# Help with sump, stuck on design !



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

I need help, I been spending hours and hours on sump design. I'm at the point where it's the final thing needed to get my tank up and running

I have a 90G Drilled corner over flow, and 40G breeder for a sump

I been all over the place on designs, from Bio Balls to K1 Media

Bio balls will not work, as I don't have the height in the sump

I was thinking of the drain going into it's own compartment, over flowing into course / med / fine filter pads for mechanical , then into ceramic rings, or K1 or something?
Then into chemical then return?

I don't have allot of real estate on a 36" long tank, and I would like to keep the water level high in the sump, to gain volume

Any help would be appreciated, I spent hours and hours deciding on the best media and order of the media trying to DIY my own sump


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Ok, after more countless hours of You Tube Videos and reading, I came up with this ?

Drain into the first chamber, which will over flow into a 2nd chamber of mechanical, matts and sponges ?

Then it will go into the next chamber of bio, some Bio Home Ultimate, and other bio media

Then into If I have room a small over and under with chemical, like Seachem ,

Then into the return area

What do you think ?

I'm tempted to plum in a Fuval FX6 and call it the day. It's only a 90G tank, and I been reading the canister filters only need maintenance once a month!

I don't know if going with a drilled tank for a ()G size tank was the right idea

I did it so I could go with a sump, and change out media and have larger portions of media, but I don't want maintenance like socks every 2-3 days


----------



## busterny (Feb 12, 2014)

Same boat as you. I am sitting with a cornerflow 75, trying to figure out the details. A tower trickle seems like the easiest route if I could find one that will fit in a 30/40 breeder that won't be too tall for the sump. I didn't want the hassles of gluing chambers, but your last thread had me looking at fluidized beds. Hopefully you can figure it out and help me in the process. Lol


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

I found out after reading K1 media beds are for much larger tanks, heavier bio loads ?

So I went back to a trickle with bio balls

I'm tossing the idea of just buying the Aqueon Model 4 Sump , looks like it would fall around $400 with the bio balls

Or I can duplicate it with the 40G Breeder . I received a price yesturday from a local glass shop for $48 for all the baffles and they polish the edges. They would also cut 2x4" holes for the socks , and 1x1/2" hole for the drain

With this design, I can have 2x 300 micron mess 4" socks so they don't clog so easy. It would flow into filter floss above the drip tray, then drip over the bioballs, about 5" of bio balls. Under the bio-balls, and water line, I could either put a mix of any Bio Media, such as Bio Home, Bio Ultimate, Seachem Matrix etc. Under the egg crate that hold it all up, I'll add a block of Marine Pure Media Block. Then it will flow into a sponge, and over the last baffle which will set the water height for the sump/bio balls

I'll have all most 1/2 the 40G breeder for the return area

Or I could skip building it, and just purchase the Aqueon Model 4 sump. I'm more concerned of their sump quality and leaking, then me building the 40G breeder with the same design


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

I also added another divider in front of the drain, because the current design, the water would dump into below the sock area, and by pass the socks


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Material List is :

1Pc glass 13" high x 17-5/8" wide
1PC glass 7-1/2" wide x 17-5/8" wide with 3 x 4" holes cut out for 3 socks , and 1 x 1-3/4" hole cut out for drain
1PC glass 1-1/2" wide x 17-5/8" wide
1PC glass 12" high x 17-5/8" wide
1PC glass 10" high x 17-5/8" wide
1PC glass 7" high x 17-5/8" wide

1PC black 1/4" acrylic for drip plate

1PC black Egg crate

I'll call tomorrow to see how much all this runs

If it's to much, I'm just going to buy an Acrylic Wet/Dry sump and be done


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Well, I ordered the Aqueon Model 3 Proflex sump, coming from Amazon Wednesday 
But I'm going to return it

I found the exact thing I was trying to make , just without the refugium part, right here on the forms

I called the local glass shop, it's $48.00 for everything cut in 1/4" glass polished edges, or $52.00 in a dark grey acrylic which is what I'm going to go with probably

See the design here, if you scroll down to the first page and so on :

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=237641


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Revised Material List now being made out of 1/4" Smoke Acrylic for 40G Breeder sump per the thread mentioned above :

1 PC 7-1/2" x 17-5/8" - Where Socks and drain go through , will have 2 x 4" holes for socks and 1 hole x 2" OD 
1PC 15" x 17-5/8" - First Wall with built in over flow, and area cut through to drain into wet/dry area
1PC 12-1/2" x 17-5/8" - Opposite wall on other side wet/dry area
1PC 12" x 17-5/8" ( drip tray )
2 PC 1" x 17x5/8" ( drip tray edges )
2PC 1" x 12" ( Drip Tray Edges )
1PC 7" x 17-5/8" ( Last Baffle wall which will make sump height 7" water , and put bio balls 5" above water line , drip, then Bio Media under water such as Bio Home etc
1PC 17"x 15" ( for cover the tank over the wet/dry side )

Misc stuff still need :

2" OD Acrylic round tube for drain line to drain into
1PC Egg Crate
Bio Balls to fit 5" high by 18" wide area
1 X Acrylic Glue
2x GE1 Silicone

Will put the order in tomorrow to make up the acrylic !


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Removed the 2" OD round acrylic pipe, and ordered one more of 12-1/2" x 17-5/8" to make a wall dividing drain and socks, So I can clean more easily


----------



## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

Glass has stronger rigidity and silicone will bond to it better than acrylic. I think your acrylic walls will separate from the glass or collapse over time. I would go with the glass myself.


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

After some thought, your right, I remember this when I built my last sumps, I've should have remembered this, thanks for reminding me 

Ok, I revised the cut sheet, and here's the order just placed for a 40G breeder made of glass and acrylic baffles, water height 7" to accommodate bio balls above water line

Glass pcs :

1PC 12-1/2" high X 17-58" for the first baffle. This baffle will be 1" lower then the sock plate, to let water pass over the socks, through them, and out to the drip plate. Their will be a 1-1/2" gap at top, in case socks clog so water can overflow if needed
1PC 1" -17-5/8" to make a stop at end of sock plate, to force water down through socks
1PC 12-1/4" X 17-5/8" - high to divide drain from socks, this will force water up over top of socks and through them 
1PC 10-1/2" high X 17-5/8" - this PC will be held up 2" off sump bottom. And be equal height of water outlet from 1st baffle
1PC 7" high X 17-5/8" for last baffle. This height will set the water height of 7" in the sump, and leave 5" of bio balls above the water line
2PC 1" X 17-5/8" for drip tray to sit on. These will sit sides ways on walls like a L , to support drip tray

Acrylic PC's :

1 PC 7" wide X 17-5/8" with 2x4" holes for socks cut out
2PC 1"X 17" to build drip tray sides
2PC 1X12" to build sides of drip tray, drip tray footprint will be 12"X 17" 
1PC 12"x17" for bottom of drip tray ( will need to start off with small holes to determine flow)
1PC 17"x15" for cover over sump over bio balls and baffles

Total cost approx $92 for above
Will need 2x GE1 silicone, bio balls, bio home, or seachem mix for under water bio filtration 
Sponges. Etc


----------



## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Pics of the sump. The drip tray isn't in yet. But I ordered 700 Bio Balls, I Gallon of Seachem Matrix , Marine Pure 1.5" Bio Sphere's, filter floss, foam block, heaters will go at the bottom of the middle under the media.

Height of the water is 7" and the height the water flows into the tray is 12-1/2"

Theirs a 1" gap at the top of the first chamber for over flow.

I'll plumb it tomorrow eve while I'm waiting 2 days for the silicone to dry


----------

