…Well… I just got myself a used Marineland 200 gal deep dimension. And I have no idea how to go about filtration. The previous owner was using it for saltwater, so he pretty much took out the original overflows, and had 6 more holes professionally drilled (2 for the overflow). All of this is pretty cool, the only problem is, I never done a sump before. I have no idea how to plumb this thing.
What kind/size of sump is right for FRESHWATER?
Should I do a wet/dry sump?
Can I build a refugium?
Should I get a canister filter?
Should I get water pumps? What brand/size?
…So like you see I have a ton of noob questions, if you have a set up and you have the time/patience I would love to visit your fish room. If somebody can refer me to any kind of similar thread I would appreciate it.
And if your that hands on person and wants to actually help me, I’ll be eternally grateful.
Any kind of comment/suggestion is welcomed and appreciated,
Thanks,
Gabriel
To sump or not to sump?
-
sukrol
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:46 pm
- Real Name: Gabriel Andrade
- Location: Montgomery Village, MD
To sump or not to sump?
Gabriel
-
Cristy Keister
- Posts: 2201
- Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:52 am
- Location: MD
There are so many different ways to filter when you have a sump as an option.
The size of the sump should be at least larger than the number of gallons that can drain from the main tank if the pump fails. The number of gallons that can drain depends on where the drilled holes are. You will need a pump to pump from the sump back to the tank. The easiest way to figure it all out is to ask the previous owner what they used.
You don't need any other filter with a sump. You can make it a wet/dry or refugium.
You can plug up the other 4 holes or use some to create a loop for any equip that you don't want on the sump lines (ie, UV sterilizer, inline heater, or just a pump for more water flow).
The first question should really be, what livestock/decor/plants are you planning to put in the main tank?
The size of the sump should be at least larger than the number of gallons that can drain from the main tank if the pump fails. The number of gallons that can drain depends on where the drilled holes are. You will need a pump to pump from the sump back to the tank. The easiest way to figure it all out is to ask the previous owner what they used.
You don't need any other filter with a sump. You can make it a wet/dry or refugium.
You can plug up the other 4 holes or use some to create a loop for any equip that you don't want on the sump lines (ie, UV sterilizer, inline heater, or just a pump for more water flow).
The first question should really be, what livestock/decor/plants are you planning to put in the main tank?
Gabriel
I have a sump wet/dry and I really like it. You actually have the ability to do a lot with the holes that are drilled. Wet/dry is great for fish and keeping a high oxygen content in the water. The sump intake needs to be sealed to help minimize CO2 leak if you inject CO2. Here's a link for a filter that is similar to mine. You'll need the flexible PVC and flexible tubing, flexible PVC for the inflow of the filter and the flexible tubing from the pump back to the tank.
You need a pump with a flowrate of 5-10x the tank capacity, so that means you need a pump that will pump somewhere around 1000-2000gph. Keep in mind that pumps gph decreases depending on how far up you to pump the water. I haven't needed pumps that large, so I'm not familiar with the quality of the various brands.
You could just plug the other holes, or you could add a canister filter for extra filtration, inline heater, or run a separate CO2 line on a separate pump.
I have a sump wet/dry and I really like it. You actually have the ability to do a lot with the holes that are drilled. Wet/dry is great for fish and keeping a high oxygen content in the water. The sump intake needs to be sealed to help minimize CO2 leak if you inject CO2. Here's a link for a filter that is similar to mine. You'll need the flexible PVC and flexible tubing, flexible PVC for the inflow of the filter and the flexible tubing from the pump back to the tank.
You need a pump with a flowrate of 5-10x the tank capacity, so that means you need a pump that will pump somewhere around 1000-2000gph. Keep in mind that pumps gph decreases depending on how far up you to pump the water. I haven't needed pumps that large, so I'm not familiar with the quality of the various brands.
You could just plug the other holes, or you could add a canister filter for extra filtration, inline heater, or run a separate CO2 line on a separate pump.
Fred
