Tons of rock in sump a good thing?

[Floyd-]

I have a large sump with maybe 30-40lbs of rock in there. I was told large amounts of rock was a good thing to have.
Questions are this...
Do I still need to use my skimmer or will the rocks negate that need?
Do I need to use a filter sock? (My sump was never designed to use one) Its a RedSea Max S650 tank.
Does it really matter having the extra rock in there? Its only in there because I tore down my 45 gallon tank.

 

[T-J]

Rock and skimmer perform two different purposes.
Rock is porous and allows for colonization of bacteria, breaking down waste and converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrate.
Skimmer is a mechanical filter that allows for waste to be removed from the water column.
I'm a believer in having rock or other porous material in a sump to help increase your overall bacteria population, and also for pods.
My sump was also not made with a filter sock, but I 3D printed a sock hanger and use one all the time. Sock use is a personal choice. Not required for success.

 

[xcountryx]

+1 on the above comment. I put lots of rock in my sump. And I used socks in the past. They are great for catching waste, but if not cleaned regularly then they could cause issues. Lately I go without.

 

[GARRIGA]

Depends on the rock. Porous rock is going to provide nitrification/denitrification but solid base rock just mostly taking up space with only surface area adding nitrification. Personnally, I'd fill that void with pumice. Considerably lighter, cheaper by cubic foot and porous for both nitrification and denitrification. Seek the largest pieces if flow is fast such as Pond Matrix but check Orchid suppliers as they sell by the cubic foot at an affordable price. Can also construct it in such a manner as the flow goes from large pieces to fine and that will allow better denitrification as the water becomes anoxic.

I'm experimenting with pumice in volume to negate the need for socks or skimmer. At this point the only benefit I see in skimming is CO2 exchange. With enough volume it will negate the need to manually export nutrients. I have better things to do with my free time then cleaning socks and skimmer cups. Rather enjoy feeding my inhabitants often and let nature resolve many of my maintenance concerns.

BTW, Denitrification adds alkalinity and if you add coral skeletons (I'm using Reborn due to lower melting point) at the beginning then they will host nitrifiers and as it acidifies the water it will melt and acts as a poor man's calcium reacor which should be called alkalinity reactor but you know how hobbies are, once a name sticks it keeps getting used and stuck forever. KISS

 

[WVNed]

I have some in my sump. I just put a large wavemaker blowing on it and it keeps it clean.

 

[FishTruck]

I have had mixed results doing this. On a prior tank, in an acrylic sump (that I could see into), I had a loose stack of live rock, which I would periodically move around and clean.

On my new build, I just dumped all the live rock from the old system into a plywood sump, threw two rollermats over it (so I can't see it at all). Things were great for two years, then, nitrates and phos started creeping up. On a whim, I decided that the 40 lbs. of detritus that might have built up in that sump could be the cause of my nitrates being stuck at 40 ppm.

That rock is gone now and 50 filter socks later my nitrates are down to 20 ppm, but, my tank looked like an unflushed toilet for about two weeks until I finally got all the detritus out of the system. My hands are still chapped from all the filter sock cleaning. Now, the sump is totally empty.

So, if you do have LR in your sump, have plans to police and regularly get rid of the detritus that will build up.

 

[Floyd-]

Thanks guys! Wasnt sure if it was best to keep it or sell it.
In the display tank I have near 200lbs of rock so that should be enough for my bioload I would think.
My sump has been setup and running for about 6 months now and I dont have a buildup in the sump of detritus. Its actually almost as spotless as a display tank minus the salt creep before I wipe it down.

 

[FishTruck]

Thanks guys! Wasnt sure if it was best to keep it or sell it.
In the display tank I have near 200lbs of rock so that should be enough for my bioload I would think.
My sump has been setup and running for about 6 months now and I dont have a buildup in the sump of detritus. Its actually almost as spotless as a display tank minus the salt creep before I wipe it down.

At this point, I'm only keep a little extra live rock (the prettiest pieces only) for possible future aqua scaping projects. I thinks it is also beneficial to keep some as a refugium for copepods and such. I would just avoid a huge pile which can be a hassle to keep clean.

 

[Floyd-]

I dont have copepods. Is that something I need?

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

I always recommend some type of rock work in the sump for copepods as it's the most natural bredding ground for them . With 40 pounds in the sump alone you could have a massive self sustaining colony just in your sump alone ! And that's not even taking into account your display rock lol

 

[Floyd-]

So I just get some pods from the store and toss them into the sump? Info is all over the place with pods so its unclear if its that simple or am I over thinking it.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

So I just get some pods from the store and toss them into the sump? Info is all over the place with pods so its unclear if its that simple or am I over thinking If it's your 1st time seeding you're going to want to start dosing phytoplankton to help the population establish its self.

So I just get some pods from the store and toss them into the sump? Info is all over the place with pods so its unclear if its that simple or am I over thinking it.

If it's your 1st time seeding you're going to want to start dosing phytoplankton to help the population settle in

 

[Floyd-]

If it's your 1st time seeding you're going to want to start dosing phytoplankton to help the population settle in

Ugg. Ok onto reading more and more. I have to see if this is something I need to dose all the time or just to get them started.

 

[GARRIGA]

So I just get some pods from the store and toss them into the sump? Info is all over the place with pods so its unclear if its that simple or am I over thinking it.

My test tank been up since September. Few days ago I noticed I had pods. No clue what they are. Didn’t introduce them. Started with dry rock, pumice and Reborn. Perhaps the Reborn? Salt been know to have them. Crazy how they just show up. Only other possibility is snails. Point being. Grab a flash light and check your glass at night. Might already have them. Especially if you’ve added corals or macro algae. Add phyto if present and they will have a population explosion. No need to over do it with the phyto. Just a light tint. Keep replacing it as it clears. Corals will also enjoy it.

I’ve had daphnia show up on tanks I emptied and cleaned out. Crazy how these things just survive.

Just ordered amphipods from RUSALTY. That’s going to be my detritus workhorse. Eats algae too. Something to consider. Had them in fresh. Fish eat them too and my old eyes can actually see them