Double Sump Setup?

Cloudk

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2010
465
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36
Swimming in a mountain river
First off. I'm terrible at describing things but I'm gonna try to be very detailed and hopefully it'll make sense... Moving along... So. I'm planning my 420gal filtration system. I was thinking I'd have 2 75gal tanks for sump system . First. Sump 1 will have sponges and ceramic rings for chunks(turtles are tenants). Then sump 2 will have carbon, ammonia remover, fine sponge, matrix, and heater... So I've got that part decided. My dilemma is: I'm not sure how to properly and effectively connect the 2 sumps/tanks. One of the tanks happens to have a hole drilled in the side already, so i was thinking i could put a pipe in the hole. Raise up sump 1 and let gravity move the water from sump 1 into sump 2. So there's my plan... My questions: Will this work? Should the sump flow-rate b a trickle? Will the pump empty sump 2, faster than sump 1 could fill it up? Hopefully my questions make sense. Thank you for any suggestions u can offer, links to videos, whatever :)
 

MarineMike

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2014
243
1
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Southern California
Need pictures of the 75 with the hole drilled in it to better answer. Also what size is the hole? The best way to connect them would be using one or two large bulkheads close to the bottom of both tanks. This way both tanks will fill and drain at the same rate. You'll want both tanks at the same level or you could end up with flooding in the event of a power failure. Why not use filter socks as your first stage of mechanical filtration to catch the chunks? They would allow for the easiest and fastest maintenance.
 

Cloudk

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 25, 2010
465
16
33
36
Swimming in a mountain river
I'll post a pic once i get home of the drilled tank... One of the 75gal is set up for sump already. Has the sock and such. But i was worried that one 75gal sump and one fx5 won't b enough "chunk" filtration for the planned population: 2 turtles, lrgmouth bass, channel cat, pumpkinseed sunfish and central stoneroller. Assumed i would need more... So. Figured adding an extra sump just for chunks would b a good idea.
 

Squirtle919

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2011
1,564
2
53
Within Earth
seen this done a few times not sure how well they worked long term but...

1 had the first sump raised higher, holes in the base with stand pipes to water height, this would drain into sump 2 via a bulkhead in the side of the sump.

2nd way was as Mike has described, 2 x 2" holes pretty close to the base of sump 1 which would drain into sump 2, they did have them a bit higher in sump 1 then sump 2 and used 45s to connect but I dont think this achieved much.

If it was me I would try to connect a K1 drum and run the single sump ( change the media a bit ) I just think nothing really compares to those K1 barrel filters for biological they seem to work wonders.
 
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