1st time sump opinions needed

[davenmandy]

I didn't think you where busting out the pictures yet Dave lol

One of the many morning after regrets... at least I don't have to get tested this time right? Lol its close enough to being done anyway, maybe we bust out a build thread this weekend...

I agree with those stating that baffles are too much of a hassle and I too like my bio media in mesh bags or pantyhos, only reason I see for baffles is to have one chamber for a skimmer to stay constant water level. Or for those picky saltwater guys that can't stand the micro bubbles.

Frank start building man, see what you get, see where the flaws are, and tweak from there. Build top down, figure out your mechanical, theno figure out your bio, then leave the rest for equipment. Check out some of the people using the Walmart plastic drawers for a trickle tower, I think that may be a great option for you to start unless you are set on a herbie or beananimal style overflow, which I wouldn't recommend you start with that right off the bat because that takes a good amount of tweaking. Keep us posted.

 

[millerkid519]

To hold your egg crate what you do is cut little pieces of glass 1/2×4" and silicone them at the hight you want your egg crate to sit.
If you haven't already bought the media don't waste money on expensive stuff. Go yo your local hardware store and buy natural charcoal for a charcoal grill. It is lava rock and very cheap like 10 bucks for 20 pounds and it Wil be just as good as the media you spend hundreds of dollars on

 

[millerkid519]

That levels everything as open as possible for maintanace

 

[jaws7777]

I wont be able to start anything until im done moving. I have to get some fish out of the tank i wanna use for the sump. Should be able to start next week.

May be a stupid question but rember i have no idea what im doing lol

Ifi dont use baffels whats gonna stop the water from bypassing the mech and bio.

For bio i was going to use existing bio in a mesh bag and poret foam for mech.

Was thinking of hob over flow cuz the tank is tempered. You guys recommend one ? Thinking eshopps.

Gonna round up suplies this week

 

[millerkid519]

One of the many morning after regrets... at least I don't have to get tested this time right? Lol its close enough to being done anyway, maybe we bust out a build thread this weekend...

I agree with those stating that baffles are too much of a hassle and I too like my bio media in mesh bags or pantyhos, only reason I see for baffles is to have one chamber for a skimmer to stay constant water level. Or for those picky saltwater guys that can't stand the micro bubbles.

Frank start building man, see what you get, see where the flaws are, and tweak from there. Build top down, figure out your mechanical, theno figure out your bio, then leave the rest for equipment. Check out some of the people using the Walmart plastic drawers for a trickle tower, I think that may be a great option for you to start unless you are set on a herbie or beananimal style overflow, which I wouldn't recommend you start with that right off the bat because that takes a good amount of tweaking. Keep us posted.

I do have a trickle tower and it by far the easiest to maintain.
Your right Dave it could always be worse lol. Yes we should and I really wish you had taken more pictures

 

[millerkid519]

I wont be able to start anything until im done moving. I have to get some fish out of the tank i wanna use for the sump. Should be able to start next week.

May be a stupid question but rember i have no idea what im doing lol

Ifi dont use baffels whats gonna stop the water from bypassing the mech and bio.

For bio i was going to use existing bio in a mesh bag and poret foam for mech.

Was thinking of hob over flow cuz the tank is tempered. You guys recommend one ? Thinking eshopps.

Gonna round up suplies this week

I have an eshopps and it works great

 

[davenmandy]

Yes don't drill tempered glass haha, you're gonna have a bad time. As for bypassing bio, as long as you have enough in there and the tank is well oxygenated it is a non issue, you just need enough contact time so you don't want the highest turnover through your sump.

 

[duanes]

Your media isn't bypassed without a baffle, with water entering one end of the sump, and being pumped out the other end, wherever your biological media sits in the sump, it will see plenty of action.
And in reality baffles don't do anything about water level if your power goes out. Water will drain from the main tank by gravity into the sump, until the level of your overflow in the tank is reached.
I also agree about using lava rock as biomedia, I get large bags from the garden center, and use it as biomedia in my biofractionator towers. You could start seeding it now, before your move, by putting mesh bags of it in your tank corners, so after the move, no cycling would be required.
Another reason to "not" put baffles in a sump, is if you ever want to change things, its simple to do without tearing the whole thing apart.
I have changed my sumps around many times over the years, as new technology comes to my attention, and having a totally open area to work with is like a clean slate.
Lets say you'd like to add a fluidized bed chamber, a larger pump, or fractionation at some point, restrictions are only the size of the box, not baffled off spaces to get in the way.

 

[jaws7777]

I get it, looking at this like a can I guess. I am going to use already seeded bio so no need to worry about that.


I will have time to mess with the sump being that an ac110 is already cycled and was the primary means of filtration.

@millerkid519 thanks for the pic. what is the 3rd and 4th baffl for ?

 

[millerkid519]

3rd baffle is to direct water flow to the bottom of the sump and 4th is to make the water hight you want to have in your bio chamber and 5th is to quiet the flow. I look at chambers as each piece of glass in the sump