Sump questions

In your case I would do 1 of 2 things.

B without the egg crate.

E
I would lean more towards E and maybe try too add a filter sock or felt sitting on top of egg crate in that area.

One way to help eliminate some of your micro bubbles is to add a sponge on the intake end of your return.

 

I would do the rock rubble and a sand bed. As well as adding the sponge to help reduce bubbles.

 

I thought about that as well but looking at the sump he is using the rock and sand would never be submerged as it is kind of like a trickle area where the bioballs are at.

 

Ahh. I'm unfamiliar with that sump, just looked it up. Yeah the sandbed isnt going to work. I think you could still throw a bed of rock under the eggcrate though. I honestly have never used or dealt with bioballs, idk why but I don't think I'll ever use them. I like going as biological as possible is the way to go. IMO I'd throw some rock in the first chamber and ditch the bioballs. BUT I would like someone else to chip in with some advice in regard to the bioballs.

 

I use to run this same filter not to long ago and imo I would not put a deep sand bed in the bottom.. I started with using the bio-balls then I slowly removed them after everything was settled and running good then I replaced them with live rock rubble.. I just removed the egg create and stacked them on the bottom... About the little bubbles you see, make sure your water isnt to low in your sump and you have your sponge in place just before your return pump...
Hope this helps

 

You dont need to put the rock ina bag, just lay it right on the bottom of the sump under the trickle plate... I got rid of that foam cylinder thing on the back of the overflow after about a month of using it. (It gets pretty loud without it though) I was talking about the sponge before the pump, not on the pump. But also wouldnt hurt to have one there as well. There should be a sponge directly below the end of the egg create on the bottom just before the area where your return pump is..