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View Full Version : Is a sump necessary?

mike_brooke
23-07-06, 11:07
Maybe showing how new I am here! but is a sump an absolute neccesity?
jamieb
23-07-06, 11:12
i would say not necessary but if you can have one, get one.
jamie
SCOOB
23-07-06, 11:13
nope, i lasted 4 years without one......but.........after a few months i wished i had one, for a couple of years i planned my new one, and now i've got one, i'd never go back.

life is so much easier with a sump, adds to your water volume, somewhere for your equipment, somewhere to hide ill or quarrelsome animals, somewhere to top up fresh water if you don't have an auto top-up, keeps the display clear etc etc and dead easy to set up :)
muzzy
23-07-06, 11:16
nah not neccessary, but blody good if you can have one, no matter how small.

in a few years the question might be are "cryptic zones and refugiums neccessary?"

i suspect most of us will have them by then.
james141
23-07-06, 11:28
I didnt have one on my old tank and after about a month once I had read up about them I wish I had one.

So when I upgraded after about 7 months I got the biggest one I could :)

It is so nice not to be able to see/hear all that equipment hanging off the back and sides!!
wiggyuk
23-07-06, 11:32
nah not neccessary, but blody good if you can have one, no matter how small.

in a few years the question might be are "cryptic zones and refugiums neccessary?"

i suspect most of us will have them by then.

What is a cryptic zone
zimreef
23-07-06, 11:35
No, it's not a necessity, but given a choice I would always run one. It means equipment that you can get out of the display tank and site in the sump is no longer an eyesore, and is additional water volume which is always good IMO. Additionally it means you can incorporate a refugium / algae bed / deep sand bed as additional filtration.

However, you need to ensure that there are no floods due to partial/total pipe blockages and also need to ensure that the potential noise of water rushing down the pipe to the sump is minimised / removed - most newcomers think this noise won't be an issue - believe me, it IS!

John
reefrhoder
23-07-06, 12:33
Personally i will always have one for all the reasons above,but i know Craig Goffin ran a huge set up very very well without one.
He just used a lot of lr and a massive flow with regular water changes which are essential.
im sure if you pm craig he will give you all the details or just look on his web site.
keith