sump or wet dry

afbengochea · 05-12-2006, 03:06 PM

I have a wet dry underneath my 75 gallon. I was told that this would eventually turn into a nitrate factory. I was thinking that having a sump would be better. Now what should I put in the sump? I know what I need to put baffles to avoid bubbles, and Ill place my return pump and protein skimmer. What is the point of the sump, is it just to have more water and have a place to put my pumps? Should I put sand in it to have a place for pods? Should I do a mud setup with macro algea? Thank you guys for all the help.

Twitterbait · 05-12-2006, 06:51 PM

pull the media out of your wet/dry and you have a sump... it will give you more room for the stuff your going to eventually add to your system...

Geoff · 05-12-2006, 07:49 PM

no need for anything else. it is just to increase your water volume and hide all of the uglies.

if you start adding other things into it, than it just becomes harder to clean. an empty tank is an easy tank to siphon.

do not get enticed into the myth of the refugium.

G~

BGJ223 · 05-21-2006, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

do not get enticed into the myth of the refugium.

G~

I love reading the threads about Refugiums that you post in Geoff.

Chupakabra-King · 05-22-2006, 09:47 AM

OK so shed some light as to why refugiums aren't a good thing Geoff ! I don't have one myself , but I would like to set up one in the near future unless you can talk me out of it .

Geoff · 05-22-2006, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGJ223

I love reading the threads about Refugiums that you post in Geoff.

do i want to know why.

G~

Geoff · 05-22-2006, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupakabra-King

OK so shed some light as to why refugiums aren't a good thing Geoff ! I don't have one myself , but I would like to set up one in the near future unless you can talk me out of it .

ohh, i can talk you out of it.

i think they just add something else to do maintenance on. if you plan on using one as a phosphate sink, than it will work, but once a year you should prolly remove it and replace the sand in it. ohh, boy, once a year you get to deal with a milky tank.

growing stuff in there just seems silly. why would it grow there instead of your display? why would you want to grow grow something that can leach phosphates into the system, or can mass die on you, when what it "removes" can be removed by the skimmer? a refugium is just adding another layer of complexity in a system that does not need it.

G~

Chupakabra-King · 05-22-2006, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

ohh, i can talk you out of it.

i think they just add something else to do maintenance on. if you plan on using one as a phosphate sink, than it will work, but once a year you should prolly remove it and replace the sand in it. ohh, boy, once a year you get to deal with a milky tank.

growing stuff in there just seems silly. why would it grow there instead of your display? why would you want to grow grow something that can leach phosphates into the system, or can mass die on you, when what it "removes" can be removed by the skimmer? a refugium is just adding another layer of complexity in a system that does not need it.

G~

Ok I understand that. I am growing grape caulerpa in my display right now to combat HA and cyano . So far its working . The HA has stopped growing and the cyano , well , its still growing but not as bad . Ahhh the joys of starting up a tank thats been dormant for a couple of years . Time to make sure my skimmer is operating at peak efficiency . . . .

BGJ223 · 05-22-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

do i want to know why.

G~

It is nothing major really. I just like how cut and dry you are about your disdain for refugiums.
I am on the same boat with you though. I had one setup for 4 months, and it was nothing but a pain.

Geoff · 05-22-2006, 10:17 PM

keep a really close eye on that Caleurpa. keep it very well trimmed back. do not let Holocarp (go sexual) on you. it can wipe a tank it in hours. Gracilaria is a better choice for a nutrient export, if you must have one.

BGJ223- people just want to make this hobby more complicated than it needs to be.

G~

Chupakabra-King · 05-23-2006, 08:28 AM

Yeah I trim it once a week , sometimes more if it invades my zoa rock . My pods love to hide in it . I had alot of it back in 98 - 99 and if I kept it trimmed , I had no problems with it going sexual . Luckily I have never had it go sexual the entire time I have been reefing. Gotta trim it though . I feed the trim to my land hermit crabs .

So to the original poster , go with a sump ! Just to keep this on target and not hijack this thread .

I have never had a fuge , ever, in reefing and I have done pretty well without one . Geoff has convinced me to stay that way !

cobray · 05-28-2006, 07:29 PM

If I am to understand this right, the sump should have nothing in it but a bag or two of carbon? Maybe a phosphate pad as well?

Geoff · 05-28-2006, 08:31 PM

if that! mine just has the skimmer and chiller coil in it.

G~

cobray · 05-28-2006, 09:08 PM

No carbon bag, eh? So all of your filtration comes from the LR and skimmer? What is your preferred method of removing detrius? Vaccuum? I'm going to set up a new sump for my 110 gal and would like any input as to how to do this correctly. Thanks

Geoff · 05-29-2006, 07:20 AM

yep, vacuuming and the skimmer. since the bioload is almost non existant i could do all of the detrital removal with a 1g jug.

i am seriously toying with sticking a settling tank just before the sump so very little detritus would get into the sump making siphoning even easier. i would just turn the valve on the bottom of the settling tank to remove the detritus and call it good. super easy peasy!!

G~