SkyReef
01/30/2011, 12:04 PM
I have a small, 2-chamber sump (11 gals operating at 7-gallon water line) below my main reef acquarium (28 gallons). I have a companion, side tank (12 gal), which is a dedicated refugium. Both tanks supply water to the same sump, from which water is pumped back into both tanks via a "tee" in the return line.
Question: going for overkill with live sand and/or live rock in that first sump chamber, and given that I need to raise my protein skimmer 4-6 inches from the bottom of the sump, anyways (based on sump depth and protein skimmer manufacturer's recommendation on water depth for skimmer), I was thinking...
Why can't I put a sand bottom in the first chamber, where the skimmer will go. Then, above the sand, locking into place on support braces, I can put egg crate, upon which I can put some small-sized live rocks? Then, above the live rock, snapping into support braces, I could lay another layer of egg crate. Then, on top of the egg crate, I could place my protein skimmer? I was hoping to "capture" the use of the "wasted" space beneath my protein-skimmer stand.
Will this work? Is it prudent? Or maybe with the rocks but not the sand or vice versa? On the other hand, will the sand and/or live rock jam up my protein skimmer in some way, with their presence in that same, first sump chamber, given that the protein skimmer will be generating a lot of microbubbles? Is it likely that the microbubbles would kick up sediment from the sand and/or live rock to jam up my skimmer or cloud the first chamber, even though the sand and/or live rock are secured below by eggcrate?
Please help out with your insights on this.
Thank you very much.
Question: going for overkill with live sand and/or live rock in that first sump chamber, and given that I need to raise my protein skimmer 4-6 inches from the bottom of the sump, anyways (based on sump depth and protein skimmer manufacturer's recommendation on water depth for skimmer), I was thinking...
Why can't I put a sand bottom in the first chamber, where the skimmer will go. Then, above the sand, locking into place on support braces, I can put egg crate, upon which I can put some small-sized live rocks? Then, above the live rock, snapping into support braces, I could lay another layer of egg crate. Then, on top of the egg crate, I could place my protein skimmer? I was hoping to "capture" the use of the "wasted" space beneath my protein-skimmer stand.
Will this work? Is it prudent? Or maybe with the rocks but not the sand or vice versa? On the other hand, will the sand and/or live rock jam up my protein skimmer in some way, with their presence in that same, first sump chamber, given that the protein skimmer will be generating a lot of microbubbles? Is it likely that the microbubbles would kick up sediment from the sand and/or live rock to jam up my skimmer or cloud the first chamber, even though the sand and/or live rock are secured below by eggcrate?
Please help out with your insights on this.
Thank you very much.