Sump recommendations.

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Ohnoitstfloyd

Ohnoitstfloyd

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2018
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Jacksonville, Florida
Hey all-
When I got Sarah her 280 I made a sump. 2 delivery pipes (with cylindrical sponges) running into sock filters (filled with polyfill)
3 compartments.
first is bio balls
second is empty because I stopped trying
third is all poly fill
the 1200 gph pump is in its own little cage. On the outside of that cage I've ziptied blue sponge pad.

here's where it gets ****ty. I am OVER sock filters. I'm done. I don't want to do it anymore and there is absolutely no way I'm keeping them or ever using them again ever. never ever.
I need recommendations for a drip tray sump that's big enough for 280 gallons. Satan made sock filters and I'm so done. This tank is NOT over stocked. We're talking a mid size arowana ( shes like 15 ish inches.) a small giant gourami (five inches for now)
and six silver dollars. Would I be happier with another 100 gallons? yeah. Is that gonna happen? probably not. So before we all scream about how small my tank is for my fish, lets not. I need recommendations for a sump. Tis all.

*I haven't had my coffee yet, can you tell? but seriously don't yell at me.
 
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Ohnoitstfloyd said:
Hey all-
When I got Sarah her 280 I made a sump. 2 delivery pipes (with cylindrical sponges) running into sock filters (filled with polyfill)
3 compartments.
first is bio balls
second is empty because I stopped trying
third is all poly fill
the 1200 gph pump is in its own little cage. On the outside of that cage I've ziptied blue sponge pad.

here's where it gets ****ty. I am OVER sock filters. I'm done. I don't want to do it anymore and there is absolutely no way I'm keeping them or ever using them again ever. never ever.
I need recommendations for a drip tray sump that's big enough for 280 gallons. Satan made sock filters and I'm so done. This tank is NOT over stocked. We're talking a mid size arowana ( shes like 15 ish inches.) a small giant gourami (five inches for now)
and six silver dollars. Would I be happier with another 100 gallons? yeah. Is that gonna happen? probably not. So before we all scream about how small my tank is for my fish, lets not. I need recommendations for a sump. Tis all.

*I haven't had my coffee yet, can you tell? but seriously don't yell at me.
Click to expand...




I suggest before the bio balls a filter pad or sponge to catch debris and excess food.
 
Grab a eshopps if that's the case. Size it for your tank.

Drips and baffles are terrible for debris buildup though if not cleaned regularly.

The issue with your socks is probably too fine of a micron or not long enough.

Why would your drains have sponges?
 
I like the eschopps drip tray design, but it’s not big enough.

Does anyone know of a tray like that but way bigger? Or even multi - tiered so you can start with floss and then do a sponge?
 
I use a large plastic cup with holes drilled in the sides around the bottom. I just add or remove filter floss from it. the drip tray it came with was noisy and always weeping over the edge into the sump. it couldn't keep up with my flow. just my .02
 
It sounds like you want a wet/dry filter (also called a drip filter)? Water goes through the filter mat then falls through the drip tray which helps spread the water out over the bio balls. The bio balls are suspended in a dry compartment (Bio balls are surrounded by air not water). The bio balls breaks the drops of water from the drip plate down into smaller drops of water which maximizes the air/water surface area promoting water oxygenation and off gassing of organic compounds.

I have had great luck with commercial wet/dry filters. I have found little difference between the expensive brand name wet/dry filter and the inexpensive no name wet/dry filters on ebay.

If you can't find a wet/dry filter large enough to suit your fancy make your own out of a couple of 5 gallon buckets or a food grade barrel.

Another approach is to suspend the filter box on top of the tank, let the water run through the filter pad and drip through the bottom of the filter into the tank.


... so what issues have you had with sock filter that has left such a sour opinion of them?
 
I too hate filter socks. I also hate baffles. I also hate the price of premade dumps.

I made this tray out of scrap acrylic. You can also use a shallow storage bin if you find the right size and drill a bunch of holes. Polyester quilt batting cut to size and discarded weekly/biweekly.

My main sump is a 40 breeder but I have a 20 long tied in which has my bio media (this was my reef set up previously and the 20 was a fuge).

If I was you I’d throw a 125 gal under there and make a tray for batting however big you want. Then whatever bio media you decide to use you will have plenty of room on the other side. I wouldn’t mess with trickle anything or bio balls, because I like a silent system.

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