What Should I Keep In My Sump?

Nonuser

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Location
Brantford
Okay first time with a sump. Under the tank classic style. I'm in the long lonely process of cycling the tank and have some live rock in the tank thanks to @Cliff and the return pump all plumbed up and the skimmer bubbling away. I have a small patch of chaeto spinning away and have it almost dead silent!

Now I really have to consider what type of creature to keep in the sump? I have heard people keeping almost every species of fish and invert. So what does everyone thing I should get?

I really don't understand why its a thing, I mean you can't really see in the sump very well and its suppose to be under the stand and hidden (some say to place all the stuff you don't want in the main display). But if i have been reading all the forums correctly its a tradition to have something in there.

Thanks for any ideas and maybe what you are currently keeping or have kept.
 

TORX

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Nov 27, 2010
Location
Blenheim, Ontario
Website
www.thefragtank.ca
I don't have anything in mine. Pretty sure most people just have jumpers that too the trip and haven't been able to catch em to get them back in the DT LoL

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zoomster

Active Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Location
Port Rowan, Ontario
I use mine as a time-out mostly but, I do have a zoa eating starfish in there helping to keep my liverock and glass pretty darn clean!
( its a fairly big sump )
 

hark

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Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Location
Wellesley, Ontario
Emerald crabs that grew too big, a few damsels I use for cycling frag tanks I setup, couple snails and yes a few other small fish that took a ride down my saltwater water slide into the sump
 

Kyle1970

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Location
Ayr, Ontario
Her it crab and snails, to help keep sump waste minimal


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Agreed.
Anything to keep detritus to a minimum.
I've seen people use dishwashing scrubbers to make areas for pods to flourish.
Good place to put any unwanted hitchhiker to keep a good diversity in the tank.
 

Nonuser

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Location
Brantford
I was wondering about that. What if someone had nerite snails in their sump. Couldn't the eggs travel back into the display and eat all your zoas? I some how got a few of them there varmits in my tank and they loved @scubasteves zoas. So much that the cleaned up 8 heads.
I was thinking maybe stuff could get in the Cheatos (eggs) then easily transferred.
 

heath

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
what is the design of your sump, mine is 3 chambers, intake, fuge and return...I keep cheato in my fuge with the hope and plan of someday having pods...
what is your intention or vision...
 

Nonuser

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Location
Brantford
Mine is a custom one of a kind. Section for the overflow and skimmer but separated kindof then the weir over to a baffled for reduced air bubbles the a section for the return pump and a other section kind of for the external pump inlet. But really only sump and return pump with a baffles. Only 24*18 acrylic. But with led strips to light it.
 

derrick orosz

Super Active Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Location
Ayr, Ontario
I'm just starting mine but current have overflows drain into chamber 1 which has the skimmer. Chamber 2 is the fuge, then a bubble trap then return.

Plan for the fuge is cheato, a few mangroves and pods.
 

Nonuser

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2015
Location
Brantford
that is the way to go for sure I have mangroves in my nano that i will transfer over.

We should go to Seaumarine they have them on for $10 each with leaves
 

heath

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
I'm just starting mine but current have overflows drain into chamber 1 which has the skimmer. Chamber 2 is the fuge, then a bubble trap then return.

Plan for the fuge is cheato, a few mangroves and pods.

that is exactly how mine is set up as well... my plan is to add copepods and hopefully they will breed in there and have a source of live food for my fish...so that being said, no fish in mine...
I can't use mind for a time out, I would never be able to catch them without tearing down the tank..
 

Sewerat

Super Active Member
Joined
May 22, 2014
Location
Brooksdale, Ontario
My sump now is a three chamber with 2 small sections or weirs. My middle section is plenty big enough to be its own tank, holds approx 100+ lbs of love rock, 3 kinds of macro algae frag grow out zone and would have room for fish if I wanted.

The 90 that I replaced had 4 sections each with weirs and the one section to the far left was higher the. The main pump section, which allowed for a sand bed Refugio's to be supplied with a trickle either from a reactor or a trickle like from the main.


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