how much water should be in the sump

jessica44

what is the correct water level in my sump should it be below or above the bio balls???

Brandon

I pretty sure its above but i'm also pretty sure you shouldn't use bio balls because they trap nitrates or nitrites or something.

musho3210

bio-balls are ok for FO and FOWLR but no good for corals as they create too much nitrate, skimmers, powerheads, rock and sand are used for corals. This i think is called the berlin method (which surprisingly was created in berlin :o )

Andre

say what. bio balls are almost found in all reef tanks that i have seen. Even in refugiums there are still a few. If this is wrong i would like to know. I will need to do something different. But in my sump the water level is on bottom of the bio balls acording to the sticker and that was a pro clear system.

musho3210

well i would agree but usmc mike told me they were no good, ask him for the reason why

Andre

no it makes sense but why do so many use them. My next question is i want to convert my tank wet/dry pro clear aquatics system into a refugium. Who makes a good refugium, skimmer, light combo?

musho3210

why dont you make your own and save some money, just buy a tank that will fit under your main tank, some plexi-glass aquarium dividers, some silicone, and you should be good to go. (still need a water pump, drill/overflow box etc) also get a clip on MH light for the refugium.

Andre

im the kind of guy that would rather spend the money and get a sump perfect size, maped flow rate, and matching pumps. Now i am an engineer but that is a whole lot of thinking when you can get one for like 200. Even though people make there own it is a science in its own to get it properly tuned or at least that is what i have been led to believe.

usmc121581

OK lets start with the bio-balls. I have never seen seem used on reef tanks. They are no good, unless you keep cleaning them of all the depris they collect, if not all they do is produce nitrates. Now for the water in the sump. I have 3 sections in a 30 gallon long tank. One is for the refug, the middle section is for the skimmer and the third is for the clean water waiting to be returned to the main tank. Each one of my sections is cut shorter then the next. so I have no set water level the only part that gets low is the third. Another way to figure it out is. If you have a hole drilled in your return line (1/16" below water line) the best way is unplug the return pump and see were the water stops in the sump.if its to high remove water, if its to low add water.

caferacermike

Bio balls are 2 decades ago thinking. It has been proven that they go neglected to long.

OK I've never seen a "mapped and flow rated" sump before. there are several manufacturers, I think triggerfish systems builds the nicest. However none come with a return pump nor have I ever seen one come with a mention of what pump to use. Your pump is the only thing that sets the speed. Most sumps are set for between 4-6" of water in the skimmer chamber and about 10" in the fuge. The important things to keep in mind are that skimmers need different depths int eh sump chamber to work correctly and that you have enough extra space in a power failure.