sail33
New member
Hi. I've already benefited from the great advice I've received here. I'd like to ask for a bit more.
I'm making a sump from a 20 gallon long tank. It's the largest that will fit under a 72 bow front without removing the center braces. A 20 long measures 12 x 12 x 30
Right now I have FOWLR set up but once I have a well balanced tank, I hope to add some coral and cool , cool clams.
I plan to put the sock filter and skimmer in one section then split the drain from the display tank and have a small refugium on the other side with the return pump in the center. All of that is straight forward and clear to me.
It's clear that a fuge in a 20 gallon tank won't be large enough to do much good and may even become a nitrate factory. With that in mind, I thought ok, why not just put a couple small live rocks and some cheato in the fuge area...that might work. I've got plenty of live rock in the DT so I really wouldn't be decreasing the load by much with a few small rocks but what about the cheato?
How much cheato is required to be "worth the effort " when servicing a 72 gallon DT ? When I consider the light and added power for the cheato, the extra glass for baffles, ( glass was the most expensive part of the sump so far) and solving the question of how to keep stray cheato out of the return pump, I wonder if it's worth it?
I know I'm going to use 5 inches for the sock, about 9 inches for the skimmer, 3 inches for one set of baffles so that totals 17 inches. I should have 8 or so inches for the return pump because I'll need room for DT water if the power fails. Then another 3 inches if I add a 2nd set of baffles. That only leaves 2 inches for cheato but it could be 8 inches deep.
Despite advice that I've read cheato be allowed to tumble, I've seen it pretty well packed into small areas in some photos and it looked healthy. (pretty sure it was cheato anyway)
So.. even if I squeeze a little from here or there, I'm still not going to get much more than 6 or 7 inches for micro algae. Last thing is the water level will have to be lower in the fuge section again to accommodate DT water should power fail. Oh, wait, I'm in Florida so the power goes off pretty often.
if the fuge is eliminated, I also am considering a small shelf area where temporary bags of carbon, etc might be placed.
Recap:
How much room does cheato really need to thrive and help the tank clear of nitrates?
How much cheato is needed to offer a good cost, effort/return ratio on a 72?
If our studio audience votes to keep the cheato, is it likely to break out and clog the return pump and if that is the tendency, how to prevent that effectively?
What will bring the best return for life and stability of the future inhabitants?
Any suggestions thoughts, criticisms encouragements or curses? All are welcome.
THANKS.
I'm making a sump from a 20 gallon long tank. It's the largest that will fit under a 72 bow front without removing the center braces. A 20 long measures 12 x 12 x 30
Right now I have FOWLR set up but once I have a well balanced tank, I hope to add some coral and cool , cool clams.
I plan to put the sock filter and skimmer in one section then split the drain from the display tank and have a small refugium on the other side with the return pump in the center. All of that is straight forward and clear to me.
It's clear that a fuge in a 20 gallon tank won't be large enough to do much good and may even become a nitrate factory. With that in mind, I thought ok, why not just put a couple small live rocks and some cheato in the fuge area...that might work. I've got plenty of live rock in the DT so I really wouldn't be decreasing the load by much with a few small rocks but what about the cheato?
How much cheato is required to be "worth the effort " when servicing a 72 gallon DT ? When I consider the light and added power for the cheato, the extra glass for baffles, ( glass was the most expensive part of the sump so far) and solving the question of how to keep stray cheato out of the return pump, I wonder if it's worth it?
I know I'm going to use 5 inches for the sock, about 9 inches for the skimmer, 3 inches for one set of baffles so that totals 17 inches. I should have 8 or so inches for the return pump because I'll need room for DT water if the power fails. Then another 3 inches if I add a 2nd set of baffles. That only leaves 2 inches for cheato but it could be 8 inches deep.
Despite advice that I've read cheato be allowed to tumble, I've seen it pretty well packed into small areas in some photos and it looked healthy. (pretty sure it was cheato anyway)
So.. even if I squeeze a little from here or there, I'm still not going to get much more than 6 or 7 inches for micro algae. Last thing is the water level will have to be lower in the fuge section again to accommodate DT water should power fail. Oh, wait, I'm in Florida so the power goes off pretty often.
if the fuge is eliminated, I also am considering a small shelf area where temporary bags of carbon, etc might be placed.
Recap:
How much room does cheato really need to thrive and help the tank clear of nitrates?
How much cheato is needed to offer a good cost, effort/return ratio on a 72?
If our studio audience votes to keep the cheato, is it likely to break out and clog the return pump and if that is the tendency, how to prevent that effectively?
What will bring the best return for life and stability of the future inhabitants?
Any suggestions thoughts, criticisms encouragements or curses? All are welcome.
THANKS.