Show Off Your Sumps!

[vaguelyreeflike]

The roots are super fragile so get the pods.
Most of the ones I've gotten with roots die from osmotic shock.
I'm sure they help with N and P a little I just like the way they look, they just make me smile.
I add a little mag once a week and spray them every day.
That's a must.

Would a slow drip acclimation help prevent shock? I love how they look. Good to know they need to be misted!

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Been using this combo for 10 years across multiple style reef setups. It’s bombproof and I don’t need water changes

Trigger systems Ruby 30

Chamber 1 - octopus Diablo 160xs skimmer (offline/unplugged. Only use on as needed basis - remove a medication, or if tank has a nutrient issue)
Live rock in some free space
No socks or rollers or mechanical filtration in the sump at all

Chamber 2

3” fine live sand
Santa Monica surf 2 algae scrubber
Cryptic zone with Live rock, sponge, pods, micro dusters, etc under and around the algae scrubber

Between chamber 2 and 3 is a media shelf with chemi pure elite (2 bags rated 50g each) + media bag with matrix

Chamber 3 is return pump, live rock, and a phosban 150 reactor for running Phosguard if I ever need to quickly pull down phosphates

little messy, I never clean the sump and don’t believe sumps should be cleaned.

My results

What are the benefits you’ve noticed from having a sand bed in the sump? Is it just for buffering, extra biofiltration, nitrogenous waste collection, or all of the above?

 

[VintageReefer]

Everything. Sand and rock produce filtration in your display and the sump houses more of it.

Except in the sump is a stricter untouched environment. I dont have snails, crabs, fish, or light in the sump. It’s a cryptic zone and allows more micro critters to thrive unharmed. Sponge also thrives in here, and provides its own unique form of filtration.

By not running mech filtration, my cryptic zone is fed particulate matter which the filter feeding sponge, micro dusters, and tiny worms in the sand all collectively consume

Whatever makes it past them and back into the display, is coral food

 

[SomeHappyFish]

 

[bakbay]

My sump is next to the tank so have to keep it clean & presentable. It’s like having two aquariums! I go BB and TRY to keep both DT and sump clean of detritus. I dose vodka to keep NO3 down and manually dose PhosphateRx for PO4. That is why you don’t see a lot of gear in a massive sump.

 

[00W]

Would a slow drip acclimation help prevent shock? I love how they look. Good to know they need to be misted!

I've tried lots of different things but it's usually trama in shipping I'm convinced.
The seeds are easy and cheap, can be had lots of places, and can be just set in a cup/pot whatever by the windowsill if you want.

 

[edsbeaker]

Some of these sumps are so clean!
Here’s mine. It’s small without room for a refugium so I have a Clearwater ATS.
It has a skimmer, and some live rock…dead when I bought it. I have a 4” X 12” piece of filter floss that I change out weekly, but am not using the three filter socks that came with it. Too much work, and with my skimmer and ATS my nutrients always test low. I may remove the filter floss in the future.
I’m fortunate to have a closet behind the tank cabinet so all of the controllers, electrical plugs, dosers, ATO container and supples are back there.

 

[Chuck_e]

New sump for my 90 g display. Previous sump was in the cabinet under the display tank. Got tired of banging my head, dumping the contents of the skimmer or Phosphate Reactor whenever maintenance was needed so I installed a Trigger Systems CRYS30E in the room next door. The sump has 3 chambers, including a Refugium and main chamber where the filters, heater, and skimmer sit. Might have gone a bit overboard with the control panel, but that's reefing...

Reservoir for the ATO is beside the sump, and the Refugium is lit with a Neptune GROLight.

 

[Peace River]

Ceramic media -> Rollermat -> Reactor (for activated carbon) -> CO2 scrubber -> Live Rock -> Skimmer -> Return Pump.
All controllers on the other side of the sump.

Nicely done!!!

 

[luis angel]

 

[RWinfrey]

 

[marcus aurelius]