# 90 gallon w/sump



## chazeltine (Oct 30, 2019)

So I recently scored an ex reef tank which is a 90 gallon with a 45 gallon wet/dry sump. I have never used a sump before so I had a few questions. This tank will be an all male peacock tank, decided to go away from haps.

The sumps first compartment is the drip system, I plan on stuffing it with sponges, the next chamber is chalked full of bioballs, Should I use a different type of media or should I refill with fresh bioballs?

Now I can use the rest as a refugium correct? Maybe put some plants or lava rock in there as extra filtration insurance?

Has anyone ever put a sponge filter in a sump to add filtration?

Any other suggestions?


----------



## chazeltine (Oct 30, 2019)

I have a picture but am unsure of how to upload it


----------



## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

Both my tanks have a wet/dry sump with the water first coming to a drip pan then to bioballs in next chamber below that.



chazeltine said:


> The sumps first compartment is the drip system, I plan on stuffing it with sponges,


I like to put layers of filter material there; coarse, then fine, then very fine. You want to keep your bio media clean.



> the next chamber is chalked full of bioballs, Should I use a different type of media or should I refill with fresh bioballs?


I think bioballs work fine but no reason to ever replace them, just clean them well. I'd soak in bleach solution, then rinse well with water, then soak in a declor like Seachem Prime or Safe.



> Now I can use the rest as a refugium correct? Maybe put some plants or lava rock in there as extra filtration insurance?


Sure you can try that and see how well it goes. I find that with all the water changes required with africans (= or > 50% weekly) most plants don't thrive. If your chamber is full of bio balls then that should be sufficient but more bio media won't hurt.



> Has anyone ever put a sponge filter in a sump to add filtration?


I run a Fluval canister in each of my sumps - filter floss but mostly chemical filtration (Purigen). IMO mine mostly just keep my sump cleaner which is great, and I suppose they do also contribute to a cleaner water column.

Hope this helps.


----------



## chazeltine (Oct 30, 2019)

Thanks for the response! Would I also be able to put a fish in timeout in the sump as well? I plan on doing around a 60-70% water change a week, so I will experiment with plants and see what happens, was thinking lucky bamboo and pothos.

Any reason to use a surface skimmer in a FW tank?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

chazeltine said:


> I have a picture but am unsure of how to upload it


You can upload pics to C-F now though it is a bit confusing at first, at least it was to me.

1st, you need to use Post Reply, not Quick Reply. Scroll down to the very bottom and you will see Upload Attachment.
Under File Name: choose Browse and search your device for the pic you want.
Click Select, then Open, then Add the File.
If you choose Place Inline, the pic will be placed in that position in your post.
Click Submit when you are ready to post or click Preview to view your post as it should appear.

I think there is a limit on the number of pics you can post per reply.

Another option is to upload your pics to a photo hosting site and follow their instructions to link the pic on the forum.


----------



## ken31cay (Oct 9, 2018)

chazeltine said:


> Thanks for the response! Would I also be able to put a fish in timeout in the sump as well? I plan on doing around a 60-70% water change a week, so I will experiment with plants and see what happens, was thinking lucky bamboo and pothos.
> 
> Any reason to use a surface skimmer in a FW tank?


RE: fish in timeout: It really depends on your sump layout. The sump for my 450gal has a huge refugium which would work for fish timeouts, but I've never tried it.

RE: skimmer: it wouldn't work nearly as well if at all since the water surface doesn't foam like saltwater.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Keep 2 things in mind. You may not be able to find 12 peacocks that look nothing alike, thus why people do haps and peacocks. Timeout rarely if ever works, so I would not make decisions around your setup based on using a sump for timeouts.

Bamboo and pothos are terrestrial, so you would want roots only in the water.


----------



## chazeltine (Oct 30, 2019)

DJRansome said:


> Keep 2 things in mind. You may not be able to find 12 peacocks that look nothing alike, thus why people do haps and peacocks. Timeout rarely if ever works, so I would not make decisions around your setup based on using a sump for timeouts.
> 
> Bamboo and pothos are terrestrial, so you would want roots only in the water.


I've been growing pothos in my HOB for a while now just as some backup, as for timeouts I have multiple extra tanks I can use as well.


----------

