How does a sump work?

[Carlos & Siran]

Hey guys. So I've been dreaming the last few days, this is a long term project and at the moment we're not set up to do this, This is all still just in the blah blah I wish, dreamer section, but here's what I wanna do.

I want to build a kick bottom Community tank, about 1000ltrs, with a sump filtration system and maybe a auto water change unit of some description, and canister Co2.

The size I'm thinking is 4mtrs long x 600mm deep x 400 high, the stand will be in 3 sections with the center unit containing the sump.

I'm a cabinet maker so the stand is no issue for me, I understand the weight and strength needed etc etc.

But I only have a very limited understanding on what a sump filter is and how it works, I know there's google but I really appreciate your guys knowledge and I thought this way I'd get different ideas and your guys personal experiences as well.

1) Should the sump tank be a percentage in size to the main tank?. Or can it be any size?

2) Does it need to be made of glass? or can it be plywood or a plastic drum or container?

3)Do you use a canister filter or do you use a proper water pump to pump water for sump to tank?

4)What sort of maintenance is required with a sump?, do you clean them as often as a canister filter for example?

Thanks

Carlos

[Ira]

Wow, we're getting swarmed by sump threads lately. Have a look at the handful of other active sump threads, I think all your questions have been answered in each of them.

1) Should the sump tank be a percentage in size to the main tank?. Or can it be any size?

Any size, bigger is better.

2) Does it need to be made of glass? or can it be plywood or a plastic drum or container?

You can make it out of whatever you want as long as it's water proof and strong enough.

3)Do you use a canister filter or do you use a proper water pump to pump water for sump to tank?

Cannister filters generally don't have very good flow when working against any kind of static head because in normal operation they don't have any head. A pond pump or similar will usually be better.

4)What sort of maintenance is required with a sump?, do you clean them as often as a canister filter for example?

Clean it whenever you can be bothered and whenever it gets dirty.

[Adrienne]

I know its been covered a bit lately but when I first got my big tank (not big by some of yours though) I was totally confused and although I asked questions and read through here I still really didn't understand the workings of it.

Eventually after twelve months I ditched it for a cannister (which has now been upgraded twice) and now kick myself for doing so.

So while it may be a painful process for some, a really good slow detailed explanation is really good - an explanation that is specific to each circumstance.

I know I will be reading the answer to the above question thoroughly because one day I will ditch my fx5 and go back to a sump.

[Carlos & Siran]

Thanks Ira

So basically the water from the sump is pumped into the tank which which then overflows into a special bow, which is in turn piped back into the sump via gravity?

Does the outtake into the tank need to be at the bottom to insure the entire contents of the tank is filtered?, otherwise I'd Imagine if it was at the top only the top half would recycle, or not?

[Adrienne]

I think it depends on what sort of overflow you have - mine was like a normal filter whereby water was supposed to be sucked up from the bottom of the tank (it had an open part at the top to stop the tank overflowing), however it only worked from the overflow. Water returning into the tank was dispersed via a spraybar. But even with the inlet and outlets at the top the tank was well circulated.

[Zev]

If you have an overflow setup this can be an advantage in a freshwater system as it takes the film off the top of the water.

Your return should provide enough flow to circulate the water so that it is 'mixing' the top and bottom water, and you should in theory have a current that circulates around the tank so that there are no dead spots. You should put your heaters in the sump as well, which means that you will also need this circulation to keep all of the tank at an even temperature.

There are some sump threads in the Rare and Unusual Fish forum - sorry, haven't fixed the search database yet, so you will have to troll through it :oops:

[Ira]

Thanks Ira

So basically the water from the sump is pumped into the tank which which then overflows into a special bow, which is in turn piped back into the sump via gravity?

Does the outtake into the tank need to be at the bottom to insure the entire contents of the tank is filtered?, otherwise I'd Imagine if it was at the top only the top half would recycle, or not?

Yep, returns to the sump via gravity. You do NOT want the return at the bottom, if it is then the first time you have a power outage your entire tank will drain into the sump killing everything in your tank, overflowing the sump, flooding your house, destroying your carpet, your PS3 and Xbox and making your house smell like monkey butt for a month.

As long as you have a reasonable amount of circulation in the tank then you don't have to worry about where the outlet and intake are to make sure it circulates everything.

[Zev]

Wonders how Ira knows what a monkey's...... never mind, I don't really want to know the answer to that.

I am sure Siran would not be impressed with a flood situation, no matter what it smells like.

[Carlos & Siran]

Sorry to revive such a old thread but i didn't want to start another just for one quick question.

Would it be possible and viable to filter 2 tanks(say 600ltrs a piece, so 1200 ltrs all up) with just the one sump(say 300ltrs)?

My guess is yes but with two pumps, one for each?

[the-obstacle]

Yep. The only issue is that you run the risk of anything in one tank spreading to the other but other than that it's a very good idea and easily achieved.

[Joshlikesfish]

It would be possible with one pump. Would you be running the tanks side by side or on top of each other? You can just use the overflow system

[Ira]

Sorry to revive such a old thread but i didn't want to start another just for one quick question.

Would it be possible and viable to filter 2 tanks(say 600ltrs a piece, so 1200 ltrs all up) with just the one sump(say 300ltrs)?

My guess is yes but with two pumps, one for each?

Yup, it's doable, you obviously end up with twice the plumbing. You can run them off one pump using a Y connection, might want some valves to tweak the flow and you'd want to make sure in a worst case of all the flow going to one tank and its overflow is a bit clogged up that it won't overflow.

[livingart]

if the 2 tanks are side by side they can be drilled and plumbed together

[Joshlikesfish]

if the 2 tanks are side by side they can be drilled and plumbed together

Thats what I was thinking. I've seen breeding set ups all put together running a whole heap of tanks off a sump

[smidey]

the next time you are at our LFS get tracey or richard to show you how theirs works.

[Carlos & Siran]

thanks, I may just do that, the thought of merrily drilling away and then finding out you've done it wrong and the tank happily empties itself all over the lounge carpet all day long is not a prospect I'd care to face.

[smidey]

what size is the tank?