DIY Top Aquarium Sump with Aquaponic Filter

DIY Top Aquarium SUMP with Aquaponics Filter:

Every fish tank needs a filter for cleaning water to keep the fish healthy & provide a beautiful environment for them. Filters available at fish shops work well but they are not designed to fit the size of your tank. Making a DIY overhead SUMP filter is simple & it is better than ordinary filters because it can reduce aquarium maintenance, you can upgrade them & can change them to an aquaponic.

A SUMP is not a filter but it is a container for holding mechanical / biological / chemical filter media. Dirty water from the fish tank enters SUMP which traps debris & allow water free from debris to pass through the bio media which removes pollutants dissolved in water. Hence clean water flows back to the aquarium using gravity if your SUMP filter is located at the top of aquarium water.

I have covered my aquarium top SUMP filters with a planter box & it is hidden inside. I am using bio media from another aquarium so there is no need for cycling it again. It has enough good bacteria. I am using this filter to clean my community tank which has a different variety of fish. This filter is working fine in my aquarium for over 3 months & my plants & fish are healthy.

 

DIY Overhead Fish Tank Sump with Aquaponic Filter

How DIY Overhead Aquarium SUMP Filter with Aquaponics Works:

DIY Overhead Aquarium SUMP filter can be used to clean water by removing waste particles & debris, & also toxic chemicals released from waste. We have upgraded this filter & now it can efficiently clean aquarium water. The size of the SUMP is about 1 meter, & I have added live Pothos plants so that it can remove ammonia, nitrites & nitrates, that are released from fish waste. Mechanical filtration media traps solid particles present in the water. Ammonia is released from fish waste & it can pass through the mechanical filtration media but when it passes through the biological media then it breaks down into nitrites which is less toxic than ammonia, & further it breaks down into nitrates which is less dangerous than nitrites. No maintenance for the Pothos Plant is required because it is able to absorb all the ammonia by products from the aquarium & absorb carbon dioxide from the air. No additional lights are required too because room lights are sufficient for the plants to grow.

Add chlorine neutralizer to tap water to remove chlorine from the tank. Chlorine can kill beneficial bacteria inside the filter.

Aquarium filter is very important for cleaning water. Check out how to setup an overhead aquarium SUMP filter which houses mechanical / biological media, & live plants.

 

How to build Aquarium Top SUMP Filter with Aquaponics:

Please have a look at the video about building DIY aquarium top filter for crystal clear water with the addition to Pothos plants.

 

How to build a DIY Overhead SUMP Filter with Aquaponics

Share your opinion about this filter in the comment section below.

 

Step 1:

Choose a filter box that is able to hold water & you can fit it on top of your aquarium. Measure the dimensions of your aquarium first before purchasing the container.

I am using a grate with a 1 meter drain channel as my overhead aquarium filter box.

 

Step 2:

For covering both ends of the drain channel, I am using end caps. I bought end caps separately for the drain channel. Drill a hole in one end cap for outlet hose. Drill another hole in another end cap for inlet hose.

 

Step 3:

I am using Selleys glass silicone for attaching the end caps to the filter & for sealing all connections. It costs me under $10 AUD. Selleys glass silicone is aquarium safe & takes up to 2 days for complete cure.

Use silicone glue to connect the end caps to the main aquarium top filter box. Use silicone gently so that water is not leaking through it. Then attach end caps to both ends of the filter box.

Step 4:

Use male & female adapters for outlet hose. It is a low-cost alternative to bulkhead fittings. Use silicone glue on both male & female adapters for better attachment. Extra silicone can be easily removed.

Step 5:

Use silicone on the end caps & connect it to the other side of the drain channel. Wait for 2 days to allow silicone to fully cure. This end cap has an outlet hose which allows water to flow back to the aquarium using gravity.

 

Step 6:

Connect a PVC Pipe to the outlet of the SUMP & attach a 90-degree elbow to allow water to flow back to the aquarium. It is very important to provide more room for water to stay in the SUMP & to make sure that water flows through the bio media & plants’ roots are able to absorb all ammonia byproducts. I have cut a small piece of pipe for connecting the adapter to the elbow. Use another piece of pipe to connect it to the other side of the elbow so that water can flow back to the aquarium.

Step 7:

I am using netted pots for holding lava rocks & Pothos plants. I have added 4 pothos plants to the overhead aquarium SUMP filter for better filtration. Make sure you rinse pothos plants with water to remove dirt. Pothos plant is also known as money plant. It is a great addition to aquarium top filter & does not need extra fertilizers & lighting. It absorbs fertilizers released from fish waste & can grow well in room lights. Lava rock is a highly porous media & it can help in growing heaps of good bacteria.

 

Step 8:

I am also using biological media which is packed inside the bags. Rinse bio media with aquarium water before adding it to the aquarium filter. Bio media bags will stop pots from moving. I have added cycled media to my “overhead SUMP with aquaponic filter”.

