Sump, Refugium or Elite

[SWBeginer]

Which design is better Sump, Refugium or Elite?

Sump: skimmer is the main element (no chaeto, live rock nor live sand).

Refugium: all water flow through the refugium chamber (cheato or/and live rock, live sand, mud) before pump back to the show tank.

Elite: some water flow through the refugium chamber and the remaining flow through the skimmer chamber.

which one should be better for my SPS dominant tank?

thanks for your input.

 

[lokii_37]

In my sump I run all of my water thru my ATS then my skimmer then my refugium, my refugium only has LR in it, then its returned to the DT.

I think there are to many variables to say one way or another is better.

 

[zeroinverse]

Swbeginer, you should drive up and hang out with the club! You have been "trolling" forever!

 

[zeroinverse]

I do a sump frag tank, refugium, macro algae growout.

http://old.bareefers.org/home/node/15418

 

[gonzalez78]

I used to have mine with 2 drains.... one would to through a media rack then skimmer then return chamber.... second would go through a filter sock then through my refugium with chaeto, live sand, rock rubble and mangrove trees then to the return chamber.

 

[SWBeginer]

I do a sump frag tank, refugium, macro algae growout.

http://old.bareefers.org/home/node/15418

Looks good!

 

[SWBeginer]

Swbeginer, you should drive up and hang out with the club! You have been "trolling" forever!

 

[coralfarmer]

Sump Skimmer
Wow never heard the term "Elite"
Keep it simple.

 

[coralfarmer]

Having rock in the sump is silly.
You have it in your tank already.
It just takes up water space.

 

[Ssteve]

So you would rather have the added volume than the added filtration of a little rock?

 

[Dapg8gt]

Are you thinking of getting a trigger systems sump. Aren't the terms you asked what they call the different models they sell?

I say standard sump with room for more equipment. I haven't loved any fuge I've ever run and didn't notice a difference at all when I took them off line fwiw.

 

[lokii_37]

So you would rather have the added volume than the added filtration of a little rock?

I think either way you don't gain much.

Your bioload can only support so much bacterial filtration so having extra rock in the sump only lowers the bacterial density. But that being said if I took out all the rock in my sump I would only gain a few gallons which isn't going to be like OMG I have so much more water volume.

 

[SWBeginer]

Are you thinking of getting a trigger systems sump. Aren't the terms you asked what they call the different models they sell?

I say standard sump with room for more equipment. I haven't loved any fuge I've ever run and didn't notice a difference at all when I took them off line fwiw.

still debating.