DIY Sump Questions

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Shenlon

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 1, 2013
12
0
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Conyers,GA
I am in the process of putting together a 75 Gallon Sump for my 150 Gallon Aquarium. This is my first time ever doing anything like this , so I am kind of overwhelmed at the moment.

1) I am needing to construct or purchase a bio tower to hold the bio balls. I have no experience with working with acrylic , so I can either find someone who does or maybe make it out of something else. I see a lot of people using rubber maid containers , but I cannot find one that is the size I need. Are there any shops online that might offer a pre made bio chamber or custom work ? (Besides Lifereef)

2) I am wanting to use Purigen in a reactor , but this is my question. The main return pump will be pushing 1500 Gallons an hour , but for the reactor they recommend a powerhead pushing 200-300 GPH. So if use a reactor with a powerhead pushing 200-300 GPH , what about the other flow ? Is most of the water going to bypass the reactor ?


3) I am baffled by baffles , how does one measure and know where to put the baffles ?


4) I would like to use a 10 gallon aquarium as a refugium next to the 75 gallon tank , but how would I plumb this to be utilized by the sump but to not create a flood ? The refugium needs a lot slower flow than 1200 GPH
 
1. If you have specific dimensions in mind then go to a plastic shop and they can build it for you. Since it's custom it'll probably be expensive. Or make due with something that isn't exactly what you want.

2. You will have to split the pump output and allow most of the flow to bypass the reactor, controlling the flow with ball valves.

3. Baffles aren't absolutely necessary unless your design calls for them. Use them to control water level in specific areas in the sump if you need to. Use two of them close together to add a sponge if you like.

4. I wouldn't feel safe doing this unless the tank is higher than the 75 gallon and can be drilled to allow draining back into the sump. As with the reactor, split the pump output and control the flow into the refugium with a ball valve.
 
Thank you so much for your help ! As far as the stand by refugium , Could I drill a hole in in the 75 and one in the 10 gallon and use a piece of PVC to connect the two , maybe use a powerhead to push the water through the pipe connecting the two ?

Then put my return pump in the 10 gallon instead of the 75 ?
 
You can drill both and use a flexible hose to connect them. I would still suggest keeping the top of the ten gallon level with or higher than the top of the 75 and either splitting the output from the main pump to feed it or using another small pump to feed it from the 75 and have it drain back into the 75.


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Shenlon said:
I am in the process of putting together a 75 Gallon Sump for my 150 Gallon Aquarium. This is my first time ever doing anything like this , so I am kind of overwhelmed at the moment.

1) I am needing to construct or purchase a bio tower to hold the bio balls. I have no experience with working with acrylic , so I can either find someone who does or maybe make it out of something else. I see a lot of people using rubber maid containers , but I cannot find one that is the size I need. Are there any shops online that might offer a pre made bio chamber or custom work ? (Besides Lifereef)

2) I am wanting to use Purigen in a reactor , but this is my question. The main return pump will be pushing 1500 Gallons an hour , but for the reactor they recommend a powerhead pushing 200-300 GPH. So if use a reactor with a powerhead pushing 200-300 GPH , what about the other flow ? Is most of the water going to bypass the reactor ?


3) I am baffled by baffles , how does one measure and know where to put the baffles ?


4) I would like to use a 10 gallon aquarium as a refugium next to the 75 gallon tank , but how would I plumb this to be utilized by the sump but to not create a flood ? The refugium needs a lot slower flow than 1200 GPH
Click to expand...

Is this a freshwater setup?

I like to use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle whenever possible. It sounds like you are making things more complicated than they need to be. I would design your filter so that your drains flow into filter socks in your sump, dump some Seachem Pond Matrix, Ceramic Rings or other submersible bio media of choice in your sump and call it a day. You don't need multiple baffles, bio-ball towers, reactors, moving beds or refugiums (assuming freshwater); all those things are going to cost you a lot more cash to setup, but your result won't be much different (if at all) from someone running a more simple sump.

The goal is to remove particulates from the water (mechanical filtration) and create an environment for ammonia consuming bacteria to grow (biological filtration). The guy running a dozen different compartments in his sump, bio towers, reactors, moving beds and refugiums might feel good about his filter, but the proof is in the pudding...his water parameters are going to be no different than someone using a more simple design (this is how I have my sump setup and my parameters are: 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, 20PPM Nitrates with weekly 20% water changes).


Other suggestions to avoid flooding your sump:

1. It's a good idea to not top off your tank while your pumps are running. This ensures your sump will never be overwhelmed/flood in the event of a powerfailure or anytime your pumps are off.
2. Keep your returns close to the water's surface so that when your pumps are off, the amount of water that is backsiphoned is minimal OR drill a hole just below the water's surface on your returns to break the siphon when your pumps are off.
 
This is for freshwater indeed , for Fancy Goldfish as a matter of fact. They are very very messy fish , so I guess I am trying to overkill things. I will take your considerations to heart and tone it down some.

What flow through the sump do you recommend ? 10x ?
 
Make it simple with 2 large filter socks, submerged Bio media, a pothos plant or two and you will be good to go. Lots of water changes.
 
10x seems like overkill for fancy gold fishes. Never kept any so you can take my advice with a grain of salt but whenever I look at them, they don't seem like they can take a lot of flow. And I agree with making the sump simple. Makes the maintenance a breeze.
 
The reason I went with 10x is because in dealing with standard canister filters/hob filters the rule is 10x Gallons per hour. I do not know if this translates the same to a sump though. Also in reading about sumps in general I see 10x mentioned as a good target to aim.

Now I am a total noob at sumps , which is why I am here asking questions. Please feel free to correct me if this is wrong.
 
It depends who you ask and what kind of fish they're keeping. I guess 10x could work if you spread the return out so it will not be so concentrated. Maybe like a spray bar return slightly tilted up may help.
 
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