8 foot Wild Tank and Sump plus Water Changes

[JBurgo]

I would get rid of sponges, get a bucket head wet/dry vac and makes cleaning the sump super easy.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into it, at the moment I syphon it, but that would pull it out with much more power and be very effective.

Even better is to keep the detritus in circulation so the socks pick it up on the next pass.

I don't think it's detritus from the tank, I don't think it could've passed through the filter sock? I think it must have developed in the sump, specifically in the sponges? I'd like to know if this actually could be the case, or if it must be getting through my socks. Actually, during this time, I did change from 200 micron socks to 100 micron, so it might not be a true indication of the 100 micron socks.

I think my filter socks generally last about three days, but I run two socks on each sump, so that helps them last and they look far darker than yours when I pull them!

I vac the tank every day, at night after all feeding, so I usually pick up most stuff within 12-14 hours (it's usually quite clean still in the morning). I only push about 2500 Lph through the sump for a 600 L tank, which I think is probably slow (4x an hour). So I think I pick up quite a bit before it enters the sump, I definitely get a lot of undissolved poo straight out of the tank. I don't know if this is good or bad, it's possibly how I'm able to keep the sump cleaner.

Can you line the sump with sound absorbing panels?

I used to line it with egg crate, and had the sponge in with the pump as well, but with the new Vectra M1 I don't need to worry about sound at all.

when i was feeding heavy, mine were way more dirty than that and all the way up to the top they were dirty. after a couple days they overflowed.
it took me 2 washes with clorox to get them clean.

Yeah, like I said ^^ I think there's a number of contributing factors to my single filter 4" X 13" sock not getting as dirty as other people's. I don't know if what's going on in my tank is `better`, maybe I need to get a few more photos of the stages I do things (to show what I clean up when), it might help the conversation. But I cut the little plastic handles out of the top to help me flip it inside out and I hose it off while the tank refills. Then I replace it with another dry one (just because I don't want to introduce chlorine into the sump where the bio is, even a little bit).

Before I used socks I used the white filter material and I found it absolutely useless, It would be inconsistent, and water would eventually follow the easiest path and escape to the sump without much filtration, and sludge would pass through and build up in the bio. When it was thicker it inhibited the flow, and I had to manage it to be the right thickness so the chamber didn't overflow, and then when it clogged, it overflowed anyway. When I removed it to replace it, I couldn't stop a lot of the crud falling back into the sump with the water that poured out of it as I lifted it. I personally found it a nightmare. I hated dealing with it, so I changed it less. The filter socks never spill the crud they catch back into the sump, and I think they work out cheaper in the long run too, for me anyway.

[JBurgo]

I bought a 2 little fishes 150 reactor, couldn't resist the new toy, so it looks like I'll be rigging that up to the return with Purigen.

I've been thinking about increasing the size of the syphon to get more flow through the sump (pity, I just set that one up). I could probably crack up the flow to 3500 Lph (6x an hour instead of 4x). Removing the sponges would help the sump handle the extra flow too.

And of course, I'll definitely remove the sponges, if on the next clean they contain sludge again. I just want to see how they go with 100% 100 micron socks.

And I'm going to look into a Wet&Dry vac.

[Hart24601]

Sounds like you have things pretty well sorted! I wasn't sure if the sound still bothered you or not. I got some acoustic foam before from amazon to use around a pump that was loud, remote located for pumping water, and seemed to work pretty well just FYI if tank ever becomes louder again. I think it would work better than eggcrate, but who knows!

I would think a lot of the detritus, albeit small particle size, still makes it past filter socks but then flocculates into larger particles as the flow slows down.

[JBurgo]

I would think a lot of the detritus, albeit small particle size, still makes it past filter socks but then flocculates into larger particles as the flow slows down.

Yeah, you're probably right there. I did think about getting even finer micron filter socks, 50 or 25? They're harder to get, I could get some from China, but they're overpriced and not very well made, some of them have steel rings (which are probably not stainless and would rust). They're not very common under 100 micron.

[DJW]

I use the nylon mesh filter bags 7"x16" from Duda Deisel. They go down to 10 micron, and it looks like they ship internationally. These are washable and last a long time.

https://www.dudadiesel.com/search.ph...g&i=filterbags

[JBurgo]

Interesting, I currently have a 4" X13" 100 micron bag that sits in a plastic bracket.

I could put a 7" X16" 25 micron bag around it (one inside the other). The hanging strap would fit over the existing plastic bracket, locking them both together.

Is this a good idea? Anyone see any problems with this before I spend 50 bucks? The Nylon Mesh seems as though it might pick up what the felt lets through, but be porous enough to allow flow?

What's the ring made out of?

a.jpg

[DJW]

The ring looks like it must be stainless steel, but you can ask them to be sure. Here is one that I cut apart to make something.

sockring.jpg

[JBurgo]

Thanks Dan,
I started a new thread to see if others had experience with what I was thinking: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...cks&highlight=
But I don't have any responses so I think I can assume people aren't sure.
So I went ahead and bought a few of the 7" X16" 10 micron Nylon Mesh bags, with the intention of putting my 4" X 13" 100 micron Felt sock inside a 7" X 16" 10 micron Nylon Mesh sock.
We'll see how they go when they arrive.

[DJW]

10 micron is very fine and might not work. I have never used one that fine in a sump, I occasionally use that size when refilling tanks to catch fine particles when the water in the aging barrels get stirred up. The 25 micron bags flow much better. Maybe a 100, then a 50, then a 25?

If you find that its too fine, they do have other uses. You can attach one to a powerhead to quickly clean a tank.

[JBurgo]

Yeah, I probably should've gone one of each. In the end my thinking was that I seem to be getting less detritus than other people. Only one way to find out I guess.

[JBurgo]

The ring looks like it must be stainless steel, but you can ask them to be sure. Here is one that I cut apart to make something.

I can confirm after contacting the company that the ring is just `steel welded into a ring`.

Is there any reason not to include steel into the system like this? Or is it best to cut a small hole in the sleeve, cut the steel and remove it, and replace it with a plastic ring? I'm concerned with it adding heavy metals to the system.

[Swedgin]

That is such a sophisticated system, well done. I'm kinds scared of sumps so I stick to canisters, but they work really well for me.
Well done though, nice fish in there, too

[JBurgo]

That is such a sophisticated system, well done. I'm kinds scared of sumps so I stick to canisters, but they work really well for me.
Well done though, nice fish in there, too

Thanks, I'll be changing it up again soon though. I'm getting an Emperor Aquatics UV Sterilizer, and they're fairly long, so plumbing it into the return will probably be more efficient if I send the return under the tank instead of over. Which will mean I'll be able to use the current return as a True Herbie syphon, giving me more flow too. Still sort of tossing around whether I want t go that way.

I'll also be adding a Purigen Reactor. But I definitely want to use the Vectra to do it all to keep the sound low.

I'm thinking I'll need a flow meter because if I install the UV Sterilizer in parallel with the return (using a gate valve for adjustment), I can't see how I could possibly quantify flow without one. Interested in opinions on flow meters, thinking I'll probably go with a variable area flow meter?

I'll also need to add a non-return valve because the UV light needs to stay on (and covered with water) during periods of non-flow, during water changes and maintenance. Apparently turning it on and off repeatedly shortens the life of the globe considerably.

[Debow]

Watch the UV, when I had mine one the UV casing would get very warm if doing long water changes.

[Neptune]

Watch the UV, when I had mine one the UV casing would get very warm if doing long water changes.

You should turn the UV off if you are not circulation water through it when doing a WC. It's really hard on them!