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a1c Rezentes

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 10, 2011
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georgia
:D, just figured id say hey and i love the forum. and was hoping someone could clear up the difference between an over flow and a sump, are they both part of the same thing? are the seperate/ both used for filtration? etc.
ps im trying to gather information for a 250 plytank build in the near future which will have to include filtration;)
and i working on an idea in my head using 50 gal tupperware and pumps but allas it needs to be refined lol
 
cant cut the new guy a break i guess.......:(, :D
 
the overflow is more or less the "intake" for the sump i think. the water goes into the overflow, siphons down to the sump, gets filtered through many and i mean MANY different kinds of media, everyones preference is difference, and is pumped back into the tank.
 
oh ok, so your over flow is mostly just the plumbing from tank to filter media inside your sump, so i guess my next ? is if the over flow is gravity fed or does the sump pump water out of the tank then back into it after filtering
 
usually to my understanding (i dont have one YET) it is fed by gravity or by a siphon and there are only pumps putting water back into the tank. i have heard people say that they point a powerhead in the vicinity to get the flow going into the siphon but like i said, i dont know first hand. usually the water comes in via siphon, goes through some scrubbies or a sponge or somthing dripping down into some bioballs into another chamber with another media maybe sponges or something like algae to promote beneficial bacteria growth just like the bio balls, and into the pump going back into the tank. like i said im no expert but thats what i have seen alot of people's do. some have more chambers some have less.
 
jwalkerafc7;5128580; said:
usually to my understanding (i dont have one YET) it is fed by gravity or by a siphon and there are only pumps putting water back into the tank. i have heard people say that they point a powerhead in the vicinity to get the flow going into the siphon but like i said, i dont know first hand. usually the water comes in via siphon, goes through some scrubbies or a sponge or somthing dripping down into some bioballs into another chamber with another media maybe sponges or something like algae to promote beneficial bacteria growth just like the bio balls, and into the pump going back into the tank. like i said im no expert but thats what i have seen alot of people's do. some have more chambers some have less.
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No expert, but you got it right :)
 
finally lol! after studying sumps for ever i get the concept! ive been wanting to make one just to see if i could do it purely from studying them on this forum and online. it is just so appealing to have a natural filter like that and you dont have to worry about any chords or anything showing because they can all go in the sump :) gonna have to make one when i have time
 
one question/thing i dont understand, do you start the siphon by sucking on it like any other siphon? and i know you have to drill a hole above the water line so the siphon will work right? ive read something about it before but what do you have to do to make sure that it does not keep flowing during a power outage?
 
You have to match the sump size to the top 6" of water in your tank. For example if your top 6" of water in your 40 gallon tank is 10 gallons you need at least a 10 gallon sump for the water to not overflow.
 
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