Sump Question-Rubble Rock

Used my expert photoshop skills.... to make a diagram trying to explain my tank's filtration so i can ask a few questions.

So basically my drain splits with about 75% going into sump and 25% going into refugium (figured it would be one less pump to worry about if i split the drain vs feeding the fuge from the sump).

The Refugium then overflow/drains back into the sump compartment closest to the return line ( i also have my phos reactor 150 in this same compartment but no need for it in this discussion.)

water that feeds directly into the sump (not refugium) goes through a filter sock and drains into the left compartment of my sump (old wet/dry), basically where the bio balls would be. In that same side i have my protein skimmer. On the right portion of the sump (closest to the return) i have some rubble rock with egg crate on both sides of it keeping it in place.

hope between the explanation above and the picture you can get an idea of my system.



my questions:
do i need, should i have rubble rock in my sump where it currently is? My thought process was just to add additional filtration/bacteria? I also evap about a gallon a day and with the rubble in here i can't keep as much "spare water" as i would like making me add R/O water every 2 days to prevent low water lvl and the pump pushing air bubbles into the tank.

Is my Fuge "working"? I have some chaeto/rubble/3-4" of sand for my pods but wondering if it's "placement" in the plumbing of my system is allowing the fuge to serve it's purpose as both an additional filtration and pod factory. Also, my fuge is starting to get some red slime in it despite the chaeto being in there, how can i avoid future growth?

Guess thats about it for now. Thanks in advance.

 

Altho it could be the new sand populating with bacteria, your fuge probably has too little flow thru it, so you're getting cyano growth.

As for the LR section, I'm thinking that you really don't have a bubble trap at all there. I'd consider adding a foam block between the baffles on the skimmer side. Thay should trap any bubbles that come from the skimmer/outflow from your DT. A filter sock on the DT effluent may help as well.

 

Bubbles are not a problem for whatever reason but you do bring up a good point. in all the reading i have done on fuge's , i thought you wanted a low flow through them. the low flow most definitely explains the growth.

i do have a filter sock on the DT's drain, i just didn't indicate it on the picture. The water going into the fuge is not put through a filter sock however, figured the pods would like the unfiltered water.

 

Never really understood people's reasoning for low flow through the refugium. As long as your Macro is in constant contact with your tank water the rate in which it absorbs nutrients will always be the same regardless of flow rate and since it is a closed system with water constantly returning through the fuge what is the point of low flow?The only thing I can think of is maybe if your flow rate is slow enough the macro would be able to absorb all the nutrients from the water before returning it to your DT.IMO that flow rate would probably have to be a trickle which is not something I would do.IME I have always run my refuge with the same flow rate as my sump and do not see any benefit to changing that.The same goes for flow through the sump to match the skimmer I have never understood that either.As long as the skimmer is functioning and in contact with your tanks water I see no benefit to it.
Anyone??? Buehler??Buehler??;D
Also adding additional rubble to the sump is really not necessary. As long as you have enough LR for the bacteria to colonize in your DT more rubble is not needed.You cannot surplus bacteria in the tank. Their population is limited by the nutrients available so for instance if you need 30 pounds of LR for a big enough colony of bacteria to consume the nutrients present and you have 40 pounds of LR 10 pounds is of no real benefit to the filtration capacity of your tank.Hope this makes sense to you.

 

Honestly Vinny, i run mine at that trickle rate because EVERYONE always said thats the speed to do it. For the reasons you mentioned as well as, it maximizes pod production, they seem to thrive in low flow. But never really thought about it being higher flow would be better. hmm

 

Good point Cosmo to the O.P. the rubble would be a benefit for pod populations to multiply this is really more important if you plan on fish/inverts that feed on them giving them a refuge free from predation.I was so busy answering your question about filtration I forgot about the pods.Forgive me lol.Even if the water is tricking through and you are removing all the nutrients from a small portion of the water at a time is that more efficient then just running it at a higher flow? I don't see how.The rate they absorb nutrients would be the same regardless of flow rate. The pods multiplying in lower flows is something I have never heard before but even if it is the case I am sure there is not much flow through a pile of rubble in the DT or sump.Things that make you go hmmmmm.LOL

 

yeah honestly vinny just turned mine down the other day because I read thats what ya do. But now, kinda wondering if a little more flow would be better to cycle through quicker. HMMMM, but the lower flow allows cyano etc to grow in the fuge and not the DT, so thats good

 

But then the Cyano chokes out your Chaeto right??

 

yeah, but I'd rather deal with that situation in the fuge than the DT, but I've found a nice balance of nuisance verse productive thus far. Just saying, ideally, we worry about none of these issues, however, if worried about, I'd rather worry about them in the sump/fuge, htat the DT.

 

I was just talking to Vinny about this. I just went from a low flow sump to a moderayely high flow sump. I was looking for a way to improve the reef overall, and I've never been impressed with the performance of the sump area.

I was always told that flow through the sump should be low, but I think that is not completely accurate. Flow should be slow where you want an anaerobic situation, like a deep sand bed (which I don't have) but I think it should be high through the macro algae area. The algae on a turf scrubber grows better with higher flow. You want a higher flow to get more water into the sump area where it gets cleaned .

Last week, the old Mag 9 was replaced with a brand new Mag 12. The increase was so great that some of the water has to be diverted back into the sump to avoid an overflow. After just a week, growth, color and PE are noticeably better, and it wasn't bad before. I thought my water was clear before, but it looks even more clear now.