sumps.... huh?

[dadstank]

i got a tank and the guy on the other line said, yea don't worry it will make a perfect sump. i have looked online, i have looked at my bill. extensively. it says nothing about this....

the 39 gallon tank i got yesterday has all the baffles in place for a "perfect sump". he didn't lie....

so, what does it all mean? what goes where? why?
why do we put that "white mesh" cover on one end? what goes under it?
what do you put in between the baffles? do you put anything between the baffles? why are there baffles? i have a 15 gallon tank under my 55 gallon, there are no baffles, there is no trick to it. the water comes in, the skimmer sucks it up, swirls it around, and another pump puts it back in to the tank.....

i had not planned on this type of tank as a sump, and i guess i don't get it.... what are the benefits to this kind of set-up?

don't you love it when you realize you still aren't a "real reef-keeper" yet?

 

[Ben1]

Baffles are to prevent from micro-bubble going back up your return pump. Some sumps have places for a built in refugium, an area to run mechanical filtration, and a designated spot to plumb in or sit a return pump, spots to hold probes, depends on how yours is set up and what you want to do with it.

 

[Anonymous]

White mesh is a type of mechanical filtration, often referred to as a filter sock, it catches particulate matter as it comes from the overflow, great things but you have to be very religious about cleaning them out.

Nothing goes between the baffles, as mentioned it's a way to prevent bubbles from getting to your pump to turn into microbubbles in the display, although IMO not necessary unless you toss a lot of flow through your sump (also something IMO not necessary), however the baffles do serve another purpose, it keeps the water in one chamber at a constant level which is absolutely needed for a skimmer to work properly.

 

[iseeweed]

Watch this video, I built mine almost the same and it works very well. He does a good job of explaining the baffles and chambers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxnugJGi ... re=related

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a good article on Sumps as well:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008- ... /index.php