The Aquarium Sump Can Be Used For So Many Things
August 30, 2008
Marine systems of whatever type, reef aquarium or fish only aquarium, can function successfully on their own without a sump, provided they are properly supported by equipment, are not overstocked and ongoing routine maintenance is completed. There is a way to enhance the seawater quality in the aquarium even if all the necessary guidelines have been followed religiously and that is to have a sump.
An aquarium sump is to all intents and purposes another aquarium attached to the main display. Seawater is pumped up from the sump to the display aquarium and flows down again by gravity, usually by the use of an overflow pipe. This flow is easily achieved.
All that is needed is to measure the available space for the sump – it could be inside the cabinet cupboard if there is one, in a separate housing alongside but below the main aquarium, or even in an adjoining room. Generally the bigger it is the better. Once the available space has been measured the aquarist can purchase a suitable aquarium. There will need to be at least two dividers in the sump, the first one is to accept incoming seawater and the last one is to create an area for the return pump. Some aquarists have more dividers for their own reasons, but two serve the basic purpose. The glass for these dividers does not need to be thick as there is supporting seawater on both sides. There isn’t any chance of a leak once they are siliconed in place as all joints are inside an already watertight unit. The finished job does not need to be perfect as it is in the sump and not on display. Measuring and siliconing the glass is a simple job, there needs to be an overflow at the top of each divider which is created by making the top of the dividers around ½ inch lower than the seawater level. If the aquarist doesn’t fancy the job then a local marine pet store will often do the job for not much money, especially if the needed aquarium has been purchased from the same shop.
The question of drilling the display aquarium for an overflow to feed the sump is one that puts many DIYers off. Again, the local marine shop will often do the job, or if not a local plumber often will. Alternatively, an overflow device can be used. These fit on the edge of the aquarium and seawater overflows by siphon. These units are available commercially, but do project above the top of the main aquarium to an extent so space needs to be available.
The first advantage in having a sump is that the system seawater gallonage has been increased. This means that seawater quality will be enhanced as there are more gallons per fish. Note that the extra gallonage created is not a reason to increase fish stocks as this would negate the advantage and also possibly create space problems in the main aquarium. There will also be an increase in the amount of seawater used for the routine seawater change; this is not a problem as generally the sump isn’t that large.
So what else could the sump be useful for? Again with a view to high quality seawater a deep sand bed (DSB) could be placed between the two dividers. The depth of the DSB usually starts at 4″ and many aquarists have them deeper than this. Note that ordinary coarse coral sand is not used as it needs to be fine sand. There is an article on DSB construction on the Aquarists Online website. Another way to achieve the same thing would be to install a plenum, which is a raised DSB. I believe most aquarists use a standard DSB. The aquarist should see many tiny life forms inhabiting the DSB which generally widens interest in the aquarium system.
The macro algae Caulerpa could be used in the sump. Again this algae is used for filtration as it feeds on nitrate and phosphate. Once established it needs to be harvested from time to time. The aquarist will need to provide lighting. This is not expensive to purchase or run as fluorescent tubes (T5’s or T8’s) fitted with reflectors are sufficient, usually two are positioned along the length of the sump. An electric timer is also needed if the aquarist is to run the lighting on a cycle. If so, it is advantageous to have the sump lights on when the main aquarium lights are off. The reason for this is that it helps stabilize pH.
Additional live rock could be placed in the sump (but not on top of a DSB as it would cause compaction). This increases the bio-filtration should this be needed and at the same time creates a new mini-world for the aquarist.
If the aquarist has a problem with a fish then, if the fish is not too large, it could go into the sump. This is not for treatment (if treatment cannot be done in the display aquarium then it cannot be done in the sump as the two are connected), but to give the fish some respite if it is being harassed excessively. Likewise, there is a place for any unwelcome hitchhiker that has arrived with live rock – for example, a mantis shrimp is not welcome in the main display aquarium but it could be transferred to the sump and become a point of interest.
Another practical advantage to the sump is that it can be the home for technical equipment that would otherwise be in the display aquarium. Heaters and a protein skimmer for example – the equipment is out of the display aquarium which benefits by the removal of unnatural items.
