catching sand in the sump

[SharkLover]

Has anyone figured out a way to catch the sand that sneaks into your sump so that it doesn't recycle causing sand flakes to fly around in your display making it look ugly?
I was thinking of sticking some sponges in between the baffles and change them out frequently to avoid the nitrate factory.

 

[gobie1313]

Another member gave me this suggestion, and it seems to work. I went to walmart and purchased the fiber you stuff dolls with. (it's the same filter material they sell in the LFS, but $5 less a bag). Stuff that in between one of the baffles and it will catch the tiny particles. You'll know when to change it, the material will become very dense with sand particles. Enjoy the crystal clear water in a bout 2 hours!

 

[JohnK]

You can run a filter sock where the drain hits the sump, but those set ups are pretty high maintence IMO (needing to be cleaned every other day or so). Pretty much the same idea as the pillow stuffing idea, it works, but you have to clean it constantly or it'll become a nitrate factory.


If you just have a little in the sump, you might be surprised how effective a maxi jet connected to some flex tubing can be for sucking it out.

 

[SharkLover]

Another member gave me this suggestion, and it seems to work. I went to walmart and purchased the fiber you stuff dolls with. (it's the same filter material they sell in the LFS, but $5 less a bag). Stuff that in between one of the baffles and it will catch the tiny particles. You'll know when to change it, the material will become very dense with sand particles. Enjoy the crystal clear water in a bout 2 hours!

I went to xmas tree shop and found polyester fiber for like $2.50. If anyone lives near natick definitely a good place to go. bought a shovel for $4.99. Anywho, I went ahead and put the poly into the last baffle but the water basically started overflowing from the 1st baffle. Even with the T that I built on the return to control return flow it continued to overflow from the 1st baffle. How did you put it into your baffles?

 

[gobie1313]

I had no problem. Make sure you pull apart the fiber and put a small amount in to start. When it starts to overflow, then its time to change out the material. The water should be able to pass freely through the fiber.Don't pack in it. Just pull it apart and put small amounts in across the whole baffle.
My baffle walls are pretty high. When its close to overflowing, is see all the sediment trapped in it, and making it too dense for the water to pass through.

 

[SharkLover]

I had no problem. Make sure you pull apart the fiber and put a small amount in to start. When it starts to overflow, then its time to change out the material. The water should be able to pass freely through the fiber.Don't pack in it. Just pull it apart and put small amounts in across the whole baffle.
My baffle walls are pretty high. When its close to overflowing, is see all the sediment trapped in it, and making it too dense for the water to pass through.

havent completely covered the baffle but I can already tell the difference with the filter sock and the polyester.

 

[gobie1313]

Awesome, just replace the fiber when it start to overflow.

 

[jbishop]

As Jimmy said you might want to rinse this out more often then when it just starts to over flow. This is something that is going to need a lot of maintenance to keep your nitrates down.

 

[SharkLover]

once the sand kinda slows down i'll remove the polyester and the sock.