 

Step 9:

DIY wooden planter box is used to cover my “overhead aquarium SUMP with an aquaponic filter”. It will allow the plant to grow its leaves & branches outside the aquarium. You can add a long aquarium light on the side of the planter box.

 

Step 10:

I am using coarse & fine foam for mechanical filtration. I am using coarse foam in the middle of the netted pot & a fine foam is wrapped around the coarse foam for better filtration. Coarse foam will trap the big particles & fine foam will trap the small particles that pass through coarse foam.  

 

Step 11:

I am using a sponge filter in the intake to avoid the powerhead from sucking fish. I am also attaching an airline for creating air bubbles. These bubbles are used for aerating the water & it will add atmospheric oxygen in the water.

 

Step 12:

I have inserted a small pipe piece in the filter intake. Other end of this little pipe has a thread. I have inserted another small piece & fixed both pipes using a nut.  

 

Step 13:

I have attached a sponge filter to the intake. One end of the connector is attached to the sponge filter while another end which has a bigger diameter is connected to the intake. My powerhead setup is complete.

Step 14:

Aquarium Inlet pipe draws water from the aquarium using powerhead. I have attached a sponge filter to the intake. I am using a blue hose which came with the powerhead for inlet hose. I have connected one end of the blue hose to the powerhead & another end goes in the center of the coarse foam.

It is time to setup DIY Overhead SUMP filter in aquarium. Check all the plumbing & connections.

How Mechanical / Biological / Chemical / Live Plants Filtration Work:

You can use foams for mechanical filtration & there are 3 stages of foams for efficient filtration. Water must pass through mechanical filtration media first before going to biological media. This way only clean water free from fish waste & other debris will enter bio media & it will not clog the bio media.

 

Mechanical Filtration:

I am using mechanical filtration for trapping solid particles including dirt, debris, waste, dead pieces of live plants, & fish food from the aquarium water. Using mechanical filtration is important because it can help you in avoiding cloudy water. Using filter can help in cleaning water. Setting up mechanical filter is simple. Water enters from fish tank to mechanical filter media from one end & clean water flows back to the aquarium from the other end of the filter.

Water entering mechanical filter should hit coarse foam first, then it must pass through medium & fine foam. So, all solid particles including waste, debris, dead pieces of plants & food particle must be removed before water enters bio media & clean water will not clog the bio media.

 

Question: Waste that passes through coarse foam, will be trapped by fine foam. But why are we using coarse foam, if fine foam is able to trap every debris?

Answer: Coarse foam takes longer to clog & can be washed easily. Fine foam clog quickly when big particles pass through it in comparison to coarse foam.

 

Biological Filtration:

Bio media is required to create lots of beneficial bacteria. Water enters biological filtration media after passing through mechanical filtration media & it still has harmful chemicals such as ammonia which is released from fish waste. Bio media allows heaps of good bacteria to grow on its surface which converts soluble ammonia into less harmful form nitrites & further breaks it down into nitrates. Nitrate is less harmful than nitrite, & nitrite is less harmful than ammonia. If water has lots of nitrates then it is still harmful for the fish.

 

Aquaponic Filter:

Ordinary bio media can’t wipe out nitrates from aquarium water & we need to wipe it out with regular water changes or using live plants which treat ammonia & all biproducts as fertilizers which help in the growth of live plants.

 

Chemical Filtration:

Chemical filtration is optional & it is not that much used in ordinary filters. Chemical filter media can help wipe out medications, tannins & other pollutants in water via activated carbon. You need to replace the chemical filter media overtime because it reduces the efficiency of the chemical filter.

 

Overhead Aquarium SUMP Filter with Aquaponics Tips:

• My fish tank is already cycled & heaps of beneficial bacteria is growing in the filtration media so I am using overhead aquarium SUMP filter to clean my fish tank but it is very important to cycle your fish tank first if you haven’t cycled it which will help grow beneficial bacteria in the filter media before using this filter.
• This filter fits inside my fish tank canopy. My fish tank canopy is slightly over 1.2 meter so I am using a filter box which is slightly over 1 meter.
• My drain channel has a grate which I am not using in this project but you can use it in your overhead aquarium SUMP filter if you are not planning to add plants. This drain channel will cover your filter.
• People mostly use bulkheads for filter plumbing but they are very costly. I have replaced them with PVC male & female adapters with a price of under AUD $5.
• I have drilled 2 holes in both end caps. I have drilled 16 mm hole for the inlet hose which allows water to enter filter & a 40 mm hole for the outlet hose which allows water to flow back to the fish tank. I choose a bigger size for outlet hose in case I upgrade my filter in future, & for enhancing the water flow capacity through the SUMP filter if I need it in future.
• It is very important to rinse the biological media if it is clogged with tank water. When you rinse the biological media, then you lose beneficial bacteria too so do it only if it is mandatory. Open holes of biological media increase the surface area of the biological media which can hold more good bacteria.

