# Using a sump?



## perkyp (Mar 17, 2009)

I'm planning out my first ever planted tank. I have a reef-ready 75g tank. I would like to use a sump to house my equipment instead of having it all in the display tank. I've never used a sump for a freshwater tank before and I'm a bit confused about how to incorporate filtration into the sump. Can someone who uses a sump enlighten me? Pictures help


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

I do not use one but can tell you people that do, have troubles keeping Co2 in the water column. Splashing occurs in the sump which is bad for Co2. But others have had success sealing it. 

If your concern is keeping equipment out of tank then use a reactor instead of diffuser, inline heater, and very high flow canister filter, and a high flow (mag drives are good brand) water pump externally.


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## nfrank (Jan 29, 2005)

i have a sump on all my tanks and can deliver adequate CO2, although my "bubble rate" may be higher than it would be with a more conventional tank.
This is the 120g tank at 3 months. I think it continues to get nicer. I use a needle wheel pump that creates a mist of CO2. Very very efficient. The tank itself is open top but the sump itself is sealed with glass cover and tape surrounding the plumbing. I believe this compensates for at least some of the CO2 losses. The durso in the overflow is high minimizing the water drop. I wish that i had two downtubes to avoid extra air bubbles into the sump. I trap those with baffles so they dont re-enter the tank.


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## tefsom85 (Jan 27, 2007)

Neil, I'm curious which needle wheel pump you use and how you have it plumbed into the sump. I also have a 120G that I am in the process of setting up so am very curious.


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## dj2606 (Oct 15, 2008)

So you do have the sump sealed


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## perkyp (Mar 17, 2009)

nfrank -- What do you actually put in the pump for filtration? I'm coming from saltwater, so I know some people use live rock rubble for biological filtration. Do you add bio-balls or something like that? Is there any type of mechanical filtration? Your tank is very nice by the way.


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## nfrank (Jan 29, 2005)

perkyp said:


> nfrank -- What do you actually put in the Sump for filtration? I'm coming from saltwater, so I know some people use live rock rubble for biological filtration. Do you add bio-balls or something like that? Is there any type of mechanical filtration? Your tank is very nice by the way.


in answer to this and earlier questions:
sump sealed -- yes
needle wheel -- Octopus 1000. Mine has a venturi input. I dont know if that is standard. There is also discussion elsewhere on APC about a "mesh mod" instead of the standard needle wheel impeller.
Plumbing -- output of NW in input of Sump return pump.
Filteration material -- My sump is like a refugium. No wet-dry section or bioballs. I use 2"wide coarse poret sponge... i got it from the guy in Columbus. Each section fits tightly across the sump. I used it to make 3 compartments in the sump. The middle compartment sometimes has fish. Several compartments have plants. There is a 20w light over the middle compartment; It is a nice holding tank.


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## c4cache (Jan 21, 2009)

i have a sump on my tank that i just put a new light system on, my drop checker was showing high co2 two days ago, i have my overflow pipes maxed out to minimize gas exchange and the tank is covered but not the sump, i only have a hand full of plants as of right now and my co2 runs to the intake of power-head and outflow is aimed at my main return pump


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