Well I ordered a bunch of scrubbers. I'm mainly doing this for added water volume that's why I was going for that style
Where are you putting the pumps and heaters? It's not clear from the diagram.Anyone see each issues with the size of the return section?
Heaters are in the tank. The return pump is behind the sponge filters but it looks like I'm only going to get oneWhere are you putting the pumps and heaters? It's not clear from the diagram.
I already have the glass and stuff to section them off but I may only section off the first part for the mechanical filtrationIf your pump fits in the section, and you have enough room to get your hands in to do maintenance, then its big enough.
I sectioned off sumps for a while (as is traditional), but now my preference is to keep the sump an open area where media is in mesh bags, easier to lift out, and swish around in old water change water to get rid of gunk.
You will know if you have enough media, by doing ammonia tests after the tank is cycled. All bio-media is, is just a surface for bacteria to grow on, if there is enough surface area to for bacteria to colonize, and oxygenated water flows past it, to eat ammonia, you have enough.
And it doesn't matter what the media is, pot Scrubbers, lava rock, bio-balls are all just surfaces to grow bacteria on, and that bacteria is not particular, it will grow on old hair curlers, of old porous bricks. At the moment, I'm using sea shells I find at the beach., among other stuff.
View attachment 1391088
The above sump is sectioned off, because it came with the tank that way, but my plan is to use something bigger and open so maintenance becomes easier, to just reach in and grab what needs to be cleaned, or repaired.
It is also a tradition (maybe because it saves space, to put sumps directly below tanks.
This practice leaves little room for arm movement, I now put sumps off to the side (because I have the available space), making it easier to get stuff in and out of.
View attachment 1391089