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OK, all you expert water quality (not just clarity) reefers, I am seeking some advice on a new addition I have started and want to know which direction to go.
I added another 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank under my frag system that will be an additional area where I can treat the water flowing through my system (total water volume of 350-400 gallons) all tied together.
The water from the 100 gallon frag tank sits directly above the 100 gallon stock tank/sump (no baffles, just 1 large open area) to work with, probably 50-75 gallons of water volume. The water drops down from a 2" overflow into the sump, from there it gets pumped over to the 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank across the room then back up to main floor's DT with a hammerhead/Barracuda Reeflo external pump that also feeds my ETS 1000 external skimmer.
I will have 100 or so lbs of live rock in the 100 gallon sump/stock tank and a Mag 9.5 pumping water back up to the 100 gallon frag system and wanted to add some additional filtration in that sump to help with nutrient export/removal.
questions:
1. should the water from the frag system free fall into a tray with matrix or some other material since that free fall action will help oxygenate the water as the water flows over the matrix and helps essential/beneficial bacteria treat the water?
2. or should the drain go all the way down below the water line and only use the LR as filtration?
3. Should I add an additional internal skimmer (aside from the commercial model I have), keeping in mind that my bio load will not increase much except for some algae eaters (tangs etc and pest eaters Wrasses). Frag system is for corals and some inverts.
3. Any other advice you all would give about anything else that would help with water quality (of course along with WCs every other week and basic reef husbandry)
I do not want to turn this into a fuge or algae scrubber discussion. I have a reactor with GFO online already to keep PO4 to near zero, just looking for something beneficial for the extra large water volume that will benefit my eco system.
Appreciate any and all input.
I added another 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank under my frag system that will be an additional area where I can treat the water flowing through my system (total water volume of 350-400 gallons) all tied together.
The water from the 100 gallon frag tank sits directly above the 100 gallon stock tank/sump (no baffles, just 1 large open area) to work with, probably 50-75 gallons of water volume. The water drops down from a 2" overflow into the sump, from there it gets pumped over to the 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank across the room then back up to main floor's DT with a hammerhead/Barracuda Reeflo external pump that also feeds my ETS 1000 external skimmer.
I will have 100 or so lbs of live rock in the 100 gallon sump/stock tank and a Mag 9.5 pumping water back up to the 100 gallon frag system and wanted to add some additional filtration in that sump to help with nutrient export/removal.
questions:
1. should the water from the frag system free fall into a tray with matrix or some other material since that free fall action will help oxygenate the water as the water flows over the matrix and helps essential/beneficial bacteria treat the water?
2. or should the drain go all the way down below the water line and only use the LR as filtration?
3. Should I add an additional internal skimmer (aside from the commercial model I have), keeping in mind that my bio load will not increase much except for some algae eaters (tangs etc and pest eaters Wrasses). Frag system is for corals and some inverts.
3. Any other advice you all would give about anything else that would help with water quality (of course along with WCs every other week and basic reef husbandry)
I do not want to turn this into a fuge or algae scrubber discussion. I have a reactor with GFO online already to keep PO4 to near zero, just looking for something beneficial for the extra large water volume that will benefit my eco system.
Appreciate any and all input.
