# Sump Trickle Plate Question-filter before or after



## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

I have read dozens of articles and threads about sumps, and am just about finished with my own 5G bucket sump, I am using a second, trimmed lid as a trickle plate.

One thing that is not clear to me is where do most put the filter floss? On top of the plate seems to make a lot of sense, it will deaden the falling water noise, and might help evenly distruibute the water over the plate. It will be easier to clean, too.

But that seems like the center 3 inches will catch most of the gunk and clog first? I guess that would also direct water towards the edge?

Over or under?

Oh, and is the beneficial bacteria in a sump the same kind of bacteria in a wet filter, just oxegenated? I wonder this because while the filter will operate as a wet/dry, what if hte power goes out and the bottom couple inches is immersed? Will it die?

Thanks, all.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Filter floss is placed on top of the drip plate, if you clean it regularly then you don't need to worry about clogging or water directed to edges!

It can be the same media, usually people use something a little more airy though so that it has more surface mass for the beneficial bacteria to grow on. As I'm sure you've soon in your readings, many people use pot scrubbies - I recommend them!

If the bio-media is submerged, it won't die. The whole wet idea is just to have the bacteria get a little more oxygen - it's better for it and will help more grow. So long as the bio-media is wet, the beneficial bacteria will grow on it :thumb:


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## bearrock (Sep 3, 2011)

Something you might want to consider would be adding a filter sock. I like crystal clear water and just a filter pad and or floss never got the water as clear as I wanted.

From the overflow my hose goes into a DIY filter bag filled with filter floss then into a 100um filter sock. When I want the water really clear I double or triple stack the sock from 100-50-1um. I got a large PVC T from home depo and the sock just sits in that and then on the tray.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

That sounds interesting, but could you please post a picture, I am unclear of what your setup entails,

Thanks.


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## bearrock (Sep 3, 2011)

OK....lets see if this works. I had to take the picture with my laptop since my digital camera is moody after being put through the wash. The filter sock sits inside the T frame. The holes are drilled in the bottom so when the water does not run out of the two sides and I just zip tied the PVC T frame to the drip tray to keep it in place.

If the water has A LOT of junk in it for some reason (like you decide to change substrate) I just add a .99 cent media bag with filter floss inside the filter sock to prevent the sock from clogging to quickly. To clean the sock I pull the hose, pull the sock add another sock and away we go. I then wash the original sock and put it aside for the next swap. They are cheap, reusable, and best of all I can get them down to a 1um size for really polishing the water!

(edit)---The image did not work let me try again


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

Thank you, especially with your camera problems, I do appreciate it.

Now I think I understand. The T fitting is just sitting on top of the sump bucket lid, secured with zip ties, and the sock hangs on the rim of that fitting, extending inside? Is there a reason I could not suspend the sock inside the bucket? I just got my shipment of bio balls, "5 gallons", but they only fill my 5G bucket to about 4 inches from the rim. I could hang the sock from the inside lid fitting and it would have about 3" of free space.


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## bearrock (Sep 3, 2011)

No problem.

My setup is going to vary slightly from yours. Mine is an actual sump so what you are seeing is the T sitting on my drip plate, but you are correct in that the sock just site on the rim.

Suspending the sock is actually how most people do it. I HATE excess noise from my aquariums especially since they are right in the living room......Anyway by putting the sock on the drip tray there is not excess room for the water to fall and create noise.

If I understand your last question correctly you would add the sock to your bucket in the free area above the BBs. This is fine but you would need some sort of "drip tray" device to spread the water over all the BBs. Any area of your BBs that does not receive water will just be wasted and to further complicate things if you were to move your sock to a different area and BBs that were previously receiving water did not those good bacteria would die out possibly causing your tank to constantly go through mini cycles.

SOOOOOO.....What I would do (assuming that your DIY sump is going to operate like a normal sump) is

1)-take a separate 5gal lid and cut it to JUST fit on top of your BBs
2)-Drill lots of holes in the lid (start with a small bit and move your way up)
3)-add your sock and sock holder to your drip tray

Now you have your "drip tray", all your BBs are being utilized and you can add/remove mechanical filtration as you see fit.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

Ahh, I see. You have an exposed drip plate and an acrylic open topped sump. Very nice.

Interesting that you mention noise, mine is et up in the garage for plumbing shake down issues, one of which is the waterfall noise at the drain exit.

Right now, mine is set up EXACTLY like yours, i have a small (25g) marine sump that the exit hose just dumps into. I have played with that setup, but the 25G is just not enough room to prevent overflow with a power outage.

So I am going to use a 60 G acrylic I picked up for $40 last weekend, and 5G bucket trickle, and yes, I laready trimmed the second lid to squeeze fit. Last night I started drilling holes, MAN is a hand electric drill the wrong way to go, I need access to a drill press.

Any way, the bio ball column permits me some room to shove the dripplate down maybe 4" from the rim, if I put a 1" threaded nipple on the inside of the lid fitting, I could rubber band a sock to catch the water before it hits the plate.

What is that filter sock, is that what it's called? Would a well stocked LFS know what I am aksing for? I love the idea of 2+ socks, with one to slap on while the other is washed.

I previously thought I was going to lay the batting on top of the drip tray and call it good, but that's the beauty of this forum.

Again, thanks very much.


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## bearrock (Sep 3, 2011)

If you are talking about the waterfall noise from the box behind your aquarium that is easily solved by adding a ball valve. Add the valve and then adjust till you get only water flowing down the pipe rather than air and water. If the noise you are talking about is the water flowing into a overflow box inside the aquarium that to can be solved with the ball valve. Just submerge the overflow box entirely and close the ball valve so that it raises the volume of the tank above the overflow and keeps it full.

A word of caution would be that you need to play with your system to ensure that if the power goes off and returns that your pump and over flow continue to match each other. For example.....If I shut the power down on my tank my sump fills to a certain point and stops before spilling over the down side is that due to the ball valve if I turn my power back on my overflow can not keep up with my pump till I open the valve and re-set it. I had to prop my pump up on some styrofoam and mark a point on my sump not to exceed when adding water to the tank to insure that if I was not home and the power goes out and back on my tank does not flood my living room.

I believe this is largely due to the fact that I am running the setup that you saw on a 29gal (tank for baby fish before being transferred to my large tank). My entire tank with the pump that is running it is being turned over 27 times an hour.......Excessive I know but I was not going to buy yet another pump.

They are called filter socks but you will pay A LOT more for them if you buy them in a LFS. Here is the link to where I order mine. I hope it is not against forum rules to post links since this is the third or fourth one today :?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#filter-bags/=e6w9bg


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

CITADELGRAD87 said:


> I previously thought I was going to lay the batting on top of the drip tray...


Are you using quilt batting as your filter media?


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

i am not sure. i bought a large roll of white filter materiam from a big online retailer i was just going to cut circles out of it to fir the drip tray.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

As far as I know quilt batting works, and If you buy the thicker stuff (10 oz. I think) it's quite light and good for picking up particles of dirt!


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