Dual Chamber Sump (2x20L) Design as a Common Filter for a Rack of Aquariums (4x20L)

Folks,

Settled down in Arizona and resuming my aquarium rack build. This thread is about the Sump Design. Want to show what I'm proposing and looking for feedback (I've casually posted this design on PlantedTank.net, but it wasn't in it's own thread to gather opinions and constructive criticism).

I am constructing a central system with 4 X 20 gallon long Aquariums for Flora and Fauna that features a central dual chamber sump that is built out of 2 X 20 gallon long tanks as well. Each of the tanks will have different tetras, dwarf cichlids, corydoras, dwarf plecos, and shrimps. Temp of 80degF, pH of 7.

Let me describe the Central Sump Filter with it's dual chambers:

Chamber 1 has a quick screen laid horizontal with two filter socks side by side underneath the mesh screen. This is super coarse filtration with the socks being 400 micron. Subsequent filtration is 4 grades of 2" poret foam, 10ppi, 20ppi, 30ppi, 45ppi, in pairs arranged vertically left to right. The grades will be stocked in pairs so that they can be rotated easily for cleaning (remove the left dirty one, shift the other left for 'seeding', clean the dirty one you removed, install the now 'cleaned' one to the right).

Chamber 2 has an aux heater (each of the tanks has a buried hydor cable heater...old school) and the a return pump submerged. I will also place 5 probes (temp, pH, ORP, Cond, D.O.) here, as well as 5 level switches for lo/hi alarming, automatic top off and water change, and dry pump prevention. I'll clarify that the PumpON switch going Open will be the signal for the Automatic Top Off to add water ... before it get's so low that I have to issue a PumpOff.....

Diagram doesn't show Dosing, but the Dosing lines will enter Chamber 2.. it will be 2 or 4, depending on my dosing regimen (I have't decided that yet).

The UV Sterilizer and the CO2 Reactor will come after the pump and mounted externally of Chamber 2 of course... The UV Filter and CO2 Reactor are installed in-line, but the two process are in parallel (my diagram shows them in series, which is not correct).... Did this just to allow for a bit more dwell time for each process.

I don't need a dual chamber setup for my expected bio-load, but I just abhor working under the tanks in cramped space, hence the extra real estate to really space everything out. Overall, it adds significant water volume to the system too. I think I have creative alternatives for the CO2 Bottle, Dosing Pumps and Ferts, UV Filter, CO2 Reactor and Controller placements.

So yeah, no complex filter media, just coarse mesh, coarse filter socks, and poret foam. I do have some 2lbs of Hager BioMax Media (New Old Stock) that I could employ as well....because... well I have it... but that doesn't seem like a valid enough reason to include it...

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/i.../pg_17979e.jpg

Nice I love sumps and actually use poret sponges [2 sizes] in one of mine .
Looking forward to your build .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by coralbandit

Nice I love sumps and actually use poret sponges [2 sizes] in one of mine .
Looking forward to your build .

---

I'm at the point where I need to undertake the construction. (knock out a closet, finish off the space, build the stand, run the electric, water and drain lines).

Thought I would share a little progress on the 2 chamber sump. It's built besides the hoses hooked up the fittings. I'll wait until it's installed on the rack before doing that. (I will start another thread on the 'fish nook' and rack, as I'm getting close to being done).

Chamber 1 has 2 400 micron filter socks, followed by 4 grades of 2" poret foam (arranged in pairs for rotating out cleaned sheets).. Have some old school German ceramic bio media that I will stick in a mesh bag as well....well because I have it. Might be too much filtration... We will see.

Attachment 129272

Chamber 2 will have an auxillary heater, float switches (not yet shown), water quality probes (not yet shown as they are in use on the controller project), Mag Pump. It will kind of serve as a refugium as well. Together, the two chambers of the sumps will act as capacitors to hold extra water when power goes off and the 4 display tanks release a little water back. I'll probably just attach my CO2 Reactor right to the glass of the 2nd chamber.

Attachment 129273

The tanks are connected by a 1" line, but I may drill a 2nd bulkhead for a 2nd 1" line, just in case for some reason flow gets restricted on the other... Very unlikely, but I have the fittings and pipe and the drill bit... so might as well drill another for safety in both chambers.

Althogether it's 5' of sump...
Attachment 129274

They will be installed on the bottom shelf of my racks.

I realized I never showed the finished project...

The concern was noise... happy to report it is very, very quiet with the 4 tanks... so it will be expanded to 5 very soon... and then 6 a bit later... That's it... that is all I have room for in the FishNook (the little mini fish room I built).

Here is the a photo of the dual chamber sump in action.

Attachment 130194

I have two planned modifications:

1. I will add a 2nd set of 1" bulkheads to join the two chambers (each chamber is a 20 gallon long aquarium). I want to put more water through the system (will add two more Display Tanks soon), and that single 1" line joining the two chambers becomes a bottleneck.

2. I have a safety overflow in chamber 2... I do not it chamber 1.. so I will drill one of those too..

I've taken out the 45ppm poret foam for the moment, until I can increase flow between the two chambers with the additon of the 2nd connecting line. very pleased with the performance overall of the sump... the Poret foam is home to a small colony of neo shrimp (orange, yellow, blue) that have found their way from the Display tanks... oh well... :)

(This photo also doesn't show the level switches that are now installed in the 2nd chamber for auto water topoffs... water changes.... and pump enable/disable... I'm doing work to improve the mounting of those 4 level switches...)

Wicked sick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved

Wicked sick.

---

It's fun. But I totally regret not drilling the 2nd set of holes for the 2nd line to connect to the two sections. stupid is what stupid does....

The good news is that I'm sure I can shut stuff off... isolate the display tanks using the valves.... put airstones in each display tank for fish health... empty the sumps of water, stick the poret foam in a bucket of water that has the old sump water, remove the equipment from the chambers and pull them out... perform the drilling quickly (I have jigs already made).... and put everything back together in under an hour. It's crazy how confident I've become working with glass.

modified it so that the two sections are connected by 2 1" lines now instead of 1.... increasing the bandwidth...

Attachment 130585

Attachment 130586