How would i go about the low flow? It's only a 10 gallon sump (sense the main tanks only a 20 gallon) and when i think about it, wont it be a pretty high flow rate?
Question about Nitrates. Truth?
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How would i go about the low flow? It's only a 10 gallon sump (sense the main tanks only a 20 gallon) and when i think about it, wont it be a pretty high flow rate?
The more WC you do, the lower your nitrates will be. I am keeping discus and they are very fragile fish which cannot tolerate anything above 20 ppm of nitrates. I have a 55 gallon, where I have around 40 ppm of nitrates because I only do 1 WC a week(the fish in it are angels, they don't seem to mind). My discus get 1 fifty % WC every other day (they are in an 80 gallon, so that's 40 gallon every other day, a lot of work!!!) and my nitrates are always between 10 and 15. I think that the product Chemipure is supposed to be very helpful with that, so is Purigen. Some discus keepers aim at 0 nitrates, but that's a bit crazy, because then it almost means that you don't have a bio filter anymore. Hope this helps!!!!
Sophie
Sophie
the flow is controlled by the pipe work and how the sump itself is configured...
You need low flow to give the water a high contact time with the macro algae and filtration in there...
You need low flow to give the water a high contact time with the macro algae and filtration in there...
Thank you Angel68, although i am not keeping discus.
Atnixon, do you have any ideas on how to slow the flow rate down, the piping is going to be ran straight from the buttom on the tank to the sump, which is first filtered through the sock (sense i know not to run bioballs as they produce high nitrates) Also, what rate return pump (GPH) should i be looking at getting? How many wattage of lighting for the macro algae? Thanks you've been a huge help!:headbang2:
THEJRC
Third String Messiah?
controlling water flow on a sump without a standpipe is a tricky one, I've seen people do it with a simple ball valve but keep in mind in the event of power failure your upper tank will continue to drain into the sump tank. The idea of a standpipe is that it sits just below the water surface and the flow is pretty much controlled buy the pump below. Water has to be above the standpipe to flow in, so in essence only the amount of water that can be pumped up can flow down. Adjusting how much water ends up in the lower tank during power failure for a safeguard is as easy as adjusting the height of the standpipe. Weir's will work in much the same way only using a hang on back type siphon.
I've seen reasons for all three types of setups, and to be quite honest reef tanks are a new thing to me. The general idea of plumbing sumps and what not is something I've done for other applications. For flow rates and what not I'll stand back and let the experts answer that one! Just make sure your sump and standpipe can keep up with the pump!
As far as the Nitrate question, many other things other than fish are much more susceptible to high nitrates. Most aquarium hobbyists strive to recreate as natural of an environment as possible in a small tank, in the wild there's a balance of everything that relies on several facets to work. Nitrates are typically reduced in lakes, streams, and the ocean by natural plant life and anaerobic bacteria that exists in de-oxygenated areas. In a tank this is not always possible at all. Best advice would be to try and keep it as low as possible. Look at what you want in your tank, and adjust your worry level to how suceptible your livestock is. If you have sensitive corals, worry... a few hearty fish that dont mind so much... eh try to keep it down but dont kill yourself. Also keep in mind that biological filters and foam pads in filters (especially canisters) will keep nitrates up if not cleaned and maintained properly. the bacteria that changes nitrate into nitrogen gas is very different from the bacteria that turns nitrite into nitrate.
do whatcha can, and good luck on the sump!
I've seen reasons for all three types of setups, and to be quite honest reef tanks are a new thing to me. The general idea of plumbing sumps and what not is something I've done for other applications. For flow rates and what not I'll stand back and let the experts answer that one! Just make sure your sump and standpipe can keep up with the pump!
As far as the Nitrate question, many other things other than fish are much more susceptible to high nitrates. Most aquarium hobbyists strive to recreate as natural of an environment as possible in a small tank, in the wild there's a balance of everything that relies on several facets to work. Nitrates are typically reduced in lakes, streams, and the ocean by natural plant life and anaerobic bacteria that exists in de-oxygenated areas. In a tank this is not always possible at all. Best advice would be to try and keep it as low as possible. Look at what you want in your tank, and adjust your worry level to how suceptible your livestock is. If you have sensitive corals, worry... a few hearty fish that dont mind so much... eh try to keep it down but dont kill yourself. Also keep in mind that biological filters and foam pads in filters (especially canisters) will keep nitrates up if not cleaned and maintained properly. the bacteria that changes nitrate into nitrogen gas is very different from the bacteria that turns nitrite into nitrate.
do whatcha can, and good luck on the sump!
