sump help

[joshuag]

So I've recently shut my marine tank down and am now planning to use the set up to grow out an MBU puffer. I've never used a sump on a freshwater tank before so this is all new to me.

The sump has 3 chambers and a top up chamber. I was told on another forum not to bother with using reactors for media as its unnecessary. So chamber 1 is just the drain going into a filter sock. Chamber 2 I was planning on running K1 and the 3rd chamber is just the return pump. What else could/should I add to this? All advice greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[slippery slimecoat]

Seems like you have the essentials covered. I have a similar set up other than using different bio media. The only other things I have in my sump are my heaters and a pothos plant growing out of the filter sock chamber.

 

[joshuag]

My heater is in the first section can barely see it in the pic. What media do you use? I've never used K1 so don't really know what to expect. I do like the idea of growing plants in the sump.. I've never used freshwater media in a sump.. I've heard people using bio balls and ceramic rings aswell

 

[slippery slimecoat]

I use a mix of Biohome, Marinepure spheres, and Sera siporax for media. The plant is cool, but to be honest, I don't think it really does a whole lot as far as nitrate reduction.

 

[duanes]

There are "no" hard and fast rules about what to put in a sump.
I have used lava rock in mesh bags as media, making it easy to remove and rinse, plants, old bio-wheels, your options are endless.
I plant pathos on floating wood, and put some sumps above the tank in windows to grow papyrus.

 

[joshuag]

I have 5l of siporax that I used for my marine tank dunno if I could clean this and re use it in the fw sump? If so id have it in the first section after the filter sock then middle chamber full of k1 and think id probably just leave it at that

 

[ragin_cajun]

K1 is a hobby unto itself. It requires an air pump to move it around, just right amount, so it all moves no dead spots, but not TOO much, and then there's some noise from the air pump, and an air pump is something else you have to source/buy.

I just have pumps, filter socks, and pond matrix in some laundry bags. And 2 heaters. and a rubber ducky.

 

[joshuag]

Would the flow threw the sump not keep the k1 moving? I used to grow cheato algae in that section of the sump and the flow kept it tumbling fine. What is matrix? What other options do I have for biological filtration? If not k1 id like to use something that has minimal maintenance. What about bioballs?

 

[slippery slimecoat]

I have my bio media in bags in large bags as well. About every 6-8 months I pull them out, swish around in a bucket of tank water and that's about it for maintenance for the bio media. As long as you have good mechanical filtration ahead of the bio it should be fairly maintenance free.

Matrix is just another brand of bio media made by Seachem.

 

[joshuag]

Ok so I think I've settled on bio balls in the 1st chamber with the filter sock, 2nd chamber full of alfagrog then I will build a holder out of eggcrate to hang onto the baffle which flows into the 3rd (return chamber) which I will fill full of floss. I will leave an empty space in the 3rd chamber incase I ever need to add anything like carbon or denitrate