Need Opinion from Salt Water Experts

[Tien]

I recently bought a 220 gallon corner aquarium and will probably do a salt water fish only set up. My goal is to have killer filtration that will reduce nitrates and I am looking at 2 methods. The aquarium has a wet/dry sump that I am considering converting to a refugium with algae and a deep sand bed. Unfortunately the sump is small for the size of the tank. I don't know how big the sump is off hand, but because the tank is a corner set up there is little space underneath to fit a larger sump. I have seen small reef set ups in which the refugium keeps the nitrates at zero. However these systems seem to have a small bio load/few fish. How effective is a refugium for a fish only tank?

I am considering the following options:
1) Turn the sump into a deep sand bed refugium and add another 20 gallon tank above the sump to house algae like a refugium would. Basically the 20 gallon aquarium would draw water from the sump/deep sand bed and return it there as well. Plumbing will be no problem.
2) Turn the sump into a deep sand bed and build an algae/turf scrubber above it

Both options are similar but I am not sure which would be more effective at reducing/eliminating nitrates in a fish only tank. The algae scrubber seems to be more effective but it will cost far more and I hear they sometimes turn the water green. Either way I worry my sump is too small to effectively do a stellar job so I will probably have to add some other method of filtration. Any thoughts?

 

[Sarmo]

i used option 1 for my reef tank. plenum in a 150gallon rubbermaid stock tank with macro algae growing above the sandbed. i also had 500+ lbs of LR.
from what i have read, the turf scrubber is more efficient, space and light wise.
both methods will turn the water green to some extent, i know that my water was always a little green.
have you looked at bio pellets? http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/aquarium-additives-supplements/bio-pellets if i do it again i'll try these.

good luck!!

 

[Tien]

I have heard mixed things with the bio-pellets. I am gearing toward the scrubber but its just going to be a pain to implement. The sump would be nice, I just worry it isn't enough though.

 

[tall_jason79]

You need the biggest basest skimmer you can fit under it with gfo

 

[clekchau]

can reduce nitrates a number of ways, my personal preference is alot of live rock and a beastly skimmer. you can also dose carbon that is cheap and easy way and seems to work for alot of people, i've never had to with the live rock/skimmer route. you can do a remote deep sandbed for pretty cheap, anthony calfo has a huge thread on it somewhere, so does reef central. i never did the deep sandbed thing so i can't comment.

 

[Tien]

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