New sump idea

[CHOMPERS]

Here's one of my DIY filters. It has a wet/dry companion that it works with. I'll post that one later.

The green stuff is polyester fiber fill. It is the same thing as the white stuff. The black stuff is sheets of foam. The cells are too large to trap particles but it works good for bio-media. The white foam is good for trapping tiny particles that make it past the fiber fill. The water from the tanks on this system is crystal clear.

The space on the right end is where the water dumps in. The water then slowly and evenly flows to the left. The small pump in the left chamber pumps some water to the wet/dry for further bio-filtration. The water is then returned to the right end chamber. The purpose is two fold. The water is very well oxygenated for the bacteria colony in the wet sump. The second purpose is for when the main pump is shut down, the whole filter system will still have circulation and oxygen.

This next statement is going to violate everything you have ever read or learned about filters... I clean it once every six to nine months. It has a drip system on it and wouldn't be possible without it. The filter is sufficiently large and acts as a septic tank. It holds the waste until it breaks down to dissolved organics. The drip system then flushes them out of the system. Very little is left in the filter which is why it can have such a long maintenance cycle. My nitrates are typically around 10, but I have tested it at 20.

 

[CHOMPERS]

And the wet/dry:

I no longer use the quilt batting in the wet/dry. The wet sump works so well that the quilt batting was always clean. The bio-wheels were in there to keep them alive. I now have all the extra space filled with scrubbies.

 

[bigcol]

Chompers thats a nice filter m8 and by what your saying seems to work quite well but i still dont see what you mean about mine, i mean what exactly is it you were trying to say i should change or could change

 

[CHOMPERS]

Your sponges in the wet zone will have a dead area. They will eventually turn anaerobic. On the plus side, they will consume nitrates but the huge minus is it will also produce hydrogen sulfide. Normally it won't be a problem. But when you clean the filter, it will release a huge quantity of it and can wipe out your tank in minutes.

 

[bigcol]

Your sponges in the wet zone will have a dead area. They will eventually turn anaerobic. On the plus side, they will consume nitrates but the huge minus is it will also produce hydrogen sulfide. Normally it won't be a problem. But when you clean the filter, it will release a huge quantity of it and can wipe out your tank in minutes.

oh thats good to know m8 so what can i doo to solve this prob, i havnt started making it yet so im open to any suggestions that might solve this problem

 

[CHOMPERS]

The easy fix will be to raise up the sponge media about 2 cm and then have a double baffle before the ceramic rings. The idea is to draw water from below the sponges.

The first baffle should be 2 cm from the bottom, the second baffle should go from the bottom to half way up.



The other way is to have a space on the end as in my filter and divert the flow from the wet/dry portion to that space. Use egg crate as your separating walls (to hold back the sponges and to allow even horizontal flow).

 

[bigcol]

The easy fix will be to raise up the sponge media about 2 cm and then have a double baffle before the ceramic rings. The idea is to draw water from below the sponges.

The first baffle should be 2 cm from the bottom, the second baffle should go from the bottom to half way up.



The other way is to have a space on the end as in my filter and divert the flow from the wet/dry portion to that space. Use egg crate as your separating walls (to hold back the sponges and to allow even horizontal flow).

ok m8 a couple ov things, whats a baffle lol do you mean the bubble traps are you suggesting i create another 1 after the 1st chamber so it would go under over then under again? im trying to understand but as this is my 1st sump i dont understand some of the words your using lol excuse my dopeyness i will get there if you can put up with my questions

 

[CHOMPERS]

Yes, like the bubble trap. The partitian is a baffle or a bulkhead (however, everyone inappropriately calls a bulkhead fitting a bulkhead).

First under then over.

 

[bigcol]

Yes, like the bubble trap. The partitian is a baffle or a bulkhead (however, everyone inappropriately calls a bulkhead fitting a bulkhead).

First under then over.

ok so are you suggesting another baffle after the over which will let the water go under before it reaches he ceramics, and the way i had measured was the 1st baffle will be 1nd half inch from the bottom do i need to lower it to 2cm? and will this carry on the same all the way along the sump?

 

[bigcol]

chompers is this what you mean?