setting up my sump

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DaveB

DaveB

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2008
1,244
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Miami
Finally, after 9 months, I've gotten around to plumbing my sump. I have to remove the CO2 reactor, which leaks, but I'll have it up and running tomorrow. In the brief test today I thought of a couple of questions though that I was hoping someone could help me with. This is my first attempt at a non HOB/canister filter.

First question: in the first chamber, is there any reason that the water has to enter it from the top or is it OK to run the tubing down to release at the bottom, so it then has to rise up through the foam?

Second: is it normal in sumps set up with this first chamber that the water just barely reaches out into the 2nd chamber? Even if I put the adjustible thing down to the lowest point, the water only seems to gush out a few inches. Seems like this would only use about 10% of the biofiltration, as opposed to if the water entered from the center of that chamber from above. Adjusting the sliding piece (visible in photo 2) doesn't really change anything.

(What is the point of this stupid first chamber anyway? I ought to just throw this thing out and make my own out of rubbermaid.)

Third, is there a reason the final chamber acrylic is cut diagonal or are they just trying to make my life difficult? (I'd like to be able to cover this so there's not a ton of evaporation of the 83 degree water)

2 photos:

DSCN2060.JPG

DSCN2061.JPG
 
i think you should remove the part circled in yellow to increase the flow to a drip plate

bvbcfxvfbxf.jpg
 
I’ve never seen that wetdry before- I can see that it’s made in the USA but by who? Interesting design- I'm sure that first chamber has some sort of a use? I can see two holes in the top.

1) I’m assuming that you have a hang on style overflow? Is there any kind of mechanical filtration in there-sponge etc? If so I would just ditch that that big pillow sponge completely it looks more like a polishing sponge anyway.

2) How big is your pump? Increasing your flow will allow more water to pass through that channel thus increasing the area that the water covers. But you are right it seems like only a portion of your bio balls are going to get wet regardless- there is no disbursement other than when that pad gets saturated.

I’m not sure about the angled side- it would seem to me that you would get the most evaporation where the water is moving on the surface (that channel into the second chamber).

I’m sure someone on here has the correct answers- just my 2
 
Thanks for the responses.

I'm not sure who made the wet/dry, as the main sticker peeled off. It came with the tank, which I have been running with the overflow taped off with duct tape since last summer for various reasons in addition to my laziness. It's not ideal but it's what I've got and I know I can get it in and out from under the tank (that middle beam in the stand has messed me up several times trying to get things like growout tanks in and out).

Anyway, to answer your questions, the two holes have PVC elbows that screw in if desired, to take input from two overflows. It seems to me that they just dump from the top straight down - this was less than ideal because a) I assume that'd be noisy and b) if the mech filtration clogged, it could just eventually skip that entire chamber and flow from the top straight over into the next chamber. So I just bypassed that completely and have the hose free to hang down low in the chamber. So the water has to flow up and through the foam.

The foam isn't that fine, in fact it's much coarser than anything in any of my canisters. But I figure it'll be good for stopping any plant material or large gunk. I tossed the scrubbies in there too without actually knowing what effect that'll have just because I had extras.

The overflow is a built in center overflow. Issues with the return plumbing through that are part of why it took me til now to set this up, but I have that all set. The intake it came with was just a perforated 1" tube with a big round sponge on the end, but I have a durso standpipe made, just waiting for a 1 1/4 to 1" reducer that Home Depot is out of. For now, I just jammed 18" of 1" pipe in and I'll deal with the sucking sound. I had considered putting some foam on that but I figured that's what that first chamber is for. If not mech, should I just put more scrubbies in it? (I'll still have an Eheim 2028 running with this. It's a 110g.) One idea I had was actually to put some foam right around the top of the overflow behind the teeth, though I assume that'll clog really easily and look awful. Plus it'll be hard to attach.

The pump is a Mag Drive 12. So more than enough power there. It is split with a Y and goes to the two returns in the overflow. I intend to run one through a UV sterilizer (currently needs a replacement bulb) and the other side through the CO2 reactor (which leaks). I have no idea what kind of backpressure or other issues that stuff will cause.

Anyway, I'm totally open to suggestion on how to reconfigure this thing to make it optimal. I'd prefer to keep it over a DIY just because it's already there, but if it's total crap I'll just throw it out. Cutting the rest of that divider down seems like a pretty good idea - what kind of saw/blade would I need to do that properly?

Also, the only tubing I have for the returns is 5/8" ID. The PVC for the returns is 1/2". I went with 5/8 mainly because that was the largest hose barb I could find... but the barbs on the pump and on the original PVC it came with are 3/4". I didn't cement the 5/8" ones in so I can replace them, just need to know where I might be able to order some from. If that even matters at all. I'm not well versed in the matters of water pressure and flow yet.
 
mtuttle02;2899303; said:
I’ve never seen that wetdry before- I can see that it’s made in the USA but by who? Interesting design- I'm sure that first chamber has some sort of a use? I can see two holes in the top.

1) I’m assuming that you have a hang on style overflow? Is there any kind of mechanical filtration in there-sponge etc? If so I would just ditch that that big pillow sponge completely it looks more like a polishing sponge anyway.

2) How big is your pump? Increasing your flow will allow more water to pass through that channel thus increasing the area that the water covers. But you are right it seems like only a portion of your bio balls are going to get wet regardless- there is no disbursement other than when that pad gets saturated.

I’m not sure about the angled side- it would seem to me that you would get the most evaporation where the water is moving on the surface (that channel into the second chamber).

I’m sure someone on here has the correct answers- just my 2
Click to expand...


same here looks like the setup is backwards
 
I agree. Looks like you have it running backwards.
 
It does look that way, but there has to be an IN and an OUT. The picture shows only one hose. Either it has an external pump or it is overflowing about now. :D
 
Looks as though the clear hose would be coming from the pump. Just a guess.
 
The pump is in the 3rd chamber, with the clear hose taking it out. The darker hose is the input.

It can't be backwards unless suddenly water flows upwards against gravity. But that's not to say it's set up ideally.

Here's an older shot of it from when I got it:

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