Designing a remote sump for my small reef

[BobinCovington]

I am starting work on my remote sump water handling system for my reef system and want to have an effective system easy to maintain etc. I am running tubing to/from the sump to soon to be 90 gal corner tank in living room (approx 20 feet run and 6 foot head).
I want to convert my remora to a sump skimmer for now. I will design my make up RO-Saltwater/kalk reactor system to be next to the sump for easy water changes, maint. I also plan to have a small frag grow out tank and perhaps refugium that pumps out of the sump and gravity feeds back into the sump.

So with all of that, I have some questions and would welcome input from all you experts

1 What size/brand return pump and tubing size should I use?

2 What size sump and what design is best (how many chambers, baffles, filter socks, etc.)?

3 Should I use live rock, miracle mud, sand or other substrate in my sump?

4 how about lighting for the sump or refugium (type and hours on?)

5 Can I use my frag grow out as a refug too somehow with seperate chambers?

6 Any other ideas suggestions for me?

Thanks for the help everyone

Bob

 

[aquariumdebacle]

Unless you put higher level predators into your grow-out tank it will become a refugium. i would add a quarentine system. This needs to be run entirely seperate from the system you are designing. The lighting may be shared. the standard turnover rate for a sump is about ten times the volume per hour. a seperate circulation system should be used for water movement in the display. This also applies to the grow-out system. A bare bottom is best for the grow-out tank.

 

[mojoreef]

1 What size/brand return pump and tubing size should I use?

Their are many, you need to basically go to the pump manufacturing sites and check the stats on the pump, then just match that up with your needs. Also that will give you the tubing sizes required.

2 What size sump and what design is best (how many chambers, baffles, filter socks, etc.)?

The biggest one you can get, lol. More water volume means stabler water parameter. As for chambers I always use two on the input side of the sump. An under and then an over, same process on the way out, just dontmake the baffles to close together or it will create speed and speed wont allow the bubbles to off gas. As per socks I use them when cleaning the tank, I got a sock holder that srews to my drain line and then simply slid the sock over that when needed.

3 Should I use live rock, miracle mud, sand or other substrate in my sump?

I wouldnt use any of those in the sump. If you wish to have smethingn like that make a seperate tank and make a refugium. All of those things need a very slow flow in order to work properly.

4 how about lighting for the sump or refugium (type and hours on?)

If you use a refugium and it has algae in it, then most folks lite it during the dark period of the tank. this helps in offsetting the ph flux at night. SOme folks just keep it lite 24/7. If were talking about just a sump, then no light is required.

Can I use my frag grow out as a refug too somehow with seperate chambers?

sure, make the frag portion the last part of the frag tank and then add a small PH to keep the flow at the desired level.

Any other ideas suggestions for me?

Go Bob Go!!!!!


Mike