Sump suggestions

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monsterK

Exodon
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Sep 24, 2023
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So I have a 150 gallon sump. When I originally made it installed baffles into it and I now after years absolutely hate the baffles. So I wanna remove them. Where my two inlets come in they come into filter socks and polyfiler.. then flows over into the chamber with my foam then into lava rock then into ceramic then into return pump. For some reason I have to have my return pump on the lowest setting or it pumps too fast which makes my flow into the tank terrible and idk why that is. Maybe bc it's 1.5 inch pipe I have pipped to the tank and it's too large. But I wanna eliminate baffles to have an open sump and maybe it will also help the flow but looking to redo my sump.

I plan on getting poret foam again and making that the divider between my sump and the return pump... What would y'all suggest too do for the two pipes coming into the sump. Just keep it filter socks and foam? And just keep that first baffle?

I also was thinking of running plants and shrimp but my concern is how do you clean the bottom of the sunp out when it gets all dirty without killing or sucking up all the shrimp?

You can see in the photo I have pipes run along the front of the tank and the back and that's the pipes that flow into the sump.

1000012263.png

1000012264.png
 
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monsterK said:
So I have a 150 gallon sump. When I originally made it installed baffles into it and I now after years absolutely hate the baffles. So I wanna remove them. Where my two inlets come in they come into filter socks and polyfiler.. then flows over into the chamber with my foam then into lava rock then into ceramic then into return pump. For some reason I have to have my return pump on the lowest setting or it pumps too fast which makes my flow into the tank terrible and idk why that is. Maybe bc it's 1.5 inch pipe I have pipped to the tank and it's too large. But I wanna eliminate baffles to have an open sump and maybe it will also help the flow but looking to redo my sump.

I plan on getting poret foam again and making that the divider between my sump and the return pump... What would y'all suggest too do for the two pipes coming into the sump. Just keep it filter socks and foam? And just keep that first baffle?

I also was thinking of running plants and shrimp but my concern is how do you clean the bottom of the sunp out when it gets all dirty without killing or sucking up all the shrimp?

You can see in the photo I have pipes run along the front of the tank and the back and that's the pipes that flow into the sump.

View attachment 1570591

View attachment 1570592
Click to expand...
You could easily run the sump without the two middle baffles and the center as a refugium.
 
tlindsey said:
You could easily run the sump without the two middle baffles and the center as a refugium.
Click to expand...
For a refugium. What would you suggest? Plant wise? And do people put like sand down there? Bc again ide love to run shrimp in that little section too .. I'll remove those two baffles and maybe for the refugium I'll put two pieces of poret foam swiss trop 30PPI. To keep the plants in from floating around with some sand. What plants would be best? Bc my well water unfortunately comes out at about 30 nitrates which I hate but
 
i also also find baffles to be superfluous.
And the biomedia needed to detoxify ammonia and nitrate is quite small.
I experimented before planting the sump, by testing to see what was needed to detoxify the amonia for 20 moderatly sized cichlid, and found three 3 inch bags. in my 125 gal sump brought ammonia and nitirte down to zero.
IMG_2021.jpegIMG_2020.jpeg
IMG_8811.jpeg
Of course all substrate, and even the tank walls also contain detoxifing biofilm.
Instead of any baffles, I use 1 panel of porrett foam, the cordons off the pump, and biomedia section from the planted section.
IMG_8794.jpeg
For me, the most important part of the sump is the planted section (the refugium), because along with its detoxification of ammonia and nitirte,
It also reduces nitrate to undetectable levels.
IMG_9456.jpeg
Below is the 6 ft sumpIMG_6829.jpeg
You can sort of see the pump/porret foam section above far left.
I use about 2 inches of sand as subtrate in the sump, and whatever and plant waste that flows in helps with plant food.
I also like to keep a cadre of shrimp in the sump to help break down solids, leaf litter, and over flow food for better use by the plants, and also help clean the porrett panel, between hosing it off.
IMG_8907.jpeg
Beside aquatic plant species such as Vallisneria, there are emergiant mangrove mangrove treesin the sump that use lots of excess nutrients.
IMG_0418.jpeg
IMG_9786.jpeg
 
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duanes said:
i also also find baffles to be superfluous.
And the biomedia needed to detoxify ammonia and nitrate is quite small.
I experimented before planting the sump, by testing to see what was needed to detoxify the amonia for 20 moderatly sized cichlid, and found three 3 inch bags. in my 125 gal sump brought ammonia and nitirte down to zero.
View attachment 1570599View attachment 1570600
View attachment 1570594
Of course all substrate, and even the tank walls also contain detoxifing biofilm.
Instead of any baffles, I use 1 panel of porrett foam, the cordons off the pump, and biomedia section from the planted section.
View attachment 1570596
For me, the most important part of the sump is the planted section (the refugium), because along with its detoxification of ammonia and nitirte,
It also reduces nitrate to undetectable levels.
View attachment 1570597
Below is the 6 ft sumpView attachment 1570598
You can sort of see the pump/porret foam section above far left.
I use about 2 inches of sand as subtrate in the sump, and whatever and plant waste that flows in helps with plant food.
I also like to keep a cadre of shrimp in the sump to help break down solids, leaf litter, and over flow food for better use by the plants, and also help clean the porrett panel, between hosing it off.
View attachment 1570601
Beside aquatic plant species such as Vallisneria, there are emergiant mangrove mangrove treesin the sump that use lots of excess nutrients.
View attachment 1570602
View attachment 1570603
Click to expand...
Awesome Duane! Question is your mangrove planted in deep sand? I know you said about 2 inches but so mangrove need more? And can you submerge it in a sump and it will grow out? Or do you need too just put the root in water and let them grow and reach the substrate?
 
Scuds fill a similar niche, neat critter

I have a layer of thin foam along the bottom as substrate

When mulm gets to much I have a hand pump but Scuds really help it seems
 
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When I first found the pods floating in the Pacific, and planted the mangrove them (2021), they were jammed into a sand filled, hollow bamboo branch.
IMG_4246.jpegIMG_4380.jpeg

Took 2 years to grow enough, to totally break out from the bamboo log. (2023)
IMG_0426.jpeg
And some time this year before I noticed them forming aerial roots.
IMG_9252.jpeg
At this point they are just standing and perched on the tank bottom. in only 2 inches of sand.
I am getting worried though, that the roots may soon compromise the integrity of the tank itself,
so am getting ready to move them to a plastic tub., with a PVC line running from the tank
someting that if they break out of, is not as expensive as replacing a tank.
I have occasionally vacuumed the sump, when the bamboo roots start to collect lots of gunk, not vert often.
Since the sump is outside near foliage, it collect leaf litter after rains, or storms.
 
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