hello

[jon]

I just signed up today. Here's a picture of my old 29g Eclipse tank. A cucumber died in it, then I moved 2 weeks later and that combination killed everything so it's been dead in my basement for about a year. I am setting up a new 40g tank with a 4x36w JBJ light, it's been happily cycling for 2 weeks. I'm using an under-tank trickle filter with a skimmer. I took out the bio-balls because the Internet told me to. I want to put something in place of the bio-balls to cut down on noise. I was thinking about cutting a piece of arcrylic so the water flows down a slope into the bottom of the sump instead of just pouring in. I would rather put in something that can help get rid of nitrates. Has anyone tried live rock instead of bio-balls? Is there another material I can put in there that will have an anoxic environment inside to control nitrates?
-jon

http://www.nologs.com/pics/reeftank/reeftank_1.jpg

[Flatlander]

Hi Jon.
I have seen deflector plates work well. Yes, live rock in your sump will help with filtration. I have an inch or so or Geo Marine crushed coral in mine. I find bristle worms prefer that to finer sand. Lots of them in there to help clean. I also have a full box of Carib-Sea dead rock in there. Much cheaper than live rock, and it will one day be good live rock.

Mind you, I do have several hundred pounds of live rock in the tank. I guess one could say my sump is a type of refugium, without lights and algae. I still have my skimmer, heaters, probes, reactor feed,etc. in there. I also threw in a couple dozen blue leg hermits to help clean. {none in my tank }. If you have livestock in your sump like this, make sure all pump intakes are screened.

But all being said, just some rock in there will be fine.

[Chuck S]

One of my tanks is a 29 gallon reef. IMO any rock and sand you can keep in the sump is a good thing. I employ extra base rock in this sump. I also keep rubble in their as well that I routinely pick through to mount frags on. In my larger tanks I employ deep sand beds in my sumps that help buffer the systems. Beneficial organisms also inhabit these regions and contribute to the overall health of the systems. Bio balls only hinder the full potential of your live rock. If you have a nice space in your sump to employ rock this will also allow an area to alleviate any air bubbles and such that no deflectors are needed IMO.

[jon]

Cool. Thanks for your help, guys. I have some extra dead (used to be live) rock I can put in there. The sump is only about 20% full of water now because the level had to be below the bio balls. I'm gonna fill it up the rest of the way and put some rocks in it.
-jon