how to change a smp to a wet/dry

Well the Sump is the tank of water and the wet/dry is the filter which is typically in the sump, so they are two different things.

The basics of sump combined with wet/dry filtration are the same for freshwater as they are for saltwater. The water flows out of the tank and through the wet/dry which should be setup to do mechanical filtration first, then biological filtration second. Then the water empties out into the sump where it is then pumped back into the tank. There are some DIY sump and wet/dry articles here on cichlid-forums you can check out.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_sumps.php

sorry for the delay, just been doing a lot of reading, Thanks for the article. I'm just trying to change an existing sump to a wet/dry filter.

well a sump and a wet/dry are the same thing. i see no reason why you would have to redo or adjust anything. all you would need is some new bioballs, sponges, rings ect for the bio filtration. set it up just likt you have for your salt.

only thing i can think of is if you have no bio filtration in the sump now due to live rocks ect. for fresh set up you would need a tower for the water to flow through which holds the bio sec. as midnightcowboy said..
"The water flows out of the tank and through the wet/dry which should be setup to do mechanical filtration first, then biological filtration second. Then the water empties out into the sump where it is then pumped back into the tank. "

so you might need to fill up the first compartment with bio stuff. and like you i like to see pics, so if you have any that would help. when i get home i will post a pic of my sump-wet/dry. it is acrylic but the idea is the same.

looks ok but is that a uv sterilizer?? that first chamber looks like the right size. i would use a 5g bucket as your tower and dril holes in the bottom. start with 1" and like 20 holes and see what kind of flow you get. then add more to get enough for your tank.(not sure on your size tank) you can add all you bio to the bucket and use some of that egg crate with a foam layer(for mechanical) on top and thats it. theres a simple diy sump on here somewhere that shows how to make the 5g bucket sump. i have to look for it.

Thanks, thats not a UV it's a phosban reactor, My tank is a 150 gallon and the return pump is a mag 18 which I hope isn't too much. Also if it's not too much trouble would you mind posting some pictures of your sump
also I think this is the link.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... c&&start=0