Opinion/rant: Sump designs are overcomplicated

[BeanAnimal]

I disagree - I think sumps aren’t engineered well enough

I want a dump with a section that allows socks or filter roller

I want a good skimmer section

I want a refugium section but it needs light blockage - either through color or being in a different chamber completely

I want a good return section

And then I want configurability!

Let's talk in a few years... I bet you will just want someplace to hold your return pump and a simple means disperse bubbles from getting sucked into that return pump.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Reminds me of the old Trickle over Bio Balls Wet/Dry Sumps from the 90's. They worked.

They were a PITA really. Rotating spray bars, drip plates, filter floss, noise, salt creep, nitrate...

But I feel mostly the same about canister filters, reactors and anything else that is filled with water, connected to hoses and needs to be pulled apart every few days or weeks for service.

 

[Troylee]

Let's talk in a few years... I bet you will just want someplace to hold your return pump and a simple means disperse bubbles from getting sucked into that return pump.

Just different generations of reefers and they don’t know any different nor lived the painful way of trial and error to get to where we are today. I took like 12 years off and come back with a large tank that’s growing like weeds and the locals are like how?!?!? Easy! I only know the old school way! Live rock and a skimmer I don’t play with anything else and never had a reason too! Besides dosing of course.

 

[merkmerk73]

Let's talk in a few years... I bet you will just want someplace to hold your return pump and a simple means disperse bubbles from getting sucked into that return pump.

I’m at 2 years with a decently complicated sump and I wish it was more feature rich

The Red Sea g2 900 sump is ideal

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I also think there is a over simplification of what peoples needs are and where they put those needs. For some it is just a box for extra water, for others it is a place to put their filtration, reactor and dosing needs, etc. Your systems needs will change with maturity. Someone needs to be motivated to build a sump that can be configured to add or subtract modules. It has been semi-attempted before, but never successfully. One may start out with a refugium for nutrient export on a new tank then want to change it up later when they have to shut the fuge down because the coral is sucking up nutrients faster than you can put them in. Maybe then use that space to create a frag area or a cryptic fuge to pull out DOC's etc. Our sump configuration is based on problems we have to solve, some people have different issues based on the size of their water volume, lighting, type of rock used, so many variables the list can go on forever.
Success in reefing comes from understanding what works within a certain set of variables. If you add a new set of variations you must come to a new understanding to continue that success.
Ergo: "What works for one may not work for everybody"

 

[BeanAnimal]

The Red Sea g2 900 sump is ideal

You couldn't give me a sump like that. In an ideal world I would have room for a 100 gallon rubbermaid stock tank and call it a day.

But, to each their own

 

[Troylee]

I also think there is a over simplification of what peoples needs are and where they put those needs. For some it is just a box for extra water, for others it is a place to put their filtration, reactor and dosing needs, etc. Your systems needs will change with maturity. Someone needs to be motivated to build a sump that can be configured to add or subtract modules. It has been semi-attempted before, but never successfully. One may start out with a refugium for nutrient export on a new tank then want to change it up later when they have to shut the fuge down because the coral is sucking up nutrients faster than you can put them in. Maybe then use that space to create a frag area or a cryptic fuge to pull out DOC's etc. Our sump configuration is based on problems we have to solve, some people have different issues based on the size of their water volume, lighting, type of rock used, so many variables the list can go on forever.
Success in reefing comes from understanding what works within a certain set of variables. If you add a new set of variations you must come to a new understanding to continue that success.
Ergo: "What works for one may not work for everybody"

The last sump I built actually was just that. A good friend of mine wanted a fuge and argued with me so I made it all removable for him cause I know he’ll change his mind soon enough lol!

 

[mikst]

Fancy sump in progress. Took out the socks and handed them right back to the vendor, said keep them. Put cups in to hold carbon. No plans to put floss or anything else. Let the detritus flow!

Skimmer chamber? Fin slap that! Trying to set this up as a half macro refugium, half cryptic refugium. Botry, codium, hopefully Galaxaura and red titan! May add a clam or oyster or other bivalve. That's all I'm planning. Keepin' it dirty!

