Sumps for Dummies - I've got questions!

As long as the pump has a good screen it doesn't seem to matter much as far as snails etc...getting in. Snails will inevitably get down there but most don't put them in the sump unless you have a light source and algae. I personally wouldn't worry about a screen as it will just be something else to get dirty and need cleaning.
The black fiberglass screen is safe to use though.
 
Jennie, I have never worried much about snails in my sump. never had an issue with them. dont do screen like that. On my 75, I had open access to the intake on my mag 9.5. never had an issue with anything in that pump. it was a Great return pump for me.

on the big tank now, I made an intake with slits the width of a saw blade that only the tiny cerinths can get into.
 
OK - so, I'm assembling my parts, and I got the JBJ auto-topoff controller because I thought, after reading the info on it, that it would control the return pump as well as the top-off. DUH, that was wrong. Anyway, now I don't know if its better to use it for the top-off or use it to turn off the return pump if the water level gets too low. Not sure which application would be a better use of the controller. I like the idea of it automatically shutting down the pump if the return area gets too low on water... and there are other ways to set up the auto topoff. Any thoughts?
 
Not sure about it shutting off the return pump when the water gets low as the level will rise in the sump when water flows back from the tank thus engaging the pump again and bouncing the water up and down. Without a check valve, I can see this as the scenario. I personally would use it to activate an aqualifter pump for the top off water
 
LOL. jennie, so long as you have water in your top off bin, you should be just fine. and even if you do forget, your system will remind you before it is too late with the pump sucking in a little bit of air.

on my old tank, it was every sunday that I filled the top off bin. on my new tank, it is every 16 days.
 
it can run dry if you have nothing there to replace evaporated water, but with an auto top off hooked up in some way it wont ever run dry unless you have no water for the auto top off to draw from to fill the sump up....only other way it can run dry is if the return pump is returning more water then what the overflow lets in....i get this problem at times when my u tube overflow gets a bubble in it thats big enough to slow it down.....mostly if my sump is as full of water as it can be up to the max water line or close to it the worst thing that happens is i get a bubble in the u tube and it slows my overflow down and makes my return pump fill my display a tad too much for my liking lol
 
NeedBiggerTank said:
So here is the first "draft" of my sump. Can't find my photoshop or Illustrator software... so I'll appologize in advance for the crude Paintshop version! :D

mysumpdesign.jpg


I've noticed some sump designs have teeth and some don't... can you put teeth in glass or just acrylic? Advantages to having teeth?

Comments? Suggestions? Just try not to laugh too hard! :lolspin:
Click to expand...

i built mine the same as your drawing but move your inlet over to one side and make room for a skimmer in that compartment and leave your center section for a sandbed,macro,liverock, and heater to help with filtration and if your gonna use a sock get about ten of them and change them alot i only run a sock for a day or two after a good cleaning to catch all the waste but there's a million ways to do it everone's different
 
I guess I'm just a worry wart - thinking something is going to get sucked into the overflow, block the water draining from the tank, causing the sump to go dry - even if the top off is full, it would get emptied pretty quickly... I think I have a fear of an electrical fire or something. But ya'll know what you're talking about and I don't, so I will use the controller for the auto top-off. :D

Oh, and Lindsey - I went with the DS Mag-Drive 9.5 as my return pump. Holy Moly - that thing is huge! It arrived the other day and I guess I just wasn't prepared for it to be so big and heavy. It came with an equally large pre-filter sponge thingy - use it or toss it?
 
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oh speaking of electrical make sure ya get a gfci outlet or a shockbuster put in if ya dont have one already......salt water and eletrical dont mix :D
 
Calling electricians tomorrow to get quotes on getting the outlet put on a seperate cicuit breaker in the fuse box and replaing the standard outlet with GFI. We have to get this done before we can plug anything else in - and the sump will be adding more power consumption w/ the controller, return pump, AquaLifter, etc.
 