If the aquarist has room for a sump then it is very worthwhile adding one.
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One Return Pump Or Two?
July 3, 2008
What is a return pump? These pumps are used for returning seawater from a sump to the display aquarium. They are used in fish only aquariums and reef aquariums, provided the system includes a sump of course.
Equipment nowadays is generally very reliable and many aquarists don’t back-up anything. Fair enough, but any item of equipment however good can fail.
General good practice suggests that important equipment in the system should be backed up where possible. This is clearly not done in the case of lighting and display aquarium circulation pumps. Important as these are it is impractical and unnecessary to have a back up. In the case of circulation pumps, the aquarist could have a spare in the cupboard, but the loss of some circulation for a short period is not a problem so this is unnecessary.
One of the most important areas in an aquarium is the bio-filtration. Some would argue that it is the most important area as without it the whole system will fail, that is the livestock will suffer or be lost. So if canister filtration is the method in use, two canister filters are a good idea in case on fails.
Anyway, to get back on track. The return pump. Seawater gets to the sump by means of gravity and an overflow in the display aquarium. It flows through the sump and is pumped up again. Looking at the pump and its job, is it important enough to require a backup and if so is it practical?
One of the benefits of a sump is that it can house items such as a protein skimmer, heaters and possibly a deep sand bed (DSB). This being the case it would be detrimental for seawater not to be exposed to the protein skimmer for a long period of time. Similarly, the seawater needs to be maintained at the proper temperature. So the flow through the sump needs to be reliable. So a back-up is desirable.
One of the items that the aquarist should check when at the aquarium is flow, and a lack of flow from the display aquarium to the sump is very noticeable. Seawater loses heat slowly (the loss rate being subject to circumstances) so heat loss is not of great concern, the loss of flow should be noticed before any problem arises. The lack of flow will not be noticeable on the protein skimmer as it will continue to function though will fail to remove organics as they are not going through the bubble chamber. Any DSB will not be affected as seawater is present, though benefits such as nitrate reduction could temporarily be interrupted.
From a practical point of view, a back-up return pump is best considered in the sump design stage. Many sumps have a sectioned off area that is capable of housing one pump only. If two are to be used, the sectioned off area will need to be that much larger, unless the pumps can be fitted one above the other.
If two pumps are to be used, should they be of equal pumping capacity? The guideline for the flow rate through the sump is around three times the net gallonage of the whole system, that is display aquarium and sump, per hour. So two pumps together need to provide this, each pump having one half of the pumping capacity of a lone pump, that is, each pump needs to be able to deliver around one half of the required flow rate. Both pumps are very unlikely to fail at the same time, and the failure of one pump means that the flow rate through the sump will be half of that intended. This will be enough to maintain heat distribution, and will continue to present organics to the protein skimmer. The DSB will also continue to function.
If the aquarist does not check flow rates when feeding or admiring the display aquarium, or uses an automatic feeder and doesn’t check the aquarium particularly regularly, then having two return pumps is a good idea. If checks are regularly made and the aquarist is confident that a changed flow rate, or lack of one, will be fairly quickly noticed, then two return pumps are not really necessary. Consideration needs to be given however to how quickly a replacement pump can be obtained should this be required.
The individual cost of pumps where two are used will be a little lower because of the lower pumping capacity, so the extra cost over one pump is not great. It is a good idea overall to protect important system functions where practical, and the use of two return pumps is good and follows this principle.
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Does A Sump Have To Be An Aquarium?
May 14, 2008
This is a question I was asked the other day by a colleague of mine who is considering starting a soft coral aquarium and is currently in the planning and research stage.
I have been helping him out as much as I can and offering advice as and when required. I could go and just tell him everything he needs but I feel that it is better for someone to learn the various aspects themselves rather than be told what to do. I have guided him a few times when he went off track though!
Anyway the aquarium he is thinking about is a L shaped aquarium which he is thinking of putting in his cinema room.
