livingart

started a sump description anyone want to add to it? A sump is an extra water area usually set up underneath an aquarium that will increase the total volume of water in an existing system; here you can place extra filtration media, equipment, such as a top up system. a skimmer, calcium or nitrate reactor on a marine system or heaters in a tropical setup. Sumps can be plumbed in inline via a Siphon Overflow box, or bulkheads in pre-drilled aquariums, a sump can be as basic as an extra aquarium, a large plastic container, or as part of a more elaborate wet/dry trickle filter or refugium. With some basic plumbing work, a sump can be installed to most tanks to provide many benefits. The basic principle of a sump is to take water from your tank through a siphon or bulkhead to the sump, generally pass that water through a series of compartments filled with filter media then return the water via a pump back to the tank. As they increase the total volume of water in your system sumps can help keep your water parameters more stable and less prone to fluctuations. Sudden changes and the concentration of chemicals such as nitrite and phosphate are more evenly distributed; just remember that proper maintenance and regular water changes are still necessary as you are dealing with a closed system. Sumps provide an area to add extra filtration to your aquarium and can incorporate a variety of advanced filtration systems. Some of these include a wet/dry trickle filter where the water is dipersed over layered filter media in a column and trickles down through it to a sump area. Usually filter wool is the first layer to stop any large particles or waste food going through the filter A trickle filter is an aerobic filtration method, this means the bacteria present only occur or live in the presence of oxygen. The more oxygen saturation it gets, the better it functions, When the water falls through the holes of the drip or trickle plate then drops onto or over the bio-media it allows for maximum oxygen saturation of the water. Jenniferh added The conversion of ammonia and nitrates is dependant on aerobic conditions which support the nitrifying bacteria nitrobacter and nitrosomonas - the more air you have, the better these populations can function. Anaerobic filtration is also useful - aerobic bacteria convert nitrates into free nitrogen gas. I found a good schematic diagram which helps to illustrate the point.

send them to me instead

hopefully dads shape and mums colour

didn't think you had "off" time brennos

thanks henward that is an awesome setup

You could stay the week Brennos and take more pics and write an article for Caryl for the AW...

edam

brennos the idea was to get others to post their sumps with fishkeeping there are as many different ways of doing things as there are fishkeepers the basic principles are the same, but we all put our own spin on it

barrel sump for 3,000 lire arowana tank build thread here viewtopic.php?f=28&t=43132

sump on coldwater marine left side is 2 compartments first for overflow and skimmer, 2nd for sponge and bio mat baffle with coral pieces, right hand pump return

sump for large cichlid tank left compartment is wet/dry with biomat, coral pieces and pumice right hand side is pump return with baffle between to keep water level up in wet/dry side

this sump is running on my reef tank restricted to height so have run 2 3 foot sumps inline media is coral pieces, a deep sand bed and caulerpa skimmer is on the left of the right hand sump, would have prefered skimmer in the first chamber from overflow but sump was already set up that way on the left is return pump

and probably a positive ID

sorry to say i won't take them on board at the moment will do though when i build the bigger tank

We have had a few questions relating to sumps lately thought it would be good to see all the different sump set ups and how you find they work i have a simple one that has run on my community tank for the last year not ideal but i don't have enough room under stand for a proper sump the PVC pipe is drilled full of holes and has ring baffles inside to disperse the flow media is bio balls, noodles and pumice yes it needs a clean planted tank and a medium bio load

i have been using this for the last year on my community tank not ideal but i don't have enough room under stand for a proper sump the PVC pipe is drilled full of holes and has ring baffles inside to disperse the flow media is bio balls, noodles and pumice yes it needs a clean

how are you going to stack your media or set up baffles? will it be easy enough to get to the pump if you have problems?

hi jwinkie welcome to the forums http://www.redseafish.com/redseamax/250 ... cs250.html a nice looking unit you can put your location in your profile so anyone local can help you out

come on admit it you are an addict couldn't stay away from fish welcome back

invisible parrot goobers, yum

it is just that sometimes you get up his nose

one of the fish that should only be imported when preordered for someone with the tank space

there are a few around

it might even be Xmas time

a pocket parrot