Sump Desgin

[riksworld]

Hi everyone

ive just got a few questions about my sump project

if my tank holds 200ltrs of water with holes drilled into the bottom, around 1 inch in diameter, i know the presure of the water will force it out, whats the maxium water flow rate in gallans hour as im unsure how to measure it for the correct pump

whats the best filter media to use, i know bio balls will be going in but what else is good for water purity etc

thanks again to people who answer

 

[Dorkhedeos]

That isnt going to work. With that system, you will have to match the flow exactly, or you will have water all over your floor. What you need to do is put a pipe from those holes going to where you want your water level to be. That way, its actually possible

 

[rabbut]

As said above, if the pump output does not match the flow from the hole exactly, one way or another the tank will drain onto the floor. Powercut=wet floor. Swithcing off the pump for maintanance = wet floor. Pump inlet getting even slightly clogged = wet floor. Valve on pump not correctly set = wet floor. I think you get the idea

What you need, is to fit something to the hole, such that the water level in your tank is regulated, and then you spec a pump that will push slightly less water into the tank than the hole can handle. An open ended pipe is fine, but it will suck fish down into the sump sooner or later if left without a guard, and is easily clogged... It will be a noisy solution also, as the pipe will suck in air... With this solution, when the pump is switched on, the tank will fill to just above the pipe's level, and start to overflow down it into the sump. This creates suction at the pipe opening, pulling more water down, untill air is drawn in, breaking or slowing the syphen that was created. This process will repeat untill the suction is just such that it is pulling the same ammount of water down the hole as the pump is pushing it, using air being drawn from the surface to regulate the outflow to the sump. There are quiter solutions, like Calfo and Duroso pipes, but to make a real difference to nise levels, you will need an extra hole

All the best
Rabbut

 

[riksworld]

Thanks for your replys, ive sorted out a system incase of a power failure and also for routine maintence

the tank came with a fluval filter system, cant I use this to drive the water back in via this pump, might have to be altered i know?

 

[rabbut]

You could run it with the Fluval, or any other canister filter, attached to the hole, so long as it is rigged as an exturnal, and not to a sump. An exturnal works as a closed system, as there is nowhere below the waterline in the tank to which the water can escape from. If you have extended the intake pipe upward to stop the tank draining into the sump, you could possibly use the exturnal to push water back up. The filter's motor head will need to be below the waterline of the sump at all times, or it will increase wear on the filter and make an already unreliable Fluval, yet more unreliable.

For a sump, I would personaly look to use a pond pump to drive it

 

[riksworld]

what sort of model of pond pump would your recomend, if you do know of any

 

[andywg]

Thanks for your replys, ive sorted out a system incase of a power failure and also for routine maintence

Would you care to enlighten me on how you have done this? Did you choose a durso standpipe and overflow, or a simple standpipe?