates from the water. A piece of food stuck in either one will break down into ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate at the same speed. Pick what ever one you prefer and use it.