New to sumps and i need help.:confused:

[yourbestfriend]

in this other thread i talked about wanting to get this 300 gallon tank with an overflow but i didnt know what an overflow was. heres the link to the thread: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157038
anyways, Nic told me to get the tank because he said sumps are super easy to set up. So now i need help constructing, setting up, learning how to work and maintain, ect. the sump that im building. An pics or instructions on how to build one would be great.:confused:

[yourbestfriend]

bump

[ILLdose13]

do you have an old tank that you can use as a sump?

[yourbestfriend]

do you have an old tank that you can use as a sump?

yes i do. and sorry this is a super retarded question, but i know NOTHING about sumps, but what is the extra tank for? and what does it do

[yourbestfriend]

bump again

[Jfitz]

A sump is like a homemade filter, the extra tanks act like a filter... hard to explain but the extra tank is like a really big storage place for the sump to run...:P
hopefully wyldfya will come here and explain it better lmao

[yourbestfriend]

come on wyldfya! help me out!

[cr8on]

The sump is basically a reservoir where filtered water will collect before it is returned to the tank by a water pump. give me a couple of mins and I will post a diagram

[cr8on]

My pic isn't uploading, I'll try again later

[yourbestfriend]

bump

[yourbestfriend]

how do i put an overflow on my tank? do i ave to drill holes?

[yourbestfriend]

BUMP!

[yourbestfriend]

B

[yourbestfriend]

u

[frasertheking]

if you google diy sump and look about here you will find these answer to all these questions

[nfored]

Well, you can drill and it would be 100% better then any other type of overflow, or you can build a diy overflow from the stickies. Just reading the stickies I built my first sump and I will never go back to normal filters again. Read the stickies for DIY overflow

Sump

1 extra Tank.

Big enough to hold the amount of water the required to cover the pump, and the amount of water that will be drained from your tank in a power outage. For example a 55 Gallon 48x12x20 tank with an over flow 2 inches below the water line will drain 5 gallons in a power outage.

2 A pump that will pump your tank volume over at least 3 times an hour, at the head hight your running.

Note some people will yell at me for this as they think you need 10x turn over rate. The head hight is the distance from the pump to the top of the return line, also know that you will loose some GPH due to friction lose so just because a pump says 600pgh at 5' doesn't mean you will get that.

now from here it depends on how nice you and none ghetto you want your sump. If you want it nice you will make compartments inside the old tank to hold your filter media. I only know how to make ghetto ones so heres how I made mine.

After the tank and pump are in place, you get two containers that will fit inside the tank. put on deep container in the tank with about 2 or more inches of room between the bottom of the container and the bottom of the tank. put holes in the bottom of this container and fill it with bio filter media.

Then get another container that is 3 inches deep and will fit over top of the first container. put smaller holes like 1/8 in the bottom of this, and put a layer of filer floss over the bottom, and then put this over the first container.

so now you have a tank with a deep container in it, and that deep container has a smaller container over top of it. your sump is now ready to be hooked up.

here are two pictures one of a ghetto style and one of a nice style.


here is a nice pro looking sump by frnchjeep

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=206460&d=1211422838


here is mine i Made in the first picture, an old picture is the small container that holds filter floss. * note ignore the hole in the center that was for an abandoned idea.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff154/killerbps/HPIM0540.jpg

this is the bio media chamber

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff154/killerbps/HPIM0560.jpg

this is what it looks like put together. note this is (3 pics merged, Display & Stand, Back of display plumbing, Sump) the last one is of the sump

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff154/killerbps/After.jpg

so as you can see the water drains from the overflow in the tank to the first container with the filter floss in it, then from there drips out all of the holes to the bio media chamber, and from the bio chamber to the sump itself; where it is pumped back to the tank.

