Re: question on sump for multiple tanks

Okay so I'm looking to redo my racks for my 10 30brs and eliminate using sponge filters and heaters in each tank. I'm planning on getting a 100 gal Rubbermaid tub to use as my sump. I already know how my design is going to be but have some questions.
First question how many heaters and wattage should I go with to heat up all 10 tanks.
Second question what are the benefits of going with a sump.
I posted this elsewhere and getting mixed reviews. Thanks

I'm running nearly 600 gallons of tanks on a 100 gallon rubbermaid sump. Soon will add another 300 gallons to the system. No problems and water changes are a breeze. I do have a separate rack for quarantine purposes. I heat the fish room not the water in the sump so I can't provide guidance in that regard.

You are welcome to visit the fish room to see my install or check out https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restazonia/1499956496919615 for some pictures.

How do you heat you fish Room?

Nice mab, but can you tell me in your opinion what the benefits are of a sump over individual sponge filters and heaters in each tank. My main issues is just having so many things plugged in. Thanks.

I also heat the room and not the tanks (other than a few) - there's a furnace with a duct into the room and I keep it cooler than most.

You can either heat particular tanks (for fish that prefer warmer temps, as I do)... or you can heat the sump (and all the tanks will be roughly the same temp). If you heat the sump, you're going to need a bunch of wattage. I'd cover the sump both to keep heat in and to reduce moisture.

I also wouldn't take the sponges (or in my case boxes and sponges) out of tanks when you add the sump. The extra circulation is a good thing and is a back up if the pump for the sump goes out.

The nice thing about rubbermaid stock tanks is the drain in the bottom - a great way to do water changes and otherwise keep the filter clean. With such a big filter, it would be easy to let it go and get really grungy. I'd rinse and clean regularly (keep a filter sock or something to keep waste out of the bio area).

And, of course, you'll want to plan a way to keep tanks off of the system for quarantine and treating sick fish.

Matt

FirstStateCynos said:

Okay so I'm looking to redo my racks for my 10 30brs and eliminate using sponge filters and heaters in each tank. I'm planning on getting a 100 gal Rubbermaid tub to use as my sump. I already know how my design is going to be but have some questions.
First question how many heaters and wattage should I go with to heat up all 10 tanks.
Second question what are the benefits of going with a sump.
I posted this elsewhere and getting mixed reviews. Thanks

Click to expand...

Thanks. I eventually will setup quarantine tanks for sick/fry. How many heaters in the sump or wattages I should say to keep the tanks around 78.
I also was told I can heat the air lines to supply heat to the tanks instead of using heaters in each tank. How would I do this.
Overall I'm really liking the sump idea but so many negative comments on it. But I've yet to hear something negative from someone who has use a sump filter setup.
So I'm confused lol.

Are all the tanks drilled with overflows? Much simpler in this kind of set-up than overflow boxes or PVC contraptions.

Sumps are excellent. Nearly unlimited bio capacity and (if well designed) quick and easy to clean (mechanical filtration). I just wouldn't use them alone - I'd keep a box filter in each tank bubbling away (for the reasons I outlined earlier).

Really easy to do an auto-water changing system on a fishroom with a single sump as well. Drain dirty water out of the sump...and add clean water in.

Main drawbacks are around flexibility. Taking tanks offline for quarantine and illness. Disease can obviously spread across all of the tanks because they're connected. And also power usage. A big pump to run a sump can use a bunch of power (more than an air pump to service the same volume of tanks). There's generally no need to blow a ton of water through a sump (in my experience), especially if there's air-driven filtration on each tank. Bio filtration (like a sump) can work better with less flow.

You'll have to experiment with the heater wattage to keep tanks at 78. I generally keep tanks cooler and add a heater to the tank to encourage spawning. Lots less energy usage. Keeping lids on the tanks (and the sump) will help greatly (also insulating under the sump).

Matt

FirstStateCynos said:

Thanks. I eventually will setup quarantine tanks for sick/fry. How many heaters in the sump or wattages I should say to keep the tanks around 78.
I also was told I can heat the air lines to supply heat to the tanks instead of using heaters in each tank. How would I do this.
Overall I'm really liking the sump idea but so many negative comments on it. But I've yet to hear something negative from someone who has use a sump filter setup.
So I'm confused lol.

Click to expand...

Everyone has preferences regarding filtration. Whatever works for them.

I have dump filters on my big tanks - basically a sump on top of the tank driven by a pump in the tank (and water dumps back into the tank via gravity).

I'm not a fan of canisters but others swear by them.

Matt

FirstStateCynos said:

Thanks. I eventually will setup quarantine tanks for sick/fry. How many heaters in the sump or wattages I should say to keep the tanks around 78.
I also was told I can heat the air lines to supply heat to the tanks instead of using heaters in each tank. How would I do this.
Overall I'm really liking the sump idea but so many negative comments on it. But I've yet to hear something negative from someone who has use a sump filter setup.
So I'm confused lol.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes tanks are drilled bottom left corner so I would need an elbow to run the bulkhead to the top of the water. In case of a power outage I wouldn't want my tanks to drain completely. I'm going to be building new racks so what type of insulation should I use. I will definitely consider covering the tanks and sump.
This is the setup I want to do.
http://youtu.be/Zhg2RLdKqvI

Btwcp said:

How do you heat you fish Room?

Click to expand...

Small electric oil filled heater.

FirstStateCynos said:

Nice mab, but can you tell me in your opinion what the benefits are of a sump over individual sponge filters and heaters in each tank. My main issues is just having so many things plugged in. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Power consumption is reduced. Water changes reduced from 5 to 8 hours to about five minutes of active time. Water changes is why I went the sump route.

FirstStateCynos said:

Thanks. Yes tanks are drilled bottom left corner so I would need an elbow to run the bulkhead to the top of the water. In case of a power outage I wouldn't want my tanks to drain completely. I'm going to be building new racks so what type of insulation should I use. I will definitely consider covering the tanks and sump.
This is the setup I want to do.
http://youtu.be/Zhg2RLdKqvI

Click to expand...

Come see mine - just about the same and I had not seen this U-Tube video before building mine.

That is a nice design for a sump. Will you keep us updated on here with your fish room

Thanks. What type of insulation should I use.

Under the sump (big rubbermaid) I'd use a 1/2" or 1" sheet of styro so that it doesn't leach as much heat from the system through the concrete floor. You can also use a piece of styro for the cover to the sump.

I use styro under tanks as well, less for insulation and more for giving them a base without irregularities.

Matt

FirstStateCynos said:

Thanks. What type of insulation should I use.

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Thanks. I have a 1500gph pump hoping that will be good enough for the job

1500 gph might be a little low for 10x 30 breeders. Once head and friction have figured in you are probably about 25-50 gph per tank. About half of what a typical 10 gallon power filter does.

A good reason to have a box or sponge filter in the tanks like Matt said to provide aeration and extra biological filtration.

I heat my fish room too and I use an electric space heater plugged into a Ranco controller. The controller probe is inside one of the tanks on my rack and that turns on the heater as necessary to maintain the tank temperatures. The fish room is also well insulated.

Andy

What size pump would be good. I'm going to insulate underneath the sump and underneath the tanks, the sides and back as well as cover them all. Hopefully heating the tanks is not to hard being in a unfinished basement.

Andy what temp do you keep your tanks at?