Planted tank with sump owners, please contribute some pics and experience

[patricc]

Hi guys,

I plan to set up a sump tank for my new tank setup.

It will be either a 3x1.5x1.5 or a 4x2x2. I am currently having a 3x1.5x1.5 with a 2028 running but am on shift work so having a sump helps to maintain the water parameters for my fish

Wonder if the bros who are using the sump tank filtration for their planted tanks contribute some ideas and experience?

Thanks a lot in advance.

P.S: I don't mind the loss of CO2 due to the design... topping up CO2 would be more troublesome than WC

[illumnae]

you have to do water changes with a sump tank too

[patricc]

Well, at least not so often and the extra water will ensure more stable parameters....

I had an experience, my brother in law came to do some minor renovation repairs to my partition wall and somehow, the dust got into the water and cause major water changes and I lost a number of fish.... sigh.....

Im not trying to be lazy but to provide a better environment for my fishes.. Plus i got very bio load hehe..... i apologise for that...

[kev789]

Since you have started a topic on sump tank.
Is it true that having a sump tank for planted tank may not be a good idea as the CO2 being pumped into the water will be lost due to water splashing when running your sump filtration?
Was told by some fish shop uncle..

[patricc]

Tats what i know also... if im not wrong, we get around the loss by either having a higher flow of co2 or try to have a enclosed sump system to minimise the loss

Im designing a sump system using an overflow box instead of using an EOS or IOS. Hence would appreciate some advice....

[bluetbk]

patricc, i dont have any experience is Sump tank for planted. But i did do some research for this. I don't know if this going help you. Just to share.

Normally, in sump tank, CO2 losses is always cause by the water splashes in the inlet section of the sump tank. Try to make sure the inlet pipe to be lower to the base of the inlet section of the sump tank. This will reduce much more of the splashing at that part. Also try to seal up the section too.



Hope this will help.

[bossteck]

Just to clarify, you may feel that there are less water changes (WC) required with the use of a sump, this is true to a certain extent, having a larger volume of water lets you get away with that.

BUT... having a sump tank also means you have a larger surface area to lose water through evaporation. This means you will have to top up your tank more often.

Just wanted to make this clear in case some readers feels that running a sump is a way to conserve more water in the long run.

Regarding loss of co2.

Extending the inlet pipe helps, but ultimately you will find that you need to feed more co2 compared to when you're using canister filters, that's for sure.

You can do this by either increase the bps during your photo period, or, consider doing away with the use of a solenoid and just feed co2 24/7 at a lower rate.

I am using canister filters as well as sump tanks (for different tanks) all I can say is... I love my sump for the ease of maintenance.

[David Moses Heng]

I have a few 422 using sump and I must say that the loss of CO2 is very slight. What I did was that I inject the CO2 about 30 cm away from the pump outlet. By doing this, i have also eliminate the need for a reactor.

Evaporation: I top up about 10 liters once every 2 weeks for both my 422 with sump.

Sump maintenance: once every 6 months where I take out everything and rinse using aged/rain water.

Bioloads: 100 rummy nose tetra, 100 neon tetra, 50 hareluqin rasabora, 100 yamatoes, 4 puffer, 20 pygmy cory, 4 sterbai, 8 Peruvian angels, 20 three line pencil, 10 oto.

Plant load: Many nanas, christmas moss, balanse, Crypto Petchii, Cyrpto Wenditii x hybrid, Eichorina Azurea, Valliserna Nana.

Sump laid out. four sector with first sector being mechanical filtration, second sector bio filtration, third sector chemical filtration and finally return chamber.

Media used: 2 kilo of lava rock, 2 kilo of bio ring, 12 cones of bacteria home, green bio mat, black sponge, German glass wool, biohome plus.

By the way, i seldom dose liquid fert

[bluetbk]

david, i will like to check with you something. As i was doing research about sump tank for planted. There is one question which i keep thinking till down.

Does you injected your CO2 directly into the main tank or into the sump outlet section?

I can't find any information on this part on net.

[David Moses Heng]

david, i will like to check with you something. As i was doing research about sump tank for planted. There is one question which i keep thinking till down.

Does you injected your CO2 directly into the main tank or into the sump outlet section?

I can't find any information on this part on net.

i am no expert in this but through trial and error, I realise that injecting co2 into either one is not as good as injecting the co2 into the outlet flow of water. What i did was i installed a small valve along the output into the main tank and connect the co2 into this valve. THis way, when the water comes out from the pump output, the co2 will also be mixed with the water and as the water enters the tank via the rainbar which will be under the water surface, there will be minimum or even no co2 loss.

[o2bubble]

i saw that Amano also use the same method of injecting CO2 directly into the outlet pipe so to mix CO2 with the water before it enters the tank for a hugh tank using a sump as filtration. This was in the 2008 catalog book

Think this method should work and I'm going to try it out for my 6ft tank with sump.

[bluetbk]

Injecting CO2 directly in the outlet pipe as in drill a hole and insert the CO2 tube into the pipe without any Diffuser? Does there is any need t o add a valve to prevent water from goin into the CO2 tube?

[patricc]

I think there is an attachment like a T joint or something which can allow CO2 or any airline to be connected inline to the water flow. I think Petmart got sell.

[David Moses Heng]

i saw that Amano also use the same method of injecting CO2 directly into the outlet pipe so to mix CO2 with the water before it enters the tank for a hugh tank using a sump as filtration. This was in the 2008 catalog book

Think this method should work and I'm going to try it out for my 6ft tank with sump.

interesting... I was not aware of this when i did the modification to my pipes in april 08...

[David Moses Heng]

Injecting CO2 directly in the outlet pipe as in drill a hole and insert the CO2 tube into the pipe without any Diffuser? Does there is any need t o add a valve to prevent water from goin into the CO2 tube?

on the safe side, i put two silver check valve.

[bluetbk]

nice. hope all this discussion will help patricc

[patricc]

thanks bros..... now thinkin of trying for fun to add protein skimmer in my sump... i know its very extra but just like to see whats the effect like

[Samuel2618]

i am no expert in this but through trial and error, I realise that injecting co2 into either one is not as good as injecting the co2 into the outlet flow of water. What i did was i installed a small valve along the output into the main tank and connect the co2 into this valve. THis way, when the water comes out from the pump output, the co2 will also be mixed with the water and as the water enters the tank via the rainbar which will be under the water surface, there will be minimum or even no co2 loss.

Wow.. Impressive.. Didnt know that there is still alternative ways to do such a tank.. Wonder any bro out there can help with my when i am setting mine up soon.. A Million thanks to all who contibuted in this thread.. Very informative..

[Jervis]

thanks bros..... now thinkin of trying for fun to add protein skimmer in my sump... i know its very extra but just like to see whats the effect like

Don't think the protein skimmer will help much... but again... with your very high bioload... the skimmer might be able to foam up.

[David Moses Heng]

Wow.. Impressive.. Didnt know that there is still alternative ways to do such a tank.. Wonder any bro out there can help with my when i am setting mine up soon.. A Million thanks to all who contibuted in this thread.. Very informative..

just give me a tinker