Let’s talk about sumps!

[Sold4jc7]

That is pretty. 80/20 framing?

Correct. The stand is 80/20.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Here is my sump set up on my 60-gallon reef. The frag tank and fuge drain into the main sump. The fuge drains directly into the return section of the sump.

Very clean! You don't keep this behind closed doors, do you?

 

[Sold4jc7]

Very clean! You don't keep this behind closed doors, do you?

Thank you. I have doors to cover it, but I keep them off most of the time. I like keeping an eye on the whole system.

 

[1ocean]

So many people seem to be against sections. What is the main purpose they serve. What are the pros to them other than a refugium section?

no real purpose unless your trying to maintain a certain water height in a chamber, which I have done in my diy acrylic sump builds.. as far as a bubble trap, my onion is that its not needed. If you have a long sump 3 feet or more as the water travels that distance if there are some small bubbles they will make it to the surface in the sump...for me just a money grab from those who make sumps..

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

a long sump 3 feet or more

That's bigger than my DT!

 

[1ocean]

That's bigger than my DT!

oh ? I understand... I never had a tank under 6 feet.
the 300 I am tearing down is 96x28x24 for the new tank 90x36x24,,,

 

[ILikeFish14]

I'm really late to this party and I haven't participated in R2R in a long time (due to running a 13hr, 6 day per week business) but I've had a refugium for 20 years and over the last 3 years I have not been able to maintain Chaeto in there. I have replenished the Chaeto 4 times and it still dies out over a couple of months.
I believe that due to my neglect of the tank due to running my business an overabundance of detritus settled in the refugium substrate which has caused the buildup of algae (which I removed) and maybe caused an imbalance. I have an LED Red light over it so i do not think its due to lack of lighting.

So in saying all that, I'm thinking of one of two options and if anyone has done this please advise me as to the pros and cons.
1- sift or clean the substrate along with the walls and replenish with chaeto, pods, live rock.
or
2-buy a new refugium , with new substrate, cheat, pods, live rock and let that cycle.

The least expensive of course would be option 1 but would it solve the issue?

 

[1ocean]

hmmm.. lots of things can be causing you the issues.
Before spending $ you do not have to, I would figure out the cause.
First could be lack of iron, nutrients for it to absorb or a spike in copper, ammonia, salinity, ALK,CAL,MG.
Not enough light or flow..
I would clean up the box you are trying to grow it, and get rid of the sand all together so that you can increase the flow.
This would be my first approach before I went on to spend cash.
Also all the red and green algae is competing with the chaeto..