Fauna Sump and issues

[Pinkfld]

Hi all, I am new but I have read many messages over the last couple of years. Have a question for all of you experts. I have a 200g Oceanic tank. I have about 250 pounds Hondorus (sp?) live rock. The tank has a high bio load of coral and fish. I am having problems with bad alge so I am strongly considering a 125g fauna sump to help with nitrates, nitrites and phospahate removal. The sump will have a deep sand bed and lots of macro alge. My questions are these:
1. where can I get the Play sand for the sand bed? The Home Depot stores in Chicago land does not carry the calcium based sands.

2. How deep do you all suggest the sand bed be in the sump and I will also be putting a sand bed in the main tank itself too. I am thinking about a 4" in the main tank as I don't want it too deep so I can keep volume of water in there and about 6" or 7" in the sump. Thoughts?

My goal is to have a very high bio load, no sheet alge problems and also have a cool sump to play with. Your thought and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
specs: ETS Reef devil down draft skimmer and 36" tall Emperor Aquatics skimmer, 2 175W 10K halides and two 6" VHO URI tubes

Thanks guys!!

[Biomanjcs72]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND!!!!!!!

Even if you do a DSB, with a high vertebrate bioload, you'll probably still have a nitrate problem.

The depths you mentioned for the sand bed are fine, make sure you seed them with a good faunal kit, or some sand from someone elses DSB thats already up and running. THe general school of thought there is to get two or three faunal kits (or "cultures") from friends tanks to get your diversity as high as you can.

I'll let other folks field the other questions, I'm too tired to write it all out right now.

HTH.

[reefhead]

Originally posted by Pinkfld
1. where can I get the Play sand for the sand bed? The Home Depot stores in Chicago land does not carry the calcium based sands.

You can order it online or try your luck at your local masonary shop.

How deep do you all suggest the sand bed be in the sump and I will also be putting a sand bed in the main tank itself too. I am thinking about a 4" in the main tank as I don't want it too deep so I can keep volume of water in there and about 6" or 7" in the sump. Thoughts?

I would suggest you add 4-6" in your display and as much as 10" in your sump, its your choice.



cheers,
Joe