Reaction Chamber in Sump

[benpoole28]

Building a custom sump out of a 40 breeder and i'm wanted to incorporate matrix in it for bio filtration. I was thinking of a chamber built in with baffles forcing all flow to come in contact with the matrix. I cant find anything online like this which makes me wonder if its a bad idea. Anyone ever tried this, think it will work or know a better way? Water would come in on the left and flow through.

The Yellow squares represent 2" foam blocks to keep media from flowing out.

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

My concern would be being able to access the matrix. It doesn't last forever and needs cleaned and/or changed out periodically. When I was running Matrix, I used a secondary chamber, almost like a reactor that came with my sump. It was square (instead of round) and fit neatly in the corner right next to the filter socks. You split from the supply line from the tank to put water through it. It wasn't 100% throughput but I'd say it got 40% of the water and if cycled often enough, which it would be in a sump, it should be okay at that rate.

 

[bcavalli]

You could just get a block of matrix and keep it in the chamber your building.

 

[tater]

why doesn't matrix last forever?

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

tater;1065230 wrote: why doesn't matrix last forever?

I've been told that it's capacity diminishes over time and that eventually it will leach back anything that it has absorbed such as phosphates. No different than live rock would do.

 

[jbdreefs]

I built one where the last baffle before the return section had about two inches of space between the two baffles. Water flowed over the top of the first, through the matrix under the second baffle and into the return chamber. The second baffle was made to have teeth at the bottoms to keep the larger pond matrix where it was intended.

Access to rense the detritus out of the matrix was difficult. If I did it again, I would build a box that completely filled the space between the baffles making the removal of the matrix easier.

Also, I have seen sumps that incorporate a "wall" of matrix that water passes through. Think of two baffles with lots of vents/holes in them from top to bottom: matrix going between the two.

If you are adding matrix for help with nitrate control, I would run it in a cheap TLF reactor so that I could slow down the flow.

Hope this helps!

 

[elfloyd]

MRC's Bio Sump has a chamber for bio-media.

 

[benpoole28]

Thanks for all the input. I think the box will be the route I go with. Can make fairly easily with acrylic. I will have 2 drains, so one will go to box, the other will essentially go to skimmer. This will also give me more room for the refugium. Thanks for the idea.

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