Sump Design - Capacity?

[Potato Patatto]

I have never done a sump before but I’m planning one for a large tank, from 300 gallons to potentially 720 gallons. I know after 300-350 gallons it doesn’t become efficient to use multiple fx6s/sponge filters. While I would still likely use a 2-4 sponge filters and wave runners in the tank, I need to know if a 125 gallon sump would be capable of handling 500+ gallon tank. Below is a rough but simple design and I know it will largely be based on the bio load of the tank. (Multiple peacock bass and bichirs).

Can someone tell me if I’m off the ball on this? I’m really aiming to keep it simple simple simple.

 

[Papa010]

I have almost the same setup, i wont recommend placing 3 or even more layers of foam.
I had done this in the first year but its alot of work picking out and placing it back every time.

Also i wouldnt place the pvc on top of the first filter chamber anymore, just make sure the first chamber is empty where the water comes in first, then start with filter material in the second chamber. i would do 2 or 3 small chambers where u can put in the first filter material.

my first chamber overflows within the first 2 days, second chamber overflows within 3/4 days but depends on how fast i replace the first chamber..
its the filter fleece i have to replace everytime, i cut it to fit the filter chamber and trow it away after 1 time use, i want it so easy as possible its rol of 40meterx45cm , the filter foam i wash mabe once a month when its realy full and no water goes trough it anymore. place it all as close to water surface as possible so u dont have to go al in there to replace it, makes its easier to do.

my filter is 110x45x45 CM 58G . after the filter fleece i have a chamber with kaldnes k1 and a heater, after that siporax, and then return pump with uvc filter wich returns back to k1 chamber. 1 have a 220 gallon tank above with nasty eating fish and pleco panaques..

if u want to keep it as simple as possible make sure the first chambers are easy to ecces and replacable, this is most work i have on the tank the rest of the filter is untouched for a year or longer.

I will place some pics of the filter today.

Sorry for my bad english!! im from netherlands

 

[Papa010]

Here are some pics.






Its running for almost 5 years.

 

[duanes]

The gallons of sump, or even amount of media stuffed in it, are not as important as the biofilms access to aerated conditions in the water flowing by.
Just because a sump is packed with media, is not es important as the flow conditions that allow the bacteria access to ammonia passing by. These beneficial bacteria are aerobic, and oxygen is one of the determining factors in their ability to consume ammonia and nitrite.
Just as the size of tank may not be as important as the amount of stock in it.
Bacterial populations will be determined by the food supply offered.
Just because a sump is overstuffed with media, that bacterial population will not be more than the food supply provided by the fish.
Of course if the tank is overstocked, there must be enough media to handle the load, but the conditions need to beaerobic enough to allow a robust bacterial populations ability to feed .
Your testing of water parameters is the only real way of determining if your filter is doing its job, (barring disease or death from ammonia poisoning).
I have run 500-600gallons of fish tank(s) on a 50 gallon sump with only a few mesh bags of media laying in the path of a well oxygenated flow, or a small (in comparison fluidized bed reactor) and tests indicated 0 ammonia.

The 4 ft tall fluidized bed (left) contained only a few lbs of moving media, and the barrel a few filter socks, and gear like pump, and heaters, and and was in line with about 500 gallons of stocked aquariums. (that said, one tank in the line was a heavily planted overhead refugium (terrestrial and aquatic plants) used to help cope with nitrate)
used

 

[duanes]

At the moment I am experimenting with using a 2" thick piece of matter (Porrett Foam) the height and width of a 126 gal tank that may end up the only biofiltratin for 300 gallons of tank.
Because it was just added (unseasoned) I have thrown in a few bags of seasoned ceramic rings, and a block of lava rock.

Once I consider the Porrett seasoned, Iwill probably remove the bags of rings, and test to see if the foam works on its own, as a sufficient bio filter.

The pump for the 300 gallons,, is running full out at 3 ft of head, so should be close to its 1500 GPH capacity.

1.5" PVC outflow above.

It will be interesting to see what happens with ammonia, compared to the former sump full of bioballs, and other media.

 

[Papa010]

Well indeed it depends on lifestock and how much waste they make, and waterflow trough the filter itself shouldnt be to fast to.

t looks pretty big what u have there installed, i dont have the space here to house al of that lol.
if u dont use plants in the tank itself u can always use nitrate resin (cant use with plants in the tank) this keeps your nitrate low to 0 depending on how much u use and waste there is, then ur water is ultraclear and the fish are floating in it!

bacterial population wil grow with time as u add fish feed etc.
testing your water in the first months is oke but if u dont change anything then u dont have to test it every time.. i havent done it in months and all look healthy happy so no need to worry. i always do a weekly water change of around 30% and have 4L of nitrate resin in it wich keeps the nitrate to 0 in my tank.

i would still place a MAX filter based on space and money u can put in it to be future proof for whatever setup u want, filter cant be to big.

 

[TheWolfman]

A few thoughts here, The first baffle should not run to the rim of the tank. When the foam clogs up your sump will want to overflow over the top of that baffle. It should be at least 2” from the rim of the sump to prevent any possible flooding issues. Also I would add a a baffle before any mechanical filtration so the water can enter the sump and overflow over it. By setting it up like this you can have your plumbing enter the first chamber 6” below the water level. This will keep the sump silent. It will also allow you easy access to your mechanical filtration in the second chamber. From there you can keep the rest of the baffles the same as your picture.

 

[ragin_cajun]

Man.....you guys are making your lives waaaaay more difficult than you need to. Take all the baffles out of the sump --ya don't need em on a freshwater sump. Don't use floss on a tank/sump this big -- that's craaaazy. You don't have to be under the tank cleaning stuff in the sump every 3-4 days. I use filter socks, I change em out every 4-5 weeks? And I'm starting to think I don't even need those anymore.

 

[Papa010]

ragin_cajun

I need baffles to separate my moving bed K1 from the rest of the materials, it would be a mess if i didnt.
Also i like to have my pumps etc separated, i have siporax as well.. So u would put all of those together? lol. maby i understand u wrong.

If i use filtersocks i can clean them every day because i have plecos and panaques in there and they are very messy just like the other cichlids.. if u wash your socks only once a few weeks i can tell u dont have messy fish or are really understocked.. maby im wrong and srry for that, im here to learn and look for good methods to.

I have good waterflow in the maintank and the sand is always clean which means all goes straigt down to the filter.

What i like about the filter fleece/floss is i can just throw it away which make its easier then wash it every time..

My tank is 220G and sump 50G, i will upgrade this year to 400/500G and the sump setup will be almost the same as i have now with only some small changes which i explained.

 

[celebrist]

I use poret foam for baffles so my refugium plants don't get into the pump