DIY Sump Setup

[logan1052]

I'm looking to setup a sump for a 150-gallon Freshwater tank I have and looking for advice.
What size sump would you suggest? I'm seeing 40B/60B.
What sump pump? Seeing a lot of people suggest the Fluval Sea SP4.

Any advice for setting it up/tips/things to avoid? Thanks!

 

[cockroach]

I ran a well stocked 310gal tank on a 55gal sump with no issues.
The pump depends on the fish, the bioload and what you intend to use the sump for.

 

[duanes]

I find the size pump can be determined by the fish species.
.If you keep rheophiles, such a Geophagus, Tomocichla, or Denison barbs or other current loving species, a stronger pump will be required,
than if you are keeping slack water species like angles, or severums, or most Anabantids. of sump, can be determined by what you expect to get from a sump,
I have used barrels, 40 gal tanks, and anything that hold water for sumps.


These days, beyond eliminating ammonia and nitrite....
I also expect nitrate elimination out of a sump, which means a large area needs to be set aside for plants.
So for my sump, and plant consuming, rheophillic cichlids I need a powerful pump to move lots of water fast, and the sumop is a 125 gal tank, with 80% of space required for planting.

 

[duanes]

Some people believe its not ineeded or overkill to try and reduce nitrate to as low as possible,
But I collect my own cichlids in the rivers of Panama, and test for pH, and nitrates where ever I collect.
My tests have in the rivers all revealed the similar results, a ph of 8 or above, and no detectable nitrates.
So that is what I feel I need from my sumps filtration end result to be.

Above are pH and nitrate tests where I collect cichlids.
Below tests of my tank, from using planted sump, and adequate water change schedule.

 

[logan1052]

I find the size pump can be determined by the fish species.
.If you keep rheophiles, such a Geophagus, Tomocichla, or Denison barbs or other current loving species, a stronger pump will be required,
than if you are keeping slack water species like angles, or severums, or most Anabantids. of sump, can be determined by what you expect to get from a sump,
I have used barrels, 40 gal tanks, and anything that hold water for sumps.
View attachment 1559075
View attachment 1559070
These days, beyond eliminating ammonia and nitrite....
I also expect nitrate elimination out of a sump, which means a large area needs to be set aside for plants.
So for my sump, and plant consuming, rheophillic cichlids I need a powerful pump to move lots of water fast, and the sumop is a 125 gal tank, with 80% of space required for planting.
View attachment 1559078
View attachment 1559077

I didn't even think about putting plants in the tank. This almost makes me want to go from planning to make a glass sump, to just using a 55 gallon barrel with plants in it. Ill be keeping bichir, eels, loaches, and rope fish in the tank. Im upgrading them from a 90g to a 150g