Setting up first sump and looking for opinions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

1000ninja

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 4, 2017
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Right now I'm doing a 10 gallon sump for a 20 gallon long tank. I've never done anything like this but i plan to do one for my larger tank in the near future I just went to get my feet went. I'm doing a wet/dry and drew up what I wanted to do in paint. I plan to drill the the 20L too. Anything I should change?

Thanks!

qavm0gc.jpg
 
Your flow rate is going to be pretty low in this system, so it will be easier to keep a large healthy colony of BB alive on submerged substrate.
 
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Where is there a gap 1" side by side the 2" baffle , guess water will just flow through mostly instead of over, honestly for a 20g i think a caninster will be easier to deal with.

Back at the sump, i usually add another layer of sponge under the input filter wool.
what you going to have in there, maybe add some matrix or other media if bioload is high?
 
Your flow rate is going to be pretty low in this system, so it will be easier to keep a large healthy colony of BB alive on submerged substrate.

What can I do to get flow rate up? Most of my research has been on the wet/dry but if submerged would be better I would rather go with that. Where should I start on the submerged? Any design in particular?
 
Where is there a gap 1" side by side the 2" baffle , guess water will just flow through mostly instead of over, honestly for a 20g i think a caninster will be easier to deal with.

Back at the sump, i usually add another layer of sponge under the input filter wool.
what you going to have in there, maybe add some matrix or other media if bioload is high?
Figured water could flow thru there and also up over. Is that a bad idea?
 
What can I do to get flow rate up? Most of my research has been on the wet/dry but if submerged would be better I would rather go with that. Where should I start on the submerged? Any design in particular?

What are you planning to keep in this tank? If you want to go with wet/dry, that's your call :) To do submerged you just need to place your baffles to make a pool of water somewhere and have the water flow through the submerged bio-media. Lava rock is a good suggestion for your needs.

If it were me, I'd drop the water into a 4" sock and wedge a piece of reticulated foam into the 10g as the bio-media... basically a matten filter acting as the divider in the sump. That said, a canister is probably the easier route in your situation.
 
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I don't wanna do a wet dry if it's not going to work.

I have no idea what I'm going to stock the tank with. Just wanted to get me feet wet. And yea I know there are probably lots of easier things I could be doing but I would like to learn.
 
Wet/dry might work long-term, submerged is more likely to work long-term.

You should figure out what you want to stock before you design the system to support that stock.
 
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