Pros/Cons of second sump for zeovit reactor AND skimmer feed?

[Delphinus]

I'm just trying to brainstorm some ideas here.

If I wanted to have an intermediary sump between the main tank and main sump, that the zeovit reactor can sit in, how ill-advised is it to draw the skimmer feed from this chamber?

There are sort of two reasons I'm thinking about this.

1) Having the skimmer draw its feed from overflow fed water is supposed to be a good idea.

2) The sump water level in the main sump may not be high enough to cover the zeo rocks when off. Rather than use a check valve I thought maybe I could have the reactor sit in a tank where the water level is high enough to not be a concern. Ie., something like this: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/var...ariant_id=6302

Just wondering if the skimmer and reactor would compete with each other too much if they were both drawing from here instead of different locations.

For that matter, is it bad to have the skimmer downstream of the zeovit reactor? Is is better to have it upstream? Or are the effects of each so miminal on an immediate basis that this is maybe a moot point?

[albert_dao]

You always want your Zeovit reactor post skimmer for two reasons:

- the 'mulm' that is shaken off the zeoliths is an important source of nutrition for your corals and other sessile inverts.
- protein skimmers eat 'mulm'.

[Delphinus]

Thanks Albert.

I wasn't sure if it made more sense to feed the reactor unfiltered tank water or feed it potentially skimmed water from upstream in the sump. Thanks for your feedback.