Hey everybody!
Glad to be back. Anyone thats been wondering what happened and where I've been can check the introduce yourself forum and I put the details there.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/back-again.657102/
Anyways, I've been using the search feature to try and avoid yet another 'DIY SUMP HELP' posting. Unfortunately two things happened, 1st; I couldn't find anything that helped answer my question that the photos were still in place, and 2; honestly I got tired of searching. Sorry... So here goes...
My plan is to put together a 125g African Cichlid tank and use a sump for filtration. My last setup (few years ago) worked well so I plan on sticking with the 1400gph submersible pump flow rate again. However this time around, rather than buying a pre-fabbed expensive sump from a company, I spun through Petco yesterday and grabbed a 55G tank ($1 per gallon sale) and plan on using it as a sump. I found a local plactics company that I can get acrylic sheets from and dug through their scrap bin and got a bunch of pieces ($! each) to play with to see if I could make one.
First thing I realized, the videos I've seen of someone cutting acrylic sheets with a razor blade and 'popping' it, are a lot harder than it looks. I then remembered something I saw on youtube about using filter socks and it got me thinking. I remember years ago seeing someone on here that had used a tank for a sump using no baffles, only with a filter sock going into it, submersed BioMax, a heater and a return pump.
That being said, I started in a different direction for research. Remembering that everyone on youtube has their own opinion and designs range, I figured I'd post here and ask the experts! Please keep in mind I know there are a lot of DIY ideas using plastic drawer setups to place inside an existing tank, that even tough effective, I'd rather have a more 'pretty' look for my sump. So, my questions are these:
1
Is using a Filter Sock without any baffles a good idea? Or is it better to add baffles to separate the different media from the pther chambers?
2 Is it worth it to build in a 'Drip Tray' and use it with Bio Balls or Scrubbies as a trickle filter vs just mounting the Filter socks & heater in the first chamber, then adding BioMax to the second, then the return in the third chamber?
3 Should I consider cutting down on the size of one of the chambers and adding a small refugium to the sump for better filtration?
4 Or would it be better for me just to bite the bullet and buy one of the Pre-Fab Sumps and be done with it?
Thanks in advance.
Glad to be back. Anyone thats been wondering what happened and where I've been can check the introduce yourself forum and I put the details there.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/back-again.657102/
Anyways, I've been using the search feature to try and avoid yet another 'DIY SUMP HELP' posting. Unfortunately two things happened, 1st; I couldn't find anything that helped answer my question that the photos were still in place, and 2; honestly I got tired of searching. Sorry... So here goes...
My plan is to put together a 125g African Cichlid tank and use a sump for filtration. My last setup (few years ago) worked well so I plan on sticking with the 1400gph submersible pump flow rate again. However this time around, rather than buying a pre-fabbed expensive sump from a company, I spun through Petco yesterday and grabbed a 55G tank ($1 per gallon sale) and plan on using it as a sump. I found a local plactics company that I can get acrylic sheets from and dug through their scrap bin and got a bunch of pieces ($! each) to play with to see if I could make one.
First thing I realized, the videos I've seen of someone cutting acrylic sheets with a razor blade and 'popping' it, are a lot harder than it looks. I then remembered something I saw on youtube about using filter socks and it got me thinking. I remember years ago seeing someone on here that had used a tank for a sump using no baffles, only with a filter sock going into it, submersed BioMax, a heater and a return pump.
That being said, I started in a different direction for research. Remembering that everyone on youtube has their own opinion and designs range, I figured I'd post here and ask the experts! Please keep in mind I know there are a lot of DIY ideas using plastic drawer setups to place inside an existing tank, that even tough effective, I'd rather have a more 'pretty' look for my sump. So, my questions are these:
1
Is using a Filter Sock without any baffles a good idea? Or is it better to add baffles to separate the different media from the pther chambers?2
Is it worth it to build in a 'Drip Tray' and use it with Bio Balls or Scrubbies as a trickle filter vs just mounting the Filter socks & heater in the first chamber, then adding BioMax to the second, then the return in the third chamber?3
Should I consider cutting down on the size of one of the chambers and adding a small refugium to the sump for better filtration?4
Or would it be better for me just to bite the bullet and buy one of the Pre-Fab Sumps and be done with it?Thanks in advance.
