My first sump.

BizTodd

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This is the first sump I have used or made. This will be for a bare bottom 180 Gallon tank, so minimal biological taking pace in the actual aquarium. There will be potted plants and moderate stocking of community fish or Discuss.

This is the 4 chamber sump I setup.
IMG_20200626_133023.jpg

The first chamber will receive water from the tank and has 48 Pot scrubbers. It will overflow the next baffle, and will go through a series of filter pads to clean debris, it will go under the next baffle. The egg crate in the back is just a cover for a 300W heater as I will put biologicals in the 3rd compartment. Lastly it will overflow the last baffle, there is a bubble trap with a fine filter pad at the bottom and of course the return.

What would you do with that 3rd chamber?

Todd
 

deeda

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I thought plastic pot scrubbers were used for bio and not mechanical filtration?
 

BizTodd

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I read the same, but would it be bad to have pot scrubbers in the first chamber? Will it capture too much waste and become toxic?

Thanks,

Todd
 

duanes

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Since the tank will be bare I'd put heavier biomedia (lava rock, rings, whatever on the floor of the sump chamber, and put the scrubbers on top of them)
In the 1st chamber I would put mechanical media such as filter socks, floss, to Poret foam to catch the detritus, any of these are easy to pull out and rinse out/clean. I believe the pot cubbies will be a pain to clean out en masse unless they are in a mesh bag, but even then when you pull them out to rinse in that 1st chamber, the gunk will fall back into the sump defeating the purpose.
I use Portet Foam and floss as a first stage to collect gunk in my 1st stage, biomedia in the 2nd, another porous block before the pump to grow algae, and pup out.
for what its worth
below 1st chamber in one of my sumps, for filtering out gunk, floss & Poret Foam, its easy to lift out and clean, doesn't drip a lot of gunk back in when being removed. You can see the junk that is collect after a few days.
4A287671-0A1A-4C84-9B88-02227D8D6663_1_201_a.jpeg
next chamber bio media such as bio-balls, rings, "whatever", because it doesn't much matter what they are as long as they are a surface for bacteria to grow on
57830240-186C-4349-8C4F-7601ACF9FFB9_1_201_a.jpeg
To the left, you can see a porous lava rock block, it sits in front of the pump to catch debris and also grow beneficial bacteria.
It also grows algae that help control nitrate, as do the floating plants in that chamber (Salvinia)
I also like filter socks for mechanical in sumps without baffles, as mechanical media.

and just plain old lava rock as bio-media, or media in mesh bags ( like the unimpeded flow one gets without baffles slowing things down, ad feating did spots)

 
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BizTodd

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I moved the scrubbies to be after the mechanical filtration. My idea for this sump is based on a horizontal mechanical filtration. The idea is I would have coarse Matta Sponge seperating fine filter floss pads. When the first filter floss gets dirty, you pull it and the Matta out, push the rest forward, and replace the floss with the sponge at the back. That way there is always a sponge and a filter floss behind the one I remove. The Matta comes on Monday and I will post a picture again then.

I have some baked clay balls from my Frog keeping days, I ordered some ceramic bio media, and I have some Bio Balls to add to the scrubbies.
 

BizTodd

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The first chamber will be a settlement chamber, and have some Pathos. I've added coarse Matta filter and fine filter pads for mechanical. Still waiting on my mesh bags so I can add the biological.

IMG_20200629_125703.jpgIMG_20200629_125659.jpg
 

deeda

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Mesh lingerie bags with zippers made for use in a washing machine work great for holding media!

I doubt if you'll see much debris settling in the 1st chamber since that will be the incoming water from the tank. What are those 2 long black pipes for in the 1st chamber?
 
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BizTodd

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Mesh lingerie bags with zippers made for use in a washing machine work great for holding media!
I've ordered them via Amazon. Should be here tomorrow. Then I'll fill them with ceramic rings and hygroton balls.
 
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Goliath Tigerfish
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I resisted sumps for years but now I can't imagine not running one, you are going to love it as long as your plumbing is correct
 
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