It was not long ago that a sump was
merely a place to have a pump to send water to the main tank and to
provide surface skimming by having an overflow system. Of course it did
not take long for a number of hobbyists to figure out that such a space
could be put to many other good uses. The linked articles below provide
a multitude of great ideas that you can apply to your own aquarium
systems. Although you can keep a reef tank without a sump, I feel they
provide many benefits such as:
- Increasing the amount of water in your system which can help to
dilute (spread it out over a larger area) out any potential toxins
untill you can fix it
- They provide an out of the way place for all the other equipment such as skimmers,heaters and so on.
- A section of the sump can be set aside for use as a refuge for
growing macro algaes or just a home for more delicate creatures that
help the main tank such as pods.
- They make doing water changes alot easier, no need to move lights
out of the way or splash it all over the glass that you just cleaned of
kids fingerprints.
- They also allow an easy way to dose your tank if you are dripping
in other elements or just topping off the tank with a freshwater source.
By lowering the water level in the pump compartment I have exposed more
glass surface to the "waterfall" effect. This was done after I noticed
that a few species of filament algae only grows on the interior of my
overflow boxes. Once a week, I simply take a single edged razor blade
and clean alternating "stripes" and throw it away. Doing so is a good
way to export all the nutrients such fast growing algae uses and
sequesters.
- The title says it all. A great article detailing all aspects on the use of a sump.
OverFlows and Sumps - Another very good article detailing the use of overflows and sumps.
Whats in your Sump? - "
Here is a starting place to begin considering what features you can add to your
reservoir, depending on your needs and space "
Shown below are some of the life forms that will grow in low light,
high flow areas of sumps, all of which aides in filtering small
particles from the water.
Basic Sump Design
A Usual Sump Set Up
Note: Any of these setups
can use drilled tanks for overflows instead of the usual overflow boxes
as well as using external pumps instead of
submersable types.
A Sump with Side Refugium
This design is well suited
for growing mangroves in the refuge to allow for overhead room as well
as to provide for a low flow environment for more delicate creatures.
Above Tank Refugium
This design is meant to allow live food to enter the main tank without having to go through a pump's impellors
Sump & Refugium Combination
This design is well suited
for growing mangroves in the refuge to allow for overhead room or for
equipment that is too tall to fit under the main tank in the sump.
