Sump construction

[dbrown4183]

Sump construction

Looking for a little advice since I have been a little out of touch with the hobby for a few years

Last time I set up a sump for a tank it was more of the wet/dry type that my understanding is out of style now for being a “nitrate factory” which I can attest to. I did have a protein skimmer in it and a calcium doser attached.

What I am looking for now is how are everyone setting up their sumps now? I see people seem to run the overflow into a sock setup the into one or two areas before the return pump. I am hypothesizing that after the sump running through mesh/foam sheets into a refugium then protein skimmer then back is the way to go with any chemical filtration being just before the return pump Is this how you all do it? Any advice or suggestions would be highly appreciated. This is for a 120 gal mixed reef tank.

 

[mmodo]

I am hypothesizing that after the sump running through mesh/foam sheets into a refugium then protein skimmer then back is the way to go with any chemical filtration being just before the return pump Is this how you all do it? Any advice or suggestions would be highly appreciated. This is for a 120 gal mixed reef tank.

I think the most common way now is to do 3-4 sections separated by glass/plastic baffles to reduce the bubbles from section to section. I have seen some people prefer mesh/foam sheets because it reduces bubbles more? How you break up the sections and what you put in them seems to be based on the size of the sump and the preferences of the reefer.

Normally you want to go from largest to smallest in the filtration. So large particulates in the sock filter are first, then you can add the protein skimmer and items like charcoal for chemical filtration, then the biological filtration last, like a refugium and bio bricks/reef rock. Return pump is last, obviously. If you wanted UV, it would in the piping between the return pump and the water exiting into the display tank.

I don't know what would happen if the protein skimmer is after refugium/biological filtration. I would be concerned that the biological things you are growing like copepods might not get to the display tank as readily than if the refugium is next to the pump. Don't take my word for that though.

 

[dbrown4183]

I think the most common way now is to do 3-4 sections separated by glass/plastic baffles to reduce the bubbles from section to section. I have seen some people prefer mesh/foam sheets because it reduces bubbles more? How you break up the sections and what you put in them seems to be based on the size of the sump and the preferences of the reefer.

Normally you want to go from largest to smallest in the filtration. So large particulates in the sock filter are first, then you can add the protein skimmer and items like charcoal for chemical filtration, then the biological filtration last, like a refugium and bio bricks/reef rock. Return pump is last, obviously. If you wanted UV, it would in the piping between the return pump and the water exiting into the display tank.

I don't know what would happen if the protein skimmer is after refugium/biological filtration. I would be concerned that the biological things you are growing like copepods might not get to the display tank as readily than if the refugium is next to the pump. Don't take my word for that though.

Thank you that all makes sense