Tropical Fish Forums

CCS · Regulars Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Location: SLO County, CA, USA

What type of filter do you have? It is a waste of money to buy those refugiums that you showed. Just get a tank or plastic tub. You'll get more bang for less buck.
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I would like to acknowledge that all of the info I give is purely based on research.

eazy

CCS,

I have a Whisper 60 power filter.

dale · Advisors Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Location: Abbotsford Canada

CCS,

Once again, please qualify your remarks. Why do you think those products are a waste of money and how did you arrive at that opinion. Try to understand; just saying something, isn't that helpful. Describing why, and from what perspective, is. Believe in yourself and have the confidence to post from your own experience. Your remarks can be valuable, but only when they are delivered in the proper context.

Easy,

First, I would point you to this thread detailing the building of a display and sump (Link at bottom of post). The set up may not be what you are considering but many points are the same. It should answer some of your basic questions re. sump functions.

I personally like those HOB refugiums. I would not use it for a DSB though, rather fill the chamber with macroalgae like Chaetomorpha or Halymenia (dragons tongue). I think you would get better nitrate control that way. I wish I could remark on the quality of the skimmer but I have no experience there (perhaps someone who has one will chip in or perhaps do a google specific to that model). Using a set up like that (the skimmer model) would eliminate the need for a sump. In that refugium I would use a fully submersible heater and lay it horizontally across the bottom.

Yes you need a bulkhead if you drill. It is a plastic coupling that allows you to run PVC through the glass wall.

No you don't need to drill your tank. You can use an overflow/syphon box instead (google it to see what one looks like). However, a good one will probably cost as much, or more, than drilling and they pose the risk of sometimes losing the syphon effect (I'm sure there is a thread about them on the board somewhere).

For those other two Q's refer to the link below.

Sorry, you can't just run two PVC pipes over the tank and into a sump. If you could, everybody would have one.

http://www.aquahobby.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=29175

Hope this helps,
Good luck.
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Intelligence is not having all the answers; it's knowing how to think!

eazy

Is there a way to have 1 protein skimmer attached to 2 tanks? (like my 29 gallon and 55 gallon) w/o using a sump
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120 Gallon Freshwater

sirreal63 · Advisors Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Location: Meadowlakes, TX

Not an easy way and not a safe way. Even a common sump between two tanks carries risks.
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Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

dale · Advisors Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Location: Abbotsford Canada

Jack is right.

In theory one could imagine running a drain line from each tank to a tee, then one line to the skimmer. After the skimmer the return line could be tee'd again with a return going to each tank
but...
One could never calibrate the amount drained with the amount returned to each tank and this would result in either the draining, or flooding, of each tank.

It sounds like you are concerned about the cost of drilling but it is one of the cheaper things you will do in S.W. and a sump opens up a lot of positive possibilities. You could get away with drilling one hole for the display drain and rigging the returnline over the top in the same way as a cannister returnline.

Here's a link to a tank/sump combo I just set up for someone. It was simple and cost about $100 to do (sump tank, bulkheads, PVC pipes tubes and fittings [not including skimmer and pump] ).
http://www.aquahobby.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=35104
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Intelligence is not having all the answers; it's knowing how to think!