55g Sump w/media compartment

[NEWSALT]

I'd like to add a media compartment to my 55g sump. I wanted to use the compartment to hold something like Carbon, Purigen or Chemi-Pure. I was thinking of something using egg crate, This drawing shows how my sump is arranged and the arrows show the flow.

This is what I was thinking:

Before it leaves the sump to the return pump, the water in the return compartment must pass through the egg crate which has media on top.

Any thoughts?

 

[MikeNapoli]

looks like a good idea. As long as you're doing it that way you should make the walls for the media compartment taller and add holes in the walls above the eggcrate. This way water can be drawn in from different sides of the compartment. Otherwise you might get dead spots on the outer bottom of the wall on the media compartment.

Just a thought.

Also is this a 55gallon glass tank that you are modding into a sump or is it an actual sump? Just curious, it doesn't make a differnce in the design of the compartment.

 

[NEWSALT]

Thanks. The holes are a great idea. This is my actual sump. It an old 55g AGA tank that Steve68 drilled for me.

 

[Baxreefs]

Mike is right on multiple holes will give a bit of mixing before crossing thru the media. As long as it's not causing bubbles just before the return pump. You may want he holes to be well below the water surface so they don't add the air too.

I am planning a similar tray on the drain side of my sump, I don't have it sketched up yet though.

 

[AnDom1]

Bax is right on about ensuring the additional holes are well below the water surface. Otherwise you will draw in some air.

Dom

 

[NEWSALT]

yes, it will be below water level. Looking at my drawing, you can see that the compartment will be just above the bulkhead the feeds my return pump. That bulkhead is under 12" of water.