Hope this helps, lets see some pictures.



file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Fredm/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg

[yourbestfriend]

wow this all sounds so dificult. i think ill just get a canister

[Knowdafish]

wow this all sounds so dificult. i think ill just get a canister

:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

[yourbestfriend]

:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

hahah yeah. they are more effective anyway right? lmao

[chesterthehero]

nah... its super easy.. the overflow i have is the same overflow you will find if you search.. the one in the thread with like 235807208375 pages.. just follow the directions.. it will make sence once you finnish it.. if you try to understand it then build it you will scratch yer head raw with fustration..

the water flows like a book.. left to right
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/chetifall/fish/DSC03813.jpg


-first section is where the overflow and syphon enter the sump (all you need is an overflow.. i have a syphon by choice)
-first wall forces the water UP and across the drip plate (i used an undergravel filter. you want something that makes it "rain" on your media
-under the drip plate is media this is where the good bacteria live and the "filtering" takes place
-botton drip plates just holds the media off the bottom to allow water to flow freely.. i have my heaters down there as well
-the next wall just holds the media in place
-then another row of media.. there no such thing as overfiltering
-next short wall sets the water level for the sump.. in the event of a powerloss i lose about 8 gallons out of my tank.. with my water level where it is in the sump i have room for another 3 gallons before the sump overflows (the plumbing is done so that wont happen those are lil tricks you can learn as you build this is just to give you the basics)
-the last area is obviously where the pump is.. this pumps the water from the sump back into the tank

you dont need to use a fishtank to make one of these.. its just something nice to look at..

[yourbestfriend]

nah... its super easy.. the overflow i have is the same overflow you will find if you search.. the one in the thread with like 235807208375 pages.. just follow the directions.. it will make sence once you finnish it.. if you try to understand it then build it you will scratch yer head raw with fustration..

the water flows like a book.. left to right
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/chetifall/fish/DSC03813.jpg


-first section is where the overflow and syphon enter the sump (all you need is an overflow.. i have a syphon by choice)
-first wall forces the water UP and across the drip plate (i used an undergravel filter. you want something that makes it "rain" on your media
-under the drip plate is media this is where the good bacteria live and the "filtering" takes place
-botton drip plates just holds the media off the bottom to allow water to flow freely.. i have my heaters down there as well
-the next wall just holds the media in place
-then another row of media.. there no such thing as overfiltering
-next short wall sets the water level for the sump.. in the event of a powerloss i lose about 8 gallons out of my tank.. with my water level where it is in the sump i have room for another 3 gallons before the sump overflows (the plumbing is done so that wont happen those are lil tricks you can learn as you build this is just to give you the basics)
-the last area is obviously where the pump is.. this pumps the water from the sump back into the tank

you dont need to use a fishtank to make one of these.. its just something nice to look at..


how effective is an undergravle filter? and how did u set it all up? what pumps the water out of the tank? sorry about all the questions.lol im a noob

[yourbestfriend]

omg i looked through the stickies and why did NO ONE suggest an overflow box when i mentioned i didnt want to drill my tank? are these not as effective?

[yourbestfriend]

ok so after researching till 1 in the morning, here is my setup Hopefully. Tell me if there is anything i should inprove. since i have neer used a sump before. im gunna try it out on my 55 before i use one on my big tank.

-i will use this overflow box.
http://www.aquariumguys.com/overflow-box-aqua-lifter.html
-i will use this sump, or something similar.
http://www.aquariumguys.com/allglass-megaflow-sump-1.html
-as far as a pump goes, im not really sure which one to use, so some help with that would be great.
but other than that, how does my plan look? am i missing anything?

[Nic]

mine old one was stupid proof.... i cut 2 4" pvc schd 40 pipes to hold my filter socks... i cut large holes in the sides so water could flow out... then i filled the bottom of the tank with media in filter bags... all media was under water and it worked great... my new sump is gonna be pretty tricky... but there is a simple sump for you.... get a mag drive pump and stick it in the sump....

[yourbestfriend]

so how does my set up look? will it work well?

[Mudfrog]

so how does my set up look? will it work well?

For a 300 gallon? That sump in the link is no where near big enough for it. The overflow box is too small as well.

Unless you want to pay $$$$$ I'd suggest making your own wet / dry as previously stated.

[Nic]

i thought the tank allready had overflows?????

[yourbestfriend]

For a 300 gallon? That sump in the link is no where near big enough for it. The overflow box is too small as well.

Unless you want to pay $$$$$ I'd suggest making your own wet / dry as previously stated.

no NOT for the tank im buying. i want to put on on my 55 first.

[yourbestfriend]

i thought the tank allready had overflows?????

im talking about my 55 not the 300 im buying

[Tommydeal]

so are you setting this up on a 55g just as a test for the 300g or are you planning on keeping it on the 55g?

