Sump Media Questions

[icmorhinee]

so i am in the process of building a sump and i wanted to make sure that i place the media right. open to any suggestions and order of placement.
Mechanical: filter bag, scrubby pads, and poly-fill layer

Chemical: Carbon bags in the flow

Biological: not really sure what to use here.

Plant and extra snail area: not sure what plants to put in here.

this sump will be in a 29 gallon tanks as the filter for a 75 gallon shrimp and snail tank. the tank will have small pumps in the tank to still the debris around. will this be a safe and adequate setup?

 

[Dr Joe]

so i am in the process of building a sump and i wanted to make sure that i place the media right. open to any suggestions and order of placement.
Mechanical: filter bag, scrubby pads, and poly-fill layer

Chemical: Carbon bags in the flow

Biological: not really sure what to use here.

Plant and extra snail area: not sure what plants to put in here.

this sump will be in a 29 gallon tanks as the filter for a 75 gallon shrimp and snail tank. the tank will have small pumps in the tank to still the debris around. will this be a safe and adequate setup?

Mechanical - pre-filter poly-fil is fine.

Then - Biological scrubbies are by far the best bang for the buck.

3rd - refugium (plant area) would normally be Anacharis http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=780 & Foxtail http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1617&N=0 for submerged, Water Hiacynth & Water Lettuce for floating plants. Proble comes with the snails. Some are very hungry little devils.

Carbon always comes last, so that you have the cleanest water passing thru it.

This would get you started (I'd hold off on the refugium plants till the tank is established (not just cycled)), and can be modified to fit the exact needs of the inhabitants (since you haven't established what exactly they are ).

Dr Joe

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[icmorhinee]

thanks doc sounds great. also i have a fluidized bed filter. should i add this to the return to the tank.

 

[Dr Joe]

There won't be much left to feed it after the other filter, and your return pump may not be able to handle the pressure needed to run the FBF.

If you have a pump for the FBF put a mechanical pre-filter on it and use the FBF separately. (just make sure the mechanical filtering is good) That way you get the most filtration possible.

Dr Joe

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[icmorhinee]

the tank will have crerry and crystal red shrimp, and mystery snails. just had my first batch hatch yesterday evening, seems to be about 20-30 so i have to get this 75 up and going asap, being that i have like 8 more snail clutches ready to hatch. WOO HOO.