new sump/fuge

[thelitone]

hey there! i just custom built a sump/fuge, to replace the wet/dry sump i have now. my tank looks and runs very healthy; all parameters are good, except the phos which i am trying to lower. the sump i built is 30x12x11 with 2 3-section baffles, to fit under my 4 month old 50g system that i am running. the first section will hold the skimmer, second will be the fuge, third is the return. i plan on using lights, cheato, skimmer, and all my pumps that are running now in the sump/fuge. my question is: when switching from one to the other, can i just do the switch? or is there some kind of transistional steps and/or time period?

 

[Krish]

If you are going from a wet/dry that has bio-balls in it to a sump that doesn't use the bio-balls at all, then you can't just switch right over. The bio-balls will contain a lot of the beneficial bacteria that your tank is using for the biological filtration purposes and if you were to remove them one shot, your system could suffer a huge biological shock! Best bet would be to remove the bio-balls from the wet/dry slowly over a period of time to allow your tank to adjust to the change gradually and once all are out, then you can make the swap. Just a thought

 

[UnderDaSea]

Or just buy a bunch of sump live rock usually much cheaper than buying big pieces of live rock and breaking them up.Then place that down there and those can be ur source of all that beneficial bacteria.

 

[thelitone]

thank for the info. ill try what krish75 suggested and remove the bio-balls slowly. when they are all gone then i can switch to the sump/fuge? no problem.

 

[slim_jim989]

that or just put ur bio balls in the new fuge along with the LR and then slowly take it out cause all the stuff that they have in them will rub off on the LR .

 

[thelitone]

so...just take out bout 1/2 of the bio-balls over time, then switch to the sump/fuge. and put the othe 1/2 of bio-balls into the fuge with some live rock. eventualy taking them out.then adding the chaeto and light?

 

[user 2204]

so...just take out bout 1/2 of the bio-balls over time, then switch to the sump/fuge. and put the othe 1/2 of bio-balls into the fuge with some live rock. eventualy taking them out.then adding the chaeto and light?

Sounds like you've got it down correct. As long as you don't take out to much of the good beneficial bacteria all at once you'll be a okay. Just follow what Krish75 mentioned and you'll do fine.

Alex