[yourbestfriend]

so are you setting this up on a 55g just as a test for the 300g or are you planning on keeping it on the 55g?

im keaping it on the 55 and if i like how it works i will put one on the 300

[geeimatree]

dood i totally feel you man
when i first got into making a wet/dry, i had no clue what i was doing and it took me a few months to actually figure it all out by rummaging through all the previous threads. it was ridiculously frustrating but i swear, once you get it, you will fall into a pit of depression cause it feels like you wasted so much time over such a simple concept

[yourbestfriend]

ha so do u think the setup i described for my 55 will work well?lol

[Tommydeal]

Yes it will work. You could save some money because something like this would be great for a 55g also: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=pca_75_pre&Category_Code=b4&Store_Code=aqb

The only other thing you need is a pump.

[Austin]

just look in the diy section and i also found this amazing website, founds loads of info on it...

www.google.com (http://www.google.com)

j/k, :) i've built a few out of rubbermaids even. the more reading you do the better.

[yourbestfriend]

Yes it will work. You could save some money because something like this would be great for a 55g also: http://www.aquabuys.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=pca_75_pre&Category_Code=b4&Store_Code=aqb

The only other thing you need is a pump.

what pump would u guys suggest for the overflow and sump that i talked about earlier?

[Tommydeal]

will there be any other filter on the tank? What kind of fish will you be keeping?

[yourbestfriend]

will there be any other filter on the tank? What kind of fish will you be keeping?

there is a penguin 200 on it right now. and there is an oscar, a jack dempsey, and a clown knife in it now.

[Tommydeal]

I would leave the penguin on it and go for something like a Rio 1100, Rio 1400 or similar sized pumps, definitely not bigger. I'm assuming those three fish will go in your 300g or some sort of big tank because the 55g will barely house one of them full grown. This sort of filtration is not really what you would normally put on a 55g. This kind of high-end filtration is mostly used for high-end fish like stingrays or datnoids. That wet/dry filter you're looking at is not enough for even a 180g tank so when you upgrade to a bigger tank, you will have to upgrade to a bigger wet/dry. But overfiltration is always good so if you've got some small oscar, knife, j/d combo you want to grow out and you have the money then.....
:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2

[yourbestfriend]

I would leave the penguin on it and go for something like a Rio 1100, Rio 1400 or similar sized pumps, definitely not bigger. I'm assuming those three fish will go in your 300g or some sort of big tank because the 55g will barely house one of them full grown. This sort of filtration is not really what you would normally put on a 55g. This kind of high-end filtration is mostly used for high-end fish like stingrays or datnoids. That wet/dry filter you're looking at is not enough for even a 180g tank so when you upgrade to a bigger tank, you will have to upgrade to a bigger wet/dry. But overfiltration is always good so if you've got some small oscar, knife, j/d combo you want to grow out and you have the money then.....
:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2
so those pump u mention will be good for the sump that i metioned earlier? because i have NO clue how many gph i need for a sump that small.lol

[Tommydeal]

Yes. I have a similarly sized wet/dry filter with a rio 1400 and a canister filter on a 50g juvie ray tank. Works perfectly.

[yourbestfriend]

Yes. I have a similarly sized wet/dry filter with a rio 1400 and a canister filter on a 50g juvie ray tank. Works perfectly.

alright thanks

[Tommydeal]

Let us know how it turns out and show some pics!!

[Nic]

pump overflow and total head height need to be considered when selecting a pump....

[yourbestfriend]

pump overflow and total head height need to be considered when selecting a pump....

im lost.
how about i send u the link the the things that im buying, and u tell me what pump to use.lol :D

[Tommydeal]

If you're putting the filter under the tank and you don't have 6 feet of plumbing in between you're fine. Generally you need to take head height, length of your plumbing, number of 90 degree elbows and all sorts of stuff into consideration when buying a pump but you have a generic setup and you're using generic parts so you should be fine.

[yourbestfriend]

If you're putting the filter under the tank and you don't have 6 feet of plumbing in between you're fine. Generally you need to take head height, length of your plumbing, number of 90 degree elbows and all sorts of stuff into consideration when buying a pump but you have a generic setup and you're using generic parts so you should be fine.

alright thanks. so it looks like ill get the rio 1400 and see how things go. it will be about a week before i buy all this stuff but ill keap you all updated whith pics and such