I got the deal of a lifetime!

[Treezer8]

Ok here's what happened.

There's this guy that owns a building, and rented out to this other guy that put an arcade in it.
Anyway, all the machines were getting repossessed, and the owner of the building was there.

My dad calls me up and says that the guy has THREE 150gallon tanks, all with their own sump, protein skimmer, and light fixture.

On top of that, he had 300pounds of live rock that he was pretty much just going to get rid of.

So I get there, and long story short, I gave him 100$ and got the following:

150 gallon tank
2 protein skimmers http://www.aquatraders.com/Odyssea-PS160-Protein-Skimmer-p/43013.htm
2 30 gallon sumps with the glass panels in it and all that stuff.
this t5 light fixture Deep Blue Solar Extreme T5 H.O. Quad Light System that retails for 289-300$ new
AND 300 pounds of (what looks like fiji) LIVE ROCK. Yes, 300 pounds of live rock..

So happy. I needed a protein skimmer and a refugium for my 75, so it looks like I can put one of the setups under there, put some liverock in, and get it running!


Anyway, the reason I'm posting in the filter/etc forum, is because I need to know what I'm doing with this refugium. It's 36in long, 30gallons, and it has I THINK 4 sections, I don't feel like going back out to check it. How do those sections work? I know that the water comes in the left, the protein skimmer picks up most of the water that goes by, and then it drops the water into the next section? Then it goes over a panel, then under a panel, then through a tube and back into the tank. Did I get that right?

What goes in each of the sections? Liverock? sand? Those green plants?

Thanks, looking for all info I can possibly get

 

[Smitty]

That was a freaking amazing deal...congrats!
And yep, that's how a sump/refugium works. Check out some of the articles and sub forums for an idea. There really is no "ONE" right way to do it.

 

[Treezer8]

That was a freaking amazing deal...congrats!
And yep, that's how a sump/refugium works. Check out some of the articles and sub forums for an idea. There really is no "ONE" right way to do it.

Yea, I'm realizing that now haha.
I've gone through about 90 minutes of youtube videos now.
I get the main concept, and have all the equipment. Just need to do the plumbing.

I do have a few other questions though,

How do you do water changes in the tank when you have the sump installed?
I guess you install some sort of shut-off valve to the in-take line to the sump? and turn off the pump to the OUT-line? Then just replace the water in the main tank

Also, do you have to have sand in the sump? In the chamber with the algae, rock, etc. that is supposed to get rid of as many nitrates as it can. Or can I just have rock and this "chato" stuff I keep seeing

 

[grozier]

holy poop!

 

[Smitty]

When I do water changes, I just shut everything except the light off...and siphon water from the display. And you don't need sand in the sump...just rock and cheato.

 

[FishyReef]

I siphon water out of the display, but then add water back in to the sump, then turn on the return pump to get it back to the display - hell of a lot easier than lifting buckets to pour in to the DT! And that was a freakin' awesome deal!

 

[Ted]

WOW!!!! nice deal. I have the same protein skimmer has been working well for me.

 

[moncapitane]

I am officially jealous. That is one hell of a deal.

 

[Treezer8]

Yea I'm pretty lucky. I just finished cleaning everything after 4 hours, and I've got all the rock in some tanks cycling some water over them