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265 gallon

longstocking

longstocking

Members
Yes there are tons of variables... I have two sumps. one that is on a 55.... that is rated for a 250 gallon tank LOLOL.... and one that I made for the 125 wide.

The only reason you need to worry about the size of the sump is when the power turns off. Charlie has a great remedy for this... pm him for info. But generally, you need it to be able to hold enough of the water from where your overflow line is when the power turns off. You can set your overflow line really high with some overflows out there... not sure about yours :)

Micheal is absolutly right... lots of variables... I do have lots of the parts lying around but always found it cheaper to build.... even if the sump was used and in good condition.

Bio-Balls.... I might be mistaken but aren't even reefers getting out of using them? If memory serves me right... they will shoot your nitrate sky high. I am not a reefer.... so do not quote me on this.

I have used sponges on my sumps for years.....never a problem, clean them out probably 6 times a year? If that.... probably more like 4. More stable IMO.

I do like Matts idea... same concept..... BUT, I do not want an ugly filter on top of my tank.
 
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Charlutz

Charlutz

Members
Talking in absolutes about sumps v. dumps v. canisters doesn't really work since it's *almost* purely opinion. Any of those solutions can work. I am a big fan of sumps and trickle filters because of their efficiency, low cost and ease of maintenance. They are louder than some other filters and they need to have a good design to minimize plumbing risks, but if you understand them, they can be among the best filters for large tanks. I'd recommend using one over any other filter for a big tank, but it's my opinion. You should at least do some research to figure out how they work.

To answer a couple of miscellaneous questions, the size of a sump needs to be big enough to hold the tower you are using to hold your filter media. It needs to be big enough to catch the backflow when not under power (this can be minimized to probably 10-15 gallons) for your size tank. It also needs to be big enough to account for water evaporation between water changes. You don't want to have to add water every other day because your sump is too small. 20% of tank size is a decent rule of thumb, but it's a guideline.

Also, the beauty of designing your own filter is you can have many levels of filtration. You can start with filter pads or sponges, or even micron socks or micron pads. Then, move to bio balls or other bio media further down the tower. Freshwater aquarists don't have to worry about nitrate buildup the way that reefers do. Bio balls and wet drys are perfect for our aquariums even though they are no longer in vogue for SW or reefs.
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
Thanks i value all of your opinions. I will be doing some research on the subject. Hope to meet some of you at the meeting saturday. This will be my first meeting.
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
has anyone ever built a sump with a pond liner. Like the one they have at Exotic Aquatics. Just thought that might be a good option for me. I think i could make the sump larger than using a tank.
 
longstocking

longstocking

Members
you can do this... but really a sump is better. You don't need a tank.... just some plastic bins... ask Charlie for his sump DIY article.
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
So while at work today i thinking about what to use as filter media. I came up with what looks to be a great idea, as the floor man went by with the scrubber i thought. Those pads looked a lot like the filter media you can buy for pond filter. So after talking to him i came home with this box full of the centers to the round scrubber pads. they usually just get thrown out. the different colors are different density's. just not sure how to tell if they will be safe and not contain any chemicals that will harm the fish. they do not contain any cleaners on them. Has anyone out there ever used these or know of anyway to make sure they are safe. I am thinking of using them in the bottom drawer in my filter tower in place of the pot scrubbers

filtermedia.jpg
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
I use pot scrubbies...no problem. Just not used ones...

If in doubt put one in a 5g bucket with a couple of feeders and an airstone...

Matt
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
so i scored a free 75 gallon tank to use as my sump. and just got back from walmart. bought 2 of the sterlite 4 drawer towers. just incase i break or crack one. for 5 bucks each why not. but i do have a question on the cpr overflow boxs. when i got them the 2 bulkheads are plumbed together on one of the boxs. Is this the proper way or should i have seperate pvc pipes running all the way to the sump. by plumbing them together wont it cut back on the about of flow i can have. Also do i need to use both boxs, in case one losses flow. If so i need to purchase a bulkhead fitting for the one as it was missing when i got it. where is the best place to get these parts? thanks

265overflow.jpg
 
Tony

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
You're right, the flow will be cut if both outlets are combined. Personally, I'd split them up to maximize flow or tee them both into a larger diameter PVC. For bulkheads, check out either Jehmco or Kensfish.

CPR overflow boxes are nice. I used to have a smaller one for my saltwater setup. As DQ said earlier, make sure you set up an Aqualifter pump on each one to clear air bubbles trapped from the weir. If you don't do this, you will eventually lose siphon and end up with a wet floor if you're not careful.... I've done it many times, even with the Aqualifter pump.

Get additional diaphragm kits while you're ordering the pumps as well as the little pre-filter guys for $2-$3 each. You can DIY on the prefilters if you'd like using a small jar, airline tubing and poly filter.
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
tank is up and running doing a fishless cycle now. I took some filter pads from other tanks and threw them into the filter drawers to give me a good jump start. i will post some pics when i get a chance.
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
Here are some shots of the wet dry sump i just built. I ran 1inch pvc all the way to the sump from each bulkhead to get the best flow. I am running a mag drive 18 pump, with 2 cpr overflow boxs. The first tray of the tower has some established filter cartridges from other tanks in it to give my bio filter a jump start. then the next one have some filter floss. then 500 cut up straws in the next tray, and then a few packs of cut up dollar store sponges, and finally the submerged tray has some scrubbing pads in it. Just giving it a little time before i put the fish in.

sump4.jpg

sump3.jpg

sump2.jpg

sump.jpg
 
Peacockbass

Peacockbass

New Member
I also cut the bottom out of another storage tote to use as a splash guard for the tower. so far everything is running good.
 
Hawkman2000

Hawkman2000

Members
DRILL BABY DRILL, lol. I don't know why all tanks 75 and up aren't drilled. just having the holes their as an option would be nice. Only prob it if the bottom sheet is tempered. If its not. drill that puppy, then go wet dry.
 
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