Normal to feel giddy at sight of first sump working?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
knifegill

knifegill

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Sep 19, 2005
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Oscar Tummy
I realized I was being a total wuss about sumps so I tested out my inherited overflow box with a small pump and some small aquariums. When the water flowed correctly, my heart just fluttered at the thought of how immensely filtered my 125g could be. I feel all giddy. I'm pretty sure I clapped and jumped up and down. Is this normal?
 
yes, but we don't admit it in public...
 
I just threw the RIO in there and it was a freaking torrent of flow! The water fall in the overflow box was almost an inch thick!

I'm riding the dragon! Go dragon go!
 
Anyway, welcome to the world of sumps. It's a playing field on a level you've never dreamed of. The possibilities are endless and some are quite amazing. Here's a little bit of information that I just gave to someone else. Enjoy:


The "secret" to a low maintenance system is a complete system working together (not just the filter). The heart of it all is really a water changer rather than the filter. The filter needs to be sufficiently large so that it doesn't clog up. The bacteria in the filter is allowed to break down the waste to nitrates and dissolved organics. The water changer (drip system) keeps the nitrates and dissolved organics flushed out of the system. The nitrates are testable and the drip system can be adjusted so that the tank water parallels the tap water. As the nitrates approach zero (or the tap water level), the dissolved organics will also approach zero. The tank's water should be crystal clear at this point but the drip system can be tweeked further if need be.

To keep the gravel clean, I use a RUGF (Reverse Under Gravel Filter). The filtered water flows up through the gravel to keep it clean. I use pea gravel (river pebbles) because they are large enough so that stuff doesn't get trapped in them. Heavier fish waste will also drop into it and not be visible. The fish waste will only be there temporarily until it breaks apart and becomes neutrally boyant. At that point, the current takes over and it gets sucked into the filter.

This first link is a better build thread, but the second link has the better filter system.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...ad.php?t=69943

In this link, the equipment starts at post 10, so feel free to skip down to there. This is the system that can go nine months between filter cleanings. The brown filter is a basic wet sump and the green one is a wet/dry. Eventually I am going to make a filter system like this for my main tank.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...ad.php?t=36298
 
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