Starting Over - Kind of!

jayghmi

jayghmi

Senior Member Wannabe
Feb 3, 2007
419
0
16
Western Michigan
All right, I have read until my eyes are bloodshot! If I am repeating a question that has been asked many times - I apologize. Also, thank you for helping me with this question and past questions. "After" starting my first reef tank, I realize I have mad many mistakes!

I have a 46 bow with about 50lbs of live rock! Been up since Jan 31 2007. I have one false perc, a couple of emerald crabs, 1 mushroom , a little xenia and some star polyps. My question for now is filtration. I bought a skilter with a built in skimmer, which I now know is junk.

It is my understanding from past posts that I can run just a good skimmer and be done with filtration. My question is how can I set up a Sump underneath to hide the ugly skimmer? Can I use a 20 gallon plastic tub and stick my skimmer in that? If so, what equipment will I need to get the water from tank (1or 2 pumbs )- to the tub - to the skimmer- and back to my tank? Can I do all this without my wife throwing me out of the house for spending too much money? Does a sump need to have sand, rock and stuff?

My goal is to never have very many fish, but many soft corals.

Thanks, Jay
 
I'd consider a nice hang on the back skimmer like the AquaC Remora Pro as it is the "easy" answer to your problem.

But if you're really set on an in sump skimmer then yes you can use a 20 gallon plastic tub, or an acrylic or glass tank for this. You'll need only one return pump from your back to your tank but you'll need an overflow box for your tank to get the water down to the sump. Make sure to get a nice overflow box so you don't have to worry about loosing siphon.

Either way you will also need a pump for your skimmer. Pump will depend on the skimmer model you go with.

Hope this helps!
 
Sumps are NEVER a bad idea they add to your water volume and that helps keep your tank stable, you could easily go with a HOB skimmer and be just fine but if you can afford to set up a sump it would help with more than just appearance.
 
Like jojo22 has said, sumps are never a bad idea and a matter of fact, they add a huge plus to your system. I a 40 gal breeder to be my QT for my reef tanks fish and yet, I make it my business to have a sump on this tank. Now HOB skimmers do have their uses, but then again when the tank goes larger, a sump is by all means a sure means to do better. Least of all, that is all what everyone here plans for, the perfect home aquarium system. That other thing on having the HOB skimmer itself as your tanks filtration system is not ideal for most tanks. Of course that is of my own opinion.

The other thing there as a HOB skimmer, we cannot change the pump for a greater turnover rate for then this is what we call, our pumps turn the tanks over far greater then we need and is what's called its washes and not skim as it should. I hope I explained that good enough for those to understand my meaning to this. The other thing be, the skimmer of choice has to be able to handle your tanks bio load for the long term of the tank.
 
Thanks I will check out the Aqua C skimmer. Part of my frustration has been reading tons of forums on the different skimmers pro's and con's - very confusing for a newbie. I have already paid money for worthless stuff and want to make sure if I get a skimmer - it works.

I am still trying to find a basic easy sumb set up that can be added on to later. It seems the skimmer would be the expensive part and a sump would only incrementally be slightly more espensive, but then again I am not sure exactly what goes into the sump.

I will post my question on the newbie site.

Thanks, Jay
 
I'm sorry for the type of mis-guidance you gotten, but still here in the forums, they do have their uses in many areas of help one could assist those in. You will find those who will spend far greater then what they normally should and those who will go to only a limited amount of cost.

The skimmer is always at most, the more expensive of the two for my sump for my 240 cost I think be $600 and the skimmer is $1,000. For the main deal in this be that the skimmer is like the heart of your tank that it pumps blood through the body.

Sumps can be either a tank or if money not so much an issue, you get one custom build. As well, many use rubbermaid type of containers as a sump as well, and it too can work, but the skimmer, you are always best advised to get the best you can for the tank size and its bio load. For if you go cheap wise, then best not to have too large of a bio load for that skimmer.

You will in time gain much from both, opinions of others and of course, of your own trail & errors as well in which will give you a more understanding to what your looking to do and im sure when I say, that there not be one person here who not had any type of frustration(s), of one kind or another for the true knowledge in doing this hobby is your hands-on. There be no man or woman here who cannot say they not had some short of setback/mishap of one kind or another.

In due time for myself, I'm to get into some new area in this hobby and I will do all my best not to have any serious disasters to strike :dance2:
 
I have a set up very similar to yours. It is a 46 gal bow front (2 years old). It was an upgrade about 2 years ago from an octagon 30 something gallons (3 years). I learned on the octagon everything on what not to do.

80lbs live rock
2-4 inches of live sand
Lots of Pom pom xenias (they multiply every where)
1 Maroon clown (Speedy)
2 Pajama fish (1 fish- 2 fish)
1 Manderan (Spot)
1 Black & gold Damsel (Buzz)
1 Fire shrimp (Scarlet)
1 conch
Small ball of Cheto (Chaetomorpha Algae)
Misc crabs and snails

Lighting is 36" Outer Orbit HQI/Compact Fluorescent/Lunar Fixture
Powerheads 2 SEIO M620 Super Flow Pump ($34.99 each) one on each side of tank for corals

You asked about a skimmer and a sump. I am using a 20H tank (found in someone’s basement free) that I put baffles in (glass from Home depot $15 or old window free. I learned how to cut glass for the 1st time. Only one run with the glass cutter then it breaks smooth) so I have an area for skimmer > pump < refugium. I am very pleased with this DIY sump at an inexpensive cost.

Skimmer chamber:
There is a HO overflow that feeds the skimmer chamber and refugium that have shut off valves. The protein skimmer is a Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel 125 gal ($114 @ Fosterandsmith.com). This skimmer has had some good posts, when HO it fit into the chamber perfect. I use to have a Back-Pac that did not perform as well as the Coralife. I also put some ceramic rings (from old ehiem filter system), Purigen (reusable $10 petsmart) and a media bag with PhosPure® ($10 fosterandsmith.com) (phosphate removal as I use well water). Poly Filters($10 Fosterandsmith.com) and Blue Bonded Filter Pads ($3 per sheet @LFS cut to size) fit in the baffles to clarify the water when needed.

Pump Chamber:
A Mag Drive 5 pump (MD5 500 gph $60 @ fosterandsmith.com) returns water back to the tank. When I figured it out I get about 300 gph after going up and over.

Refugium:
Large ball of Cheto (Chaetomorpha Algae)
Live rock
4-5 inch live sand
Copepod
4 snails
Some sort of spaghetti worm

Lighting is Double Satellite Compact Fluorescent W/Lunar lights Fixtures (fits across the refugium chamber only). To prevent the lights from entering into the pump chamber I found a black/blue plastic tank background from Petco and syliconed it to the baffle.

The Chaetomorpha Algae grows so much I frequently have to throw lots of it out. The snails are getting out of control as they are mulitplying as well. They are very tiny and get stuck in the powerhead intakes.

My system has almost 60+ gal total. The perimeters are good and stable. The only time they were not is when I lost all my inverts including 12" sebae anenome (Annie) when I put a very small brass fitting on my pump. It slowly killed everything (copper). By the time I figured it out it was too late. I kick myself for that one many times.

Good luck.
 
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Wow! Thanks for the great answer. It is late for me so I will digest tomorrow. My thoughts are right now to ge the coral life skimmer for a band aid and work on the sump.

The big difference is you have allot more live rock than I do. But, you have given me a ton of info to digest. Thank you! Jay
 
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