New reef tank

[pro2k]

I'm starting a 55 gal reef tank and I'm wondering what kind of filtration to get. Wet/dry, refugium, berlin, or whatever..... what do you think works the best with the least maintenance and where can I get it. I'm trying to keep the price down so I want the best bang for the buck! Please let me know what other equipment is essential. Can I put crushed coral as a substrate, leave it bare glass, or live sand? I would prefer to use CC cause I already have that. Where is the best place to buy stuff on the net? THANKS!

[Reptoreef]

Try a rubbermaid sump with a smaller rubbermaid container to put inside(drilled with a few holes on each side) to act as a refugium... get a small mv fixture for the light and some extra macro from a local reefer. Bare bottom or DSB is just a matter of opinion(I like a very fine grain 6-7" DSB). Any submersible pump will do as a return as long as it will move, at least, 10X's the total water volume of the entire system. Cheap, reliable skimmers can be found on Ebay(turbo floaters, etc) or get some plans and build your own.

[pro2k]

Thanks for the info! Is there any plans on the web for a rubbermaid sump and refugium? I don't really know the concept behind it. Last time I was doing tanks, wet/drys were the rage..... Also, what is DSB? IS that Deep Sand Bed??

[Reptoreef]

DSB= deep sand bed... awesome natural denitrification. As for Wet dry... nitrate factories. IMO, no wet dry media and you're good. Of course, now you merely have a sump and can impliment a refugium from there, too. Get ya a copy of Reef Invertibrates by Calfo and Fenner... there's a whole lot of good reading on sumps and refugiums along with other great info.

[dakar]

Sirpat, came up with a great method of using one tub in another and securing them in place with nylon bolts and stuff.... maybe I should walk over to his desk and try to 'persuade' him to post some pics.... hee hee

[bjpembo]

i did something similar to that on my first reef. i took a rubbermaid and cut down the sides so it was about 4" tall and then filled that with sand and put my rocks on that and sat it inside a larger rubber maid and plumbed everything in. worked great while i had it. but i prefer having a tank for a sump/fuge now, i just like to see fromt he sides though

[Reef_Angel]

As I read Pro2k's post's, needs & interests, I see he's found a really great place to hang around. Are you guys thinking the same thing I am? There is so much data in the archives about all of our sumps, and what everyone has done to build them. Repto & Whoyah... maybe you or another volunteer can start a sticky thread about 'past sump ideas, solutions & pictures'. Then everyone can take a few minutes to dig through the archive, re-post their info on the new thread, and help Pro2k out. Who knows, we'll probably be helping out more that one person by doing this. Just an idea for you guys to mull around. You might come up with a better way to go about it than using my plan of action.

Would this be helpful to you Pro2k??

[JustDavidP]

My DIY Sump is on this site....

Just substitute the plexiglass for a breeder tank/rubbermaid box...whatever...

Bottom line... listen to these folks.. no wet media filtration except for live rock, macro, and if you want, live sand. Use a fuge, sump with pump and GOOD skimmer... and you are golden.

Dave

[pro2k]

YES Angel, that would be an awesome idea. It would be interesting to see how everyone else is doing this so I can get ideas on what to do for my tank. I don't quite understand how the water flows through a sump and refugium and pictures and designs will clear it up for me. If I understood the concept behind a refugium that would help as well. Thanks guys! :-D

[FEEDERFISH]

This is a pic of Sump/ Refug out of a 20 Gal. Long, the pump acts as a return + supplies water to the refug thus water spills over the divider back into the sump