Where do I place my heaters?

[wantvws]

Robbie: can I trouble you for a few more pics of the sump. To me it appears to be a wet/dry filter. I can't quite make out the black, but it appears to be the firm sponge as part of the filtration system.

Can you do some alternate views so we can see the compartments. Looks like all the major bits are there. Did you have a HOB overflow? or was the tank plumbed for a closed loop system?

Here are some more pics, and after a bit of digging, I found the HOB overflow and what appears to be the pump. I feel like such a doorknob because I had it in my mind that there were pieces missing and something was broken, but apparently I was wrong. The d*mn pump is even there! It has been two years since I started this project....apparently I had decided to not use the filter before I knew any better. I still don't know how to set it up and make it work, but at least I can identify the parts. erv:
So should I ditch the Magnums and make this thing work? Does it make since to keep one Magnum with the micron filter to catch debris? What are the odds that this Eheim pump still works? Now for a completely idiotic question....is a sump the same as a wet/dry filter?
Here are a load of pics....lemme know what you guys think.
Robbie

 

[Reefkid 07]

I put my heaters inside the tank.

 

[rsw686]

The Eheim pumps are built well. Worst case it probably just needs a new impeller. I would put it in a bucket with warm vinegar water and let it run to get the deposits off of it. You can clean out that sump (looks be to a wet/dry) with vinegar and water as well.

The acrylic cover with the pvc elbow goes on top of the tall section. Thats where the water drains into. You don't need the cover if you can't get it to fit with the skimmer and whatever else you put in there. You can either just stick the drain hose in the sump or use pvc to plumb it. If you plumb with pvc you will probably have to replace the bulkhead in the HOB overflow box. The pump goes in the bottom section.

I would put the skimmer on the eggcrate (will probably need to raise it up some), live rock rubble below that to catch the micro bubbles. Stick a light over it and put some cheato (macro algae in there). Look at getting the bulb listed on the bottom of http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html I got it for mine and it works great.

Yeah keeping a canister filter is a good idea to run when needed to catch the fine particles and run carbon if need be. I sold mine and wish I would've kept it. When I first setup my tank if took 2 days for the sand to settle, I would've preferred to just filter it out with the canister.

 

[Almondsaz]

I asked an acrylic manufacturer about a sump with a fuge in it for a 210, just to have the info. The one drawback to your filter is the notion that it doesn't appear to have a fuge. IMHO I would loose the sponge and replace it with BIO BALLS-the effectively provide a medium for good bacteria to grow to facilitate an ecological filtration system. Is the white medium in the bottom just rubble (crushed rock) or is it more porous or can you crush it between your fingers?

By the looks of things the only things your missing (and they are minor) are the returns that go from the pump back into the aquarium - also they would be HOB with suction cups.

Someone with more experience will have to respond/help you with this one...but where do you put your Protien Skimmer, it is obviously standalone...but it is going to be a big puppy.

There should be a short pipe and sponge for the overflow...have you seen one?

When you get ready to clean the filter/overflow I would suggest a solution of vinegar and water NO SOAP. The vinegar helps breakdown the salt residue.

Hope some of this is helpful.

Regards,

David

 

[Almondsaz]

Sorry....one more thing. A site that shows you how to order Bio Balls and might helpyou detetermine how much you need....has a lot of references to the Amiracle filters.

http://www.futurepets.com/Bio_Balls.htm

David

 

[rsw686]

I asked an acrylic manufacturer about a sump with a fuge in it for a 210, just to have the info. The one drawback to your filter is the notion that it doesn't appear to have a fuge. IMHO I would loose the sponge and replace it with BIO BALLS-the effectively provide a medium for good bacteria to grow to facilitate an ecological filtration system. Is the white medium in the bottom just rubble (crushed rock) or is it more porous or can you crush it between your fingers?

I would advice against using bio balls. Live rock rubble works much better. Besides you don't need more filtration as you will have alot of rock in the main tank. The sump is for the equipment and refuge. If you want to know why bio balls shouldn't be used heres a good article to read about. If you don't use them to start with you will have a big enough bacteria colony in your tank. Otherwise if you use them and get sick of cleaning them you just can't remove them all at once.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/wetdrytricklefilters/a/aa062103a.htm

You can make the returns back to the tank out of PVC elbows and pipe. Just have it bend around the tank trim and it will stay in place. You can secure it to the stand at the bottom to keep it from moving around.

 

[wantvws]

So here's where I stand (maybe I should put this in a new thread, since this one has now gone in a different direction). I am going to use the wet/dry filter in place of one of the Magnums. The pump, believe it or not, works perfectly. I am going to clean it and the filter. I then need to either place live rock rubble or bio balls in the tall section, along with my protein skimmer...assuming the whole thing fits under my tank. The skimmer will displace some of the medium...will it be enough to worry about? Where does the return for the skimmer go....I assume back into the same section of the filter?
Next, what should I put, if anything, in the next section of the filter (under the white mesh and in the next section). The return pump should just be piped into the tank from that section, correct?
Thanks for the help!!!
Robbie

 

[rsw686]

Put just the skimmer on top of the eggcrate. Put the live rock rubble under the egg crate. That way it can help stop micro bubbles before they reach your return pump. On the other side you put the return pump and macro algae with a light above.