Aquarium SUMP Filtration - MADE SIMPLE - [my DIY SUMP!] - Aquarium Filtration Made Simple Episode #2

[@GSP-76]

Sumps are very simple..you basically just need a few key things to make it work. An overflow (brings water from the tank down to the sump, the sump itself (does the filtration) and a return line. One pump runs the entire operation and it gets connected to the return line. If you want to be safe just add a check valve to the return line so that water only goes up. That protects you from a flood in the event of a power outage and a back siphon. Ben has a very nice setup and he's gonna have years of fun with it.

[@dudedawggaming9910]

I think your sump should be called Super Sump, awesome

[@tncharlie525]

The new glass cage is looking good , can’t wait till the whole herd’s in there

[@Jackal799]

Sumps are the best. I run a hybrid anoxic system on my discus tank. I’ve got filter socks, then a bunch of BCB baskets water lettuce growing on top, and through poret form for polishing. To top it off, I run a drip system. Needless to say, I don’t need to do much maintenance and my nitrates are consistently 5.

[@alecthenice8115]

I do the same, it's super chill

[@Jackal799]

@@alecthenice8115 Dr Novak’s stuff has really helped me out a lot. I was doing water changes every other day with my Discus tank. Now I just do one for the hell of it when I’m bored lol.

[@GSP-76]

Very nice! I have BCB baskets in my sump as well but the best anoxic system would be to do it under gravel in layers across the tank floor. If you are around on Saturdays at noon EST, Ben does a Livestream. Your more than welcome to join and talk to us about your setup!

[@Jackal799]

@@GSP-76 awesome. I’ll have to stop by.

[@alecthenice8115]

@@GSP-76 idk if I believe in the plenum idea yet, I think it needs a temperature difference to work as described

[@guppiesstories5942]

Good sump build. Filters socks as prefilter are great.Maybe some tips on your media. Use anoxic filteration. Anoxic filteration is a complete filteration. Ammonia gets converted to nitrite to nitrates to nitrogen gas! The science behind this anoxic filteration is fantastic. Ionic/electrical charge, diffision and convection forces pulling ammonia and nitrates.

[@NinjaSushi2]

Dope. New read!

[@alejandrolisdero4531]

Very good presentation! I never had sumps. But is good to learn, who knows... 👍🏻

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

Very good explanation of how the sump system works. A few observations, 200 micron socks with a 10 ppi poret foam will allow a lot of sizeable particle matter to return to the tank. I have a 4 inch,10 pppi foam wall (like yours) that I have not cleaned in 18 months because nearly all the detritus passes through. I get around this by having 20, 30 and 45 ppi foam downstream from the 10 ppi in the sump. Regarding substrate, in my measurements there is very little contact between aquarium water below the top 3/4" of substrate, and very little water flow overall through the substrate- unless one has a undergravel filter. Without this flow through the substrate there is limited opportunity for beneficial bacteria (BB) to thrive and maximize removal of ammonia and nitrates in the substrate. This is why I have over the years found the sump to be a much better home for the BB than a static substrate like you have in your set-up. You can always add a canister to catch the particle matter below 200 microns. The problem with this approach is the cannister will clog, and is much harder to service than sump media. Again, my years with sumps have pointed me in the direction of 1. Catch the majority of the detritus and fine particles in the sump, 2, use coarse biomedia, 10 ppi foam, pot scrubbies for example, in the cannister. I go up to a year without changing my canisters with this approach, and I can easily clean the sponges in the sump (20, 30, 45 ppi) in about 10 minutes per foam- and without even shutting off the sump. Hope these tips help.

[@BenOchart]

I have placed a fine sponge block at the bottom of the section separating the sponge wall and the pump. I’m confident it will catch whatever makes it through the socks and sponges (apart from eliminating the bubbles created by water cascading over the glass baffle, which was my original reason for placing the sponge block there). If your theory holds turns out to be true, apart from the usual weekly sock swap-out, that final sponge block will be what I rinse in tank water once a month. Very easy. I’ve heard numerous theories on the deep substrate. I’ll see how things progress over the next six months and post an update. I imagine it would take at least that long to establish. The FX-6 is primarily for polishing, but I did throw in a couple mesh bags of pumice I had laying around from another project. Stay tuned 😀👍🏻

[@obsessivecichliddisorder7258]

HMHC, no oxygen to the bottom of the substrate is exactly what Ben wants for anaerobic, nitrate eating bacteria.

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

@@obsessivecichliddisorder7258 A static, deep bed results in little to no water flow in any deep areas that may become anoxic. No water flow, means no nitrate laden water reaching the anoxic zones for denitrification. Simple physics. The conditions for an anoxic bed- very little filtration, deep mulm, deep and viable plant roots generally cannot be achieved in a cichlid tank- at least with the cichlids in Ben's and my aquariums. Hope this helps clarify.

[@pompeiranch7883]

I love the way you placed the sand almost through the holes in your caves. Very cool looking!

[@jamesgreen9372]

Thanks for the insightful and informative video. These are a great resource for us novices.

