The confusion comes from people either improperly refering to their filters or only referring to a specific part of their filter and others on understanding this.
The sump is the tank that holds the wet/ dry filter which is kind of a misnomer in itself, part of it is not dry, just not submerged in the sump. The sump is usually 1/3 full of water with a return pump at the bottom. Filter consists of seversl layers of different filter materials. Water is usually siphoned from the tank into the wet/dry filter continuously. Filter materials are stacked above each other and drain from one down to the next. The first filter beening a course filter to remove large particulate matter (commercial floor scrubber pads are good for this and last forever, atleast I've never had one breakdown in10+ yrs.). Second filter is a medium texture, to further remove matter (same as first filter just get a finer polishing pad). Third filter is optional depending on what kind of bio-load you have (type and amount / size of fish). I recommend a third filter of a fine texture usually poly-fil batting (walmart, or cloth stores) to remove the finest stuff (also called polishing the water). The final part of this filter is the bio-media, Many different things can be used here, but I am going to suggest the nylon pot scrubbers as material of choice
http://www.wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm ) cheap / easy to care for / very large surface area and best reference 'used / proven by people like us'. These scrubbers (accurately named) are piled under the other filters so that they are half out of the water, the water drips on the scrubbers allowing aeration / degassing to occur and where the bacteria live and work - removing ammonia & converting nitrites to nitrates that are then removed by regular partial water changes. All of these filters need to be cleaned periodically by immersing in a large buckets of tank water saved from a water change(recycling?). Immerse and sqeeze lightly to remove most of the particulates (isn't that a polite term) matter, then reinstall.
NEVER: 1). Ever let filters dry out. 2) Ever clean with untreated chlorinated water.
Simple. Easy. Carefree... Oh wait this an aquarium nothing is ever carefree.
Check out Danh's filter:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=409462#post409462
and this is like maxumis':
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Uthup_Sump_Filter.html
Balancing the siphon to filter flow rate to return pump flow is the thing that may take a little time to get right.
There are plenty of siphon threads on here:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15733&page=7
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32261
http://www.3reef.com/forums/attachm...p-diy-overflow-overflowmydry.jpg?d=1108229259
If you had the urge ($) look at this:
http://www.aquacrylics.com/aquarium_filters.htm
Good luck, if there's anything we can help with - you know where we are
Remember: Take pics and post when you build.
Dr Joe
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