Kurgoth

New to Me, Used Sump Dilemma

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9 Comments

, 12-31-2010 at 09:40 AM (1823 Views)

I recently purchased a used sump from an individual here locally. I needed a sump with smaller dimensions to fit below my 29 tall tank. (20 x 8 x 16) The previous owner liked this sump and swore it works great as is, however after mulling it over all night, I am begining to have reservations. As you can see in the included pics there are no chambers to the sump, just a sock holder and one giant area. He had the bottom filled with bio balls and the return pump attached externally. Everything I have read says the bio balls need to be up and out of the water to be effective. With the water dispursed over the top to allow it to trickle down through.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on this? Would it work as is, or should I attempt to put in a chamber for the bio balls to reside?

Or could I just put a short wall between where the water output is and let the bio balls stack up under the sock?

Another idea, was to remove the bio balls and try to make it a sort of half refugium, with live sand and some rock of some sort?

I realize this is optimal, however it is the perfect size to fit below my tank, and I have to work with what I have got.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Kurgoth

Updated 01-01-2011 at 02:53 PM by melev

Tags: sump

Categories: ‎ Questions - Need some input

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Comments

Midnight - 12-31-2010 09:55 AM
I would lose the bio-balls all together. Make one chamber big enough for your skimmer if that is what it is for and throw your heater in the return section.
dread240 - 12-31-2010 11:14 AM
yea, I'm definitely not a fan of bio balls in any sump. The filter sock can be problematic too if you don't have spares and change them regularly
melev - 12-31-2010 11:36 AM
It's a tiny sump, and you don't have a lot of options. The previous owner stated it worked great, but that's an objective opinion at best depending on what type of livestock he kept. It obviously did the job.

You don't need nor want bioballs in a reef's sump.

You can run that sock if you are willing to clean it every three days like clockwork.

Adding a single partition won't do a lot, but it's likely better than nothing. I'd suggest you put in three baffles to stop the bubbles. What protein skimmer do you plan to use? You need to know that before you proceed.

You can glue in a bubble tower as well in the corner to help reduce bubble issues. If you get to that point, I'll explain more in detail.

Here's the best page you can read on this topic to fully understand the process: http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html
jonbear - 01-01-2011 10:51 AM
I agree with ditching the balls. If your rock is seasoned you don't need them and just become something else to clean. Looks like some parts are missing. the sock probably replaced a shelf that used the fabric for filtration but hard to see.

@ Melev isn't the sock a easy method for mechanical filtration. What would he use instead?
Kurgoth - 01-01-2011 12:34 PM
I will get out a better camera, and take more pictures. Is it easier to post links in PhotoBucket, or insert them into the posts?
Kurgoth - 01-01-2011 01:43 PM
Ok, I took some more pictures, to give you a better idea of what I have. The link below is to the photobucket site I made for this. A couple of the pics have the pump set agaist the sump right along the bulkhead that is for the return. I will probably put some pipe in between those, as the pump will have to be located away from the area under the tank, no room.

You can get an idea also of the area for the baffles, and I might be able to squeeze a bubble tower in the part below the input. Maybe put it against the outter wall and bring the input down through some flex pipe and route it over there. It is only a couple inches.Or i could use the existing sock bracket and affix a portable bubble tower to it and slide it right under the input hole.

Thanks for all your input. Does the addition of these pictures help make things a tad more clear?

http://s1239.photobucket.com/albums/...Sump%20Design/

I also included pictures of the Weir.
melev - 01-01-2011 02:53 PM
I wasn't confused from what you originally posted. I know all about sumps, and have seen this kind repeatedly. Those horizontal pieces of acrylic are going to be a problem if you want to glue new baffles into the sump.

If you want to make a bubble tower using a Rubbermaid Loaf of Bread holder, that's a simple inexpensive solution. Turn it up on end, drill 1/2" holes around the base, fill it up with 5" of rock rubble, and insert your drain line. Done. Water weeps out the holes into the skimmer section.

What skimmer are you going to use? You need the skimmer zone to be big enough for the skimmer, its pump, and the bubble tower. Then you know where to glue your baffles.

You really don't have room for a refugium in that set up. You'll barely be able to squeeze heaters into the return zone. If possible, get two 50w heaters instead of a single 100w heater since they tend to be smaller. The second reason is to avoid the heater sticking on and cooking your livestock accidentally.
melev - 01-01-2011 02:54 PM
Originally Posted by Kurgoth

I will get out a better camera, and take more pictures. Is it easier to post links in PhotoBucket, or insert them into the posts?

My preference is to see the pictures posted here, which you can use with the links provided by Photobucket. Try to avoid using tiny thumbnails though... look for the size that we can actually see. 640 x 480 is pretty common.
Kurgoth - 01-23-2011 09:59 AM
Well, I got lucky. As my time working on this was limited by big projects at work. After making some of the suggested changed to the sump in preperation of putting it in place. At the local Frag fest this weekend, I got a different one, IT is a CY194 by CPR Aquatics. It is a bigger filter, with a built in protein skimmer. Later on today, I am going to do a little work on it and post some pictures of it.