Ordering New 440/480 any advice?

[TheWolfman]

You can use a float switch to drain the sump when it reaches a certain height since the pitch of your drain is above the sump water level. A low flow Ato pump would use the least power and have no problem keeping up with your drip flow rate. The float switch would control the power to the pump. I think BRS has a two float switch system to control and the ato.

 

[TheWolfman]

I don’t know if you considered raising you up sump to get the pitch you need so you could overflow to a drain instead of using a pump to drain the sump.

 

[dr exum]

You can use a float switch to drain the sump when it reaches a certain height since the pitch of your drain is above the sump water level. A low flow Ato pump would use the least power and have no problem keeping up with your drip flow rate. The float switch would control the power to the pump. I think BRS has a two float switch system to control and the ato.

Oh man! Thanks!

 

[dr exum]

I don’t know if you considered raising you up sump to get the pitch you need so you could overflow to a drain instead of using a pump to drain the sump.

only 2” of room sadly... sump 20” high sitting on foam insulation 1” stand top only 30” high. 4” or so of plumbing.

I like your float idea!

 

[dr exum]

Got some material from the “pond guy” today.

cut two pieces on table saw, placed above filter pad as extra mechanical layer.

I thought it was going to be more sponge like and less woven plastic.

not sure what I’m going to do with the large pore sheet...

Water is still the same, ordered ammonia from amazon, slated to come in May , ordered from chewy... probably same...

I did 8 days of stability. No nitrates in tank.

going to do Tank maintenance and gather old filter cartridges to float in sump...

no movement on the auto top off / auto fill side... waiting for builder to finish their work, said it would be complete this week.

Cheers!

 

[dr exum]

Got some nitrates ?

gravel vac’d 10gallons of matter from substrates from various tanks.

hopefully it’s not short lived.

progress is good!

 

[DN328]

Got some nitrates ?

gravel vac’d 10gallons of matter from substrates from various tanks.

hopefully it’s not short lived.

progress is good!

View attachment 1412276

Isn't it a nice feeling to finally see some nitrates. LOL? Now you can't hope for ammonia and nitrite to drop to 0. The Bashsea sump that I have came with the plastic mesh that you bought. There are four pieces vertically in a small chamber before the return pump chamber. They added it there to stop any particles and micro bubbles getting into pump. More surface for BB too I would imagine.

 

[dr exum]

Isn't it a nice feeling to finally see some nitrates. LOL? Now you can't hope for ammonia and nitrite to drop to 0. The Bashsea sump that I have came with the plastic mesh that you bought. There are four pieces vertically in a small chamber before the return pump chamber. They added it there to stop any particles and micro bubbles getting into pump. More surface for BB too I would imagine.

Ya, it’s been a long road to this point getting this tank in here...

I’m glad I ordered the smallest size too, I’ll hopefully find a purpose for it, I’ve got all sorts of extra things in sump currently, sponge filters and old media...

hopefully few more weeks!

 

[TheWolfman]

With all the tanks you have, some seeded media from the others should jump start that thing. Every tank I’ve ever setup including my 450 was Insta cycled that way. Without some sort of fish load, the bacteria won’t really get going. That fx4 should run that tank no problem with the size of your fish. If your dosing ammonia and it’s over 4ppm it can actually start killing off your bb and sterilize your aquarium.

 

[dr exum]

With all the tanks you have, some seeded media from the others should jump start that thing. Every tank I’ve ever setup including my 450 was Insta cycled that way. Without some sort of fish load, the bacteria won’t really get going. That fx4 should run that tank no problem with the size of your fish. If your dosing ammonia and it’s over 4ppm it can actually start killing off your bb and sterilize your aquarium.

I’ve got 100 or so feeders in there, I’ve not had access to any more ammonia. I added the feeders to aid colonization and my driftwood was all new and had the slime....

I do have two shrimp rotting in a mesh bag in the tank to add ammonia.

I’d say:

ammo is .5-1.0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5.0

I’ve got more seeded media to add. See picture.

however those two tanks it came from have snails. Not a lot, 1-2 here and there... but not sure I want to introduce them to new system intentionally. I was thinking maybe a pantyhose? Need a creative way to put these in the sump and contain any snails. I already crushed the ones I could see....

I’d like to see the tank process that ammonia I added 11 days ago.

Wolfman, after its “insta cycle” do you add your stock? I have nitrates but not processing ammonia... I’d like to get my fish in there, but want to do it right...