How to Set Up Sump?

[6erikar9]

Hey all, I recently got a sump for completely free that came with everything including the media and parts, but I have two problems.
1. I have no idea how to set it up efficiently.
2. It is probably 10-30 years old and the company it was made by isn't around anymore.
Could anyone guide me in the right direction? I know it's hard with text alone but nobody local is willing to help and I hace no clue what goes where.

Excuse the bugs in the picture, these were taken before it was gently cleaned.

 

[6erikar9]

Here are more pictures. I figured out where ONE thing goes.

 

[esoxlucius]

Wow, most of that stuff looks like it wouldn't be out of place in a chemistry lab! It's certainly an all singing, all dancing bells and whistles sump that's for sure.

Personally, if I was a bit green around the ears regarding sumps and I came across that thing i'd leave it all boxed up and put it on the buy and sell section on the forum or something. It just looks like a headache in a box to me!

Then i'd go on you tube and look at the many many many ways of rigging up a much simpler sump set up. One that would be just as efficient as that but more importantly, one that would be within my skill set and understanding.

Whichever way you go I hope you get your new sump sorted soon, sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

 

[duanes]

This is a overflow box, it hangs on the rim on the inside of the tank, as water is pumped back into into the tank, water flows between the weirs, and the U-tube siphons it into another overflow box.

water is siphoned with a U-tube into an outside overflow box, below

a long shot below, you can see the outside box hanging on the left of the tank, it services.
Pipes lead to a sump below, and send water by gravity to the sump

Your largest box is the actual sump, where you place filter media, and your pump.

I use an old tank as a sump, but you can see the outside overflow bow upper left, sending water from the tank above to sump below.

Once you've got the two overflow boxes in place (not running) we can try to analyze what all the other stuff is, and if you intend to use it all, and how to use it.

 

[duanes]

I use the valves attached to the pump return line to control how fast water is returned to the tank, from the sump.

If the pump runs to fast, it may overwhelm the overflow box,, throttle it back with the red valve.
If it runs too slow bubbles build up in the U-tube breaking siphon, and cause the tank the tank to overflow, which means flow is too throttled.
By the way, you may want to set this up on a tank outside on a patio, or cement floor of an unfinished basement (where water damage isn't a problem), until the concept of how to run it is clear, and mastered.

 

[6erikar9]

Thank you both, I may just sell it because it is very old and very complicated, but we'll see how it goes! thank you for the overflow information, I now know how to set that up thanks to you.

 

[duanes]

I believe down the road, if you sell it, you may regret the sale.
Being old is not relevant, a sump is just a box to put stuff in, with the bells and whistles it need s to run.
Although it seems complicated, it really is not, once you get the hang of it..
And if after it is sold, if you later want one (because sumps can preform much more extensive filtration than any HOB, or can), the cost of a new commercial one may be overwhelming, unless you are a DIY person and use old tanks or barrels like I do, but still, all the valves and tubes add up. Below a sump I rigged up from an old plastic barrel, with fluidized bed made from clear PVC.

When I bought my latest tank it came with an old sump, a concept not used in decades, a biorocker.
But I adapted it to my current situation.


I use it as an algae scrubber, above, sumps are multipurpose filters and can evolve as your knowledge of fish keeping evolves.