New 180 Gallon tank setup

[skyrex]

Hi Guys new here.

Just got my own place and have this new tank righ here which I will keep birchirs.

I have a sump space beneath the tank which can probably accomodate another 80 gallon tank.

Will order it to be about 890mm long. Will probably split it 20% mechanical filtration, 60% bio, 20% return.

From all the info online i read that 30ppi foam is the way to go if not doing fluidize K1. But am not sure how to go about doing it. Can't really find much full foam sump setup around. And also i believe i am suppose to mix that up with 10ppi and 20ppi foam as well.

Appreciate any advice you guys can give.

Thanks in advance!

 

[deeda]

Welcome to MFK and nice looking tank!

 

[duanes]

There are no hard and fast rules for doing a sump.
Some people divide sumps into separate sections and divide the sections off with incomplete walls.
I don't because I find permanent sections as restrictive, and a pain to move around during maintenance.
Some people use a lot of bio-media thinking that provides more bio activity.
I don't because the population of bacteria is reliant on how much waste your fish put out, not volume of media.
10 ft of biomedia won't be any more populated than 2 ft if your stocking doesn't put out enough ammonia as food for the bacteria.
Of course if you over stock and don't provide enough surface area, that could be problematic, but since every surface in a tank (substrate, glass, rocks, plants, get covered in bio film over time, so highly unlikely, except in the beginning.
Below is my sump.

You'll notice only about an 8th of the length is the space for the pump, the bio bags, and a Matten Foam block.
Not saying this is what you should do, it's just what works for me.
I'm sure others will post different configurations, all showing that there is no one way to be successful.
Below is the 1/8th section when the sump was 1st being put together, and before being planted

 

[skyrex]

Welcome to MFK and nice looking tank!

Thanks. its empty right now so hope it can look better soon. haha

There are no hard and fast rules for doing a sump.
Some people divide sumps into separate sections and divide the sections off with incomplete walls.
I don't because I find permanent sections as restrictive, and a pain to move around during maintenance.
Some people use a lot of bio-media thinking that provides more bio activity.
I don't because the population of bacteria is reliant on how much waste your fish put out, not volume of media.
10 ft of biomedia won't be any more populated than 2 ft if your stocking doesn't put out enough ammonia as food for the bacteria.
Of course if you over stock and don't provide enough surface area, that could be problematic, but since every surface in a tank (substrate, glass, rocks, plants, get covered in bio film over time, so highly unlikely, except in the beginning.
Below is my sump.
View attachment 1512039
You'll notice only about an 8th of the length is the space for the pump, the bio bags, and a Matten Foam block.
Not saying this is what you should do, it's just what works for me.
I'm sure others will post different configurations, all showing that there is no one way to be successful.
Below is the 1/8th section when the sump was 1st being put together, and before being planted
View attachment 1512040

View attachment 1512041

Wow a planted sump is actually quite nice to have.

right now actually i am looking at budling something like this.



What do you guys think ?

 

[Tj203]

Hi Guys new here.

Just got my own place and have this new tank righ here which I will keep birchirs.

I have a sump space beneath the tank which can probably accomodate another 80 gallon tank.

Will order it to be about 890mm long. Will probably split it 20% mechanical filtration, 60% bio, 20% return.

From all the info online i read that 30ppi foam is the way to go if not doing fluidize K1. But am not sure how to go about doing it. Can't really find much full foam sump setup around. And also i believe i am suppose to mix that up with 10ppi and 20ppi foam as well.

Appreciate any advice you guys can give.

Thanks in advance!
View attachment 1511998View attachment 1511999

In my personal opinion I would stay away from K1 if you want some I have some for sale. I used it in my 600 gallon and it just got clogged up I did not like it at all my Marine pure blocks and sulfur denitrator are a thousand times better

 

[Tj203]

Thanks. its empty right now so hope it can look better soon. haha



Wow a planted sump is actually quite nice to have.

right now actually i am looking at budling something like this.

View attachment 1512054

What do you guys think ?

You usually put another glass between the return pump and that other pain to block the micro bubbles from going to your return pump.
I would also rotate those sponges in the middle 90° because the water is just going to force them off especially when they get clogged.
Third I made this mistake the return section for the pump was too small so the pump would run dry because there was not enough volume I was also running like 5,000 GPH and that's actual flow after a head loss and everything. I ended up having to drill the sump and run the pump external.

 

[skyrex]

You usually put another glass between the return pump and that other pain to block the micro bubbles from going to your return pump.
I would also rotate those sponges in the middle 90° because the water is just going to force them off especially when they get clogged.
Third I made this mistake the return section for the pump was too small so the pump would run dry because there was not enough volume I was also running like 5,000 GPH and that's actual flow after a head loss and everything. I ended up having to drill the sump and run the pump external.

thanks for the advice ! All the light blue lines in the diagram are the glass panels between each chamber.
As for rotating the foam I was thinking that the mechanical filter will keep the foam clean. Also I will use some sort of try to keep the foam off the bottom of the tank to aid with flow

 

[Tj203]

thanks for the advice ! All the light blue lines in the diagram are the glass panels between each chamber.
As for rotating the foam I was thinking that the mechanical filter will keep the foam clean. Also I will use some sort of try to keep the foam off the bottom of the tank to aid with flow

If the mechanical filtration is going to keep the foam clean what is the point of putting it in? foam is not biomedia so the only purpose would be mechanical filtration.
I'm also not following you about putting a tray to keep the foam off the bottom even with it off the bottom the way your design is it's going to flow upwards and over the glass panel to the right. it will without a doubt push that up as it collects waste. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to rotate it 90° and place them vertically instead of horizontal, it provides the same amount of filtration without the problem of it moving?
Also if you look up bubble trap for a sump you'll see you should have three glass panels before the return pump chamber to stop the micro bubbles not two.

The sump you designed is very similar to the one I was running at first on my 600 gallon I'm speaking from experience. Those micro bubbles and the small return chamber sucked to fix after the tank was up especially when you have to glue panels and it usually takes 24 hours to cure so I needed to run a canister filter while my Sump was down. I personally think you have way too much mechanical filtration and I would break it up and have an low flow for anaerobic bacteria And/or I would either be running an algae scrubber or have some kind of pothos plants in the sump to help control phosphate

 

[skyrex]

Right now i was thinking of using the foam as biomedia. So i am not sure if still do need filter pads in the left chambers or i can just maybe run it through a sock before it hits the foam.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Welcome. I've no advice but I like that tank. Are there coast to coast overflows on both ends or just one?