[@carlheller6648]

Loving the t-shirt awesome video.

[@brianp6180]

That tank is gonna be awesome! Great set up. I love what you said about using media from a cycled tank. I have done that for years you can’t beat it. Even better I have taken entire canister filters from an established tanks and put on a new tank. Instant cycle. I use duel canisters on all my tanks now but You have me interested in trying a sump. I plan on starting a new South American cichlid tank. I may give it a shot. Thanks for the lesson

[@seannunes2041]

Hi Ben, great video. You should look at the Klir rollermats instead of socks. They work super and last way longer than socks and pull a lot out of the water. Rollermats are not only for reef tanks.

[@NinjaSushi2]

I've heard of those but wonder how the price is.

[@SlimTim_dirty_aquatics]

Currently setting up 90 gallon reef ready aquarium for my cichlids. So far DIY the stand and canopy, received my 3D background recently, and now working on plumbing for the trickle filter sump. Aquarium has a corner overflow with two drilled holes; I’m going with the Herbie method. Fired Up!!!

[@GSP-76]

Nice, that will be a hell of setup!

[@jesperhansen6991]

Ever heard of HMF - they are in my opinion the best filter - simple and efficient👍😉

[@bo_392]

i'm building a sump right now - thanks for the info!

[@sebatcaballero9832]

That was great thanks Ben

[@KennethFarley-mq9mo]

The best filter for any aquarium over 55 gallons is a fluidized k-1 sump filter

[@NinjaSushi2]

Great video sir. Thanks again for all you do!

[@Jerry-lj3cf]

Hey Ben please let us know what type of thermometer you're using on the 55 gallons, they are mounted on the wall, I really like them. Thank You very much 😊 I am loving the videos of the new setup 😀 I can't wait until it's done.

[@takeiteasy_1012]

One Love Ben❤️🌞🐠🐟Thank you

[@FLNYFish]

👍 love it.

[@robertegan7080]

Sumps are great but produce a lot of humidity in the house in the South

[@mikerichardson8983]

Hey Ben, I like your sump design. I use the matten filters in all my tanks, also I did have the filter socks in my sumps but learned that if you don't change every week they are nitrate factory's. They collect all the waste and leftover food. So I removed them and just built a rack to hold filter floss material that's out of the sump water. Works alot better. I also use marine pure inall my tanks. It holds a ton of beneficial bacteria. Check it out.

[@GSP-76]

Yes, filter socks absolutely have to be changed out...what I do is have like 20 socks that you can just keep changing every 4-5 days and then clean them with bleach one time at the end of the month. Anything that traps waste and detritus will become a nitrate factory so gotta have good husbandry.

[@jorgechavira7729]

Great system you designed for your tanks, the " bean system"! It is impressvely smart thing! I have a question: what wuold be the recomended volume of a sump for a 125 gallons fresh water aquarium?

[@BenOchart]

I’m very unorthodox and use smaller sumps with high turnover. My 210 gallon tank has a 29 gallon sump with a Sicce 9.0 pumping 2500 gph, while my 300 gallon tank has a 40 gallon breeder for a sump with 2 Sicce 5.0’s pumping a combined 2542 gph (some gph is lost due to “head pressure”). Both systems are doing a great job running the water through my DIY sump set ups. Some would suggest a sump around a third the size of your display tank. So, for a 125, a 40 gallon breeder would be fine.

[@jorgechavira7729]

@@BenOchart Thank you very much.

[@robertjohnmalkin5443]

Hi Ben you drilled a hole in the return to break the siphon to prevent flooding do you do the same with the outlet pipe regards Rob

[@obsessivecichliddisorder7258]

The novelty of the socks wears thin very quick, too much maintenance. A large piece of floss lasts a lot longer and you don’t need to clean it all the time, just throw it away.

[@todddiedrich9106]

Yes and no. If your like me I have multiple tanks with sumps it’s kind of nice to be able to clean and not throw away money all the time like buying filter cartridges for HOB. I buy cheap floss and cut too size but still adds up

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

I believe Ben's socks are 200 microns which may not plug so fast and in fact they may allow a lot of particulate matter to pass through. I used 600 micron socks filled with pot scrubbies and the socks never plugged up

[@joshhopper6109]

Great video.. Informative. If you put a piece of pipe (doesn't have to be glued) long enough to extend down into the water in the sump it won't make the splashing sound. I have a piece on both outlets in mine and drilled holes in them just in case there was some kind of blockage. Do you plan to run an auto top off? Cant wait to see you put some fish in it. Just made a trip to Midwest Tropical fish in Jerseyville Illinois. Best fish store I've been to so far (Sucks its 2 hours away). Ended up buying more fish than I intended. Came back with a F1 8" Malawi hawk, 2 Malawi trout, 2 tiger severums, and 2 gold severums. Owners were super knowledgeable and great to talk to.

