Show Us Your SUMPLESS Tank(s) !

[Vahanyos]

I have an Aqueon 54 Gallon Corner Bowfront without a sump.

The tank is coming up on 10 months old.

I'm currently running the following:

•Fluval 406 Canister Filter (media includes polyfilter, Purigen, PhosGuard, and ChemiPure Elite)

•Aquamaxx HOB-1 Skimmer

•CPR AquaFuge2 HOB Refugium (with deep sand bed, Chaetomorpha, and rubble rock)

•Tunze 3155 Osmolator Auto-Top Off with 5 Gallon Trigger Systems Crystal Reservoir

• 1 - EcoTech Vortech mp10wqd

• 1 - Maxspect Gyre x230

•Apex 2016 Controller

I do a 15 gallon water change weekly and clean my canister filter twice per

Very nice man. Can you tell us a little more about your fuge? How long has it been running and why you got one? What made you decide to set one up? And has it improved your tanks parameters or algae problem?

Thanks!

 

[Mageau11]

Very nice man. Can you tell us a little more about your fuge? How long has it been running and why you got one? What made you decide to set one up? And has it improved your tanks parameters or algae problem?

Thanks!

I set my refugium up about a month ago after battling a bloom of green hair algae. Since I have the two Mandarins, I also wanted to give my copepod population an area to increase their population. Since adding the refugium, my nitrates and phosphates have dropped (the ball of chaetomorpha has grown to almost twice its size), and I see a significant increase in the amount of pods on my glass, both in the display tank and in the refugium. The GHA in my DT is improving, and my cleanup crew is finally making some progress.

 

[Bdog4u2]

My 75 gallon ran for 16 years with a hob skimmer and a canister filter ND a ton of flow. I dosed vodka for nitrates and gfo in my canister. when I got lazy my nitrates would skyrocket well over a 100 ppm but it didn't cause any problems since it was mostly soft corals but since i upgraded I went with a sump and never will be without one again

 

[Finatik]

Love this thread. So many more ways like the Tunze system to run a sumpless tank. I will be setting up one in the near furure. I have a 40 gallon tank with sumpless design that has been a rescue tank for 15 plus years. Going to take it down and move to a larger tank soon. I will post the new tank when I finish building all the components.

Not familiar with the Tunze System. I'll have to do some research on it and see what it's all about.

 

[nascar02]

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110 gallon, no sump. Run an external power filter with hang on skilter. LED light by Kessil with a Vipar Spector programmable LED.

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[nascar02]

This tank in 110 gallon with LED lighting. There is no sump, just a large cannister filter and a hang on Skilter. I never had an algae problem until just recently. An automated feeder fell into the tank and I have been fighting hair algae for close to a year now. The tank has been running for five years in this current set up. It was set up for 8 years prior with MH lighting.

 

[Finatik]

I have an Aqueon 54 Gallon Corner Bowfront without a sump.

The tank is coming up on 10 months old.

I'm currently running the following:

•Fluval 406 Canister Filter (media includes polyfilter, Purigen, PhosGuard, and ChemiPure Elite)

•Aquamaxx HOB-1 Skimmer

•CPR AquaFuge2 HOB Refugium (with deep sand bed, Chaetomorpha, and rubble rock)

•Tunze 3155 Osmolator Auto-Top Off with 5 Gallon Trigger Systems Crystal Reservoir

• 1 - EcoTech Vortech mp10wqd

• 1 - Maxspect Gyre x230

•Apex 2016 Controller

I do a 15 gallon water change weekly and clean my canister filter twice per month.


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Beautiful healthy looking tank !

 

[nascar02]

Beautiful healthy looking tank !

Thanks, I change 15 gallons a week as well. Now if I could this hair algae out of there it would be awesome!! I have just started trying a few SPS and they seem to be growing well so far.

 

[Theo15]

Tank is about 50 gallons ,it's been up for almost 9 months now , I'm using a fluval canister filter 405 for filtration, 3 power heads for water movement ,and a reef octopus 1000 protien skimmer , I clean the canister filter once every other week and I do water changes once a month about 20%

 

[Theo15]

Tank is about 50 gallons ,it's been up for almost 9 months now , I'm using a fluval canister filter 405 for filtration, 3 power heads for water movement ,and a reef octopus 1000 protien skimmer , I clean the canister filter once every other week and I do water changes once a month about 20%

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Idk why the pics come out upside down or sideways ,I'm still trying to figure it out I'm new to reef2reef

 

[nemo1017]

Can you elaborate a little on how you use your AC110 as a refugium, how you stack or fill it, and which media you use ? I want to make sure I have a good understanding of how to set this all up before I do it.

