Aquarium Sumps EXPLAINED: Your Hub for Water Filtration and Automation Hardware

Filter sumps aren’t new. They’ve been around since the dawn of reef-keeping. Their original function was to provide biological filtration and aerate the water. The early designs worked like this. First, water is drawn from a surface skimmer and gravity drains it down into the sump. The water is then pumped back to the reef tank using a return pump. Bio media would be suspended on a grate and sprayed with aquarium water. These “trickle” or “wet-dry filters” were based on processes that were derived from much larger industrial wastewater treatment plants. The idea was to keep the bio media suspended in the air to maximize the oxygen level for nitrifying bacteria on the living on the media.

Over time, aquarists noticed that if the wet/dry filter was bypassed due to a pump failure or leak, nothing bad really happened. There were no noticeable increases in ammonia or nitrite. That's because most of an aquarium’s nitrifying bacteria live on the rock and sand instead of the biomedia. It was also believed the trickling water would de-gas ammonia out of the aquarium. The idea of degassing ammonia came from an industrial process called “air stripping”. Ammonia could be removed from water by blasting air through a tall contactor as water sprayed over plastic media. The problem is aquariums don’t contain enough ammonia for the process to work. Plus, it requires the pH to be above 10 for the ammonia to be converted into a gas.

So, the question is, what are filter sumps good for? Today’s filter sumps function as a hub for all the important water filtration and automation hardware. With a large enough sump, your equipment options are near endless.

The sump is the ideal place to connect a circulation pump. You can run it submerged or plumb it externally to save space for other hardware. Protein skimmers are a great addition to your sump and will help keep your tank nice and clean. A filter sump also makes it easy to set-up media reactors and de-nitrifiers. You can either use a “T” off of the main water return line or use a second smaller submersible pump to supply water to it.

Sumps give you a place to hide some of your mess and lets you clean up the hoses leading to your tank. The same is true for running chillers. By hooking them up to your sump you can eliminate the need for long unsightly hoses. An automatic top off is one of the key pieces to success in a reef tank as they make sure your salinity stays stable and can give you a chance to relax. Sumps are the perfect location to install your ATO and sumps even come pre-equipped with water level sensors. For high tech reefers, sumps are great for clean installation of probes and other gear.

If you prefer a simpler low-tech setup, sumps are great for just plain old filtering!

Most sumps contain at least one sock filter which are great for pulling out debris before it can break down in your tank. Most sumps also have a number of baffles that channel water flow through the different compartments. The spaces in between these baffles are perfect for placing filter sponges or bags of media.

There's a wide variety of sumps out there to choose from so you are sure to find one that fits your specific needs. Here's what you need to know about picking the right sump for your situation. The first step is to figure out how much space you have available. Measure the width, height and depth of where you are going to place the sump. Don’t forget to measure the size of the opening if you are putting it in a cabinet. It’s important to have enough space above the sump to install a protein skimmer. Double check that you will have enough head room to actually remove the skimmer cup for cleaning.

Once you’ve narrowed down the sump models, it’s time to take a look at the features each offers. Some sumps are made for smaller aquariums and have a lower water flow rating. They provide the most basic features without a lot of extras. Larger sumps have more room to add probe holders, multiple filter socks and even space for a refugium.

When shopping for a sump, look at all the features each model offers. Chances are there’s more than one sump to choose from. Think about the equipment that you have now, but also keep in mind what you may want to add later.

When all the pieces of the filter system fit together, you’ll know which sump to go with. If you still need help deciding on a sump, feel free to send us an email or give us a call and we will be happy to help you out. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe for more helpful content. As always, take care and happy reefkeeping!

#aquariumsump #aquariumsumpfilter #saltwateraquariumsump

[JodYRN]

Thanks for the info! JUST about to receive my 240 gal acrylic and never ran a sump before!!

[CoreyDimond]

That answered my question. What is a sump? But left me with many more new questions.

[edgararcega]

Wow. So complicated. I remember when I got my first fish tank when I was like 12. I didn't use YouTube so i had no guidance. But as a kid i figured that fish needed water, heater, filter (hob filter is all I knew about) and dechlorinator. When i saw my tank hot dirty i actually took all the water out and scrubbed my tank and everything in it squeaky clean. I had no clue about the tank cycle and bacteria. Even though I did all this my fish which consisted of betas and some parrot fish lived for 2 to 3 years. Now i am getting back into fish keeping again and i am like "wth" when I see all this crazy stuff that some fish keepers do.

[owl]

Do you guys build custom sump? I live in LA county and need a sump for my 125 gallons goldfish tank. You guys do installation too?

[MyVispi]

I need your advice. I want to set up a sump filter in my 2 ft x 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft tank in which I am planning to breed clown fish pair. Please give some advice.

[sophialeigh]

I am putting 1 cup of pure rock salt after i do a 50% water change, will the salt kill the beneficial bacteria in my sump?

[rosedonnapur]

Thing is do you need to have a stamp I have a built-in external filter I do have room for a stamp but do I need it

[dominus]

So a sump is basically a filter? So if you have a sump you don’t need a filter? Or is a sump an addition to the standard filters people use?

[irelandeire]

Hi do you need to put a cover over sump?

[arunavachakraborty]

Thanks for the video . Can I use canister filter instead of sump. Don't have space for canister.

[bevisprince]

I just bought a sump and it came with a overflow question is to drill or not to drill?

[psjayawardanayou]

What is the best sump for 400L monster tank ?

[samiam]

You can add impressive efficiency by using a simple low flow pump and making a feed back loop. Position the pump at the exit side of the sump and add silicon tubing to the beginning of the sump or sump compartment.

[johntotetwoo]

I thought Naka already shifted to being fishkeeper 😅

[NhutNguyen-sotw]

I am subscribing for the Marine Depot Elite Sump by Trigger Systems - 36 inch giveaway. The equipment I’m putting into the sump will be a NYOS QUANTUM 220 Protein Skimmer, AquaMaxx Omega-2 BioPellet Reactor, SP6 SEA Aquarium Pump, up to 3434 US GPH (13, 000 LPH), JBJ Arctica Titanium Chiller DBM-250 1/3HP, Neptune Systems APEX Bundle - Beginner, Korallin S-1502 to C-1502 Conversion Kit with CO2 System, CW-300 External Algae Scrubber - Clear Water.

[Dr.ArielArik]

Correct explanations do not start from the middle

[andrewamador]

So down the talking! Im very nee to this and could only process 15% of entire video