The Sump
The sump was initially set up with the Instant Ocean Skimm 800 in the right hand compartment where the overflow from the aquarium arrives through the white piping.
The skimmer then sends the water into the second compartment where the 5/6 inch dsb with cheato will be installed.
Water then flows over the baffle and then under the final baffle into the return chamber where the Eheim 3000 compact returns water through a flexible pipe back to the weir in the aquarium.
All equipment is plugged into individual, switchable sockets. Pumps etc on the left hand side with lights at the back. Power units for the LED tiles are positioned outside of the cabinet for added safety.
Not much room left now. With all this equipment needed the sump is a godsend. Would hate to think it was in or around the main display tank.
Dimensions
Internal cabinet dimensions: 35"x16"x28" clearance
Sump dimensions: 30"x12"x18" two baffles are 10" with the third full hight with a 1" gap at the bottom
The skimmer then sends the water into the second compartment where the 5/6 inch dsb with cheato will be installed.
Water then flows over the baffle and then under the final baffle into the return chamber where the Eheim 3000 compact returns water through a flexible pipe back to the weir in the aquarium.
All equipment is plugged into individual, switchable sockets. Pumps etc on the left hand side with lights at the back. Power units for the LED tiles are positioned outside of the cabinet for added safety.
Not much room left now. With all this equipment needed the sump is a godsend. Would hate to think it was in or around the main display tank.
Dimensions
Internal cabinet dimensions: 35"x16"x28" clearance
Sump dimensions: 30"x12"x18" two baffles are 10" with the third full hight with a 1" gap at the bottom
Phosphate reactorHave added a PhosBan 150 and NewWave 800 pump to reduce the consistantly high phosphates. Have decided to use Rowaphos as the medium as most people seem to use this.
I have hung the reactor on the side wall of the return section in the sump. Pump is standing on the rubber feet supplied. This was where I had anticipated one would go during initial set up. |
Activated carbon filtrationAfter a year I have decided to begin using activated carbon in the sump to remove organics.
Have begun slowly, one bag placed in sump. Two weeks time will add a second and two weeks later a third. Water perams will then change slowly. After six weeks replace carbon in first bag and so on. Hopefully this will be effective and easy to maintain when I do water changes. Gas ExchangeThere needs to be good gas exchange to allow for CO2 to come out of the water and oxygen to be absorbed. This happens on the water surface. The surface of the sump will help with this as will the skimmer. Many people have open top displays whereas mine is covered. Exchange will still happen here but perhaps not as much as with open tops. Surface movement is important but perhaps more so is the circulation of water around the system. I think good circulation with water moving from the bottom to the surface of the tank is as important, if not more important than having an open top.
Ph is also stable with this system which suggest gaseous exchange is fine. |