All, looking for a little help. Just picked up a used 125 with a sump, I’ve never ran a sump before. Looks like it has 3 chambers, 1st one has pad on top of bioballs and not sure what else then middle chamber has sponges and third chamber has the pump. Where would I put pyrogen? In the middle chamber? It’s a oceanic 20gallon sump if that helps.
Sump questions
- Thread starter Eyeguy05
- Start date
JLW
CCA Members
Not sure what kind of sump it is. But, the first thing it goes through should be a mechanical filter, then it should trickle over the bio-balls -- they're not submerged. You can put purigen or other chemical media in the middle chamber, or really anywhere else. Just as long as it doesn't get pulled into the pump. 
The middle chamber is most likely a constant level chamber for protein skimmers.
The middle chamber is most likely a constant level chamber for protein skimmers.
Not sure what kind of sump it is. But, the first thing it goes through should be a mechanical filter, then it should trickle over the bio-balls -- they're not submerged. You can put purigen or other chemical media in the middle chamber, or really anywhere else. Just as long as it doesn't get pulled into the pump.
The middle chamber is most likely a constant level chamber for protein skimmers.
How high should the water level be in the sump? It’s about 1/2 full.
littlen
CCA Members
I"m not familiar with that particular sump, but generally speaking you don't want your bioballs to be submerged. You can find the max level that the sump will hold by filling your tank until the overflows just barely trickle back into your sump (with the power off). Then fill your sump up to a level near the top. This will simulate a power outage. Then turn the power on. Give the tank and sump a few minutes to even out. Your new (lower) water level in the sump is the max height you'd ever want to fill it/top it off while running. Make a mark at that level as your 'max fill line". But again, there is probably a lower, operational level for the sump, probably just under the tray that holds the bio balls.
JLW
CCA Members
That particular brand of sump has a very small bioball chamber, and as such, there's really not enough in there to be efficient. As a rule, your minimum water level will be when the pump starts sucking air (well, just before that). The maximum on that type of sump is going to be a roughly constant level -- that is, when the pump chamber is filled to the same level as the rest of the sump. That is, however, your maximum RUNNING level. When the pump is turned on, all your tubing is filled with water, and it'll run at a lower level than when its off; when its off, it will back syphon all that water into the sump, and the sump level rill rise.
As littlen said, your maximum should not be so high that it floods. That's your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM. Your "running maximum" is going to be that constant water level mark... and hopefully, depending on your plumbing set up, absolute is higher than running.
As littlen said, your maximum should not be so high that it floods. That's your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM. Your "running maximum" is going to be that constant water level mark... and hopefully, depending on your plumbing set up, absolute is higher than running.