[@BenOchart]

I added pipes to the elbows that extend into the socks and placed a block sponge in the section that separates the sponge wall and the pump. It’s now silent and no more bubbles created by the water cascading over the glass wall. That was quite the haul of fish you picked up! Any store that would carry fish like that must totally rock! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀👍🏻

[@joshhopper6109]

@@BenOchart sounds like your getting a handle on that thing. That fish store I just went to recommend that swiss sponge also.. I'm probably going to do a large overhaul on my sump here fairly soon utilizing some of that sponge and my 3d printer. Ps that's Hawks coloring is spectacular... Made my fusco and venustus perk up a bit with the added competition. Can't wait for the 2 trout's to grow up and get them in the main tank.

[@paulbowen2774]

😀👍Great video Ben but I will stick with my Sicce Canister Filter, love it. I know what my luck is like, I would definitely flood the house using a sump 😆

[@BenOchart]

🤣I hear ‘ya. Why mess with success?

[@GSP-76]

If you get a check valve on the return line, you'll never have a flood...even when check valves begin to get old, only a tiny amount of water trickles back down in a power outage...and the water will only drain back as low as the return spout is...once air gets into the line, the water stops immediately. Ben drilled a tiny hole in his return spout for added security.

[@paulbowen2774]

@@GSP-76 Thanks maybe one day in the future if I'm brave enough to try 😃

[@toryblain3428]

I can't find the video on how you built it and what parts I need.

[@suenosdeltanganyika]

excellent video! have you considered using k1 in fluid bed

[@craigbroderick8935]

How often do you have to clean out those socks?..Weekly?.. Are you planning on filling up those compartments with Bio balls?.. I know you said you'll use the HOB stuff...

[@BenOchart]

Hi Craig. I have an extra set of socks and plan to swap out weekly. I might add some media between the sponges and the socks but I need to leave room for a heater. All the media that was in the Xpertmatic (3 sponges) and the Marineland Emperor 400 (4 squares) fit nicely under the socks and, together with the two large bottles of FritzZyme7, the tank is ready for fish. As a side note, I originally intended to use the FX-6 only for polishing but I had a couple bags of pumice from an old project and I threw it in the bottom baskets of the FX.

[@craigbroderick8935]

@@BenOchart perfect set up.. I'm looking forward to the tanks journey...

[@freddievara8117]

Watch those socks theres been people that got flooded just a thought also pump goes out flood👍

[@erick6102]

You can’t convince Adam C on a sump not matter how hard you try!

[@BenOchart]

🤣 He loves those canisters!

[@iguanabeny]

Hi great setup I’m planning to do this I just like to know where do you get the one way valve? if you can help me with that and thank you

[@BenOchart]

I just hunted on line. Looking back, I would have invested a little more and picked up one way valves with Union connections. Like this: www.bulkreefsupply.com/spears-true-union-check-valve.html?queryID=34ba45041550a7e9f3948a5654fa7b72&objectID=2681&indexName=brs_prod_m2_default_products

[@iguanabeny]

@@BenOchart thank you very much I really appreciate your help

[@todddiedrich9106]

You can calculate the amount of water that will drain by gallons divided by height that would give you ruff estimate it’s pretty close. You’re probably going to love the socks witch can be removed and rinsed or bleached as much as you like too keep nitrates down they say it can be 40% lower just buy doing it often

[@BenOchart]

Aquarium is 24” tall, so 210 gallons divided by 24 tells me how many gallons for each inch my water line drops (in my case, 8.75 gallons per inch) 😀

[@yogeshagrawal9364]

I’m new to aquariums. I purchased a new tank(6.7gallon) and put washed gravels and plant and filled tap water and started the filter and led lights. Kept it for 3 days and on third day introduced 3 2 inch fish and all died within few hours. What wrong I did and what is best way to go about. I do t want to give up on this.

[@BenOchart]

Did you condition the water? It needs to be conditioned and “cycled” where ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate. Watch a few videos on cycling an aquarium (the nitrogen cycle). You can also jump start the process with products like Seachem Stability or Fritz Zyme 7.

[@FLSBRider]

I’m curious about going to a sump with my 125gallon Discus aquarium. Currently running 3 HOB Seachem 110’s and a canister. I am hesitant because idk what size pump is sufficient to return the water with a hang on back overflow.

[@BenOchart]

The HOB overflow will have a rating. Get a variable speed pump and it should be easy to dial in.

[@ezekielthornton5408]

Hey Ben, I have just recently ventured into the diy sump world. I did two 15 gal. For my 125 cummunity but never can get them dialed in. I always have one with lower level of water than the other. So I'm working on a 35 gal. Diy sump to replace them. Have any advise for a sump newby?

[@BenOchart]

What’s your overflow system? With the Synergy I’m using I can adjust the gate valve to dial things in. Also, consider a variable speed pump. That provides more dial-in possibilities. Get a pump that detects being dry and shuts off automatically. Gives you one less thing to worry about. Hope that helps. Feel free to reach out. I’ll help if I can.

[@ezekielthornton5408]

It's the older durso overflow. Was in the tank when I bought it used. Thank you in advance for any info., I'll have to look into upgrading my pumps too

[@Andy-px1mj]

Some poor editing today mate. It’s not like you. Well explained though.

[@BenOchart]

What exactly are you referring to?