Biomedia in Sump?

[katrinatimm02]

Hi all,

I am not new to saltwater but I am new to sumps. All of my previous tanks have been all in ones and I recently upgraded from my 50 gallon to a Waterbox Marine 110.4

I’ve never had a sump before so this is definitely a learning curve. I’ve been reading not to put bioballs in the sump, so what am I suppose to use as bio media?

I currently have 60-70 pounds of cured rock cycling the tank, and will also be moving over some of my established live rock once it’s done cycling and I can transfer my fish, corals, inverts over.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kingsley_Reef]

Why not?

I keep bioballs/blocks in all my sumps

 

[katrinatimm02]

Why not?

I keep bioballs/blocks in all my sumps

Oh awesome! I’ve been reading that they are nitrate factories and not good if you want a reef tank, which I have. I have mine in a bag, do you recommend placing them open in a box like that? Also best compartment to put them in?

 

[purpfish]

What are you trying to achieve by adding them? If you have a decent amount of rock your fine

 

[katrinatimm02]

What are you trying to achieve by adding them? If you have a decent amount of rock your fine

I used them in my all in one to keep them in the back chamber and help with good bacteria. At this point I just put some from that tank into the sump of the new tank to help seed it as it cycles.

I will have lots of live rock from my old tank that I won’t be transferring over into the DT, do you recommend putting some in the sump instead?

 

[Kingsley_Reef]

Oh awesome! I’ve been reading that they are nitrate factories and not good if you want a reef tank, which I have. I have mine in a bag, do you recommend placing them open in a box like that? Also best compartment to put them in?

Bag is fine I have a fancy box i regularly take it out and rinse them during water changes I like keeping them in there it’s in my refugium when I get that running i figure it’s a good pod habit I also use the biomedia to start quarantine tanks i take 2 or 3 throw them in and replace with new

 

[katrinatimm02]

Bag is fine I have a fancy box i regularly take it out and rinse them during water changes I like keeping them in there it’s in my refugium when I get that running i figure it’s a good pod habit I also use the biomedia to start quarantine tanks i take 2 or 3 throw them in and replace with new

I think I will have to build my own refugium, doesn’t look like waterbox has it built into their sump. Should I be rinsing them out regularly? And do you rinse in RODI or saltwater?

 

[Kingsley_Reef]

There’s many ways to add a refugium and I’m sure someone on here has done it with that exact tank

Saltwater,i do my water change and I pull the box out and shake it a bunch in the brute container with the water I just removed from my tank then place it back in the sump I have also changed to the maxspect balls vs marine pure balls I found they hold up longer and don’t disintegrate as easy

 

[purpfish]

I will have lots of live rock from my old tank that I won’t be transferring over into the DT, do you recommend putting some in the sump instead

If you’re doing it for the bacteria and you don’t want it in the dt then yea