Being an L shaped aquarium this is going to bring about it’s own challenges two of which I belive are going to be water movement and lighting. He has already decided upon T5 lighting and I have guided him into researching closed loops. He was originally going to use power heads which although I am not a great fan of them I did not want to push this onto him. I was talking to him about closed loop circulation and the benefits it provides and he seemed quite interested in it. Time will tell what he chooses.
Another aspect with is being L shaped is the sump. He was thinking about having a custom L shaped sump built at the same time as the display aquarium but once he got the cost he quickly changed his mind. One of the questions he asked me was if the sump has to be an aquarium.
Well no it doesn’t. You can use anything for the sump as long as it is classed a food grade. What this means is that it is safe for food to be stored in. A food grade container will not leech anything out into the saltwater as this would be detrimental to the water quality if not eventually lethal to the livestock.
I helped him design his sump and he is looking at two sumps – whether he chooses to use aquariums or not we will have to wait and see. One of the sumps is going to house the equipment as well as a deep sand bed, the other which will be connected via tank connectors is going to be a refugium. The overflows have been designed to flow down from four areas of the display aquarium and the plumbing designed to that it feeds multiple areas. One goes to the skimmer section and the other three using tees flow to the refugium and the deep sand bed. The water from the protein skimmer exits into the deep sand bed area. The beneift of this is that the deep sand bed area received dirty, unskimmed water as well as water which has been skimmed.
Effectively what he is planning to have in sump number one is a protein skimmer section, a deep sand bed section and a return pump/heater section. The other sump will house purely the refugium.
In the display aquarium as said he is planning on keeping soft corals and some fish. His children really want to keep shrimps, crabs, starfish etc so I am sure that some of these will soon appear when the tank is up and running.
As said he is still in the planning/research stage so I have no idea how long it will be until he is ready to purchase everything and start putting it all together. I am positive that I will get lots of questions and I am happy to help.
I will have to choose some corals that I can propagate from my aquarium to pass on to him when he is ready.
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What is a Sump? – The list of equipment that can be added to your aquarium is long. Most of it is designed to be functional, and therefore not pleasing to the eye. This extra, but often necessary, equipment clutter can be hidden from view in the sump. …
More on Sumps – With a sump, water over flows the show aquarium, drains through plumbing, and collects in a second aquarium (the sump). In order for the overflow to work, the overflow device has to sit some depth into the show tank. …
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Does A Sump Have To Be An Aquarium?
March 11, 2008
A sump is an excellent addition to a marine system as it is of great benefit to water quality. The sump may hold additional filtration. It also adds additional gallonage to the system.
The usual safeguards have to be taken when considering anything for the marine system. One of these is to ensure that the construction material is seawater safe, in other words nothing will be introduced into the seawater by its use. The idea is to enhance seawater quality not reduce it.
There isn’t a reason why a sump has to be an aquarium. It could be a container made of plastic or anything else. However, is the material in question safe? Metals are out, even if they are coated in some seawater resistant covering. Plastic that is intended for food or aquarium use is safe.
The thing is, what of the shape? Can a safe container be found of the correct size and shape to fit the available space for a sump? There are containers available, but they are usually too small and impractical. Safe plastic buckets are available (such as used for brewing) and these are sometimes used with automated top-up systems. They’re not really suitable for a sump though.
So there’s the aquarium. They are known to be seawater safe. The area can be divided up easily if required. They come in all sorts of sizes, from small to very large. There is going to be one suitable.
So a sump doesn’t have to be an aquarium. For practical reasons though, why should anything else be used?
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Take Your Time When Designing Your Sump
February 7, 2008
In my opinion a sump is an extremely important addition to a [tag-tec]saltwater aquarium[/tag-tec]. Not everyone chooses to use one which is fair enough as this is down to personal preference but for me a sump has so many uses that the pros outweigh the cons.
Hide Equipment Out Of View
Without a sump then you would need to install the protein skimmer, heaters, nitrate filters (if required) etc either in or hanging on the display aquarium. You could of course partition a part of the display aquarium to hide this equipment but then you will be losing valuable space in the display aquarium. With a sump all of this equipment can be installed hidden from view in the sump.
