# Sumps and Powerheads



## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I've never set up a sump before. I'm setting up a 40B in my basement to try my hand at breeding Roseline Sharks, and have a ton of powerheads and an old wet/dry that my dad made years ago lying around. Not sure on the gph or models on the powerheads, just want to know if my idea will work.

Here is what my thinking is:

*Output of tank:* The tank is not drilled or anything. No overflows, nothing. I have a powerhead that will sit on the bottom of the tank with the input pointing to the left, and the output towards the top of the tank. There is flexible tubing attached to the output of the powerhead, and it will go roughly 4 feet down the back of the tank to a spraybar that is in the sump.

*Filtration in the sump:* Level One will be filter floss, Level Two will be scrubbies, Level Three will house two heaters. Water will then overflow into the return chamber.

*Return from sump:* Same idea as the output, but there will be a powerhead sitting in the return section of the sump, and flexible tubing attached to the output of that powerhead pushing water roughly 4 feet straight up to a spraybar attached to the tank.


Will this set up work? Should the powerheads be the same make/model so they are the same gph? Or should one be stronger than the other?


I have never done a sump or wet/dry or anything, so any comments are welcome.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

justintrask said:


> I have never done a sump or wet/dry or anything, so any comments are welcome.


Justin:

The most important comment is that if you proceed with the fabrication of your concept you might consider having large shop vac handy to suck the water up off the floor. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The water surface overflowing a weir generates the flow to the wet/dry sump and this water surface is controlled by the rate of flow from the pump at the wet/dry sump back to the tank.

The only way your concept might work is to bolt a cover on the sump which would generate a closed loop system although you would probably only wind up with two crispy critter powerheads.

BTW: I have never seen what is termed a head/discharge curve for a powerhead and as such I believe that powerheads contain high flow but low head pumps which probably will probably not work for 4' of static head.

TR


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