i sound dumb but i really dont see how this works

shades251

Reefing newb
i am still very new to all of this and i am trying to learn all i can. ok i am running a fluval filter on my tank, but all i see you guys talk about are sumps, which i thought were filters so i have been looking into it how they are made, and your pics and if they are filters i just dont see how they work. but my best friend has a trickle filter which i thought was the same but i guess im wrong.......sorry guys i know i sound really stupid but im trying lo l:frustrat:
 
Refugiums are a form of natural filtration, they use live sand, live rock rubble, and marco algae to filter the water in your aquarium
 
ok now his "trickle" filter has the same stuff in it as mine plus bio balls but his gives better flow? and what about a sump what the real purpose for a sump?
 
A sump gives you a place to put things instead of your display tank. Like heaters, protein skimmers, reactors and a refugium. This creates a much cleaner looking display. And an added bonus is that it adds to your overall water volume which creates a more stable system. Bioballs aren't really a good idea in a reef system because they can harbor nitrates. You are better off adding some live rock rubble in your sump which will give a place for good bacteria and other organisms to grow.
 
A sump has several purposes,
~to add water volume to your system, the more total water volume you have, the more stable your temperature and water chemistry will be.
~a place to put your equipment, you can take your heaters/filters/protein skimmers and hide them in the sump
~to add a protein skimmer, you usually have a section in a sump just dedicated to protein skimming

Now a refugium is basically the exact same thing as a sump it just has an added area for natural water filtration (live rock and micro algae and in most cases a breeding ground for live foods for your fish)

As far as the bioballs go, I would take them out of the system as they have too much of a chance of crashing your system from a nitrate spike long term
 
+1 D2mini, and BL1

There are no stupid questions. Everyone has learned this the exact same way, asking questions. Keep it up, ask away, anyone and everyone here is more than willing to help out and share knowledge. :Cheers:
 
thanks guys...so here is my plan im trying to find a 20 or 30 gal that i am gonna DIY the chambers with one of them in layers of filter foam, crushed LR, and i was gonna use bio balls but d2 says they are bad. then the chamber with the skimmer i was gonna let my fuval run as well. is this a bad idea?
 
Fluval's are fine as long as you clean it very regularly otherwise they may lead to high nitrates. A good skimmer is the best thing you can get. Ditch the bioballs for sure. Read someone else's recent post about how his canister filter leaked half his system water on the floor.
 
If you're going to run a sump and skimmer then there's no reason to run the fluval 24/7. However, you can always run the fluval a few days a month just to polish the water
 
TAKE THE BIOBALLS OUT ABOUT 25% AT A TIME --like every week or 2. If you take them all out at once it could cause an ammonia spike and kill stuff in your tank.
 
i dont even have the parts to build it yet im just trying to learn what i am doing first then will come the build.....but first i got a crazy deal on a 25 nano cube so it will be my next build then will come the trickle
 
Get the biggest tank you can fit in your stand! DIY it to make your sump. No Fluval, no bio-balls. If your plan is to use LR rubble that is perfect. The more water you add to the system the better off you are.
 
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