Increase Water Volume
The more water that you have in your aquarium the easier it is to maintain [tag-self]water quality[/tag-self]. With a sump, dependant upon the size you will be increasing the amount of water in the system, therefore as long as you are careful it should be easier to maintain the excellent water quality which marine life requires.
Add Addition Filtration Or Nutrient Export Mechanisms
Aquarium filtration can be provided in many ways. There are preferred methods (like live rock and deep sand beds) and there are other methods (like canister filters, fluidised filters etc). I have my own preference but I would never push someone into using a type of filtration which they are uncomfortable with. All filtration works – it is the efficiency that counts. If your fish, corals etc are happy and thriving then who cares what filtration you are using.
With a sump however, no matter what type of aquarium filtration you are using you have the option to be able to add addition filtration to the aquarium system. You could install a deep sand bed into a partiton, perhaps a [tag-ice]refugium[/tag-ice] or you could even install a cryptic zone area if you so wish. The most common is the refugium as this acts as a fantastic device to reduce phosphate and nitrate levels in the aquarium.
So you’re sold – you want a sump – what next?
First of all you need to work out where the sump is going to be sited. The majority of aquarists choose to locate the sump underneath the display aquarium hidden from view in the aquarium cabinet. It does not have to be installed there though it can be installed anywhere where you can get water to it from the display aquarium and back again. It could be in the adjoining room, above the aquarium, next to the aquarium – your choice.
Once you have selected where the sump is to be located the next aspect is what size, shape and type of sump. Personally I would recommend that you go for the largest sump as you can fit. There are many aquarists nowadays who have a sump (in some instances more than one) which is larger than the actual display aquarium itself. The benefits of a sump as detailed above merit the reason for the choice of a large sump. Next is the shape – again this is up to you and need to be relevant to where the sump is to be located. The type of sump is a strange one as a lot of people believe that a sump has to be an aquarium (glass or acrylic). A sump can be made from anything which is classed as ‘food grade’. Being of ‘food grade’ quality means that it will be safe for use with saltwater and should not leach anything detrimental into the water.
Once the above is decided and possibly the sump has been purchased then the next thing to do is decide if you want to partition the sump at all. If the sump is to be used purely for hiding equipment and/or for increasing water volume then there will probably be no requirement to partition the sump. If, however you want to utilise the sump to increase filtration capabilities or add additional nutrient export mechanisms then your sump would benefit from partitions.
There are no set rules when it comes to partitioning the sump. The rule of thumb I use is that I want to achieve the largest possible surface area for the filtration/nutrient export. What I normally do it split the sump into three separate chambers. The first is where the water enters the sump from the display aquarium, the second is the filtration/nutrient export area and the final chamber is where the equipment including the return pumps is located.
I size the first partition so that the overflow pipes just fit. I then move onto the third chamber. I measure all the equipment which is to be housed in this area and move the equipment around until I have a suitable design which takes up the least space whilst still allowing me to gain access to the aquarium. In then size this third partiton to be this size. Between the first/second chamber and the second/third chamber I then either install a baffle or an overflow. The reason for this is that the one between the first and second prevents any bubbles getting into the second chamber. The one between the second and third chambers prevents any large particles (algae etc) from getting to the return pumps.
Sizing the sump this way allows me to have the largest possible surface area for the filtration/nutrient export. No matter how the partitions are placed I will still get the same amount of water volume increase so I want to ensure that I get the maximum amount of filtration space as possible.
Considerations
If you choose to design and partition your sump yourself then take your time in the planning stage. If you find out at a later stage when the sump is full of water etc then it is to late to change it. I personally use a product called Google Sketchup for this. You can create various designs based upon various measurements and then build your sump based upon the plan.
Remember when sizing your final chamber where the equipment is going to be located that you are going to need a return pump (unless the sump is above the display aquarium). You don’t want to partition it all up – install the skimmer etc and then find that you do not have enough room for your return pumps!
Using [tag-self]aquarium sealant[/tag-self] is not that hard as long as you take your time. If you really struggle at DIY then pop along to your local fish shop. I am sure that either they will be able to do it for you – if not then they will probably know someone who will.
