How much media needed

[Lyferxb9s]

Building my first sump in about 8 years and I feel like I'm lost. I'm torn between ideas, a 1gallon glass jar with 4lbs if filter sand and a power head surrounded by a few inches of lava rock, bio balls, or pot scrubbers. This will initially be on my heavily stocked 125 and then be changed around for my 400. I'm using a 55g tank and gave 25 gallons for bio media. I can adjust that to be more condensed. What would chose and how much? Here's a right drawing of my idea. It will also have two 6"x12" sponge filters n front if the return pump.

 

[Lyferxb9s]

The block piece of the left is eggcrate to keep the bio media from entering the return section

 

[Lyferxb9s]

I've also thought of like 75 pot scrubbers, a big power head with spray bar to try and keep them moving around to keep old bacteria off

 

[BichirKing]

I did the pot scrubby thing and didn't like it. they were a pain to clean. I went back to lava rock in mesh bags much easier to clean. I also have bioballs that sort of float around above the LR just because I had them. I too use egg crate like in your pic but I put 3 pieces of matala mat up against the egg crate. I have a filter sock on the main drain.

 

[Lyferxb9s]

What do you think about using the scrubbers with a large power head to keep them moving? That's my most economical choice that's why I'm so curious

 

[BichirKing]

that's an interesting idea! I would use some sort of mechanical filtration first like a sock or floss to remove large wastes. best thing would be to try it out. everyone knows the K1 moving filter works so I cant see why this wouldn't.

 

[BichirKing]

and a s far as how much media, the more the better! BB will use what it needs and being heavily stocked you probably cant have to much.

 

[Lyferxb9s]

I was going to start off with 75 scrubbers cause I want enough room for them to move and hit each other

 

[esoxlucius]

How much media you actually need isn't really an exact science. A smaller amount of bio media will just have as much BB on as a huge amount of bio media, the only difference will be the density of the colony. The colony can only grow to the levels that the bio load dictates.

A very condensed bio section isn't necessarily a good thing. I think a good flow of well oxygenated nutrient rich water flowing through your media is more important so the movement you are planning in your chosen media is a good thing.

 

[adamsfishes]

I'd do a wet/dry setup where the overflow drain dumps on top of the media, much of which is above the water line. You can create a drip plate with holes in it to evenly disperse the water over the media. And I'd also leave enough length in the return area to fit large heaters, assuming you are going to heat the water.

If you're going for a setup like your diagram with the media submerged in the middle, then you may be better off doing a moving bed type filter.