180 gallon built in sump design

[Michael7587]

Hello and thanks for taking the time to read this. I am new to the hobby and purchased a 180 gallon acrylic tank with a built in sump. I have sketched up a design and am seeking opinions. I’m most likely gonna make it an African cichlid tank with maybe 20 inhabitants maximum when it’s all said and done. I can not change the chambers of the sump only the contents of it.

 

[narayanang76]

Looks simple design, I just thought these may be better options:

1) Move the heater(s) to the Pump chamber, you may be able to get rid of one heater or have redundancy in place. Tank water temp will be more inline to the heater setting this way.
2) Use Bio Sponge/Foam type pads (mostly black in color) in the chamber where heaters are placed in the design currently (both sides). You may have to cut these pads accurately based on your sump dimensions - just ensure that they sit tight and no gaps. This will prevent dirt particles getting into your media chambers.

A question - why only bio balls as media? You can also consider Lava rocks, Ceramic rings as media in those chambers, looks like enough space would be available.

 

[Michael7587]

Looks simple design, I just thought these may be better options:

1) Move the heater(s) to the Pump chamber, you may be able to get rid of one heater or have redundancy in place. Tank water temp will be more inline to the heater setting this way.
2) Use Bio Sponge/Foam type pads (mostly black in color) in the chamber where heaters are placed in the design currently (both sides). You may have to cut these pads accurately based on your sump dimensions - just ensure that they sit tight and no gaps. This will prevent dirt particles getting into your media chambers.

A question - why only bio balls as media? You can also consider Lava rocks, Ceramic rings as media in those chambers, looks like enough space would be available.

The only reason is that I was given a large amount of bioballs with the purchase but I could make a secondary chamber under the bioballs. What would you recommend or prefer between the lava rock & the ceramic rings?

 

[narayanang76]

The only reason is that I was given a large amount of bioballs with the purchase but I could make a secondary chamber under the bioballs. What would you recommend or prefer between the lava rock & the ceramic rings?

Anytime - Lava Rocks. They are cheap, large in size and will do the job for you and have plenty of surface area. And also, there is no need to make more chambers in my view, just arrange / place these media how you prefer.

 

[TexasMFK31]

I'd do Seachem matrix instead of lava rock. Much more surface area, and $32 buys enough of it for 2 of your tanks.

 

[TheWolfman]

Ceramic media like lava rock or bio rings has much more surface area, and will provide more efficient filtration then bio balls witch are more suited for wet dry filters. I’ll also add that I don’t think you will need 2 500 watt heaters for a 180, I run two 300 watts on my 220 and keep the temp in the low 80s no problem.

 

[duanes]

Bio media is a surface for bacteria to live on, that's all it is, there is no "one" type that is more magical than another, if you already have bio-balls use them.
If somewhere in the future you find the media isn't keeping up with your fishes production of ammonia and nitrite add some more to the sump.
I have used rings, lava rock, and plenty of other types, and I don't see the difference, to me its all smoke and mirrors, other than the bacterial population fluctuates and coincides with the fish population.
You don't get more bacteria by adding media, if the fish population only puts out X amount of ammonia.


I've also used fluidized bed media (aragonite sand) in addition to other types, but that was mainly to help buffering capacity (alkalinity).

 

[TexasMFK31]

Bio media is a surface for bacteria to live on, that's all it is, there is no "one" type that is more magical than another, if you already have bio-balls use them.
If somewhere in the future you find the media isn't keeping up with your fishes production of ammonia and nitrite add some more to the sump.
I have used rings, lava rock, and plenty of other types, and I don't see the difference, to me its all smoke and mirrors, other than the bacterial population fluctuates and coincides with the fish population.
You don't get more bacteria by adding media, if the fish population only puts out X amount of ammonia.


I've also used fluidized bed media (aragonite sand) in addition to other types, but that was mainly to help buffering capacity (alkalinity).

I agree with you duanes my only reason for using X of Y, is if there is more surface area in the same volume of material you need "less" of it. So a 1 Gallon jug with bio balls cannot house nearly as much BB as a 1 Gallon jug of ceramics. That is my reasoning for using bio media (MarinePure and Seachem).