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02-27-2007, 01:57 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 75
Karma: 7
 |  Do I have to have a sump?
I am setting up a 55g reef tank. I'm not wanting any demanding corals, just a few hardy ones and a few reef fish. I keep seeing that you have to have one. Is this true? If it is true can somebody, ANYBODY direct me to a site that tells you how to build one ? Something in simple, basic terms that a newbie can understand. I haven't found one yet  | 
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02-27-2007, 05:15 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Aiptasia Anemone
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va Beach, Va
Posts: 567
 
| There's Sticky On This Forum>>>
Hi,
there's asticky on this forum.. How to make a sump
_________
55 GAL OP, 37 GAL SEA HORSE TANK, 5 CLARKI,
2 MARRONS,2 SERPANT STAR,1 RANDALL PISTOL,NUMEROUS HERMITS,2 SKUNKS,
4 PEPERMINT,1 ANAEMONE, SEVERAL SOFT CORALS, 2 ADULT W/C SEA HORSES,8 CHROMIS.
1 B 1 LM BLEEMY,1 WATCHMAN,1 TRUE PERCULA, 2 TANGs, 1 gold angel 1 ROYAL BEAUTY. 1 20 GAL SUMP WITH 1skimmer, 1 fluidized sand filter,
REFORGIUM, AND DSB IN MAIN AND SUMP, right handed hermits. | |
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02-27-2007, 06:27 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Peppermint Shrimp
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: CT Age: 31
Posts: 416
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I haven't checked out the link, I am sure it's good. You do not NEED a sump, they are helpful but they have their pros and cons like everything else.
Nothing says it's an absolute must. You can certainly have a successful tank without one. | |
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02-27-2007, 06:45 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Age: 24
Posts: 729
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smitty65  I'm not wanting any demanding corals, just a few hardy ones and a few reef fish | Haha, we'll see how you feel about that in a couple months. This hobby is more addicting then smoking! Soon you'll be inquiring about MHs vs T5s so you can start keeping acros and acans and zoos, oh my!!  _________ 125 Gal Reef. Born March 2002 FISH: Ocellaris Clown, Yellow Tang, Fairy Wrasse, Sand Star, Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, Mandarin Dragonette, Hippo Tang CORALS: Green Striped/Red/Purple Mushrooms, Green Star Polyps, Yellow Toadstool Leather, Bubble, Frogspawn, 2 Hammers, Yellow Polyps, Open Brain, Ridge Leather, Various Zoas, Button Polyps, Kenya Tree, Colt, Elephant Ear Mushroom, Clove Polyps, Torch, Purple Clam, Rose BTA  | |
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02-27-2007, 06:49 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Aiptasia Anemone
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va Beach, Va
Posts: 567
| One Last Thought
HI,
If your tanks is looking dirty excessive algae and constanly scraping alage off the glass and stuff you may be feeding to much,
Just a thought.
Doug | |
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02-28-2007, 07:55 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Age: 37
Posts: 191
Karma: 15
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Welcome Smitty65,
I agree with justphish, you don't really need one to have a reef tank. And there are pro's and Con's.
Pro's
1. Fully oxygenate the water in the biological filter chamber, which makes nitrification proceed very rapidly.
2. Allow you to store certain aquarium equip on or in the sump for example, skimmer, instead of having them on the main tank display.
3.You can do your feeding, add new water from evaporation, add trace elements and water changes from the sump.
4.Helps maintain proper water level in your main tank.
5.Increased Tank volume of water, which is good.
Con's
1.With bio-balls in the sump, it can be a nitrate factory causing high nitrates in main tank.
Your choice, remember it's not needed for a successful tank. _________ Perfecto 90 Gal with megaflow overflow, 110lbs LR(mixed), 130 lbs LS, Turboflotor 1000 multi, megaflow sump, magdrive 1800 ghp pump, lighting: 2x250 MH 14K, 4X54 T5's, Auto topoff system. Condy anemone, Manipora, green stripped mushroom, purple mushroom, and red mushroom, green eyed polyps, a recordia. | |
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02-28-2007, 08:26 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 44
Posts: 3,949
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IMO, a sump can greatly enhance your tank and its inhabitants!! The pros far outweigh the cons as well though as mentioned above it isn't critical or necessary!
To increase surface area, water volume, have equipment safely hidden out of the naked eye's view of your tank, possible separate sump and refugium in one tank is also a beneficial feature! I would skip the bio-balls and just use live rock and/or sand to add more beneficial bacteria for your biological filtration!
And yes to allow you to add/dose trace minerals and vitamins and add water that has evaporated without being placed in your main tank possibly stressing out your livestock due to concentration of saltwater being lessened at certain times.
Really the only con I see is the possibility of your sump overflowing if you have a power failure or problem with a pump clogging or malfunctioning!!! _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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02-28-2007, 08:34 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St. Paul/Woodbury, Minnesota Age: 50
Posts: 1,181
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What Coral Reefer said! _________ 75g reef with Nova Extreme 8 bulb HO T-5 lighting, refuge, Remora skimmer, DSB, Seio powerheads, Acro's, LPS corals, assorted zoo's & mushrooms, Yellow Tang, Maroon Clown, Blue Cleaner Goby , Cleaner, Fire and Sexy Shrimp, Coco Worm, T.Crocea Clam, Derasa Clam
120g FOWLR, 260w Orbit power compact lights, Remora Pro skimmer, 30g DIY Sump/Refuge, DSB,Seio Power heads, Powder Blue Tang, Purple Tang, Flag Fin Angel, False Eye Puffer, Copperbanded Butterfly and a Moorish Idol  | |
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02-28-2007, 08:41 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Gigas Clam
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Mexico Age: 23
Posts: 895
Karma: 150
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_________ 15 Gallon Nano, Current USA 80 watt PC Light, Pengiun HOB Refug, Pair of clowns one ocellaris and one purcula!
100 Gallon Tek T-5 Fixture 6 Bulb, Algea Forest!!!  | |
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03-02-2007, 04:13 AM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 75
Karma: 7
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Thanks so much for all the info ! The power outage thing was the main reason I asked. During the summer months I come home at least once a week, if not more, to all the clocks flashing due to outages. My LFS guy said that he wouldn't have one due to the outages but I wanted other opinions. I am terrible about asking what others think. But, I figure that what may be the "thing" for one is not neccesarily the right thing for me. Thank you again ! | |
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