water volume or bio media?

[PinoyBuckeye]

Which is more important for a sump, water volume or ensuring the water is passing through your bio media? I ask because I have multiple large stock tanks I can use on my 400 gallon tank or I can use a 90 gallon tank and baffle it to ensure the water passes through the media. I'm a little limited with some of the things I can do with sumps since I build my stand a little shorter because the tank is 48" front to back and would be hard to work on if the stand was much higher.

Thanks

 

[esoxlucius]

With sumps they not only offer the increased water volume, but they are designed in a way that you "aim" the flow of water exactly where you want it to go so you maximise the potential of not only the bio media, but your mechanical media too. The water can't really flow anywhere else other than where you want it to.

If you just plumbed in a stock tank at the side of your 400 the water would still flow through it and probably do a similar job, but imo wouldn't be as efficient as a sump configuration.

If you can't fit your sump in the usual place under the tank you could always have it to the side, if you have the room, or even have it in another room and plumb through the wall. There are always options to make these things work.

 

[Midwater]

Which is more important for a sump, water volume or ensuring the water is passing through your bio media?

Water passing through the media, that is what makes a sump into a filter.

 

[ken31cay]

Typically water flowing through the media is more important. Unless you are using an open tank (no baffles) jam-packed with plants like duanes .

 

[tlindsey]

Although I have a wet/dry trickle tower sump filter that water drips over the media. Agree more important for water to flow through the bio-media.

 

[PinoyBuckeye]

What if the majority of your bio media is k1-type media or fluidized sand?

Also, I have no idea how many inches of fish I’ll have in the 400 once they’re grown. What’s the general rule for how much k1 type media I will need for that tank?

 

[duanes]

The only way for you to tell if one bio-media type is better than another would be to measure dissolved oxygen at either end of a filter, with exact same speed, and water flow rates.
And them measure ammonia and nitrite reduction in either side.
The idea that one inanimate material is going to be far superior to another is highly subjective, and more of a commercial voodoo science than actual tested data.

I have tried ceramic rings, fluidized beds, lava rock, and old tooth brushes, and each worked as well as the other., and done their job, but......
The only filtration that has made areal difference for me, has been the use of live plants, because along with ammonia, and nitrite reductucion, they have also reduced nitrate.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Well, you can filter water through media using any type of filter...so the bigger advantage of the sump for me is added volume. I don't see why anyone would ever recommend that you not try for the largest sump you can accommodate.