 

Overhead Fish Tank SUMP Filter Maintenance:

• I change 30 to 35 percent of aquarium water with fresh water after scrubbing the aquarium glass. I clean my overhead aquarium SUMP filter, & clean coarse & fine foams when they get dirty. Also, some of the debris is stuck in the mechanical filter media chamber so I wash it too. My filter is working for over 3 months, & my fish & plants are healthy.
• It is very easy to clean media to keep filter running efficiently. Clean mechanical filter media gently with aquarium water to remove all the debris. Do not use tap water for cleaning mechanical filter media because you will lose all the good bacteria. Chlorine is added to tap water for killing germs. If water is stored for a longer period of time, then it develops diseases. Hence chlorine is added for wiping out those germs. Chlorine kills all the good bacteria present in the filter so make sure you use water from your aquarium so that not all bacteria is removed from the filter media. Cleaning removes lots of good bacteria too so do it gently so that only debris is removed but good bacteria remains on the pads.
• If your mechanical filtration media is clogged & dirty then it reduces its efficiency. Overtime your filter media needs to be replaced with fresh media. Make sure you clean anything with tap water & submerge it in the container filled with aquarium water before adding it to your aquarium. Unclean stuff will pollute your aquarium water because it will add dirt or debris to your aquarium water which is toxic to fish.
• I usually half fill my bucket with tank water & rinse all the biological media in it. I have added loose biological media to the bags & soak it in the bucket water. I usually clean the SUMP with garden hose, & then dry it with a cloth & put back all the biological & mechanical filtration media.

 

Pros and cons of Overhead Planted SUMP Filter:

Having an “aquaponic & overhead SUMP filter” together can ensure crystal clear water but it has some drawbacks too. Have a look at advantages / disadvantages of having an aquaponic & aquarium top filter:

 

Pros of Planted Top Filter:

With the addition of live plants, my overhead Aquaponic filter can provide double duty. It converts ammonia into nitrites & nitrates. Nitrate is less toxic than nitrites, & nitrites is less toxic than ammonia. Aquarists change water weekly for removal of nitrates because ordinary filters can’t remove nitrates from water. Live plants can remove all ammonia biproducts from water including nitrates by absorbing them. These pollutants act as fertilizers for the live plants so extra fertilizers are not required.

Running cost of overhead aquarium SUMP filter with aquaponic is low.

Overhead SUMP filters can be used as mechanical, biological & chemical filtration so it can provide all three types of filtration. Chemical filtration is not necessary but if you want to add it to aquarium top filter then use activated carbon as chemical filtration media & use it in between mechanical & biological filtration media

Dirty water enters mechanical media before passing through bio media which traps all the dirt inside the mechanical media that can clog the bio media.

Mechanical filtration media uses low-cost foams & it needs replacement overtime but bio media does not need replacement & it works for longer periods of time.

Overhead aquarium SUMP filter needs low power because you only need a pump to push water into the filter. Then water itself flows from mechanical to biological media, & back to the aquarium with the help of gravity.

It is easy to setup an overhead fish tank SUMP filter.

It needs easy maintenance because filter is located outside aquarium water.

Overhead Aquarium SUMP filter consists of mechanical & biological filter media, & plumbing, that are hidden inside the canopy. It ensures that all debris entering the filter is removed, & heaps of good bacteria grow inside the filter.

Aquarium Overhead SUMP filter can circulate water. It adds oxygen from air into the aquarium water.

Bulkheads are costly & cost even more if you need a larger size. My advice is to use a low-cost option such as male & female adapters. Using a gasket with male & female adapters do not require silicone. You can use silicone for leak free & tight connections as these connections are permanent. Silicone is not visible as this filter box is hidden inside a planter box. Also, you can remove the excess silicone.

 

Cons of Planted Top Filter:

SUMP filters may cost more than normal filters.

Aquaponic SUMP filters are usually bigger for holding more water, along with mechanical filter media, heaps of bio media, & lots of plants. They need lots of space inside the planter box.

You need to remove the canopy & setup a planter box for the live plants so that they can absorb carbon dioxide from the air & grow. Setting up a planter box requires extra effort & money.

You can’t catch fish using fish net or work in the aquarium water if there is a bulky aquarium aquaponic filter located at the back inside the planter box which has blocked lots of space, as well as tank lights are located on the front. If you want to feed your fish then you need to remove the top which is a big problem.

You need to turn on room lights from 8 to 12 hours for the live plants. It is a good idea to setup your aquarium in your room so that you don’t have to pay extra electricity bills.

 

How to upgrade Aquarium SUMP & Aquaponic Filter:

The top of your aquarium is covered by “aquarium SUMP with aquaponic filter”. You need to design a different canopy which has open space for the SUMP which allows plants to grow its leaves & branches outside, & the remaining space is covered which stops fish from jumping outside. Make an opening / closing lid in the front side of the canopy so you can easily feed your fish without removing the canopy. Add few led bulbs in the top of canopy which is required for the fish. You will still have some space to work in the water.