Thanks Nemo.

Sure, not a problem! I'm hoping this video works because I stole this guy's idea lol. It's easier to see it done than explain it so you get a visual. After I finished that, I put seachem matrix on the bottom. Then I put the clump on chaetomorpha on top of that. Lastly, I just placed a bag of purigen and a bag of seagel in there with it. I used the 250 ml bottles of these. I maybe have two bottles of matrix, One bottle of purigen that lasts me 5 ish months, and one bottle of seagel that lasts 3 ish months. I just rotate these out as they expire. I write down the dates of purigen and seagel so I know. Between the chaetomorpha and these seachem products I always have some sort of nutrient export going. Please let me know if you need any further advice, I'd be happy to assist!

 

[Finatik]

Sure, not a problem! I'm hoping this video works because I stole this guy's idea lol. It's easier to see it done than explain it so you get a visual. After I finished that, I put seachem matrix on the bottom. Then I put the clump on chaetomorpha on top of that. Lastly, I just placed a bag of purigen and a bag of seagel in there with it. I used the 250 ml bottles of these. I maybe have two bottles of matrix, One bottle of purigen that lasts me 5 ish months, and one bottle of seagel that lasts 3 ish months. I just rotate these out as they expire. I write down the dates of purigen and seagel so I know. Between the chaetomorpha and these seachem products I always have some sort of nutrient export going. Please let me know if you need any further advice, I'd be happy to assist!

And this set up allows you to seed and grow copepods ? I'm asking about this because I'm planning to have mandarins, and I'll need a way to keep pods multiplying in my tank in large amounts as they seem to eat all day and all night non-stop.

 

[nemo1017]

Yep sure does. They live within the matrix and chaetomorpha. I've got tons of pods. My six line wrasse just runs around picking at them all day.

 

[Finatik]

So from everything I've read throughout this thread, would I be correct in saying that the only "real" purpose of a sump is to provide extra water volume AND to hide equipment that might otherwise be kept inside your tank ?

 

[nemo1017]

So from everything I've read throughout this thread, would I be correct in saying that the only "real" purpose of a sump is to provide extra water volume AND to hide equipment that might otherwise be kept inside your tank ?

Pretty much yes. And to keep all that Extra weight off the back glass from the HOB equipment. And and Makes the tank itself more aesthetically pleasing

 

[Vahanyos]

So from everything I've read throughout this thread, would I be correct in saying that the only "real" purpose of a sump is to provide extra water volume AND to hide equipment that might otherwise be kept inside your tank ?

From the results I've gotten yes. That's why I say it's a "luxury" if you have a sump. Not needed but it makes your display tank look prettier. Sure it may cut your maintenance down a little too but people who get into the hobby are (like myself) expect to put work into it. After all it is a hobby. Or we'd get freshwater that doesn't come with the extra work.

 

[klp]

Here's my 125 g. Just starting our second year with this tank. Had a 55 g before that.
Filtration is Fluval FX6.
No skimmer
Weekly 20 g water changes
Dose every 3rd day with reef roids - Just started 2 weeks ago.
2 Maxspect Razors LEDs
I rinse filter media once a month and change it every other month. Never any issue with nitrates.
Phosphate is controlled with poly filter.

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I like your tank layout. It has a lot of interest especially if you use fish under 4-5 inches IMO

 

[Dub_G]

Here are some pictures of my 38 gallon bowfront. It has been up about 10 months now. For corals I have LPS, zoas, and other softies. I'm using a HOB filter, a HOB Aquamora protein skimmer. I also have the Current Loop system for LED lights and two power heads. I don't do any dosing other then the occasional alkalinity buffer. I do a 5 gallon water change pretty much every week (sometimes week and a half).

 

[klp]

Here are some pictures of my 38 gallon bowfront. It has been up about 10 months now. For corals I have LPS, zoas, and other softies. I'm using a HOB filter, a HOB Aquamora protein skimmer. I also have the Current Loop system for LED lights and two power heads. I don't do any dosing other then the occasional alkalinity buffer. I do a 5 gallon water change pretty much every week (sometimes week and a half).

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Great job on a scape! Love what you are doing with your tank.

 

[Vahanyos]

Here are some pictures of my 38 gallon bowfront. It has been up about 10 months now. For corals I have LPS, zoas, and other softies. I'm using a HOB filter, a HOB Aquamora protein skimmer. I also have the Current Loop system for LED lights and two power heads. I don't do any dosing other then the occasional alkalinity buffer. I do a 5 gallon water change pretty much every week (sometimes week and a half).

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Great tank. What livestock do you have? And does your alkinity drop fast? From what might I ask?