need help with sump filtertration

[unfamous]

i want to get a sump for a 50 gallon tank i am going to set up and i don't know to much about how a sump works and what you need to put in the tank can i get some help?

 

[czcz]

Why do you want a sump? This will most determine how to build and what to put in it.

http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=12
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/wetdry.htm

 

[greenmaji]

its perfectly fine to want a sump for a fresh water tank.. did you want a wet/dry filter? What kind of tank are you planning? potential inhabitants?

 

[Bubble_B0y]

sumps a great !!
they provide extra dilution to prevent toxic water

 

[PBirdsong]

I have a sump and love it!

 

[unfamous]

welll i was planning on using the sump for that amazon biotope i was going to set up. and about the wet dry filter i don't know iif that is what i put in the tank all i know is i am going to put the heater and 2 small co2 systems. do you think i could put a protien skimmer- well i mean do you think it would be a good idea to have? i am just soc confused on what to put in there becuase it's freshwater not salt so i wonder if the set up is different

 

[czcz]

You don't need the protein skimmer in freshwater. You'll likely want to avoid the wet/dry as it will gas off too much CO2, and in a planted tank you can get O2 saturation with healthy plants. If 2 small CO2 systems mean passive diffusors, consider injecting CO2 immediately after the return pump instead, using the return piping for a diffusion chamber; I do this and have the same numbers that I did when I used powerhead-based diffusors, so assume I've dissolved as much CO2 as I can from my yeast-based set-up.

i am just soc confused on what to put in there becuase it's freshwater not salt so i wonder if the set up is different

There are differences, but the basic concept is the same. So, why do you want a sump? If it's to increase total volume while having a place to store stuff, consider using a rubermaid or similar container and sticking your heaters and such in there -- this is very easy to do once you get around drilling or overflow on the main. If you plan on using your sump for all filtration as well, the baffle designs common in SW sumps would allow you to mainpulate water flow as needed, but again will contribute to gassing off of CO2. There are plenty of great howtos and advice in the archives here, especially in the SW and DIY forums.

If you are planning on a med/high light biotope, think seriously about skipping the sump and spending the money on pressurized CO2 instead. Why: plants will provide all the ammonium uptake and O2 needs, increased volume from a sump means bigger fert doses, and its easier to keep CO2 in the system.

You may or may not find my sump/fuge experiences helpful. Its pretty barebones hardware wise, but I run it with a reverse photoperiod to keep pH stable (I maintain over 45ppm CO2), store a relatively large pump for over 20x turnover in my main tank, I have a small volume main so it makes dosing easier for me, and I breed shrimp and stuff in there. I've plumbed it in a way so it can serve as an instant qt. My outdated howto was archived by King Vinnie's if you want, but there are way better ones on there. I have no question about sumps being "fine" for freshwater, but again, consider why you want one, as sumps are far from the only answer, and many times there are better solutions. I'm about to switch one of my tanks from low to high tech, and am planning on DIY closed loop with the heater and CO2 injection in-line instead of a sump, for example -- this keeps the benefits of hiding stuff while avoiding the cons above and overflow/clogged drain issues. Sumps and shared water systems are certainly interesting and fun to build, should that be your motivation. (It was mine.)

 

[unfamous]

if possible can i get a pic of your sump set up

 

[czcz]

Sure. Here is the most recent full pic (July).
Here is the mentioned howto, which has lots of pics during set-up. (I use a Durso standpipe and Magdrive now, and no longer use any media except prefilters to protect animals.)