Sumpless Mixed Reef Tank

[mike31154]

My 77 has been running sumpless since I purchased it used Jan 2007. The lady I purchased it from also ran it that way, although with very small Aquaclear powerheads & a canister filter. I continued running the canister with empty media baskets (except a bag of carbon) until a few months ago. It was leaking & I simply didn't feel like fixing or replacing it. Does not seem to have changed things that much.

What I have done over a period of several years is added VorTech MP40 pumps to move water. Started with one, now have three. I think this is one of the keys to having a relatively healthy sumpless mixed reef. As far as skimmers, I'm running an old tech, wooden air stone, counter current rig that came with the tank when purchased. It looks to be a DIY unit & I modified it with a few minor features to make it work a bit better. I build my own monster air stones from a plank of basswood. It's a HOB skimmer, but I didn't like it hanging on the rim of the tank, so built a small stand which is secured to the tank cabinet. Stand for the tank is pretty rough, so I don't mind a couple extra screw holes to hold the skimmer stand. You could do something similar if you can't hang one due to eurobrace.

Folks that have seen my system often comment on how quiet it actually runs. Overflows can add some noise to a system if not tuned correctly. I'll eventually set up a new tank with basement sump, but sumpless has been working quite well so far.