Sump sump sump

I need some help planning out my new sump...

What I hope to do is; put a suitable amount of LR in, add some chaeto macro algae (and maybe some other types of macro if they are recommended), somehow add live sand if it's a possibility or if it's necessary and add a feed pump for my skimmer.

I had a sooper-professional draw me up some sooper-detailed blueprints of my sump to give the forums and idea of what I'm working with. Here they are.



I'm so lost, please help! >_<

 

This design is a bit unique to me. Where are you planning to put the LR and Macro? Im assuming you;re not going to use bioballs and put LR in there instead.

 

thats a typical design of a wet dry trickle filter. i would take out the bio balls and use that to put the sand algae and rock in

 

My idea was to replace the bioballs with LR but because there's eggcrate there I can't put sand on it. The eggcrate is removable, but I'm not sure if It's possible to put enough sand on the bottom of the sump to make it beneficial and still be able to flow through where the sponge is (also is removable, and will most likely do so)

 

you could put another piece of glass on the bottom backside of the sponge and then you could put sand on the bottom without worrying about it interfering with the sponge

 

Great idea! Thank you so much!

Everything seems to be going ok, accept I don't know where to put the Macro algae. Any thoughts?

 

This should help after I did it and thought about it you're going to run into problems with lighting for the macro so do away with the eggcrate, sit the rock on the sandbed and then put your macro on top of the rock then you should be good to go.

 

i wouldnt worry about the live sand if your gonna make it that shallow

 

Wow, your amazing, thank you so much!

That being said, what the heck is a grounding probe? ^_^

EDIT: Where should the Activated Carbon go?

 

Sometimes a piece of equipment will malfunction and release electricity into the water. This can electrocute your animals and you, if you put your hand in the water. A grounding probe directs the current out of your tank (just like grounding any other thing does). They are cheap (I think less than $10 or so) and you can get them at any LFS or online. Any good LFS, at least. There are some people that believe using a grounding probe does more harm than good, but most people have them on their tanks.

 

You can put the algae in the left side....but does your wet/dry have a shorter left side, though? I a going to be mod'ing my wet/dry (same layout as yours, except the return area is shorter than the tall...so i was going to seal up the hole in the bottom (where your sponge is), and just drill holes at the top to drain into the return area.

More work than you may be looking to do, but if yours is like mine, your return section won't hold as much water, not leaving much room for your algae after you put in your dsb.

 

with that sump design won't adding sand and rock in the first chamber just cause the sand to be stirred up all the time from the overflow just rushing on top of it constantly? I'm new to the sump world myself but looking at that first diagram that is what I thought of.

I dont have a grounding probe on my tank but I guess I will get one now since Biff says everyone has them.....sounds like a good idea.

 

I too never had a grounding probe for awhile, but my lionfish got hlle which some people believe is caused by stray voltage which iw why I added one. I just placed a order for a sump off fleabay myself to get rid of my current cannister.

 

I agree with everyone, you guys always think most of what i am thinking! They have you covered!

 

Thanks for your help guys, It's really put me in a good direction.

Where should the activated carbon go?

 

ok, i'll be the first to admit i dont know anything about any of this, but i do understand a little about mechanical design, and i'm looking at that drawing and asking myself.. is 3 inches deep enough to keep the pump and heater covered with water? I'm thinking that your gonna have issues with it that shallow.

 

The whole thing will be covered with water, in order to get the LR fully submersed.

 

ok, help me understand, if you keep the water that high, then what happens in a power outtage? wouldnt it overflow?

 

you would have to simulate one, and measure where the water would rise too. With LR in the tank.

 

ok, well let us know cause i'm considering building one of my own, and i had thought about a low level pump chamber, but i worried about it... this would tell me i was an idiot and it works, or it would tell me not to do it that way...