Media for sump?

[jschall]

I'm planning on using a ~25 gallon rubbermaid container for my sump. I can't really install baffles in it, but I could probably put smaller containers in it to simulate baffles.

I've never used a sump. What should I put in there? Get some of those pot scrubbies and fill it up? Will they work effectively as a mechanical filter, or are they solely a bio thing?

This is going on a 150 tall, reef-ready tank with one corner overflow. I've got a pump that does 450gph @ 4ft. Can the sump filter the tank by itself if I have enough flow in the tank, or do I need something that has a lower intake as well?

I'm open to all suggestions. Please help, I want to get this tank running. What works, what doesn't?

 

[BlackShark11k]

Scrubbies are great if your not using them fully submerged ( I do but a lot of people dont recomend that ), ceramic rings are pound for pound some of the best stuff for fully submerged... Lava rock is the *worst* media you can use, will clog and has low surface area.

 

[jschall]

Scrubbies are great if your not using them fully submerged ( I do but a lot of people dont recomend that ), ceramic rings are pound for pound some of the best stuff for fully submerged... Lava rock is the *worst* media you can use, will clog and has low surface area.

My main concern is mechanical filtration and how easy it will be to get it out and clean it.

 

[BlackShark11k]

My main concern is mechanical filtration and how easy it will be to get it out and clean it.

A lot of people use filter socks, or some filter foam/mesh whatever you call it. Scrubbies are super easy to clean IMO, may or may not get clogged if you dont throw some addition mech filtration behind it. That said, I use scrubbies in my HOB filter too and use scrubbies and scrubbies only... so far no clogging and it filters out the particles great.

 

[swk]

If you're gonna submerge your media, then I would go with japanese filter mats. They're a bit pricey but last forever and can hold huge amounts of bacteria. Check out the laguna pond filter media. Good stuff. I use it in the wet section of my wet/dry filter

 

[jschall]

And is just an overflow fine, or do I need a low level intake?

 

[cichlid2006]

Regardless of what you see getting thrown around this and many other forums. It will not matter what bioligal media you use as everything in your tank is bio media, along with your sponges for mechanical filtration.
Sheets of sponge kill two birds with one stone as does japanese matting.
While some bio specific media is much more efficient in wet/dry filters rather than fully submerged in sumps or other filters the chance of you noticing, unless you are doing scientific studies pushing bio cxapacity to its absolute limit, is negligible.

To the average hobbiest it really doesn't matter what you use or really how much, My tank is well stocked, my sump is 30x18x18", one section with 4" fine sponge with 2" floss matt on top and about 10 bio balls now after removing some because I thought it was too much initially. I would go as far to say that if you have money you want to waste, the expensive bio stuff will certainly waste it but if you like to save a few quid here and there then cheap stuff or even "ghetto" such as scrubbies or cut up straws (1 member that I know of here has done it) will be fine.
I have had no change in water quality at all since removing some bio balls. I am considering removing the bio balls completely because I doubt they need to be in there. I will post the resulting change when I get around to it so people can see for themselves.

 

[KaiserSousay]

I can't really install baffles in it, but I could probably put smaller containers in it to simulate baffles.
If you have the headroom in your cabinet/stand, a media tower made out of plastic drawers has been proven to work quite well.
Scrubbies can work as mechanical filtration but they are not as effective as other media.
Add in the hassle of trying to clean them.
I used a series of plastic shoe boxes, stacked, as my media containers.
Top box was full of quilt batting which dripped into a box of scrubbies.
I made 2 boxes for the batting so I could just swap the boxes when the media needed cleaning.

I am considering removing the bio balls completely

I agree with the reasoning, but would suggest you not do it.
An out of tank bacterial colony is like having a spare tire for your car.
Nice to have if ever needed and takes up next to no space.
Well, no space unless you have a tub full of scrubbies

 

[Pharaoh]

I am hooked on using filter socks on sumps. The water just gets ridiculously clean when using them. I agree with the others that it really doesn't matter what type of bio media you use. They should all be sufficient. I use scrubbies because I have a ton of them.

 

[cichlid2006]

I agree with the reasoning, but would suggest you not do it.
An out of tank bacterial colony is like having a spare tire for your car.
Nice to have if ever needed and takes up next to no space.
Well, no space unless you have a tub full of scrubbies

I should have added that I am increasing the fine sponge to 6" (a total of 18x9.5x6") and the fine floss mat to 4" (18x9.5x4") while adding 3 or 4 100 micron filter socks so the bio balls are just there for no reason other than to fill a space. Just excess baggage.
My tank is full of rock, wood and pots with a sand substrate and 2x 6000 l/h pumps pushing water around and I only want 1 more fish then I'm done so extra bio media is far from needed in my tank.
i will post results thought when I remove the bio balls and we will see if they make a difference before I add the extra sponge.