Keep everything until the tank is completely setup. You never know what might come in handy when setting up the tank. And you can use most of the stuff that came with it. I picked up a saltwater setup and used almost everything in turning it into freshwater. Even the bio media can be used, you just have to rinse it off before you use it and seed it with freshwater bacteria when the tank is up and running.
Getting a 550 gallon tank next week...
- Thread starter ChiPerf
- Start date
Cool. Yeah I don't want it crazy complicated, just healthy fish and easiest maintenance. Pic below of what I have no idea how to hook up or how it works or what I'm supposed to put in there.
I know I don't want the stand or canopy, and I don't need the chiller or skimmer, right? I do have some bags of bio media I think, and I will reuse those once I rinse them and figure out where they go. lol
Progress so far:
What goes in each section? There are also 4 perforated separators too, that I'm guessing go in each slot? Does water just go along the bottom then? It looks like there are shelf support for 3 of the 4 sections, like something is supposed to be supported there? Am I missing something? What goes where in this deal? I'm lost.
Is that all there was for the sump? Was there any egg crate that came with it? (egg crate is a white panel of plastic that looks like a grid.) Were there any lids that were plumbed for returns? If you have more stuff that you are not sure what it is it may be parts to the sump.
Yeah, those are the 4 perforated separators. I will now call them egg crate dividers. I assume they go in the 4 slots on the left, but what are they really for? How does all this work? There is a huge pump that attaches to that white tube in front, which I believe ran the water back up to the tank. I know the water came down on the right and went into a filter sock from two tubes, but what should go in the middle and left? Do you just line the entire bottom with bio media so the water flows through it? The skimmer and pump I am not putting back in. That was all that came in the sump. Am I missing something?
I assume they go in the 4 slots on the left, but what are they really for? How does all this work? There is a huge pump that attaches to that white tube in front, which I believe ran the water back up to the tank. I know the water came down on the right and went into a filter sock from two tubes, but what should go in the middle and left? Do you just line the entire bottom with bio media so the water flows through it? The skimmer and pump I am not putting back in. That was all that came in the sump. Am I missing something?it was probably used for live rock, maybe carbon, uv etc. bio balls are generally not used for sw/reef set ups although some people still do. if this was my setup, i would run filter socks where the water comes in and put submerged media like ceramic rings or something in the different sections.
looks like a really nice setup, congrats.
looks like a really nice setup, congrats.
Thanks man. This is still so confusing for me. I got the filter sock idea no problem, just attach the sock on the tubes coming from the tank draining into the sump. Makes sense there, for mechanical filtration. But the bio stuff I'm still confused on as to how it works and how I should set it up. The water comes through the filter socks on the right small section, and then can only flow through the bottom 3 inches of the sump to get to the other side where it's pumped back up to the tank again. Why is the sump so high if you don't use the top 15 inches of it? So you only put bio media across the bottom 3 inches then?
Good questions.
I think the black frame looking pieces actually hold up a plate like a colander to hold the bio media (bio balls) off the bottom. There's most likely another plate on the top to spread the water before it goes into the bio media. The two blue chambers is where the water came in and trickled through the bio media (dry part of the wet dry) and then the water flowed left until it came to the light diffuser things which were wrapped or some how holding filter floss for mechanical filtration. Then it was pumped back to the tank from the furthest left two bulkheads. I don't know what the bulkheads are for on the right? Maybe some kind of overflow mechanism to catch the water if power was lost? Or maybe for a UV sterilizer?
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it. The right two bulkheads are plugged, and so is the left one. The only one that was being used is the furthermost on the left, and that pumped water back to the tank and split it right before it went up to hit both returns. I got the in and out figured out now, it's just the bio filtration I'm worried about now. Everything you said made sense in theory, and probably correct in practice too, but it seems weird how it is set up compared to others I have seen online now.
I think I am going to modify this one so it works better. Tell me what you think about this: The #4 area (furthermost right) I will have two drains coming in with filter socks attached. That's it for that section. Then I will seal the bottom off for that section with some type of divider. I have seen acrylic and glass, but where do you get these dividers? I can just silicone the divider in right? Then I will drill holes in the top of the wall between section 3 and 4 so the water flows into section 3 from the top. I can then have a filter pad on top of bio balls supported by egg crate shelf. Water will then flow under the divider that exists presently from section 2 to 3. I will have to add another divider from the bottom to around 8 inches from the top for water to climb up again and fall over that divider into section 2. I can have the same setup in section 2 with bio balls or ceramic rings right? More is better yeah? Then the water will flow under the existing divider between section 1 and 2. Just to the left of that divider before the water enters section 1, I can have some bio bags filled with carbon or more balls/rings. I can put my heaters in section 1 also.
Sound good? What would you do differently, if anything? Where do you get more egg crate stuff and divider material? Also, I hear you don't want your bio balls submerged. Is this right? What should my water level be in this thing? Directly under the bio balls, midway up, or totally submerged?
I think I am going to modify this one so it works better. Tell me what you think about this: The #4 area (furthermost right) I will have two drains coming in with filter socks attached. That's it for that section. Then I will seal the bottom off for that section with some type of divider. I have seen acrylic and glass, but where do you get these dividers? I can just silicone the divider in right? Then I will drill holes in the top of the wall between section 3 and 4 so the water flows into section 3 from the top. I can then have a filter pad on top of bio balls supported by egg crate shelf. Water will then flow under the divider that exists presently from section 2 to 3. I will have to add another divider from the bottom to around 8 inches from the top for water to climb up again and fall over that divider into section 2. I can have the same setup in section 2 with bio balls or ceramic rings right? More is better yeah? Then the water will flow under the existing divider between section 1 and 2. Just to the left of that divider before the water enters section 1, I can have some bio bags filled with carbon or more balls/rings. I can put my heaters in section 1 also.
Sound good? What would you do differently, if anything? Where do you get more egg crate stuff and divider material? Also, I hear you don't want your bio balls submerged. Is this right? What should my water level be in this thing? Directly under the bio balls, midway up, or totally submerged?
