Hi all I'm new here! So I have a pair of L330 Royal plecos in a 125 gallon and will be purchasing a new 200 gallon tank since they are starting to outgrow it. I've been eyeing an Innovative Marine reef tank with external overflow and sump and was hoping for some insight on how sumps work since this will be my first time using one. I currently use a FX6 cannister filter that does a great job of sucking all the fish waste from the bottom of the tank but with a sump I understand that all of the water will be reaching the filter via overflow at the top. Does this mean the fish waste will just sit on top of the substrate and I'll have to gravel vac more often? Or will it's own breaking down be solved by the water flowing into the sump? Thanks again and sorry for the noob question!
Plecos and Sumps
- Thread starter JesseB173
- Start date
Your typical overflow is surface skimming so as you rightly pointed out crud is going to settle on the bottom of your tank and will periodically need vacuuming. However, there are a couple of things you can do.
One is to have strategically placed powerheads churning the water about so the crud, well some of it, may end up getting sucked out via your surface overflow. But the heavier stuff may remain on the bottom.
But the best way, and this is what I do. I've turned my surface skimming outlet into a bottom sucking one. I've done this by adding a length of PVC box section to my overflow (see photo). Lots of holes are drilled at the bottom of that box section. I have a strong powerhead too which directs crud towards the box section.
The result is that I never have bottom crud in my tank, it all gets sucked up and into my mechanical filtration.
I've done it this way because vacuuming a 6x4 footprint tank is not easy, you might find vacuuming your tank easier, in which case leave everything as it is.
It's just good to know that you have options.
One is to have strategically placed powerheads churning the water about so the crud, well some of it, may end up getting sucked out via your surface overflow. But the heavier stuff may remain on the bottom.
But the best way, and this is what I do. I've turned my surface skimming outlet into a bottom sucking one. I've done this by adding a length of PVC box section to my overflow (see photo). Lots of holes are drilled at the bottom of that box section. I have a strong powerhead too which directs crud towards the box section.
The result is that I never have bottom crud in my tank, it all gets sucked up and into my mechanical filtration.
I've done it this way because vacuuming a 6x4 footprint tank is not easy, you might find vacuuming your tank easier, in which case leave everything as it is.
It's just good to know that you have options.
