Clueless, building a sump

[amanthey]

I have a 2 year old 55 Gal. tank… Has a CPR BackPack Skimmer, Emperror hang on two wheel filter (old) and a Fluvel can filter (old)… All in all the tank is doing real well and all the fish and coral are doing well. I’d like to do away with the Emperor. It is old and in the way of the light system somewhat blocking one of the 96W atinic bulbs I’m thinking of building a sump out of an old 10 gal. tank that I have. I also have a good deal of Eheim Filter substrat on hand… Thinking of the 10 gal. since I can put this in under the tank on the stand without sawing the stand. This is in the living room so I want it to look nice and not have the wife leave me… ;-) Yeah, I’d like to go bigger but this is probably as big as I can go to get this in the front door of the stand .. Given how small I’d keep the BackPack hanging on the back of the tank like it is now and not have the skimmer in the new sump… Pretty short of space I think.



Anywhoo… My idea was to get a CPR Overflow box, Aqualifter Micro pump and then build the 10 gal sump as drawn.



I’ve never built something like this and I’m looking for any useful feedback. Any idea stuff would be greatly appreciated!!!!



Also, I like to add some carbon and Phosphate remover pellets in the Fluvel now and then. Do I still need to Fluvel or can I just toss a mesh bag of this in the BIO balls now and then.. I like the Fluvel since it forces the water through a layer of the stuff… With the sump I’d not have the water forced through this filter media. Sort of just a bag of this sitting in the sump.. does that work?

[amanthey]

Sorry, the attachment/blueprint didn't go.... here it is

[SnowboardKid26]

why do you want to use the bioballs... from what I have read they can turn into nitrate factories.

[Scuba Oz]

Ditch the filter media and bioballs and your okay. Your nitrates will skyrocket with those bioballs and filter media

[Scuba Oz]

Forgot to add, this will be a good place to run your carbon, just remember to change it out regular. Sometimes when its out of sight its also out of mind.

[amanthey]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like the design is bad.

I have the Fluval running with the Eheim Substrat.. Will this cause the same Nit. spike that Bio balls do?