Help Setting Up First Saltwater Tank

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

Hi, I am currently working on setting up my first Saltwater aqarium, and I have some questions, I do have some experience as I currently have a 20 Gallon long, 75 Gallon, and 135 Gallon Aqarium and they are all Freshwater. First question is can I use a fluval hang on the back filter or do I need a special type of filter? Next question is can I use the same type of heater that I have on my other tanks, or do I need a certain type? My next question is how do I turn my aqarium to salt after I fill up my tank with treated, and safe tap water. One more question about the basics is how do I add coral and what substrate does Coral require. My final question is, if my tank is a 140 gallon, 60x18x30 can I keep a snowflake eel and a yellow tang, which are the main fish that got me interested in salt water. Thank you for all the help.

 

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

Nope, sump is below the main. Best to have everything setup before you cycle. Other option you can start cycling your rocks in a bin or use live rock to skip the cycle all together. Starting with established rock has many benefits buts limits ability to design your scape and purchased live rock could have pests.

Thats what I thought at first, and then I got confused. So what about the fish in the sump? Do they live their permanently?

 

[FurrierTransform]

I've not heard of fish in the sump. Think of the sump as a very large HOB filter. Commonly, the water flow will start with a sock filter to catch debris, then flow to a protein skimmer, then through an area with a sponge filter where you can put socks containing active filtering media (e.g. activated charcoal, de-nitrate, etc.), then a pump returns the cleaned water to the main tank. A protein skimmer additionally oxygenates the water.

 

[Jekyl]

Thats what I thought at first, and then I got confused. So what about the fish in the sump? Do they live their permanently?

The only time fish are being kept in the sump is for observation or giving a time out to one fish picking on another. Generally it's inside of a stand and you don't see it.

 

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

I've not heard of fish in the sump. Think of the sump as a very large HOB filter. Commonly, the water flow will start with a sock filter to catch debris, then flow to a protein skimmer, then through an area with a sponge filter where you can put socks containing active filtering media (e.g. activated charcoal, de-nitrate, etc.), then a pump returns the cleaned water to the main tank. A protein skimmer additionally oxygenates the water.

Ok, don't live there, so the sump is like a big HOB filter with extra equipment?

 

[Jekyl]

Ok, don't live there, so the sump is like a big HOB filter with extra equipment?

Yup

 

[FurrierTransform]

Ok, don't live there, so the sump is like a big HOB filter with extra equipment?

Yes, except it doesn't hang on the back. A HOB filter will have the particulate filter and space to hold active filtering media, like a sump; additionally a sump will have space to hold a protein skimmer. Without a sump, a protein skimmer can also hang on the back. Here's my sump, #1 shows the water from the tank flowing into the sump and it goes through a sock filter. The water comes out the bottom (#2) and into the area containing the protein skimmer. It comes out of the protein skimmer (#3) and back to the same portion of the tank and then into the area containing active filter media (the sack on top of a sponge). The sponge is needed to catch any dust from the active filter media. Then #4 the water comes out the bottom of the sponge to the area containing the return pump, and #5 the water is pumped back to the tank. I think this is typical of a sump, with water flowing from various areas, getting cleaner each time, then back to the tank. The two hoses coming out of the sump wall on the left are intake and outflow from a water chiller. For sizing, my tank is a 50 gallon pentagonal tank and the sump is estimated to hold 20 gallons. Hope this helps.

 

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

So the sump has tubes that go into holes drilled into the bottom corners of the tank? And it is also below the tank?

 

[FurrierTransform]

So the sump has tubes that go into holes drilled into the bottom corners of the tank? And it is also below the tank?

In my case, yes to both. I imagine it would be possible to avoid drilling the bottom of the display tank by using a siphon. You would need a U-shaped tube with a screen over the intake end (don't want to siphon your fish).

 

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

In my case, yes to both. I imagine it would be possible to avoid drilling the bottom of the display tank by using a siphon. You would need a U-shaped tube with a screen over the intake end (don't want to siphon your fish).

And then the sump water flows into the main tank?

 

[FurrierTransform]

And then the sump water flows into the main tank?

Yes, and I'm sorry if I'm not making myself clear. You want your sump below the display tank. Most people will have a cabinet in which the lower section contains the sump, behind doors. So the water flows, either via siphon or drilled holes, down into the sump. Once there, a variety of water cleaning and conditioning steps can be taken, then the water is pumped back up into the display tank. However you choose to plumb your tank/sump system, you need to be sure that, in the event of a power outage and the return pump will not pump water from the sump up to the display tank, your display tank will not empty its water into the sump, likely causing an overflow onto your floor. A siphon helps ensure this because you can tune the depth of the siphon in the display tank, to not dump too much into the sump; in other words, once the water level in the display tank drops below the siphon, the siphon stops sending water to the sump. If you get ambitious and drill a hole in the bottom of the display tank, you need to put a sleeve around the hole (glue a PVC or some sturdy plastic tube to the base, surrounding the hole), and set the height of this sleeve to be slightly below the desired water level in the display tank. Otherwise, if your hole is like a bathtub drain, everything in the display tank goes into the sump. Of course, you want to put a screen over the siphon or drain hole. Are there existing setups near you, like a restaurant or pet store, where you can see how things are plumbed?

 

[Snowythesnowflakeeel]

Yes, and I'm sorry if I'm not making myself clear. You want your sump below the display tank. Most people will have a cabinet in which the lower section contains the sump, behind doors. So the water flows, either via siphon or drilled holes, down into the sump. Once there, a variety of water cleaning and conditioning steps can be taken, then the water is pumped back up into the display tank. However you choose to plumb your tank/sump system, you need to be sure that, in the event of a power outage and the return pump will not pump water from the sump up to the display tank, your display tank will not empty its water into the sump, likely causing an overflow onto your floor. A siphon helps ensure this because you can tune the depth of the siphon in the display tank, to not dump too much into the sump; in other words, once the water level in the display tank drops below the siphon, the siphon stops sending water to the sump. If you get ambitious and drill a hole in the bottom of the display tank, you need to put a sleeve around the hole (glue a PVC or some sturdy plastic tube to the base, surrounding the hole), and set the height of this sleeve to be slightly below the desired water level in the display tank. Otherwise, if your hole is like a bathtub drain, everything in the display tank goes into the sump. Of course, you want to put a screen over the siphon or drain hole. Are there existing setups near you, like a restaurant or pet store, where you can see

Alright thanks I understand the sump now, I think.