# DIY sump build (wet/dry)



## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Thought it might be helpful to someone to post about my wet/dry build. I am using a 75 gallon perfecto tank. I originally planned on using a 55 but later found out that 55's are all tempered glass. So, since I plan on drilling the tank for the return the 55 is not usable.

The sump is relatively simple. On the input I am using four filter socks. This will catch most of the waste before it has a chance to reach biomedia. The water will then overflow to the bio section. The top layer of this section will be eggcrate holding down quilt liner stuff that will be used to catch more debris. The next layer is a drip tray made out of plastic pegboard. The water will then go to the biomedia.

For biomedia I am primarily using nylon scrunchies like the ones used for cleaning pots and pans. I will be using 280 of them. These have a very large surface area so they are great for the job. I will also be using five gallons of bio balls to finish up the bio media. Holding this up will be another eggcrate.

Next the water will go through a bubble trap that contains a foam filter to finish the job up. In the next section there is room for a pump but I have chosen to drill the tank so that section will only hold two 300 watt heaters. The water will then go through the bulkhead and to the Reeflo dart pump.

For the dividers I will be using 1/4" glass that is being cut by a local glass shop and costs a total of about $45. The pieces are 17 3/8x17, 17 3/8x15, 17 3/8x4.

Here is the sump design. I'm hoping to drill it on Thursday using a hole saw purchased from www.glass-holes.com. I'll be putting everything else together for it Thursday evening and Friday.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Is this for a saltwater setup? Drilling a sump allows using an inline pump, which can be air-cooled instead of water-cooled. Because of the temperatures reef animals prefer and the other heat sources such as intense lighting, eliminating as much heat as possible is the right thing for a marine setup. This would also be true for freshwater fish like koi and goldfish.

Cichlids and many other tropical freshwater fish require a heated tank, and so capturing the waste heat from a submersible water pump that can be set inside the sump and not require drilling can cut down on the total power consumption of the system. Failure points are also reduced since there are fewer fittings and leakage opportunities with a submerged pump's simpler plumbing. Another advantage of a submerged pump is that the noise of the pump motor is absorbed by the water in the sump, reducing the distracting noises possible around an aquarium.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

The reeflo dart is an extremely quiet (and efficient) pump. Noise is not going to be a concern with it. I have had submersible pumps running in sumps in the past that I never could get to be completely quiet.

This is going on a 300 gallon central american cichlid tank. The pump will be providing water to two returns plus an undergravel jet system. It will also be providing water to a uv sterilizer later on. If I decide to I can also use it to provide water to a bio tower later on as well.

Considering that I am using this sump and pump on such a large tank I need all the room for bio media that I can get. Putting the pump in the sump would take up very valuable real estate. I will probably end up doing the last section before the pump at 4" instead of the 8" that the diagram shows.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Just went and picked up the glass panels from the glass shop. I also received the hole saw and bulkheads yesterday. Now I just have my fingers crossed that the 75 gallon tank comes in today.










Here is a picture of the pump, it arrived yesterday as well.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I picked up the new 75 gallon tank and brought it home. I removed it from the truck, sat it up on it's end, then I did this to it!


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I just finished putting in the bulkhead, putting in the glass panels, and putting the first coat of paint on the back of the sump. I thought I had plenty of eggcrate but I was wrong. I'll pick some up tomorrow and finish the sump up.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I did some more work to the sump. I decided that I did not like the height of the first baffle so I removed it and ordered one 15" tall instead of the 17". At 17 I was going to have a tough time getting the filter socks up higher than the baffle.

I made some very basic diy sock holders. I used 4" pvc and eggcrate. I also made the media chamber out of eggcrate and the drip plate is made out of plastic pegboard.

Here are some pictures.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

You could drill a large hole in the pegboard and then glue a short riser of PVC pipe on top of it, or use a bulkhead fitting. That way if the pegboard clogs or backs up, the water will still flow through the biomedia instead of bypassing it over the end and returning unfiltered to the tank. Of course if you undersize the pump, this problem is likely to happen less often.

The Reeflo Dart is rated for a 100-200 gallon tank. The next size up is the Barracuda for a 180 to 350 gallon tank. In a lightly populated cichlid tank, going above the rating should not be a problem since their pumps are rated with marine tanks in mind. Right now (3/8/09) Reeflo has a new Blackfin line in the works. They may still be looking for testers.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Just a quick update to the sump. I am using 280 nylon scrubbies and five gallons of bio balls. I may add a few more bioballs.


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## jwal (Jan 17, 2008)

Looks great! Although, it looks like two of the filter socks aren't being used? or maybe it's still under construction. :-?


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I ran out of 1 1/2" pvc and I was short three 1 1/2" 90 degree connectors. I'm making a trip to Lowe's once I get off work to pick them up. I'm hoping to finish the plumbing under the tank up this evening.


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## cholile (Oct 28, 2007)

This is very helpful.

