My sump idea, looking for suggestions

[Wolfen]

Yeah, plus if the clog is major, the water could pour out from top

 

[Oughtsix]

Do you guys have room for a heater or two in those sumps?

They look pretty simple and pretty easy to get the mechanical media out for cleaning... I like that!

Have you considered using a filter sock or two in the first compartment to remove some of the larger chunks and keep the mechanical media from getting dirty and clogging as fast?

I would throw a couple of air wands under your bio media to oxygenate the water and keep the bacteria happy.

 

[Artt]

The only problem I see with this design would be the filter media at the bottom would become clogged first and to clean it you would have to remove it all to get to the fist layer.
With the filter arranged in a side stack you can remove the first layer and clean as often as needed
I think the original design would work there just needs to be outlets at the bottom of the baffling before the return pumps . Not at the top

Curious because I'm working on my own sump at the moment...Converting a saltwater to fresh. Could the problem with the bottom layer of media needing cleaning first be worked around if you used filter socks before the water hit any of the filter media?

 

[monkeybike]

Curious because I'm working on my own sump at the moment...Converting a saltwater to fresh. Could the problem with the bottom layer of media needing cleaning first be worked around if you used filter socks before the water hit any of the filter media?

I run socks and still get mulm in the bio media. I just pull the media out, swish in a bucket of tank water, vacuum the sump and place the media back in. Usually every 6-8 months.

 

[Artt]

I run socks and still get mulm in the bio media. I just pull the media out, swish in a bucket of tank water, vacuum the sump and place the media back in. Usually every 6-8 months.

Every 6-8 months sounds pretty good compared to my current cleaning schedule.

 

[astrocreep]

The only problem I see with this design would be the filter media at the bottom would become clogged first and to clean it you would have to remove it all to get to the fist layer.
With the filter arranged in a side stack you can remove the first layer and clean as often as needed
I think the original design would work there just needs to be outlets at the bottom of the baffling before the return pumps . Not at the top

okay i see your point. You could still achieve what you're talking about if you kept the vertical stack though (as opposed to my horizontal drawing) This would both ensure the water has to flow that way as well as being able to remove the first filter pad to clean.

 

[astrocreep]

Yeah, plus if the clog is major, the water could pour out from top

Thats why I wouldn't take the first baffle all the way to the top, in the case of a clog, water would be allowed to overflow the first baffle and drain down into the second chamber.