Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Hey you guys I have a question for all you pros at this... If I have a 3" deep live sand bed and about 150-200 Lbs live rock and a small container of some sort to put macro alge in, What benifit would I have in a Sump/Refugium type filter? It seems to boil down to the same thing to me. Why not just go wet/dry? ANY opinions are welcome and GREATLY aprecieated!

Thanks,

Dave

I would really like anyones opinion. would a 5" cube made out of eggcrate inside my main tank do the same job?

With that much LR a wet dry is not necessary, in fact it will cause a lot of nitrate production. LR and sand are all the biological filtration you need. Some people like a sump because it gives them a place to hide heaters, auto topoff, etc. Refugiums are used for nutrient export mainly, help remove phosphate, nitrate.

HTH

Joe

Also if you have not allready check out http://www.reefcentral.com.

Wealth of info.

Joe

Dave,
It really depends on what you wish to keep in your tank. If you want fish only with live rock then bio-balls would be great. If you want a reef tank, you will fight elevated nitrates with a bio-ball system.
Wet/Dry bio-balls create highly oxygenated water, which encourages bacteria that transforms ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate.

Do a google for nitrates and wet-dry for more sources on this. Keep it simple, I don't think you need any more filtration other than a good skimmer and you should be good to go.

Thanks you guys. I didn't think about the nitrate production. It will be a reef. I'm upgradeing my 50. it is just way too crowded in there. I only have 2 maroon clowns 1 very small 1.5" blue hippo tang and a purple pseudochromis. but i have about 15 to 20 different corals and some clams so they need a better home.