New build - 1.45 x 600 x 450

I just chuck any new wood into my swimming pool, tied to a brick, and a few weeks later take it out, leave in the sun for a few days to get rid of the chlorine - and done! wood totally soaked ( and partially sterilized ) and all the tannis gone.

 

I feel great thanks...back to my normal self.

 

lmao..i use glasses, was clearly not suing them when i read ur post..hehe

 

Dnt ask, life happens.
But its still in the works, I have everything to get it running. I just need to get my head in the right place to do it. Other things just get priority, right now. But I'm still here, enjoying all the planted tanks

 

So back is doing fine. Training well again, got free time.

Driftwood is somewhat cured in all this time. I'm shocked it's still giving off tannins after so long, but not so bad.

So I want to diy a sump using my 3 foot tank. The 3 foot will do until I can custom make a bigger one. So I have some questions.

1. Why do guys choose those blue pipes and fittings over the normal white pvc pipes? The PVC pipes are cheaper.

My plan is too run a flexible hose for the return attached to a custom pvc bar.

Also can I run a pipe in the overflow to raise the water level in the overflow box. I wanted to throw in some media balls in the overflow. Or just leave the pipe out and just layer with sponges and media balls. For extra media. What the best way.i just want to maximize the overflow box.

2. What the purpose of using baffles in a sump. If I run all my sponges first and then all my media bagged. Will it still be effective, or should I just get some glass cut and make the baffles.

Thanks for your input.

 

@BradK

Good to hear you back in action!!

White or blue pipes/fittings, is a matter of preference.
I find the blue doesnt stand out so much against a dark background

I have a flexible pipe in one of the sumps, nothing wrong with that

The baffles are there to force the water to flow through each compartment and the debris be left behind and not get to your pump intake
It also makes the water to flow through the media at a slower pace so that the beneficial bacteria has ample time to work

If you have no baffles, your water and the debris will flow right across from one compartment to the other and

See my picture below and the arrows showing how the water must flow
The first compartment need to take your batting to trap all the bigger dirt so you have to make the water flow through it and the last should take your polishing batting
If there was no baffle the water will go straight across with a lot of the debris
Hope i make sense

 

Thanks Maria's.

Yeah, will probably go with the white pipes, cos all my plumping is hidden,, only the spray bar is visible,, which I'll make with black pipes. It's easier to go with the white pipes,, cos my general hardware as it on hand.

Also thanks for clearing up the sump design,,,
Is that drawing for a 3 foot or just general. Cos I want to follow it,, lol.

 

DO NOT GO with those normal white pipes you buy at plumbers supplies - THEY HAVE TOXIC substances in them - ask me how I know !!! Go to a proper pump/irrigation shop and buy the proper blue pipes with the white or grey or black fittings!
With all due respect to Maria, honestly, you don't need so many compartments. You only need 3 .... that's all. The first one is your inflow, the second contains the media, and the thirds is the pump chamber. Just keep it simple - make sure the last chamber is big enough to take the pump.
I also put my heaters in that last chamber so you don't need to see them in the tank
I use 30ppi foam in the first chamber and never wool - sponge so much easier to clean. I also put a swimming pool 'leaf catcher' sock with elastic band, over the inlet and that collects most of the solids - just wash it out regularly

 

I would lower that first divider in the sump and allow the water to flow over the top of the 1st chamber, put your heater in here, its a safety chamber and will never run empty so you wont cook the heater should something catastrophic occur. I would also agree that you should always make your pumps section at least 1 third of the sump to ensure sufficient water for the pump to push. It also means should you wish to upgrade later, you wont have to redo the entire sump like i did just to accommodate a bigger pump.

 

I notice you have an overflow box - is that inside the tank so you have drilled a hole on the bottom glass? If indeed it is inside the tank, build yourself a thing called a Durso ( google is your friend here) it make the overflow TOTALLY TOTALLY silent , and they can make a terrible noise if you let the water drop on to the bottom pane first - Durso much better than filling overflow box with something else ( media balls)

 

I based ALL my sumps on this design originally done by Prof Dirk Bellsdedt and posted here a few years ago. Mine are quite different now ( from experience) but the 3 chamber principle is exacly the same

 

It's the type of plastic that thye use to manufacture that particular type of pipe. They are meant for plumbing use, and for burying underground.
I bough a metre of it once to cut into small piece to make caves for fish to hide in. Put them in to my tanks and within 15 minutes almost ALL my fish had died. I had clown loaches in that tank. I think the correct name for that type of plastic used is Polyvinyl chloride, and the blue safe pipe is made from Polyethelene - a safe plastic. Maybe a Chemisrty person can help is out here - all I know is that bloody white pipe is shitttteeee

 

Hi guys thanks for the info and conversation. @eros111 ,, I'm not disputing your issues with he white pipe. But here is my thinking. We use it for drinking water. Why won't it be safe for an aqaurium.
I.would like.to get the blue pool fittings but it means I have to take a drive,, which I might do. My other reasoning is no one is going to see my plumbing. Why spend more. His is a very inter9 topic

On.that note, Is pvc weld safe. I searched here and the guys said it is?

Also I have a 50mm overflow and 25mm return holes drilled inside my overflow box. What fittings must I ask for. I googled and seen all, but like.to get first hand experience.

 

Yes was thinking about this. Also I need a safety just in case the overflow clogs. Not sure what I'm going to do about that