wet/dry sump

[rysher]

hi guys,
what's a decent wet/dry filter brand.

thank you.

this is my first saltwater tank, i 'm not in hurry to build it since i have zero experience whatsoever.

thank you for the help.

 

[bertoni]

[welcome]

Wet-dry sumps are okay for fish-only systems. They aren't much recommended here for reef tanks. What animals are you planning to keep?

 

[rysher]

just planning to keep 1 or maybe 2 small clowns and more on soft corals.

what would u recommend sir?
thank you

 

[bertoni]

Some live rock should provide all the filtration that's needed. How big is the tank?

 

[rysher]

40 gal breeder tank.
i want to make it into a reef tank with 1-2 small fish.

i've read that a sump is good to have.

 

[Michael]

a sump is good to have, but theres no need for a wet/dry in it, just have the sump full of a macro algae and plenty of live rock in the main tank and combined with a skimmer you will be fine for a mixed reef tank with a few small fish.

 

[rysher]

oh, i thought wet/dry is a sump...
i really confused now, what's the difference between the 2 and which is better?

is there any article i can read about the difference between wet/dry and a sump, or an explanation of both?

thank you. what little knowledge i have is by using the "Search" feature.

thanks for all the help.

 

[Michael]

A sump is a glass box, thats it, and some times we put macro algae or rock or sand or all of them in it to aid filtration, the water usually drops from the main tank to the glass box (sump) via gravity to one end, then the water is sucked through the media to the other end and pumped back to the tank, usually its all under the water level, which is unlike a wet/dry which has water dripping onto media exposed to the air.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

oh, i thought wet/dry is a sump...

A wet/dry, sometimes called a sump, is really a filter system. You really need to stay on top of them to avoid them going over the edge and producing a ton of nitrates, which will seriously affect your corals. For a reef or mixed reef/fish system, the current practice is to not use them.

A sump is simply something that holds more water. In reefing, it's commonly used as a place to hide equipment like skimmers, heaters, dosing pumps, top-off units and more. It can also include a refugium to help control nitrates as well as provide a safe haven for beneficial life forms.

Since fish are less affected by nitrates and since a wet/dry filter can process a ton of waste, they are fairly useful in a fish-only system. But only when you don't have corals to deal with.

Jeff

 

[thegrun]

And back to your original question, I would recommend purchasing a cheap aquarium that fits your stand and install your own baffles to suit your needs rather than adapt to a pre-manufactured sump. It is easy to install baffles in either a glass or acrylic tank, but the process is different for each.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

FWIW, I use a 20 gallon long under a 40B, it's a great size to fit a skimmer, return and a reasonably sized refugium.

Jeff