Sump related shenanigans.

[Adokai]

Hello, forum! I'm quite new here, as you can see. I've been lurking as a Guest for the last few days, doing a lot of reading on sumps. I'm going to be making my own, and quite soon, too!

The sump will be for a brand new 4x2x2 Tank: 450.25L / 119 US GAL (Measurements and volumes are a rough estimate). The tank I am going to be making my sump from is currently inhabited by the fish destined for the new tank. It is 91.5cm Long/38cm W/34cm H | 36"/15"/13.5": 118L/31 US GAL in size and volume. I have been doing a lot of research on how sumps work, and what they do for a tank, and have come to the decision that I am going to build myself a wet/dry sump.

This is my current plan for my sump. Apparently Java Moss is a good way to take excess phosphates and nitrates out of the water. This can be changed if it turns out it's a bad idea.

 

[Adokai]

Can't seem to edit this post, so please excuse my doublepost. The filtration medium will be seperated by drip trays, between the filter padding and the bio-balls, then between those and the ceramic bio-tubes. The tubs will mostly be mostly under water. The trays will be removable to allow access to clean the mediums when I need to.

 

[jsodwi]

That will work out fine. What gph are you planning to run on this? I built a sump for a 150g that I used to have and I ran the 30g sump with a magdrive 9.5 so it was approx. 800gph. This worked out very well. I also had about 15g worth of bioballs in the sump

 

[Adokai]

That will work out fine. What gph are you planning to run on this? I built a sump for a 150g that I used to have and I ran the 30g sump with a magdrive 9.5 so it was approx. 800gph. This worked out very well. I also had about 15g worth of bioballs in the sump

I was thinking perhaps the 800L/1000L per minute (resulting in double and a little more of my tank's capacity, so it would be around, what, 2-300+ gph?). This is for a singular Tiger Oscar, which are notoriously dirty fish. I've been advised double the tank capacity per hour is a minimum. I'm probably going to try for triple the capacity.

 

[Adokai]

I was thinking perhaps the 800L/1000L per minute (resulting in double and a little more of my tank's capacity, so it would be around, what, 2-300+ gph?). This is for a singular Tiger Oscar, which are notoriously dirty fish. I've been advised double the tank capacity per hour is a minimum. I'm probably going to try for triple the capacity.

Per HOUR, of course. I have not slept properly for a few days. As this is my first sump, I've been trying to ensure that I have everything correct. Will the Java Moss do what I'm hoping for? I was worried about having it raised off the floor of the tank, but everything I've read says not to have anything obstructing the flow.

 

[jsodwi]

Try to shoot for 4-6 times the turnover so over 500gph if possible. Im not familiar with the java moss but if you have enough bio media in the sump make sure some is submerged in water , you will be fine. Is this a drilled tank with overflows or are you using a hang on back overflow box?

 

[Adokai]

It will be a drilled tank, my LFS is kind enough to do the drilling for no extra charge. I'm not sure about including an overflow, do drilled tanks require it? As a note, the holes will be in the back pane of the glass and not the bottom. On the note of the java moss, all the research I've done points at it being an effective nitrate/phosphate trap.

 

[Burko]

"On the note of the java moss, all the research I've done points at it being an effective nitrate/phosphate trap. "

And how much jave moss per adult Oscar...

I'd suggest it will help but not as much as water changes.

 

[Adokai]

"On the note of the java moss, all the research I've done points at it being an effective nitrate/phosphate trap. "

And how much jave moss per adult Oscar...

I'd suggest it will help but not as much as water changes.

Oh, of course not. I keep up with his water changes every week, which won't change even with a sump. I've been advised an algae scrubber is better than a sump, but I'm keeping with my sump, at least for now.

Not to mention, java moss can be spread to other tanks (I have a five foot x 1.5ft x 1.5ft) and it looks rather pretty. Java moss never was intended to be a replacement for my water changes, just something to help me keep his tank stable.

 

[knifegill]

Will ambient tank light be enough for the moss? I suspect it would. Might be more effective as a scrubber with good lighting. And it grows slowly enough that you should be able to anchor it with a screen/eggcrate of some sort to keep it in place while keeping an eye on the thickness or leaving it half-open.

I'd use an amount the size of three to five Oscar's mass for one Oscar to expect any effective waste reduction power.