Redoing Some Filtration (aka, Losing my Sump)

[wow_it_esploded]

I need to redo the filtration (namely the sump) on my 75 gallon tank. The setup (as it is now) is:
-75g tank
-2, 20 inch striplights
-1, 48 inch LED striplight (180 LEDs)
-1, 1.5 inch hole (.5inch orifice because of the crappy bulkhead I got that turned a 1.5 inch hole into a .5inch hole!)
-1, 1 inch hole (with a 3/4inch orifice, this bulkhead came with the tank and only shaved off .25 inches, unlike the inch above)

-Magnum 350 pro
-about 1 liter of ceramic cylinders
-2 biowheels

-Emperor 400
-No media but I am going to fill it with scrubbies and put a sponge on the intake

-20 gallon High sump
-72 pot scrubbies
-1 gallon of bioballs
-3 bags of ac70 replacement biomedia (ceramics)
-Flows at about 550gph with the Via Aqua 2600

I really need to write this down so I can copy and paste it when i need it!

So, I want to get rid of the sump for a few reasons:
-I cannot take it out of the stand to clean/work on it and I feel cramped working on anything in the stand (I happen to be moderately-severely claustrophobic)
-It was a total bi**h to clean
-Majorly high amounts of evaporation even with the DIY lids
-I lost my favorite fish of all time to that sump. even though it was my fault, I feel like blaming the sump
-NOISY! everything I tried to quiet it with didn't help one bit.
-I consider 20 gallons as too small to make a nice sump (that will satisfy my mild-moderate ocd)

I was considering making a DIY Fluidized Bed Filter and running it with an aquaclear powerhead (I can get them half off) in the display (with an aquaclear quick filter). That would be for bio.

Then I would run 2, 4 inch, 20 inch long, DIY canisters with my Via Aqua 2600 pump. I would make them like this:

Photo Copyright Kmuda from Oscarfish.com... And Arkansas! Thanks!!!

The Via Aqua would be attached to the bulkhead at the bottom of the tank (might consider getting another bulkhead from DFS that will allow me to use the full potential of the 1.5 inch hole).

Does this sound good? The FBF for bio and the DIY canisters for mech, polishing, and for the rest of the scrubbies that I have and cannot fit somewhere else.

 

[Pharaoh]

I would rethink getting rid of the sump. First, get a new bulkhead for the 1.5 hole.

There are plenty of ways to quiet a sump and they are actually quite simple to maintain.

Would you mind giving a few more details as to what was a pain to clean and what type of setups you have tried to reduce noise. I have two durso standpipes in my 125 and the only thing I hear is water pouring in to the tank.

 

[crazy clowntang]

Nuff said.

 

[chemicall]

You don't have to literally scrub the walls of your sump......they go black, ohwell. As for your scrubbies, keep them in larger holed fish netting from the fishing/sports shop, then when you want to rinse, just pull em out, ya know?

 

[wow_it_esploded]

I would rethink getting rid of the sump. First, get a new bulkhead for the 1.5 hole.

There are plenty of ways to quiet a sump and they are actually quite simple to maintain.

Would you mind giving a few more details as to what was a pain to clean and what type of setups you have tried to reduce noise. I have two durso standpipes in my 125 and the only thing I hear is water pouring in to the tank.

If I got the larger bulkhead I could solve most of the overflow noise, but the overflow is not the loudest part. Most of the annoying noise is the trickling of the biotower (right now 5g bucket). I have done everything I can including insulating the whole tank stand with foam... All of it helped, but I have yet to find anything to get rid of all the noise... Another thing is the evaporation I am having... Not only does i evaporate almost 2 gallons a day, but it requires me to top off that much everyday because the sump pump cannot run without sucking air after 2 days.

It was a pain to clean because I only have about 4.5 inches of clearance above the bucket to work. So, to even change the floss I have to take the lid off the bucket and remove the bucket from the sump, causing a mess of water on the ground.

One of the main handicaps of this sump is the fact that I have 24 inches of vertical clearance, but the sump itself is 16 inches tall, and the bucket sticks about 4 inches out of the tank.

You don't have to literally scrub the walls of your sump......they go black, ohwell. As for your scrubbies, keep them in larger holed fish netting from the fishing/sports shop, then when you want to rinse, just pull em out, ya know?

It was not the walls of the sump that were dirty, but there was a bunch of crap sitting at the bottom. Not actual crap, but I used to have about 50 kitchen sponges in the biotower, until I realized that they were dissolving.

I do not have room to pull the scrubbies out all at once... Unless i take the whole bucket out.

 

[chemicall]

Well I can understand your reasoning, you have 8" or less space to work overtop your sump....that would bug me also, I have like 18" from the top of my sump to work, so I can fully see your point, it's just too cramped.

Those canisters you wan't to build look good, possibly add a shutoff on either side of them so when cleaning you can take 1 out at a time while the system still runs. You could also possibly look at building 3 or 4 of these, as your design looks nice and simple, yet fairly cheap.

With those tubes inplace of where your sump was you will then have substantial working room, maybe you could even hang them under there on the back........

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Well I can understand your reasoning, you have 8" or less space to work overtop your sump....that would bug me also, I have like 18" from the top of my sump to work, so I can fully see your point, it's just too cramped.

Those canisters you wan't to build look good, possibly add a shutoff on either side of them so when cleaning you can take 1 out at a time while the system still runs. You could also possibly look at building 3 or 4 of these, as your design looks nice and simple, yet fairly cheap.

With those tubes inplace of where your sump was you will then have substantial working room, maybe you could even hang them under there on the back........

I would love to take the credit for this canister idea but it was from one of my good friends on another forum.

I was thinking 2 of them, but 3 might be possible. I need to figure out how I want to do valves and etc. I think I might just put a valve before and after the canisters on each one so that when I need to service one I just close the valves and all the flow goes to the other canister, as opposed to installing individual bypasses on each one. This would save on pieces to leak and considerably on cost.

I am soon going to be without my computer (a long and painful story) so if it takes me a day or 2 to respond, know that my required use of a computer at school instead of at home, is at fault.

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Well, I redid my ideas a little and will be working on them probably next weekend, while I am getting the materials later today.

I am glad that I can do this though, the sump annoys me more and more everyday, and I think it is getting louder.

I have 3 uniseals, a new bulkhead for the tank (that is gonna be a PITA to install), a few sponges, 2 strainers (for the intakes), sand, a Via Aqua 1800, and $47. This should let me get most of the materials I still need... I hope. If I have anything else I will probably get some more potscrubbies and media for the "canister"s.

I will be sure to post pictures of everything as I build it, but this one should be done over the next few weeks. Most of the time delays will be monetarily focused.

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Now, I do not know how this little stuff came out to almost $80 but whatever:

'scuse the mess, we REALLY need a shop

Who woulda thought that this would cost what it did Oh wellz

 

[wow_it_esploded]

Sorry for the bad pics, I was taking them quick with my dad's iPhone (I am getting one in may... woot!)

So as I am sitting here, my wallet still sore from being raped by frigging home depot, I am wondering what else I should include... any ideas?