Yay detritus! I love detrivores and food webs.
Have you got details on how youd like to set up the crypt? Information on cryptic dumps is surprisingly limited .

 

[mikst]

Just different generations of reefers and they don’t know any different nor lived the painful way of trial and error to get to where we are today. I took like 12 years off and come back with a large tank that’s growing like weeds and the locals are like how?!?!? Easy! I only know the old school way! Live rock and a skimmer I don’t play with anything else and never had a reason too! Besides dosing of course.

I look forward to reading your build thread. I'm a newb reefer and habitual overengineerer. I am trying so hard to avoid going nuts with design. I love the design phase but I'm trying to listen to reefers with experience. It's so hard because my freshwater sump experience is so oddly disparate.

 

[JoJosReef]

Yay detritus! I love detrivores and food webs.
Have you got details on how youd like to set up the crypt? Information on cryptic dumps is surprisingly limited .

Crypt should be easy. A decent amount od stacked rock, and I'll throw my backup heater that never runs from my 40 in there. It's absolutely covered in sponges and feather dusters. Will let that spread to the rocks and take off doing its thing, them remove the heater to return to its backup duty.

 

[Slocke]

I guess it’s time to share the “sump” on my eel tank. Anyone want some bristle worms? This was taken at night when they are all out.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I guess it’s time to share the “sump” on my eel tank. Anyone want some bristle worms?

Great clean up crew!

 

[Slocke]

Great clean up crew!

Yep. Too bad they get slaughtered in the DT by the Dragon wrasse.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Yep. Too bad they get slaughtered in the DT by the Dragon wrasse.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I guess it’s time to share the “sump” on my eel tank. Anyone want some bristle worms? This was taken at night when they are all out.

Between you and Styx… the mangrove **** is starting to get to me. I must have one.

 

[JoJosReef]

I guess it’s time to share the “sump” on my eel tank. Anyone want some bristle worms? This was taken at night when they are all out.

Theow your dragon wrasse in there for an evening of fun and grossness!

 

[mikst]

I guess it’s time to share the “sump” on my eel tank. Anyone want some bristle worms? This was taken at night when they are all out.

I love bristle worms, brittle stars, all manner of lower chain critters.

 

[mikst]

Crypt should be easy. A decent amount od stacked rock, and I'll throw my backup heater that never runs from my 40 in there. It's absolutely covered in sponges and feather dusters. Will let that spread to the rocks and take off doing its thing, them remove the heater to return to its backup duty.

Nice. I've seen people using stacked and staggered eggcrate light grid in their crypts instead of rocks with pics of sponges growing on them. Seems like the key is dark, low flow, lots of.surface for purchase.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Nice. I've seen people using stacked and staggered eggcrate light grid in their crypts instead of rocks with pics of sponges growing on them. Seems like the key is dark, low flow, lots of.surface for purchase.

I think the egg crate is a detritus trap. I have a sheet in my sump with a pile of rock on it and pvc legs. The idea was to allow flow underneath to keep detritus clear… meh it doesn’t and the egg crate is full of it too. 15 years worth

Low flow is not really required. The super high flow area has piles of spirobis worms and white tube worms encrusted. The main area with rock is fairly high flow too. Lots of sponges and tunicates and other weirs stuff. Not lighted, but gets ambient room light, so not pitch dark either.

 

[JoJosReef]

Nice. I've seen people using stacked and staggered eggcrate light grid in their crypts instead of rocks with pics of sponges growing on them. Seems like the key is dark, low flow, lots of.surface for purchase.

I've got a bunch of old reef rocks from Fiji/Marshall islands sitting in a bin. Plan on piling them up and letting everything grow where it wants to. Should be some deader areas and some more flowy areas. In the lighted half I'll probably put one tall rock that I can anchor macros to and let them fight for space. May get clams or oysters if it gets chummy enough down there. This should be good!