NeedBiggerTank said:
Calling electricians tomorrow to get quotes on getting the outlet put on a seperate cicuit breaker in the fuse box and replaing the standard outlet with GFI. We have to get this done before we can plug anything else in - and the sump will be adding more power consumption w/ the controller, return pump, AquaLifter, etc.
Click to expand...

you can get one that plugs into a regular socket alot cheaper than an electrician
 
Rich1427 said:
you can get one that plugs into a regular socket alot cheaper than an electrician
Click to expand...

There is too much drawing power on the one circuit - as this is in the kitchen and all outlets/plugs in the kitchen are on one breaker. Breaker currently trips when you turn toaster and microwave on w/ all the current equipment for the tank turned on. So, I don't think there is another way to solve this issue w/o putting the one outlet the tank equipment is plugged into on a separate circuit. Is that a wrong solution? Maybe I'm not understanding your suggestion. :idea:
 
i see what you mean your aquarium is on the same circut as your kitchen and its maxed out.i thought you just needed a GFI outlet because they sell them for 20 bucks at fosters but your overloaded allready Iwould run its own circut if your gonna get electrician out that way you can run future things like chillers and such if needed
 
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All Parts Have Arrived!

All Parts Have Arrived!

The final piece - the tank - has arrived! :bounce1:

Got some more questions (Yipee!)

1) The sump is 16" tall - which means each inch holds approximately 1.875 gallons of water. If we want the sump to hold 18 gallons when operational (leaving 12 gallons empty if the power goes out and the tank drains down to the bottom of the overflow), I'd want the highest baffle to be 9.75". Is that right? Or is the height of the baffles not related to the amount of water you want your sump to hold?

2) On my mag-drive 9.5, use the pre-filter (huge 6" foam block thing) it came with or toss it?

3) Sean @ EBF said to not put a ball valve on the inlet pipe, as it restricts flow coming from the display (which sounds reasonible). What do you all think?

4) Should I continue to run my Eheim for a week or so after the sump is put into service or just trasfer the media to the sump and be done with it? BTW our Eheim is only used for chemical filtration.

Thanks in advance! :fish1:
 
Can anyone assist with the questions above? I'd really appreciate it.

Before I can get the glass cut or cut it myself, I need to know how "tall" to make the pieces. Anybody used a tile cutter to cut glass? The guy at Home Depot said it would work...
 
1. Baffles will affect the amount of water the return section can hold. 8-9" is a good baffle height and works well with most skimmers.

2. Ditch the pre filter. One more thing to keep clean or it will become a problem.

3. If you are running the pump externally, put the ball valve on with a union to make taking the pump of easier to remove for maint. Just always leave it open except for maint. If pump is internal, probably no need.

4. If the unit is only chemical. I.e. carbon, no need to keep running it. What are you replacing it with?
 
The return pump is internal, and will sit inside the sump. So I don't need a ball valve on either end (return or intake)? How do you adjust the water level in the sump or display? I was thinking the ball valve could be used to adjust the flow coming from the display to the sump or from the sump returning to the display (the pump itself has no adjustment). Is there another way to do this?

The Eheim has DeNitrate, Phosguard, Renew and Purigen in it. Planning on moving all these over to the sump - hense, the "media" compartments in my sketch. Working on an updated design, with a place for the purigen.

One other thing I forgot to ask - should the water coming out of the skimmer go directly into the return section? Or do you just let it drain into the same compartment the skimmer is in?

Thanks!
 
Just my two cents, but keep the design simple. No need to over complicate.

Just make two sections. Water in area just big enough to have a skimmer. Use two baffles with the first up ~1" and the next ~ 1" apart on the bottom. The remaining is the return area for your pump and heater.

I did not see a media section but IMO, media should go in a reactor. the efficiency of a reactor can not be beat. I think even just keeping your existing canister in use for carbon/GFO is better.

Skimmer should drain into the compartment it sets in so that the water goes through the bubble trap before hitting the return area.

I just setup a new sump this week... I'll take a shot and upload it in a few.
 
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