Aquarium Sump Filtration - My Tips & Tricks and EVERY Component of My Sump Filter!
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
- Aquarium sump filtration used to scare me. I was intimidated by them. Now that I've become familiar with them I've discovered why they are the king of large aquarium filters?
The learning curve wasn't easy for me, but when I would see tanks containing thousands of dollars of corals and salt water fish in them, what would I see? Sump filtration systems!
My conclusion is that when you consider flexibility, added water volume, media capacity and water movement, nothing really comes close.
My sump adds 30 - 40 gallons to my system and I would need 10 FX-6s to handle the amount of media it holds, and that's without coming close to its total capacity!
Here is a part-by-part look at my sump. It's not the only way to set one up. It's just how mine has evolved coming from the components I had to start with. There are many other workable sump configurations out there. Some very nice pre-made systems, some created by custom sump builders and I've even seen some very impressive DIY sumps.
Are you running a sump? Do you have questions about using a system like this to filter your tank? Post your questions and comments below and I’ll try to get respond to as many as I can.
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Your water clarity is the absolute best I've ever seen. I'm so envious. The fish literally look like they're in a tank of air. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experiences!
Thank you Alli. I appreciate your support of the channel!
Good morning Ben! In my younger days I have had Cichlids, and salt water tanks with some success But have never tried sump approach. It absolutely makes so much sense from the standpoint of fish health and beautiful tank to look at and enjoy I am retired now and thinking about trying sump (bucket list) Thanks for sharing you knowledge and expertise I found you while surfing this morning and you have motivated me to give it a go! Just a little intimidated by the complexity of the setup !
I was too at first but once I got the hang of it I love it. Just the extra water volume alone (“dilution solves pollution”) and all the room to do whatever you want. Highly recommended😀👍🏻
Hey Ben,it was great to see a in-depth video of your sump set up. I have commented before that sumps are the way to go with large tanks. I say anything over 100 gallons fits into that category. I couldn’t agree more with your point about flexibility. There are a million different ways you can set up a sump and add equipment without ever running out of room. The ease of maintenance was what really drew me to converting to sumps. Every other water change I rinse my sponges in tank water and just like that the maintenance is done. Every 5 or 6 months I will drain and vacuum my sump with my python just to pick up any debris that might have snuck past the sponges. Hopefully your video will help some people get over the intimidation of setting up a sump. Honestly it is super easy and the benefits are unmatched.
So true. Once they are set up you can almost forget about them for a while.
Hey Ben 😊
You have a very diverse bio media collection. That sump is nice. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you and you're welcome.
You might want to get a roll of pinky filter floss or similar and cut it to fit in your drip tray. I use a piece of cardboard cut to size and then use that as a pattern to cut up a bunch of filter pads. It'll quiet down the dripping noise and keep your bio media cleaner. Also, some future upgrades to look into, slowly replace your bio balls with bio home or a marinepure block or just sponges. Bioballs aren't very effecttive in comparison. And look into DC return pumps, they pay for themselves in the amount of electricity they save. And they are dead silent, have dry run protection, and variable flow. But great tank and beautiful fish!
I used pinky on top but it pushed against the output and I'd end up with this dark brown silver dollar sized section and the rest of the pinky was pristine. So I started letting the water spred out on the drip plate before hitting filter media. Seems to spred out more, at least in my case. I love the idea of cardboard templates for cutting filter media. I usually use whatever I'm going to put it in as the template, but cardboard would be much easier. Thanks!
I have an 800L tank with a 300L sump and to be honest, I find myself fiddling with my sump more than the tank itself. Really enjoyable stuff. It has an abundance of filtration, I have plants growing in it and they are thriving, and I have all sorts of stuff going on. Will add an aquaponic system to it shortly. Highly recommended.
I am starting up a tank after a long lay off with 90’s vintage sump ( also by a miracle ) I have been so appreciative of your videos and everyone’s comments.it is great to help me evaluate this brave new world of new aquarist supplies, etc. my question is, how do you feel about reverse flow under gravel filtration to minimize detritus build up in the gravel?
Amazing video, from one filter nerd to another.
LOL
Great video Ben... finally more in depth talk about sumps...I bought a custom built bean animal overflow from Modular Marine and drilled my 220g Marineland tank to accommodate it. I am using a Trigger Systems Emerald 39 sump...I spent a good portion of a weekend hard plumbing the setup with gate valves and schedule 80 pipe. I also added a check valve on the return line as well so I could sleep easy and not worry about anything overflowing.
The thing I'm debating in my head these days is whether to use polypropylene filter socks vs polyester, lol.
I hear that the socks are very easy to maintain. A quick rinse and you're good to go. I'd use them but not set up for it. I've heard great reviews on the beananimal, very reliable and quiet.
I have had both. Real pain to clean and maintain. I have added a drip tray under the main drip tray. Here I have 15mm floss which I pull out and throw away every 5 days or so. Keeps things simple and water clarity is amazing.
@@BrumGP Great tip!
Very informative! Thanks Ben!
