Sump question

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
vr6fan said:
Great info guys thanks...I think I should be ok with a sock as far as overflowing since the intake is in the middle of the side of the box...still not sure where my heater will go..it won't lay flat and since I've never had a sump I'm not sure how full any of the chambers get to accommodate a vertically placed heater... Also I'm assuming the drip plate is needed to disperse the water over the bioballs, which won't ever be completely submerged? I see the water escapes the bioball chamber at the bottom instead of flowing over


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You could put the heater in the first chamber with the sock filter. If its short enough as that chamber will fill with water to the point where it over flows onto the drip tray. The other option I mentioned would require drilling a hole in the end of the sump after the bio chamber towards the bottom where you can install a bulkhead fitting that would seal the heater and it would lay on its side in the sump and under the bio balls. It can be done with a standard bulkhead combined with a PVC compression fitting to seal the heater or.... here is some links and info on the topic. The Bean animal page go down to where it talks about placement.

http://www.beananimal.com/articles/aquarium-heaters-what-you-need-to-know!.aspx

OR here is a place that sells the fittings they talk about . Its the heater adaptors for sumps.

http://www.jehmco.com/html/heaters.html#Heater Module

Yes the drip plate is needed to properly disperse the water over the bio balls and your sump level will not fully submerge the bio balls. You need to leave plenty of room for when the pump shuts off for flow into from the tank till there is no more suction from the tank coming. The water level has to be able to supply the pump with water or if submerged to cover the pump enough.

Looking at the sump if it was me id change the intake a little different and drain the water in from the top not the side. This way your flow will go directly into the sock. Plus I like to be able to see my flow into the tank. Getting a siphon going into the tank from the top in the most direct manor helps.

In my bio chamber my bio balls have the first 2 or 3 levels of balls on the bottom submerged.
 
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