filtration options

Keep in mind that Discus do not like current. I think that having the outlet under water will transfer the energy of the stream directly to the water. Mine squirts out and lands on the top. This also helps with aeration and at discus temps you are going to need a lot. Also if the electricity stops you are going to have the water draining back through the pump into the sump... if your capacities are not correct you will overflow the sump.
Have a double overflow. It gives some insurance against blockages and the arrangement you have may end up swallowing a fish. With a sump and if the overflow gets blocked the pump will proceed to empty the sump into the tank and overflow it.
I have the back corner blocked off with a piece of glass forming a triangular compartment with two drilled outlets at the bottom. This compartment half fills with water and prevents the sucking noise a straight overflow will generate. You have a small waterfall down the glass into the compartment and this is ideal for a small wet dry arrangement. I think your arrangement will permanently sound like the last few seconds of a bath draining.

Very exciting to set up your own tank from scratch. I am a strong supporter of drilled tanks, it produces a very clean product. If you set it up right all your heating and air stuff can go into the sump leaving the top uncluttered.

Make some provision for insulation of the sump... makes a big difference with a big set up and discus don't like being cold. Keeping 1000l at 30C is going to take 2x 300W heaters.

 

Have flow regulators on both inlet and outlet.

 

Hi. First of all..... NICE tank.....
Ok so I'm no Discus or planted expert, but I have fiddled with sumps quit a bit. You are correct that the prof's design is a side by side design and excellent if you have space next to the tank or if you can hide it in some way. As for the drilling of the tank at the top. It is no problem at all, BUT you do have to do 2 drains for above mentioned reasons. (Google durso stand pipe) but you have to still build a shallow overflow box around it. So it works in the exact way as a bottom drilled tank but without compromising the bottom panel of the tank (the most pressure is there) and also your overflow compartment does not need to reach all the way to the bottom of the tank eating up valuable tank space. But to be honest this is a very hotly debated topic in marine circles... So there is allot of different opinions on the subject. Either way even without the box build around it it will still be an overflow and not a siphon but yes it will most likely be noisy. Also 2 very important factors when designing your sump system is to make sure you have enough space in 2 places. First in the display tank. If both the drains get clogged the pump chambers volume must not be greater than the volume left in the tank before it will overflow. (The pump will run dry but most descent pumps have auto shut off if this happens) So make sure the last chamber in the sump is a under over baffle. Then the second thing is to make sure if the pump stops there is enough room in the sump for the back flow from the display tank.

On the return that's under water I see no problem as long as you drill a small anti siphon hole in the pipe just above water level and aim it towards the glass as not to make more noise. This will stop the return line becoming a siphon when the pump is turned off. I think its much better than top witch makes allot of noise. Because you have an overflow you will break water surface for gas exchange. In my own sump I also aerate like mad from underneath my bio media this helps with several things. Additional gas exchange at surface, circulation of water through bio media, and supplying additional aeration to your beneficial bacteria. Hope this all make some sense. And good luck with the build. Going to be an amazing setup...
Cheers
Adriaan

 

hey guys.... so with all your input I have finally come up with what I want
I bought a 940l tank which is going to be equipped with a sump

I have some amazing plans which I will draw up and post and get your feedback. I think I have come up with a solution to have a CO2 injector system with a sump. I think it just might work

 

@ a3aan What would you recomend for the pump outlet? I have tried underwater outlet and the current is just too strong. I am thinking about a dribble bar that runs the lenght of the tank and getting a laminar flow out. The current set up is quite noisy, I will admit!

 

Hi. It depends on the lph of your pump and tank volume. But what I have done is to do multiple outlets in different spots in the tank. The more you do the more you will defuse strong currents but also help with eliminating dead spots in the display tank. Also do ball valves above water for every outlet so you can control how much out flow you want from each outlet. Just be careful not to run the valves to little open so you don't strain your return pump. Again just make sure you remember the anti siphon hole in the main return line... Cheers.......