What Foam for my Sump? Ditch the filter socks

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malawi500

Candiru
MFK Member
Sep 29, 2011
319
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UK
Looking to utilise the following sump:

DSC_0697.jpg

It was originally on a marine tank hence the live sand. However I intend to use it on freshwater.

The area where the live sand is will be replaced with ceramic rings, even though the flow wont directly pass through it I'm sure it will do it's job anyway.

What I do need is a sponge to go before that area and after that area...

I can get hold of 10, 30 or 45 PPI foam. What should I go for?

As a guide I have been running a 50 Micron sock in my current setup but wish to ditch them as the sump doesn't really allow for this

Thoughts?

DSC_0697.jpg
 
If you can utilize a filter sock set-up, even if some engineering is needed, I wouldn't recommend ditching them. You could buy a 16"x7" round 200 micron and stitch them up to the right height if need be and that would far out perform the sponge. If the sponge is going to be used I would go with a lower pore count(coarser) as this will allow more flow through. The sponge on that sump is used to keep bubbles from being pumped back into the tank. Very little mechanical is achieved. Typically the mech part of a sump is before the bio portion to keep detritus from accumulating in the media and clogging it up.
Just my thought.
 
Foam is more for bio filtration rather than mechanical filtration. If you can, I would try to find a way to make filter socks work on the sump. Maybe rearange the baffles a bit to make more room for filter socks, or find a different sump.
 
malawi500 said:
Looking to utilise the following sump:

View attachment 852214

It was originally on a marine tank hence the live sand. However I intend to use it on freshwater.

The area where the live sand is will be replaced with ceramic rings, even though the flow wont directly pass through it I'm sure it will do it's job anyway.

What I do need is a sponge to go before that area and after that area...

I can get hold of 10, 30 or 45 PPI foam. What should I go for?

As a guide I have been running a 50 Micron sock in my current setup but wish to ditch them as the sump doesn't really allow for this

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
After looking at the sump again, the space after the live sand is would be a good spot for a sponge, but again, the bio needs to have mechanical first.
I would build a different setup. Just an open tank with the bio sitting in bottom next to the return. Prefilter with socks into the sump directly out of the main tank...I think thats called a Berlin style setup.
 
how is foam more for bio??

Most generic canister filters use foam as the mechanical filter pre bio?

Filter socks are good I agree but they're going to be a pain to set up, I like to run the pipes submerged to keep noise down and this new tank has stiff pipe which makes it tricky to move the filter socks for cleaning, ever tried lifting a full filter sock?

A sponge would be easy to lift out, rinse during a water change etc..
 
Berlin style is for marine tanks... Live sand, live rock etc.

As you suggest a sponge after the bio would work well, this is wher I'm thinking say a 45PPI foam would work best as a polisher and then use say a 20 PPI at the start?
 
malawi500 said:
Berlin style is for marine tanks... Live sand, live rock etc.

As you suggest a sponge after the bio would work well, this is wher I'm thinking say a 45PPI foam would work best as a polisher and then use say a 20 PPI at the start?
Click to expand...
You still arent filtrering the water before the bio unless you stuff 20ppi media into that little chamber before the bio. I have had issues with the bio getting clogged up if there is no prefilter. This may seem a small issue at first, but over time the accumulation of junk in the bio chamber will be a big issue. Essentially, eliminating the filter socks in the first chamber leaves all the water from the overflow spilling on to the bio. At least a sponge or floss type media should be used to filter the large junk out first. The section where you want the sponge is going to plug up fast if the water isn't prefiltered.
 
The towers with the holes in them are for my two 200mic filter socks. The container above them has 20ppi foam for mech. The Eheim 2250 is full of Bio media and is fed via "recirc" flow so I can circulate the sump during water changes. The 2250 doesnt need mechanical because I prefilter the flow first, therefore, I discharge the bio flow through a UV and back into the sump. Water is emaculate. This is my own design and it works for me. A similar design could be utilized for the sump you have, but, you would have to remove some baffles.
Sorry for the cruddy cell phone pic.

downsized_1126121721.jpg
 
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