Freshwater sump?

[CaysE]

I see a lot of threads in here about making a sump for SW tanks, but has anyone made one for FW? Here's my situation:

I have a 20 gallon tall planted tank with one of those DIY-style CO2 systems. I can only get about 10ppm CO2 from it. I have a spare 10 gallon tank that I'd like to use as a "sump" I suppose... it would filter the water, heat it, infuse it with CO2, and provide a place to do water changes and testing without disturbing the plant life and fish.

Sorry if this has been asked before... I'm pretty much a

 

[CaysE]

Anybody?

 

[Skyrmir]

You probably don't want to use a sump/overflow with co2 since the overflow is going out gas a TON of your co2. Especially if it's home brew that could be a pain to deal with.

In general freshwater tanks don't have the filtration issues that saltwater does. So a good cannister filter or two is all that's needed, rather than a sump. Fresh water tanks don't have to find someplace to put/hide protein skimmers or macro algae that you don't want getting loose in the display tank.

Pretty much the only reason to use a sump on fresh water is to increase the water volume to allow an increased bio load. The problem there is now you're cramming fish into a small space, that might have clean water, but also has less space to get away from tank mates. Fine if it's a single school of schooling fish, otherwise it's just a stressful life for community tanks where fish might get along, but that doesn't mean they like each other.

 

[Jchillin]

Agree with Skyrmir, a sump would diffuse almost all of your CO2. One member, czcz, did have a sump type set up but that was to hide equipment and keep some small critters inside since he did not use a filter. His CO2 however was injected into the main tank.

 

[Subic76]

125 gal freshwater tank with sump. No need for CO2.

 

[CaysE]

I was hoping to increase the water volume not to increase the bioload, but to keep the water specs more easily balanced. I try my best not to cram fish into tanks, as you can see from my signature. I have this 10 gallon tank sitting around and I'd hate to let it go to waste, but I don't plan on setting up a third tank, either.

My DIY-type CO2 system is pushing it in effectiveness... I've only ever been able to get 10ppm at most out of it, so I'm open to using CO2 canisters. What about injecting it into the return line to the main tank?

 

[Skyrmir]

There's also the case to be made that the 10 gallon could be instantly made into a quarantine tank, simply by removing the connection between the tanks. Just leave a sponge filter sitting in the 10 gallon for when it's needed.

 

[pitt420dude]

I have a 55 gal fw w/ a 10 gallon sump. I was thinking o fgettin CO2 but now it appears that I may not want to. Does it make a big difference if you have theCO2 injection/reactor hooked into the line where it goes from the sump back into the 55 gal tank (is this called outflow or inflow?) I'm gonna guess it's inflow since it is flowing IN to the big tank.

 

[Skyrmir]

You would want to run the co2 on the line going into the display tank, the sump is going to out gas as the water enters it.