advice needed for 600 gallon beginner

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
so basically water flow needs to be thru a filter pad and bio balls in the overflow. to a drip tray over scrubbies (and more bio balls) in a chamber in a sump. then thru/over/under a baffle to an open chamber with protein skimmer and back to the tank. correct? and need for live sand, rock, mud, or macro in the sump as well? open area for refugium? or should i use all my space for scrubbie madness? also i found some diy denitrification systems i figure id try. im guessing this would go good right near the protein skimmer?
 
shark_curious;3849243; said:
so basically water flow needs to be thru a filter pad and bio balls in the overflow. to a drip tray over scrubbies (and more bio balls) in a chamber in a sump. then thru/over/under a baffle to an open chamber with protein skimmer and back to the tank. correct? and need for live sand, rock, mud, or macro in the sump as well? open area for refugium? or should i use all my space for scrubbie madness? also i found some diy denitrification systems i figure id try. im guessing this would go good right near the protein skimmer?


Well i would personally go scrubbie madness. Especially if you going for the dinitrification system. The refrum would be almost pointless. And yea you have the whole thing figured out it seems like. Though make sure when your getting that pad/sponge to cover the bio balls wont clog then flood your tank
 
so scrubbie madness would eliminate the need for for live sand, rock, etc etc etc in the sump? is it ok for them to be under water or do i need to regulate the flow to make sure there is only water dripping on them?
 
shark_curious;3849401; said:
so scrubbie madness would eliminate the need for for live sand, rock, etc etc etc in the sump? is it ok for them to be under water or do i need to regulate the flow to make sure there is only water dripping on them?


Water dripping on them is correct. Scrubbies and bio balls are almost useless submerged but are the best bio media when in the "wet/dry" section.

In the sump builds you can see the scrubbies are elevated so they stay in the drip path only underneath the drip plate. Then below the tank is only filled so the pump and skimmer can function.

A sump with live sand and live rock etc is an alternitive to having scrubbies or bio balls. Some have both but are lacking bio media due to the live sand and live rock. I dont understand why they just dont go scrubbie madness , the little live rock and live sand in the sump doesnt make up for whats in the tank if you konw what i mean. I find it not so good as bio media. I use to have live rock and live sand only in my sump , the scrubbie and bio balls combo works out better in my personal experiance

i made a sump last night , ill see if i can get you some pics
 
what function would the canister filters hold in this are? just more flow thru biomedia? or mechanical?
 
all depends on how you set it up. You already are going to have a good sump with lots of bio media. So if you had a canister , which i recomend , fill it with fine filter pads for very fine water cleaning. It will give the tank that ultra clear look. Bio media will keep your tank clean , though an additon of super fine cleaning it will give your tank that clean "crisp" water clearity

for example ....

My new 360 will be running a sump with pre filter and tons of bio media. Then my fx5 will be running very fine sponges and pads though mostly bio. Ill also have my rena running very very fine pads for most of my mechanical.
 
Heres the sump i made

Its really nothing special at all , but shows the simplicity and basics for a wet/dry and sump.


Notice how the filter pad is ontop of the drip plate catching particles
Scrubbies in the wetdry part under the drip plate.
Then the cermic noodles are fully submerged by the pump in the sump part.

Sump means - fully submerged
wetdry- the dripping part

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Don't waste your time trying to find a pool pump. They are not very efficient to run 24hrs a day. You should look into Reeflo brand pumps. They are quiet and efficient.
 
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