Improve my sump!

[Meowmeowbuns]

Hi all-

I’ve got a 20 gallon tall sump under my 75 gallon main tank and I’ve been lately thinking about ways to improve it. Currently the drains (Herbie setup, one siphon one dry emergency) run into their own filter socks, the biological media is kinda just plunked in there between 2 sections of egg crates and then the pump is at the opposite end. 1 heater behind filter socks and 1 next to pump. I also have 2 air stones under the bio to hopefully stir up the sump a little bit, but I’m wondering if it would benefit me at all to restart and baffle the sump instead. Still something simple, like a baffle that moves all of the water through the media. I’m actually quite pleased with tank clarity, seems the filter socks are working well and I have extras to swap out when the need arises. Anyway, to those more experienced: what’s your insight with the way I have it now and how can/should I improve! Thanks in advance!

 

[esoxlucius]

There's a million and one things you can do, that's the beauty of sumps, very customizable. But why? You say your water clarity is good, filter socks are working well, overall you seem happy with it. Why fix what's not broke?

 

[PYRU]

I was asking about this very thing last week. All my previous sumps were baffled and I wanted to simplify it like yours

Post #423
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/300-gallon-setup-sump-build.679885/page-15

 

[Meowmeowbuns]

You’re totally right... parameters are good so it’s definitely not broke. I’m in the mindset of making everything as good as possible, but of course diminishing returns always comes into play.

I guess one thing I would love to get rid of is the air pump. The tank is in my dining room, so the pump is my biggest gripe right now. Not even really sure that I “need” the pump, just gives me that extra piece of mind that water is moving around down there.

 

[Meowmeowbuns]

I was asking about this very thing last week. All my previous sumps were baffled and I wanted to simplify it like yours

Post #423
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/300-gallon-setup-sump-build.679885/page-15

Thank you for directing me to that! Do you/will you have yours piled up directly next to the pump, or is it similar to mine where water passes over it?

Now that I think of it, my siphon drain is pretty low, so I wonder what kind of mixing effect that has. It just looks so dead in there without any aeration.

 

[PYRU]

I have my big tanks broken down right now getting ready to move. When I set mine up I'm going to just toss a bunch of media by my pumps just like in that thread. Several people used tetra pond boxes but I hear they just accumulate crap. I use to be all baffles all the time but this is way simpler with way less areas for crap to accumulate.

If you want to pimp your sump drill a drain for a waterchange system or add a float valve on a fill line in conjunction with a sump pump set on intervals.

This is another thread I was basing my sump design on
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...on-sa-ce-community-build-thread.423425/page-7

 

[DN328]

You’re totally right... parameters are good so it’s definitely not broke. I’m in the mindset of making everything as good as possible, but of course diminishing returns always comes into play.

I guess one thing I would love to get rid of is the air pump. The tank is in my dining room, so the pump is my biggest gripe right now. Not even really sure that I “need” the pump, just gives me that extra piece of mind that water is moving around down there.

You may be able to do without the air pump. If the system is on and return pump running, then water should be moving. Do you get any surface debri when there's no bubbles? You may want to stop the air pump and see if there's any big differences. Not to put your fish at risk, but I don't think they would mind ;-)

 

[jaws7777]

I would leave it as is. The sump looks clean and seems to be working fine. I like the way your using the egg crates as baffles even though they arent necessary unless your using them for a specific reason. However you can just remove them and pile the media ontop of the pumps maybe to to create a little more room but all in all it looks fine.

 

[jaws7777]

I used egg crate/lighting diffuser to create holding pens for floating plants but it was more of a mess than it was worth. You could tinker with it to do the same but my main issue was algae forming all of the sump...ugh no thanks