Hello Ben!!! GREAT video!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
You're welcome Dawn and thank you for watching!
THX for the rundown!!! nice set up!!
I have some on my 55 gallon but I like the way yours is set up.I like how the water from your overflow it’s that large pad then goes to the media and the sponge and back to the tank. Mine just comes from the tank over the bio balls through the sponge in back up to the tank. If I had a back up Filter like your canister filter I would take the sump out make a shelf and let the water run over that large mat and put some more medium in there I think it would be much more beneficial to my fish. Another great video and valuable information for somebody like me who is just getting back into the hobby have a good one Ben
Interesting idea. Blocks of sponges over media, then more media in the second and third sections would actually work really well.
Ben Ochart I hate talk to text specially Siri I didn’t mean sandbox I meant the sump box LOL
Ben Ochart where would be a good place to get a pump I mean a real pump not these pumps that you buy from Amazon that tell you they’re pumping 400 gallons per hour. When you’re lucky if they’re pumping 200.and then you have to Filter floss sponges and then back up to the tank then you’re lucky if it’s doing 150 gallons an hour which four 55?gallons to me I don’t for me I don’t think it’s enough. There’s so many DIY’s on here on how to make a trickle filter in your opinion which Better is sump with a submergible pump or a trickle system thanks once again you do a great job on your channel I have a good day
This is something I've been wanting to do for some time now. When I started in the aquarium hobby, nearly 40 years ago now, I used in tank bubble filters, then moved to off the back hangers, to now canisters. Sumps actually seem easier to maintain to me, and they filter larger amounts of water. I'm just very worried about drilling into my tanks for the overflows, hence why I haven't built any sumps yet.
Hello from San Antonio. Great video. It
Appears the 3rd chamber of sump is not part of the original amiracle sump. It looks like it’s attached with a bulkhead. Is that the case? If it is, did you do it and what size is the bulkhead? Can you possibly have a better view of it? Thx ahead.
Hey awesome video. Question as a complete sump noobie (although I'm hoping to get one set up eventually). With the overflow, the cutouts where water can enter the overflow are only on the very top correct? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to also have cut outs near the bottom to get the debris that are hanging out on the bottom/substrate? Or would that not be practical/possible. I know you have the water circulator to stir stuff around but if the only way for water to reach the sump is through the overflow coming from the very top it just seems like a lot of debris could remain stuck on the bottom in the substrate. Again great videos!
Using wavemakers or power heads to suspend detritus and get it to the overflow is better. Reason being is that when the pumps go off, like during a power outage or during a cleaning, the water will drain as much as it can into the sump. With low intakes that would be a lot of water and it would overflow the sump (unless you had a sump that was like 2/3+ the size of the main display.
Makes sense, thanks. That's part of why I'm a bit intimidated to use a sump, there's issues like what you just replied, that for whatever reason are not intuitive to me but make perfect sense when explained. I'm coming from a mostly HOB, sponge filter and more recently canister filter background but am definitely starting to see the many benefits of sump filtration. But I'll definitely give it a try some day soon!
Hey Ben looking good I love the engineering on ATO and little tip the drip tray can hold filter pad (pinky floss ) also and might quite it down even some more and keeps lower sponges from getting detritus from building up in them but you you do have to watch them so they don’t get clogged and overflow. Love sumos I’ve been using them for like almost 20 years
I used pinky on top but it pushed against the output and I'd end up with this dark brown silver dollar sized section and the rest of the pinky was pristine. So I started letting the water spred out on the drip plate before hitting filter media. Seems to spred out more, at least in my case. Maybe some floss under the tray?
You could do that I had similar problem so I cut down acrylic tube and used weld-on too glue to lid raised it up about 1 inch still quite and spread out flow but mine lid is different but if it’s working for you don’t change it
Oh yea you could also try thinner floss like batting material for quilting from fabric stores my LFS carries pads in different microns but it’s expensive as long as quilting material is polyester and nothing else
Great vid Ben, sumps are so easy and efficient, I have one on my tank filled with biohome and marine pure bio balls and a nanospect bio block oh I also used your tip and drilled out the tray more thanks buddy
I'm not familiar wit nanospect bio block. How do you like it?
My fault, it’s a maxspect bio block and it’s working good, also like the fact it’s only 4x4x1 so it fits in my sump and another in my canister
awesome sump
That spiral media is neat.
It's popular in Japan, in particular in pond applications.
Have you tried mangroves for the sump
Good evening Ben have a question of course not pertaining to your filters I recently told you that I had purchased a sulfurhead..He was in a quarantine tank for two weeks at the fish store that I bought him from and then I kept him in my quarantine tank for two weeks he was eating doing fine I put them in My main tank yesterday and of course he was being picked on. So I shut the lights out checked on him a couple hours later and it seemed that everybody had calm down but I noticed today that he must’ve gotten beat up pretty good his tail fin has a Couple hunks taken out of it and he’s got some nicks on His side and he’s not eating very well my question to you is should I put him back into quarantine and let him heal up or Is this just something he’s going to have to go through until things settle down? Thanks in advance for any advice I certainly don’t want this beautiful fish to die from stress
Difficult call. If he's still not eating in a couple of days I would pull because he'll get weaker and weaker and the fish will pile on him. If he starts eating, swimming around, let him get through it and find his place in the pecking order. Just one guys suggestion.
