# sump ?



## Louisg (Aug 18, 2012)

I picked up a tank that came with a sump and some power heads. its 100g tank and the sump is about the size of a 10g tank half in bio balls and a couple bags of some type of media in it. my ? I dont think this would be big enough to filter the tank (FOWLR) could i add another 10g tank (which i have) setup as a refugium or should i just get one big tank to cover everything? ive read not to use the bio balls was wondering why? or just personal pref. and what type of media and how much should i add to the sump?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

a larger sump is ; easier ,safer and will hold more water than 2 small.Bio balls are frowned on as ;all biological media eventually turn into nitrAte factories without taking part out and rinsing regulary.I use no biologicall media in any of my sumps( fresh and salt{I'm sure some people aren't going to agree with this}) but do use calurpa in both of my salts.I'm a huge water change nut(I change water) but have recently reduced my water change(feels like eliminated almost) on my 75 reef.Granted I run water through large wet dry with mechanical filters in 3 drawers and use syphon over flow tubes to continue through 2 more 29 g tank(first is full of calurpa and second houses pump and frags) but my NitrAtes have remained undetectable or lower than 10 for over 1 1/2 months with only 1 10 gallon changed(I really feel I have to change water regardless of test as a matter of good keeping).Photo of confusing filter in my photogallery.


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## Louisg (Aug 18, 2012)

so what do you use in your wet dry/mechanical filters just sponges? and wouldnt a sponge in a wet dry setup be the same as the bio balls?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

if you have a "drip plate" mechanical filter material would go there, in chamber below I use nothing.Usually water must travel under seperator wall where I use sponge(it gets rinsed) and then macro algae(calurpa or chaeto).The plants are the biological filter and sponge and drip plate material are machanical cleaned or replaced as to not become biological.This is how I do it.There are many different options and no one could be considered right or wrong without veiwing results.My large(75g) reef has impecable water quality.I also added bio-plastic material in phos ban re-actor to both my reefs which may have some positive effects, but I'll add my 29g reef has bio- plastics with less mechanical and plants, but still has higher nitrates than massive plants and mechanicals in 75(75 has 10 or less nitrate with monthly or less water changes of only 10g{not proud as I feel regardless of test water should be changed, but really watching to see}).


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums


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