Oscar Tank On A Sump?

[Dskize]

So I picked up this sump for £50 at a LFS second hand ,it's around 40x16x16 and was a bargain as far as I'm concerned ..I have always wanted to try running a FW Sump however even after lots of google and reading up I could still do with a little help.

Like where do I start...

Right hand chamber for water entry using mechanical filtration (sponge) above around 1000 bio balls which will be permanently submerged which I'm led to believe reduces there effectiveness somewhat ?

There will be mature media from my FX5 (sponge) holding the balls in place

Large chamber as a refugium set up as a normal tank almost , although I had thought about using the ceramic rings from my filter as the substrate , possibly a java fern or something easy to grow , it would be a handy place for Oscar treats,heaters in here also.

Last chamber for the return pump submerged to help heat the water ...not sure of this needs media as I will have more than doubled the media I am currently running and I reckon I need the space for the overflow/pump failure possibility..

Any experienced heads help here, thanks.

 

[DrRob]

Looks about right.
 
Personally I'd be happy with that amount of media. Never been a big fan of bioballs, but it doesn't make enough difference to bother much. If you're growing in the refugium why not some fast growing stems, rather than a java fern, unless it's for holding things like shrimp.
 
The biggest issue people tend to face is pipework. What do you have planned? 

 

[Dskize]

Open to all ideas regards plants , my thoughts are all to do with helping water quality rather than aesthetics .

Plumbing wise , a corner weir bottom drilled tank with standpipe and probable spray bar return , probably done in PVC piping , I currently have an Eheim 1260 pump which I will need to check the specs of regards turnover on a 5x2x2 ..may need an upgrade...

Erm... Valve on the flow and return , (T piece on the return line going to the sumps first chamber..

That's about as far as I've got.

 

[DrRob]

If you're after water quality then you want fast growing stuff like hygrophilas, or something like a water sprite that doesn't even mind not being rooted too much.
 
As for flow, remember that the flow through the sump doesn't have to be all of the flow, they often do well with lower flow rates and secondary powerheads if you want movement in the main tank.

 

[DerpPH]

I would recommend some Sessiflora, or some anacharis or cabomba, They are some of the fiew which dont need to be rooted too much

 

[Dskize]

And using the ceramic noodles/rings as a substrate ??

I'm thinking if I basically get the sump running and the plumbing correct then transfer most of the mature media from my FX5 into the sump along with any new stuff and take it from there ..

I have powerheads but I'm also thinking this may be a way of reducing the leccy bills...I could be way off on this of course.

Or justifying running another tank to myself ...

 

[DrRob]

Oh, now if you want to use the filter media as a substrate, just get a fern. Don't bother with plants submersed, CO2 isn't an issue then.

 

[Dskize]

I'm working on the assumption that more mature media is better , the ceramic rings have been through 3 or four filters over about a 4 year period and have been added too , it just seemed a good idea to use them as a substrate in the refugium , maybe alongside gravel or summat , the plants are just to help filter the water and I wouldn't be growing anything , just a home for feeders which I very rarely use anyway...

As you know oscars are messy , I have two oscars in a 5x2x2 and I want to get the water as pristine as I can , I may try marine in the future so a sump is the way forward and leaves me room for experimentation .

One likes to tinker....

 

[DrRob]

You reach a point at which more media stops being useful. The advantage of more is that you can use wider spaced stuff for the same biofilter effect, less problems with blocking then and easier to clean. For this bioballs are excellent.

 

[Dskize]

What about a few mossballs above a bed of the ceramic rings and gravel , I will keep the spacing as suggested , there is a lot of space in the sump and I don't think I'll run into flow problems , I'm now thinking the sump will be

first chamber will be the bio balls sandwiched between two lumps of foam, bottom lump to stop the balls moving into the next chamber.

Refugium with ceramic/gravel mix of maybe a 2' bed with plant

Bubble trap area with some water polishing media in one side

Return pump

 

[DerpPH]

What about a few mossballs above a bed of the ceramic rings and gravel , I will keep the spacing as suggested , there is a lot of space in the sump and I don't think I'll run into flow problems , I'm now thinking the sump will be

first chamber will be the bio balls sandwiched between two lumps of foam, bottom lump to stop the balls moving into the next chamber.

Refugium with ceramic/gravel mix of maybe a 2' bed with plant

Bubble trap area with some water polishing media in one side

Return pump

 
 
As  I refugium I suggest the substrate will be just that. With plants like cabomba, anacharis, elodea, hydrilla are good for that type of substrate