Mark1234 said:
Ken, can I ask the set up of for your sump? I was going to ask the same question as I was looking at running a sump. I was thinking mechanical filtration in the first chamber (plus carbon) then biological in the second with the third being a return. If anyone has any suggestions on biological filtration that would be appreciated.Mark
Both my sumps are simple & basically the same:
1. tank water flows into the dual corner overflows.
2. from there hoses or pipes carry the water down to the drip pan in the sump.
3. the water drips from the pan into the large chamber below filled with bio media.
4. water at the bottom of the large chamber moves to another chamber where the pump is.
5. the pump pushes the water back into tank at the top of the overflows via hoses/pipes.
I have the opportunity for physical filtration (pads, floss) at #'s 1 & 2, and chemical filtration (in bags) at #'s 3 & 4.
I had no experience with sumps prior to these two tanks as I've always had smaller tanks through the years. The sumps were part of complete packages; tank, sump, cabinet, hood, etc. No way would I ever drill a tank and attempt a diy sump, setting up both of these 'turnkey' packages was already quite enough trouble. For my 450gal it took me over 2 weeks to setup everything perfectly (sump, pipes/hoses clamped to sides & top in cabinet, led lights in the cabinet, etc). But my profession is the opposite of 'hands on' so this type of thing was also new to me.