Remember that when you fill the sump that if the power goes off in the display aquarium that water will still continue down to the sump via the overflows until the water level drops beneath the overflow. Therefore make sure that you do not fill the sump right to the top otherwise you are risking a small flood if a power cut does happen.
For inspiration here is a link to a sump design which I believe is fantastic :
http://www.reef-eden.net/diy_4.htm
And from the site another type of sump design which is called a tower sump :
http://www.reef-eden.net/2006_reef_2.htm
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diy reef sump build – This made it a very simple DIY sump. (We ordered the glass from Torstenson Glass. If you are in Chicago, we highly recommend them.) To start we cleaned all the glass with rubbing alcohol to remove any oils from our hands. …
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Should You Drill The Aquarium Or Use An Aquarium Overflow Box
November 14, 2007
This is a question which I get asked quite a lot. I have my own personal preference but in reality it is down to you as an aquarist to make your own decision based upon your personal preferences.
I suppose really it depends upon whether the aquarium has water in it or not.
If the [tag-tec]aquarium[/tag-tec] has water in it then you can still drill the aquarium by taking some water out so that you can drill the hole(s). There is a risk here though (as there is when you drill any aquarium with water in or not) that the glass will crack and all the water which is left in the aquarium will come crashing out and you will probably lose a lot of your fish, corals etc as well as having a soggy carpet!
That might not go down well with the other half!
You could, of course remove all of your fish, corals, rock etc to do this but lets be honest you’re probably not going to do this.
In this instance then probably an aquarium overflow box is the best for you.
If the aquarium is empty then I would definitely say that drilling the aquarium is better than using an aquarium overflow box. With the aquarium being empty you will have the option to be able to drill the holes exactly where you want them to be, the size you want as well as the number you want.
You can drill the holes in the base if you so require and configure an [tag-self]aquarium standpipe[/tag-self] type system or you can drill the rear of the tank and utilise overflows.
Another benefit is that if you drill more than one hole and one becomes blocked for whatever reason then the other hole(s) will still operate and the aquarium will not flood and the sump will not run dry.
The aquarium overflow box work normally on a siphon based system. This does have its disadvantages. The main one is that the siphon can stop. When it does the water will stop overflowing down to the sump yet the sump return pump will still be pumping water back to the display aquarium. Therefore the display aquarium may overflow and the sump will run dry probably damaging the pump.
An option to overcome this is to install more than one overflow to cope with this problem, however aquarium overflow boxes can be quite expensive therefore whilst beneficial it could end being costly in financial terms.
With both drilling an aquarium and installing an aquarium overflow box it is important to size them for the amount of water flow required. This is based upon the flow rate of the return pump(s). I would also recommend that you add extra flow to the requirements to cater for the possibility of blockage. Also remember to consider the head loss of the pump(s) when doing your calculations.
I think that you can probably see where my personal preference is – drilling. Of course an aquarium overflow box does have its advantages and if you are unable to drill the aquarium then they should not be discarded as they are a fairly easy option to install.
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Loads Of Micro Bubbles In My Sump
October 30, 2007
I have a sump on my saltwater aquarium which is fed by four overflows from the main display aquarium.
This sump contains a deep sand bed, a refugium and all the equipment which can be hidden (heaters, return pump, protein skimmer, calcium reactor and auto top up)
For some reason and I don’t know why I suddenly started getting loads of micro bubbles in my sump.
I checked all the overflows to see if anything has moved and I was unable to locate anything.
The only thing that I saw is that the pipes which enter the first chamber of my sump are a bit too deep in the water for my liking.
As I have not solvent welded these aspects of the plumbing I was able to remove them whilst doing a water change (when the water was low enough in the main display aquarium so as not to overflow down to the sump)
I cut the pipes back so that they are now only about ¾” under the water surface in the first chamber. This chamber is also full of small pieces of live rock rubble which acts as a type of baffle.
The result – no more bubbles!
As said I have absolutely no idea why it suddenly started happening as it was not doing this a couple of days ago but at least I was able to identify a way to resolve it.
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