New Sump, live rock or sandbed?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by ultramafic, Feb 4, 2011.

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  1. ultramafic

    ultramafic Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    So i recently got in a bubble magus dosing pump, a float valve, and a resevoir for topping off and i realized with my current setup i will not be able to fit everything under my stand. I've been wanting to change my sump setup so i got rid of the old and put in a new.

    OLD SUMP
    [​IMG]

    in the old setup i had 2 return lines feeding into the skimmer zone, then through the bubble trap to the fuge which housed mangroves and live rock and then it went to the return which had a small 4 inch baffle with eggcrate ontop so my top off section was the entire fuge and return section, which meant i only topped off every 5 days.

    The problems were basic. too much flow through the fuge section. too fast of flow through the skimmer section, and all the detritus would settle in the return zone, so most of it would just get blown back into the display. i've always had lots of particles in my water column.

    NEW SUMP.
    [​IMG]

    This sump is shorter and has less volume but since it is shorter i will actually be able to do maintenence now. I could never remove the skimmer or vacuum anything because the other sump was too tall in my stand. To lessen the flow through the sump i'm changing my return into a spray bar, from what i understand the more outlets the return has the less it actually puts out. I have 2 drain lines into the sump, the faster will enter on the left side into the filter sock, and the slower drain i'm going to have on the right side where my fuge will be.

    My question: My fuge section will have mangroves and some other macro algae. My tank already has a 5 inch sandbed. I have a good amount of small live rock that i kept in my last sump, would it be a good idea to put the live rock in the fuge section under the mangroves? If not would it be okay in the skimmer or return section? also i have lots of tiger tail cucumbers, any chance they'd be helpful down in the fuge or with live rock?

    Any other suggestions or help would be awesome, i learn new stuff from you guys (and girls) everyday, keep it up!

    Recent camera phone FTS for good measure
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. bvb-etf-luva

    bvb-etf-luva Banned

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    holy crap is that a red carpet anemone?
     
  4. ultramafic

    ultramafic Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    This is my orange bubble tip on the left side
    [​IMG]

    This is my toadstool on the right side
    [​IMG]

    For reference, the Naso swimming in front of him is about 5.5 inches. But when the Nem is fully extended i think it's bigger.
     
  5. bvb-etf-luva

    bvb-etf-luva Banned

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    man thats probably on my top ten list of tanks. thats one sweet tank
     
  6. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Ask your self what it is you are trying to accomplish in your fuge? You have plenty of LR, you have plenty of sand.....
     
  7. ultramafic

    ultramafic Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    I was thinking the extra live rock will help with dentrifying and also provide area for pods to breed. I was thinking of sand because then i could put tigertail cucumbers in there to eat the detritus. Either way i want to at least have the live rock somewhere in my sump. I use it to glue on frags or to help with rock stacking. I'm just trying to get the most out of what i have. At this point i'm thinking about going with the rock instead of sand, unless theres a downside to this, in which case i could put the rock in either the skimmer or the return section.
     
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  9. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    Rock in the fuge or sump usually creates nitrate issues because they give areas for detritus to stagnate.
     
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  10. SushiGirl

    SushiGirl Barracuda

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    I have sand and small live rock & rubble in my refugium. Started out with a lot of detritus after the initial diatoms outbreak, but I added a very small powerhead and the amphipods do a really good job of cleaning up. Popped a turbo down there not long ago and that place is now officially spotless. It's amazing. But, that's just me, and this is my first sump/refugium.
     
  11. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Some folks want minimal rock in the display tank and adding some in a sump makes sense. But you have plenty. A couple a small peices in a sump will make no difference at all.

    Most folks don't like DSBs in the display tank, but you have one and adding a few square inches will not matter.

    You can grow some Macro. Pods eat macro and inhabit it. It really is all the habitat they need. Pods will burrow in sand though. Using rock or rubble for habitat creates ditritus traps and chokes off the sand bed. I doubt there is much denitrifying going on in such a high flow high oxygen area.

    Sounds like a little sand bed for some habitat and some macro algae will do you well.
     
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  12. SushiGirl

    SushiGirl Barracuda

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    I actually have more pods in my rock than in my chaeto, which I find odd.