Sump media

[Up North]

Help me understand biological media in sumps.  Whenever is see biological media in a sump it typically in bags just sitting in the bottom or those small bricks (can't remember what they are called) stcked on the bottom of the sump.  The media is not in direct flow of the water vs a HOB or canister filter where the water is rushing across the media.  Why don't sumps have a series of baffles filled with media that causes the the water to up through the media and spill over to the next section and go down through more media then back up and down and so on?

Thanks

[Dutchaj]

They can, the simplest sumps are linear flow and just have Poret foam snug fit for the water to flow through

[AndEEss]

Poret foam, glass or acrylic baffles, a chamber with some K2 and a powerhead to agitate. 
 

Pretty easy to build.

[gardenman]

Many sumps are designed as you say with baffles to direct the flow of water. Is it necessary? Eh, it depends. If the tank has a huge bioload, you want the sump to be as efficient as possible, then yeah. But in most cases any sump is fine with water flowing over or around the media as much as through it. You do have to be a little careful with baffle design to ensure that if a baffle becomes clogged or restricted that the sump doesn't overflow.  You don't want a baffle extending to the top of the sump.  In a worst-case scenario you want the water to be able to flow over the baffle and into the next chamber without overflowing the sump. If the baffle goes to the top of the sump a flood is more likely than it is if you keep the baffle a few inches lower than the top of the sump. 

What's the best media is a never-ending debate. Pretty much anything works. Some work better than others, but anything with a lot of surface area for bacteria to inhabit is good.

[nabokovfan87]

He also has a ton of videos on media specifically with various types of examples, microscope detail shots, testing, etc.  I am not advocating "go buy X" I am simply posting this as a resource of information, especially when it comes to filters and being able to see examples of how different filters are designed, flow paths, etc.

I think there's millions at this point, of sump videos on youtube.  Corvus Oscen is a great resource as well for sump details.

 

[tolstoy21]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:57 PM, Up North said:

Why don't sumps have a series of baffles filled with media that causes the the water to up through the media and spill over to the next section and go down through more media then back up and down and so on?

 

They typically do.

A simple setup has three chambers. One for mechanical filtration, a second for biological and a third for the return pump.

Normally, the baffles are situated as you suggest, but not always, as it's entirely up to the individual who makes their sump how they want to arrange things.

This is a standard build . . .  .but not the only way to make one.