I've never heard of these sock holders. Can you explain how they work and why you're using them instead of a typical mat atop the drip tray? And how come it looks like you're only using two of the four?


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

On the post above yours I posted why only two of the four are being used.  It's because I ran out of pvc and I am going to finish it up tonight. I will be using all four.

Those sock holders are simply 4" PVC pipes. You can buy sock holders for about $30 each if you want it to look prettier. I just plan on drilling some holes in the pvc to allow more water flow.

I am using the sock filters because I can simply remove them when they get dirty, put on another set and throw the dirty ones in the washer and reuse them later. I will also be using filter mat on top of the drip tray.

I am hoping to have the tank up and running within the next four or five days. I still have a lot of work to do though.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I forgot to mention that I am using filter mat on top of the drip tray in addition to the filter socks.

I finished the plumbing to the sump this evening. Now I just have to plumb the overflow and the undersand jet system.


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## jwal (Jan 17, 2008)

Awesome! You should make a video of it in action...


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## abl1111 (Mar 13, 2005)

Nice work. I have been watching the progress. I few questions:

1) will you be able to remove the socks w/ ease ? It seems like you would have to remove some plumbing to get the socks out ?

2) Water will overflow from the sock area, onto the drip tray and the drip tray is on an angle, correct ? Will this angled idea allow the water to flow onto the entire drip tray / cotton mat to be equally used ? And, thus get a uniform 'drip' across the entire tray - to the scrubbies ?

Thx.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

1) I will remove the plumbing at the union / ball valve. It will only take about two minutes to replace all four of the filter socks.

2) I think it will be uniform enought, I don't think it will be perfect but I think it will do the job.


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## JALOOS (Sep 6, 2008)

I like it. Should work very well. I too like the external pump ida and use the same setup. Keep us posted. :thumb:


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Just did a little more work on the sump. Unfortunately the drip plate wasn't distributing the water like I had hoped so I had to do a little altering. Not exactly what I wanted to do but it seems to work alright.

I used a small powerhead to push some water through some spray bars that I made out of 1/2" pvc.


















Here's a better shot of the input to the sump.










Here is the right side cover in place. I still have to make the left side cover.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Just did a little tinkering with the sump. Putting the spraybars lengthwise helped quite a bit with spreading the water more evenly to the scrubbies. I also added an additional powerhead. I'll remove both of them after I put the new pump and UV sterilizer in. When I do that I will run that line to the spraybars.


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## Cursor (Jan 4, 2005)

How are the filter socks working out for you?

Since it looks like the filter socks when full of water press on the inside of the 4" pipe are the filter socks getting evenly dirty?


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

The filter socks are working out great. The pipes are cut out quite a bit so the socks really are not hitting them much at all. In the pictures showing the water flowing over the top of them the socks were clean. I now have two sets of filter socks so I just swap them out every few days as necessary.


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## gusto (Jan 7, 2003)

Great Set up, I have a 150 gallon saltwater tank that I'm changing to African cichlids. now under the tank I have a 30 gallon sump I was trying to figure out how to convert it to a wet/dry so this helps me alot. now the blue pad on top of the pegboard, how often do you have to change that. also where can you get pegboard from.

Thanks


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

I did a search and found the pegboard, I can't remember the company but it was in Texas I believe. I have not changed the blue pad yet so it seems to be doing pretty well. I will probably change the polyfil (quilt backing) about once a month.


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## kjhydock (Apr 28, 2009)

I'll add my $.02 real quick.

LowCel - I was inspired by your 300g build, which happened to be one of the first threads I browsed here, to do my significantly smaller 80g project and my first sump (30g) as well.

I built mine with less biological filtration to make room for a refugium as I intend to store holding females and fry in it. The only problem I'm having with it right now is the baffle from the drain to the bioballs - The flow from the drain is so great that the water level is actually above that first baffle, partially due to design. The rest of the wet/dry works fine. The pump is rated at 1400 GPH and it's running fully open and the wet/dry is keeping up just fine.

I did have one question - You mentioned you got your scrubbies cheap from another member. I'm interested in buying some as they're quite a bit cheaper than bioballs.


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## gusto (Jan 7, 2003)

also are all the pot scrubbers submerged in water, I just wasn't sure if the water should trickle through them.


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## LowCel (Apr 6, 2004)

Only about three or four inches are submerged. I think you can see the water level in this picture.


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## AfricanMike (Dec 15, 2006)

Looks good. Might be an obvious answer to some, but i can't tell and havent built a sump. Are the filter socks tied to the end of the input pipes and are inside the 4" PVC?


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

Not my sump, but I believe his filter socks have a rigid ring at the top of them that won't fit into the 4" pvc pipe, so it sits on top leaving the rest of the sock dangling down inside the pipe.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## AfricanMike (Dec 15, 2006)

I thought something looked weird sitting on top of the PVC


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