[tshackelford]

Okay I'm new to aquariums but got into the saltwater hobby to share a common interest with my kids. We have a 55g and hob filter and not real happy with the clarity of the water. Read about the benefits of a in-stand filter, so we just got a used wet/dry filter. I hear bad things about bio balls so I think I'm going to remove the balls and add live rock instead and I think then it would be called a sump instead of wet/dry filter. Seems his is preferred if you have fish and corals. Any info you can provide will be appreciated.

 

[tshackelford]

Full filter pic

 

[tshackelford]

Oh yeah, it has a built in skimmer

 

[FutureDoc]

The less stuff in a sump the better. You want to remove anything that will trap detritus (gunk, poo, dead things). Even live-rock in the sump will trap gunk. Really, all you need is a sump to hold a skimmer.

 

[tshackelford]

I'm really excited to lose the heater in the tank and move it south to the sump. I'm a little scared of the overflow box with all I've read about flooding after power outages etc. I'm almost of a mind to use a small pump like on a old fashioned hob filter to pull the water over instead of relying on a siphon. This way no fear of a power outage. Your thoughts?.

 

[FutureDoc]

Use the siphon or drill the tank. Matching pumps is impossible.

What type of overflow do you have? One type of design is much better than another. The "U-tube" design like those made by Eshopps is much more reliable than the "pressed C" shape of the CPR overflows. I known folks use the U-tube design for years and never have an issue, but I have also seen consistent failures as well. The trick is that there is no failsafe. You can buy a simple float-switch and install it on the tank so that when the water level rises to high in the display, it turns the return pump off. It is not a common application but some sleuthing might turn up a applicable switch.

 

[Loverotties]

You didn't say what the setup will be?FO,FOWLR or Reef?It matters what your "wet dry" is going to have in it.

 

[tshackelford]

I'm so new to this I really had to think about what those acronyms were.......we have live rock and a few soft corals like a toadstool and a Kenya tree and some small zooanthids and such. I could watch all the tiny life in the live rock all day probably for m more interesting than the fish, the LR and the shrimp that is

 

[FutureDoc]

You didn't say what the setup will be?FO,FOWLR or Reef?It matters what your "wet dry" is going to have in it.

I thought it said fish and corals so I assumed that wet/dry was not preferable.

tshack: FYI, wet-dry system can and do work well for high-bioloaf fish only systems.

I'm so new to this I really had to think about what those acronyms were.......we have live rock and a few soft corals like a toadstool and a Kenya tree and some small zooanthids and such. I could watch all the tiny life in the live rock all day probably for m more interesting than the fish, the LR and the shrimp that is

I think you will be better served with a very simple sump design. Skimmer, heater, return pump. Nothing to go wrong, less to break, easy to clean.

 

[tshackelford]

Thanks doc

 

[Loverotties]

The reason I asked because I read that he had a set up(don't know what kind).And didn't like the clarity,so he got a used wet/dry.Then he said" Seems his is preferred if you have fish and corals".which I looked at it as "him" was the guy who he got the wet/dry from.So I wanted to know what his tank was.If it was a FO then use it as a wet/dry(as filter)If it was anything else then I'd say take the balls out and use it as a sump!Sorry,I wasn't sure from what he wrote!You can never assume what someone is thinking if it's not typed out unless you saw his setup and know more then what is typed!

 

[FutureDoc]

ahhh, gotcha... see I just read fast and I am known to "read" what I "want to read"... I am the worst spell-checker/proof-reader!

 

[Loverotties]

When you deal with a newbi,you can't assume.The best example I know is I was at a LFS and they couldn't figure why this guys fish kept dieing!Everything tested ok.I figured it out by asking him tons of questions and finally figure out by him telling me that after he tested with all his test he dumped it into the tank instead what most would dump down a drain.What we take for granted ,they don't know.Everybody level is different. P.S. I'm a bad speller(spell check) can't figure out what I'm trying to type some times.