sump design

hey guys im currently building a tank for a ray and was also looking to build a sump so that i can keep some of my rock out of the display tank, this design is something i cam up with and just wanted any additional input

 

I would ditch the bio balls because thats going to be the deepest part of the sump and they wont get any wet dry effect. You also want mechanical filtration before your bio balls or they will clog up and become a nitrate factory really fast. I would make that intake compartment as small as you can which will expand the live rock compartment giving more room for the good stuff. Are you putting a light on it? If not you should if your going to have a fuge compartment gotta have some macro algae.

 

If you have room, maybe ditch the combo sump/fuge and run them in two seperate tanks. You can fit a heck of a lot more rock in there that way. That's what I am running on my 200, and it creates tons more room in the sump for everything, including rock. And thinking on it, you could probably go with a pretty small fuge, or possibly none at all. With a ray tank, your not going to have much rock if any in the DT, and that ray is going to sift some serious sand. In regards to algae, all your really going to have to do is scrape the glass, so maintanence and algae issues should be next to none. Thats just off the top of my head though, I don't know much about rays
If there is no room, than you look like you have a sound design there. But I agree with the bio-balls. They need to have water rushing through them, then into something. The second they become fully submerged is when they become a problem.

 

Good point PackLeader +1 wont be much algae issues so you may not want a fuge but you will probably want as much rock for bio filtration as you can get in the sump.

 

yeh i was planning on a fine and course mechanical filter on top of the balls but i might swap them out for live rock rubble

 

oh and yeh it will have t5ho lighting over the rock

 

Those rays will produce a lot of waste, as long as you do small water changes weekly and clean the sand using a gravel siphon I don't see there being to much of a problem. I would go with what Jason and Mike have said about ditching the bioballs and try to get as much live rock as possible in there. I also agree with Mike about a fuge for macro algae as this will help with pod numbers and cycling of nutrients, you need any help you can get with nutrient cycling when keeping larger fish.

 

i was also thinking of a lot of water flow, the biggest return i can find is about 2000GPH is this to much coming through the sump to fast

 

I would have a lower flow rate through the sump to allow your water to be processed in the sump and use some closed loops in the DT for water movement.

 

sounds pretty good to me thanks for all the help guys