Cleaning Stratagies

ElGuappo · #1 03-11-2008, 07:06 PM

i have been looking at chillers and am thinking of a 1/15 or a 1/10 HP . do you run a chiller brent? i find my abiant temp to get up to 27 C in the summer. i have not gone through a summer yet with my SW tank so i am a little intimidated with the thought of loosing all my coral though.

If i added amagnum or fluvial would i just get rid of the currnt power heads ?

This hobby has tawt me one thing. ( i am already aware i cannot spell)
i thought i knew plmbing but i am dumbfounded. i have been tring to find sites online but am unable to find anthing with the general outlines to sumps and such. all i need is a general idea so i can get the logic here . i have no idea why i am having such a hard time getting this. its a little clearer now that i realze the back part of the tank is a sump essentialy. the litiature i have bought is less than helpful

Brent F · #2 03-11-2008, 07:16 PM

I have central air conditioning so don't need a chiller.

You leave in the existing pumps with a canister. You take the water out for the cansister above the skimmer. You can return the water either to the same area in back or run the return line over the smoked glass to the main tank.

Either way, you still need the stock pumps to keep flow through the skimmer and past the heater.

ElGuappo · #3 03-11-2008, 07:23 PM

Cool thanks again brent. but one of the original pumps would be enough to get the flow up for the skimmer right? and the canister just has to have the in line before the skimmer? so behind the comb would be fine where the sponge fiilter was? ant the out after the skimmer and befor the baffles?

Brent F · #4 03-11-2008, 07:33 PM

Not sure how best to plumb in a canister. Check that link I sent you for ideas on where to run the lines. They figured out where to put them wthout having to do any cutting of the tank and so that the microbubble problem is fixed.

The problem I see with placing the line to the canister to the right of the skimmer (behind the overflow grate) is wouldn't the skimmer get in the way of the lines? You might be able to make it work with some cutting.

Regarding the original pumps, I'd leave both in. they are small pumps and having two gives a better mix to the flow. Also, if you remove the pump you need to plug the hole through the smoked glass

ElGuappo · #5 03-11-2008, 07:44 PM

i have as you can see from some off my pics added two korialia PHs a nano and 1 for flow . i have run the cors out the back under the small hood. i was thinking of cutting a small u shaped hole from the back for the hose.

i hope you get the idea. i am talking about the small hood over the skimmer.

Brent F · #6 03-11-2008, 07:51 PM

That would probably work. I forget where there is space around the skimmer since mine was never placed in the tank.

michika · #7 03-11-2008, 07:54 PM

A sump is for additional water volume, which promotes additional stability in the system. Its also a great place, like you mentioned, to hide extra equipment. As for macro algae most people put that in a refugium, which is ment to promote pod growth, and use the algae for nutrient export.

michika · #8 03-11-2008, 07:26 PM

Would diagrams or photos help you to understand sumps better?

ElGuappo · #9 03-11-2008, 07:32 PM

i think i get it for the most part its the concept i dont get . is a sump basically another tank that is there to make water changes easier, and somewhere to put insightly things like skimmers heaters. and what the thing with micro algae? people still keep fish and inverts in ther esumps do they not?