Get rid of the bio balls!! We had a sump like yours when our 55 up just place some of your rock in and thats about it!
All a sump really is .. a place to put the skimmer and other stuff like pumps for flow , med if needed, and other things like that. Our sump is pretty basic and not real pretty. All DIY ..Acually the pic of the refuguim sump or a MUD system might work well for ya BUT with a set up like that you do need some light for the plants ect.. not special light but light.
Ours gets light from the tank because of the way the lights hang from the ceiling but it dosen't need light. here is what ours looks like remember NOT PRETTY! but it works! :D
sarah
PS the denitrator is not hooked cuz the lines come off and blow water all over!
also I labled the fuidized sand filter as the denitrator... soo sorry! DUH
Hi my name is sarah, and I've got the Upgrade Bug! Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!!!!
#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Bjpembo, I do have a 10 gallon tank, and I could cut some squaes from acrylic, to make three chambers. A few questions; what does the filtering? And if you numbered the sections in the sump from right to left would it be best to use some "u" tubing to siphon the water from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3, or is it not necessary?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#
the algae and the DSB is what filters the nitrate, the algae uses it as food and periodic pruning of the algae removes it from the tank. the DSB provides a place for the anoxic bacteria to grow and consume the nitrate converting it to nitrogen.
no need for the u tubes to move from chamber to chamber, the walls should be short enough that the water can flow over them into the next chamber. but make sure you incorporate some baffles to stop the bubbles from reaching the return pump and being pumped back into the tank obscuring your view.
Actually .... From what I can see in your pic.. The sump you have now with out the bio balls and with some live rock would do the trick for you. No need to change anything else. I had the same type on my 55... The key is the Biological Filtration!! Basicly it means LOTS of live rock!! to give you a perspctive on how much LR (this is a bit extreem but..lol) We had 200lbs of LR in out 55. Made water changes a breeze!! "Grab the eyedropper Hon.. it's water change day!" :D :D
But the tank was perfect never had a problem EVER because of all that LR .. A little cramped maybe ..... Then the bug struck!! :mrgreen:
Hope that helps..... I'll see if I can find some DIY instuctions for ya!
sarah
Hi my name is sarah, and I've got the Upgrade Bug! Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!!!!
#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thanks ramoth, that would be awesome if I could use my current sump, but how would I submerge the live rock, wouldn't the water just trickle over them like the bio-balls, or do you put them on the bottom and run your water level higher.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#
As long as your LR or even bioballs remain submerged, you're eliminating the "wet/dry" eliment... what causes the nitrates is the build up of bacteria feeding on the ammonia and releasing nitrates. These bacteria need an awesome amount of o2, but remain wet. Ergo the denitrification factory is in production. As for your current sump... modify it to operate as the one BJ left in that prior post.
Jason
There's nowhere else I'ld rather be... unless, of course, you're buying
<DIV> but how would I submerge the live rock, wouldn't the water just trickle over them like the bio-balls, or do you put them on the bottom and run your water level higher.</DIV>
Remove the white plastic "grate" material that the bio balls are resting on. Then move your sponge block a little bit into your sump return pump chamber but not too much, leave enough room for the pump to work good. This should give you some room to put the rock in, (basically the area that is currently below the white plastic grate piece). I had a wet dry setup on my tank and removed the bio balls a little at a time and replaced with LR, works great now.
#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thanks everybody for the great advice, I can't wait to start lowering these nitrates. With my water change this weekend I guess I'm going to remove about 1/4 of my bio-balls and add around 10 lbs. of live rock to the sump. Also I don't know if you all noticed in my pictures, but I must have about 80 growths of aipstatia, ordered joes juice yesterday, would it be bad to try to treat all 80 at one time? Thanks again guys.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#
:D
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Originally Posted by KBartley77
