Live Rock Filtration Question..

**kaimarkhirst** · 04-26-2009, 11:38 PM

Ok,

Sort of getting through the minefield that is filtration methods in saltwater tanks, and have this question.

Ive decided to go with a live rock biological filtration system (I was having live rock anyways, but didnt know that its a natural filtration system...) and am going to invest in a Deltrec Protien Skimmer, and a damn good water pump (Brand to be announced) for top circulation and oxygenation. Do I need an Air pump if im using a water pump?

I know that by going down this road ill need to remove nutrients, and the protien skimmer will do some of this, and a good solid biological filter (This is an assumption, based upon research so far...) will do the rest. Ive decided to go with an external one, (Fluval FX5) however Ive reading that you ned to do regular small water changes and my question is this.

By what definition are these regular water changes and the filter. If the live rock is doing most of the biological filtration process, and I will need a filter in any case, do I go for a filter that has a volume filtration process equivelant to my tank volume, or can I go for something smaller and, if so is there such and equation I can work to??

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks

Kai

**glarior** · 04-26-2009, 11:41 PM

IMO, more filtration the better. For all my tanks I always buy oversize filters for the tanks. Why not a sump for SW?

**oldhead** · 04-26-2009, 11:45 PM

The short and skinny...
You don't need an air pump, a good skimmer will provide plenty of oxygen. If you haven't already picked up the Fluval canister don't. Canisters are not recommended and if slacked upon can cause way more problems than they're worth. Looking into a sump system would be the absolute best way to spend your dollars. Water change schedules are subject to debate. And they often depend on the bio-load of the tank. I do mine once every few weeks. There are others that do weekly.

**AABatteries** · 04-26-2009, 11:49 PM

No air pump needed, as long as you have adequate surface agitation.

Also, the FX5 will not be necessary. It will only cause nitrate problems if you run it with media. So, no reason to use it. Live rock is the only bio filtration you need.

Do you mean Deltec? If so, one of the best skimmer brands out there.

Also, if you're willing to spend the money, Vortechs are they way to go for pumps/powerheads.

**kaimarkhirst** · 04-26-2009, 11:51 PM

Ok,

So Ive established that a Deltec will give excellent oxygen circulation, and ill be looking into a Hydor Koralia Circulation Pump/Powerhead very shortly.

Cool about the cannister filtration system, a few peeps have said the same thing to me, so can somebody explain a sump to me? Is it internal or external, maintenance and such? Or ahs anybody got a good link I can have a look at and recommendations..

Thanks very much

Kai

**kaimarkhirst** · 04-27-2009, 12:00 AM

AND THE LIGHT BULB JUST FLICKERED ONTO LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A sump is a Wet Dry system of filtration!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I correct in this??

Also, is there a complete wet/dry sump kit I can buy, or is it better to build one yourself??

Thanks guys and sorry to seem completely inept on this. Been doing freshwater for a looonnngg time with my old man and now on my own, and want to now move into the marine side of things, so please forgive my ignorance..

Kai

**oldhead** · 04-27-2009, 12:04 AM

What size tank are you looking into setting up? Sumps are external and are generally located beneath the aquarium. They add to the total water volume promoting stability and can be a good place for hiding equipment. Things like skimmers, heaters and reactors to name a few. You can also incorporate a refugium area that can help to filter the tank and grow organisms that are beneficial to some animals that you might choose to keep such as Mandarin fish.

Some shots of mine:

**oldhead** · 04-27-2009, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by kaimarkhirst

AND THE LIGHT BULB JUST FLICKERED ONTO LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A sump is a Wet Dry system of filtration!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I correct in this??

Also, is there a complete wet/dry sump kit I can buy, or is it better to build one yourself??

Thanks guys and sorry to seem completely inept on this. Been doing freshwater for a looonnngg time with my old man and now on my own, and want to now move into the marine side of things, so please forgive my ignorance..

Kai

You can buy them but they can be pretty pricey. I would say to build one. It gives you the control of customizing things more to your liking. You can find great info on sumps here: http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

**AABatteries** · 04-27-2009, 12:58 AM

A sump is actually NOT close to a wet/dry filter, other than the fact they are external and go below or beside a tank.

As oldhead already said, sumps add the volume of water in a system and give you a place to put equipment. And sometimes even a fuge.

If you can afford a Deltec, you can easily afford Tunze or Vortech pumps. So, no clue why you'd be looking at Koralias.

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 04-27-2009, 01:11 AM

Originally Posted by kaimarkhirst

A sump is a Wet Dry system of filtration!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I correct in this??

No, not entirely. A sump can be setup in a Wet/Dry configuration but it is best not to do so. A sump has 2 purposes and potentially 3 for a SW tank.
1. It increases water volume
2. It hides equipment
3. It can be home to a refugium

Those are the 3 purposes of a sump in a SW tank. They do not function as a form of physical filtration, that is what your CUC is for. In reality, you can provide a stable SW environment without the use of a sump, but a sump is a really convenient thing for water changes, and hiding equipment. IMO, the smaller the tank volume, the better a sump is, simply because it increases the water volume of the system and thus makes it more stable.
One other nice thing about a sump is that it allows you to have a place to put extra liverock for increased filtration without sacrificing room in your main display.