New sump design, what do you think??

[Conner]

I came up with a new sump design. I may build this for the 220g I should be getting in the next week or two.

The water comes from the tank overflow, and first empties through several layers of coarse-fine media layered. This media is held in the top half of a 10g tank.

The bottom half is left empty, and 2 holes are drilled under the bottom of the media.

Pipes run from these holes down to a 55g sump.

The pipes empty into a pair of 100 or 200 micron socks.

Then the water flows under a divider, then over another and spills onto a drip plate.

It then flows down through the biomedia, and into the final chamber, where a pump sends it back up into the tank.

What do you guys think? Hopefully this will increase the amount of time between cleanings of the filter socks, as right now I'm cleaning them (on my current tank) about every 48 hours .

Here's a pic I drew up quick:

 

[BadOleRoss]

I like it but I would reverse the filter socks and the initial filter media. It seems to me that the first filter media your water comes in contact with is going to catch the majority of the big nastyness. I would want that filter to be the easiest and quickest to change....filter socks.

 

[Conner]

I like it but I would reverse the filter socks and the initial filter media. It seems to me that the first filter media your water comes in contact with is going to catch the majority of the big nastyness. I would want that filter to be the easiest and quickest to change....filter socks.

See, I feel exactly the opposite. I feel like it would makes more sense to have the coarser bonded media pads first, to catch the larger gunk, and then have the water flow through the micron filter pads, which polish it of the smaller particulate matter.

I feel like the filter socks just gunk up too quickly. I am having to change the 200 micron socks on my 125g tank every 48 hours, at the most. With bonded filter pads pre-filtering the water, I figure I can cut that back to every 5-7 days, with the bonded pads being changed about once ever other week.

 

[beex215]

you can go with either coarse or fine first. thats opinion i guess. some brand name canisters use coarse media first as you described, i personally use micron only and they do clog pretty quickly.

 

[BadOleRoss]

See, I feel exactly the opposite. I feel like it would makes more sense to have the coarser bonded media pads first, to catch the larger gunk, and then have the water flow through the micron filter pads, which polish it of the smaller particulate matter.

I feel like the filter socks just gunk up too quickly. I am having to change the 200 micron socks on my 125g tank every 48 hours, at the most. With bonded filter pads pre-filtering the water, I figure I can cut that back to every 5-7 days, with the bonded pads being changed about once ever other week.

I will have to concede to Conner. If the filter socks will clog that fast you dont want them first.

 

[LD50]

I'm doing kinda the same thing, except im incorperateing my mech/bio all in one shot useing a 5g bucket, and im letting plants mop up the rest. (not to scale)

 

[Conner]

I'm doing kinda the same thing, except im incorperateing my mech/bio all in one shot useing a 5g bucket, and im letting plants mop up the rest. (not to scale)

The only problem I see with yours is that it looks like it will be a pain to clean the filter sock from under the bucket. Other than that it looks good. Also, this design depends on the amount of space inside the stand. If I don't have enough overhead room, I will have to change the design, if I won't be able to place the 10g above the 55g. In that case I'm not sure what I will do.

 

[csnmusic02]

i would turn it around so the pump is closer so you dont lose alot of gph out of the pump

 

[Conner]

i would turn it around so the pump is closer so you dont lose alot of gph out of the pump

I didn't think about that. I might do that. Is the gph lost from those extra few feet of horizontal distance that much though?

 

[LD50]

As long as theere is no blockage in the sump the horozontal distance between input (water comeing from the tank) and where the pump pickes it up is irrelivant....you could have a sump 10' long with water comeing in one end and your pump on the other and it wont matter. Only the vertical (head space) effects gph.

And I see what your saying about getting to the sock, maybe a 90 degree bend on the side of the 5g bucket that empties into a sock? Or what if you just filled the sock with poly fill? can you do that?