Ben Ochart I moved him back in the quarantine tank Sunday he was trying to fit in the places that he couldn’t get into and was causing self inflicting Injuries while being picked on. So after three days in the quarantine tank with some Melflex And some salt and water changes after three days he’s now eating normally and he seems not to be so stressed out if I didn’t take him out of there he was either going to die from stress or the other fish would’ve killed him
Hi Ben. I just purchased a big beautiful 200 gallon. With a 75 gallon sump. I have never used a sump since my existing tank is a 90gallon with a fluval. So really excited and your videos are really helpful.
Great video I thought you bought some shrimp to put in the sump? And what is the benefit of having shrimp in their??
I did. I'll be putting them in tonight probably. They are a "cleaning crew" ... but I'm just having fun.
Have you considered making a biocenosis basket? It would help a ton and since you have the room it seems in that sump. If you do not know those baskets you can make yourself will bring Nitrate back into ammonia for your plants and other bacteria to consume. I have reduced my water changes from every week to every 6 months without having any issues what so ever.
That's amazing. The "full cycle". Do you recommend a particular link where I read up on this?
Sure. Look up Kevin Novak Denitrification.
ua-cam.com/video/vbSv54F3xnE/v-deo.html
A sump has a limit to how much water it can drain in a worst case scenario. The display tank can only go as low as the bottom of the overflow. The sump itself can only go as low as what is required to cover the pump's inlet. Ato systems can fail but even then it's not typical for an ato to have the capacity to overfill the sump much if at all. The typical canister setup has inlets and outlets lower than the usual overflow and plenty of potentials failure points in the form of seals and valves. I used to use trickle filters like the one here but now I prefer submerged media. Refugiums are nice but the algae scrubbers are more efficient. If that ato valve fails i hope the sump has capacity to store all 5 gallons until it can be removed. I didnt see any emergency valves on the ato.
Where did you say that you got that awesome rock looking back from?
Universal Rocks in Texas
Great video! May i ask if they ship all the way to singapore for the algae scraper. Having said tgag what is recommeded size for a 75g. Thanks in advance. Looking forward to the product link.😊
Hello SoySki, you'll have to check with them at www.santa-monica.cc/
Another great vid
To me the king of filters is a top filter. If you have a cabinet or shelf above the tank all you need to do is pump the water up into it and let the water fall back in. I’m going to build one on my new tank and do a video on it
I've seen them and they are very cool. PondGuru uses a big version on a pond.
I put blue bonded filter floss in the drip tray
Amazing set up Ben, I'd love a sump but they just seem so complicated and time consuming to set up. I've currently got three canisters on my 120 (two slow flowing biological filters and a larger high flowing mechanical filter) so I guess I've got the extra water volume through the amount of filters I use lol.
Sumps really aren't complicated...I was overwhelmed when researching them at first too but once you understand the basic way they work, it's very simple. You have to have a method of removing the water from the tank (overflow) and then a return to go back up into the tank. The hardest and scariest part of the process for me was drilling my 220g tank. That part is a bit nerve wracking but even that was easy once I got going. Once you get a sump, you will never consider using a canister ever again...the biggest advantage of a sump in the freshwater side is that you can begin to cultivate anaerobic bacteria which eats nitrates and let's you do less water changes.
I agree with GP's comment. Yes, it can be intidating at first and a bit overwhelming, but, once set up and dialed in there's nothing like it.
Hi, I'm having trouble flow matching my new sump set up between the sump feed rate and the sump drain, it worries the hell outta me. How can I stop the sump water level going up and down? I've fitted valves on both water lines in and out of the sump to try to control it but it's neon impossible.
All of those bio balls are nitrate factories
How big is that tank and sump
What's the point of using so many different biomedia types when they all are supposed to do the same thing more or less?
Just like with foods, no one is perfect in all areas, so a variety helps to cover all bases. That being said, I have moved in the direction of simplicity and rely on sponges and a deep sand bed for my beneficial bacteria.
How many gallons is your sump
Jesus Franco I estimate 30-40gal
Couple of suggestions, use Polly fill under your first sponge filter as the water comes in. Doing this not only polishes your water but prevents your bio media from blocking up with debris. Also throw a pothos in ur sump they are very very easy to grow, just make sure only the roots are in the water. Been watching you videos for years, thanks for posting and keep up the good work 👍
I'm thinking of getting some pothos for my sump...does it really make a difference though? How much would be needed to see a difference in nitrates reduction?
Gurvinder Parmar Good Questions.
TheAussiebloke87 Thank you. I’m thinking that the platform I’ve put the ATO on might be the perfect spot for some pathos. The plant would rest on the plastic with only the roots getting into the water, and I already have the full spec LED🤔🤔🤔
For REEFERS that’s a nitrate factory