Pump went out last night-help/questions please

[Max125g]

Just wanted to say thanks ahead of time.

I have a newer 125g w/25g sump, still only 2-3 weeks old but was seeded with bottled bacteria (2 doses), about 20lbs of live rock rubble from LFS and a few additional pieces of live rock spread throughout the tank. Got a small group of BG Chromies, 1 purple and 1 regular fire fish and I got a small cleanup crew a few days ago due to a small amount of algae showing. Also have a few hardy soft corals, leather, Kenya tree, Xenia, mushroom and that’s it. Ammonia has never been above 0, neither has Nitrite, Nitrate is at normal levels 5ish ppm. I have a nice set of coralife T5 coral fixture on top, a wet/dry with rubble instead of bio balls and plenty of flow through the tank, or I did. That is my problem…

Last night as I was adding another small frag, I heard a pop and my Iwaki started to smell like it was burning, doh….
Anyways it’s shot and I was without any flow/filtration. In my sump (with the rubble) I kept on my skimmer pump but no air, just to flow water around in the sump. I put two small emergency powerheads in the DT to have some sort of circulation, but it’s not much. I already found a replacement pump on craigslist but I won’t be able to get it installed till after work today, so that’s nearly 24 hours that the tank hasn’t had major flow/filtration, just the small powerheads moving water around.

So my question…

1. Is my tank going to be ok? I realize I cheated the cycle process a bit by seeding with a bunch of live rock/rubble and a great named brand bottle bacteria and shouldn’t have the live stock I have now, but the tank was showing to be perfectly fine up until now. Do I need to run home during lunch break and do anything to the tank? Are my fish/corals going to be ok for this short duration with no real flow/filtration through the sump? I did turn the light on as normal this morning.
2. Is the Little Giant Pump model 4-MDQX-SC a good pump? I found one on craigslist for $85 used but apparently in new condition. I know it’s not or may not match the quality of my Iwaki (after all it’s been running for 15+ years) but I have read some good reviews online.

Thanks in advance, really worried about my system and your thoughts on the little giant pump.

Thank you

 

[bjohanson1234]

You have circulation in your tank, the fish and corals should be fine for the 24 hours it takes for you to replace the pump. I have had my tank go over a day without any circulation due to a power outage and didn't lose anything.

 

[Bifferwine]

You will be fine without filtration, but am I correct in understanding that you didn't have any powerheads in the display? Even with a sump, you need at least 4 of them in a 125. The sump won't provide nearly enough flow on its own.

 

[Max125g]

You will be fine without filtration, but am I correct in understanding that you didn't have any powerheads in the display? Even with a sump, you need at least 4 of them in a 125. The sump won't provide nearly enough flow on its own.

no, i did not have any additional powerheads. I actually had to turn down my main return as it was blowing sand all over the place, guess thats what i get for getting sugar grain sand. I thought i had good flow but assumed i had some low flow spots.

instead of getting powerheads can i just split my return and run it full blast? I have a acrylic tank with "lids" so power cables coming out of the tank would be unsightly and i really would prefer to not drill it.

 

[Northstar24]

No, you are going to need some powerheads in the tank if you want to keep both the fish and corals happy long term

 

[FishyReef]

+1 North & Biff

You also need more live rock. You should have 1-2 lbs of rock per gallon in your tank. From your description it sounds like you only have a few pieces of live in your DT and 25lbs of rubble in your sump. You can add dry rock (its cheaper - check out marco rocks or bulk reef supply) and it will turn live within weeks. But bottom line is you need a lot more than what you have. Fish establish their territory over the rocks, and the rocks allow enough surface area for the bacteria to grow that turns ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates. Check out the articles section for good information on cycling your tank, basic recommended equipment, etc. - it will help you get off on the right foot! Welcome and good luck!

 

[Bifferwine]

no, i did not have any additional powerheads. I actually had to turn down my main return as it was blowing sand all over the place, guess thats what i get for getting sugar grain sand. I thought i had good flow but assumed i had some low flow spots.

instead of getting powerheads can i just split my return and run it full blast? I have a acrylic tank with "lids" so power cables coming out of the tank would be unsightly and i really would prefer to not drill it.

There's no way you can have a tank this size without powerheads. Flow is so important in saltwater. The cords coming out the back of the tank are just a fact of life that we all have to deal with.

It is especially important that you get some powerheads because you have lids on your tank. Lids are not recommended. They heat the tank up, reduce gas exchange at the surface and make a lack of flow problem even worse.

I'd recommend removing the lids altogether (they are not necessary) and adding at least 4 powerheads along the back of the tank, near the surface of the water, so that they are creating a ripple at the surface and mixing the air and water.