I'm trying to design a sump for a 600g build. This is the design I've come up with. I realize the bio balls are mostly submerged but can't make it any taller. I'm planning on having two of these under the tank and have dual Mag drive 18 pumps.
Please critique my sump design
- Thread starter sashimimaster
- Start date
Burnsie;4169020; said:
We want to clean bio media as infrequent as possible in order to minimize our disturbance of the bacterial colony...
Thus it is important to prevent physical waste from entering the bio media...
Waste that enters the bio media cannot (easily) be removed and thus unnecessarily increases the rate at which nitrates build up (due to waste rotting in the bio media as opposed to being removed prior to rotting)...
This is a very simple reality that is very commonly overlooked...
I thought about that but then my Bio balls would be even more submerged. Is it better to have a little more crap or wet/dry effect?
I am jumping on this band wagon to say more mechanical BEFORE your bio balls or you will clean your clogged bio balls more often, disturb the BB as stated ^, and wish you would have done more mech first.
I have build a few sumps with filter socks and my water is crystal clear. Its been 6 months and I still have not had to clean my bio media.
In you case, Put the floss above your bio balls.
Either way, the floss will clog but its easier to just remove that floss.
I have build a few sumps with filter socks and my water is crystal clear. Its been 6 months and I still have not had to clean my bio media.
In you case, Put the floss above your bio balls.
Either way, the floss will clog but its easier to just remove that floss.
Personally...
I would put the mechanical media in the fron tof the sump...
and use ceramic noodles of sorts after the mechanical media...
Although with the use of a refugium, you may want to ask yourself 'how important is bio media'?
I would put the mechanical media in the fron tof the sump...
and use ceramic noodles of sorts after the mechanical media...
Although with the use of a refugium, you may want to ask yourself 'how important is bio media'?
Ok, I've reversed it. Now the bio balls are submerged.
I've thought about the need for bio balls in addition to the refugium but what else do I do with the space?
What about an algae scrubber instead?
I've thought about the need for bio balls in addition to the refugium but what else do I do with the space?
What about an algae scrubber instead?
When I made my sump, I had the same idea in mind. I used scrubbies, under the drip plate that was covered in floss. It didn't work as efficiently, and poo ran into the scrubbies.
I've since fixed it a bit and added a few things. One of which was adding filter socks. They collect all junk and polish the water nicely.
I'm about to pull my sump out and drill a hole so I can have an automatic drip. When I do this, I'll probably redesign the sump a bit. Water will drain into the filter socks, go down through some sponges, come back up and then run over a drip plate and over the media.
I've since fixed it a bit and added a few things. One of which was adding filter socks. They collect all junk and polish the water nicely.
I'm about to pull my sump out and drill a hole so I can have an automatic drip. When I do this, I'll probably redesign the sump a bit. Water will drain into the filter socks, go down through some sponges, come back up and then run over a drip plate and over the media.
Looks to me like there is too much water in there and you are gonna risk a flood. The baffle where the plants are is too high
you should incorporate a filter sock into the design. best mechanical you can get on a sump, period!