Trigger Systems Sapphire Sump - 39 inch

Trigger Systems specializes in aquarium sump manufacturing. They manufacture all sumps here in the USA (Dallas, TX). Trigger Systems build each sump as if it were their own. They take pride in the robustness, efficiency of the design and visual appeal of our sumps. All sumps come with a full top support brace which are made of a solid piece of material. Without this the sump will over time begin to bow out from the humidity and water pressure. They also round instead of squaring the corners which exponentially increases the strength of the corner.

Trigger Systems have taken feedback from their customers through the years to enhance their products. Small things in the design aspect will pay off considerably when putting the sumps to use. A simple example is that they always maximize the distance between the protein skimmer location and the return pump in an effort to minimize the chance for micro bubbles returning to the display. All Trigger Systems sumps come with a refugium section that can be used to house other equipment if a refugium is not desired on the particular setup.

The Sapphire Edition Sump features are:

• Interchangeable plates (PAT PENDING)
• Lid to prevent splashing
• Adjustable water height
• Self-adjusting foam block platform (PAT PENDING)
• Dual platforms
• Protein skimmer section
• Refugium section
• Sapphire blue coloring to block light and prevent unwanted algae growth in other sections

Sapphire Water Flow

Water enters the Sapphire sumps into a dedicated section where the water will then flow over into Section 1.


Sump Diagram Section 1 is where the interchangeable plate is located allowing for either filter sock or foam block mechanical filtration. This area is covered with a lid to prevent water splashing. Water then flows out the bottom of Section 1 into Section 2.

Section 2 is typically where the protein skimmer is located. Water then flows through the ‘Trigger Symbol’ cutout into Section 3.

Section 3 is the refugium section. The water then flows over the second baffle through 2 perforated platforms and under the third baffle into Section 3. The top perforated platform comes with a foam block filter and the bottom one is open to use for several different filtration methods (bag of carbon, bio balls, rubble rock, etc.).

Section 4 is the return water section back into the tank. This is where the return pump will sit.

Interchangeable Plates - Patent Pending
Each Sapphire sump comes with two plates that can be placed into Section 1:

• Filter Sock Plate
• Foam Block Plate

The filter sock plate is installed when the included 100 micron filter socks are desired.

The foam block plate is perforated with holes and comes with a foam sponge block filter. The foam block plate can be used when filter socks are not desired or in the case when the filter socks need to be changed or cleaned but replacements socks are not readily available but yet mechanical filtration is needed. In this case, simply remove the filter sock plate and install the perforated foam block plate and then place the included foam sponge block filter in place.

Adjustable Water Level
Water level in the sump is adjustable from 7” to 9.5” to accommodate for the water height requirements for different protein skimmers.

Self Adjusting Foam Block - Patent Pending
As the water level is adjusted by sliding the wall up and down, the foam block sponge filter and the perforated plate that it sits on will also move up and down automatically. This is important to maintain the correct location of the foam block sponge filter with respect to the sump water height.

Probe Holder
All Sapphire sumps come with a probe holder that can hold up to three probes. The two outside holes are 0.63” in diameter and the center hole is 0.8” in diameter to fit different sized probes.

Hose Holder
All Sapphire sumps also come with 4 holes in the top support brace for holding in place 1/4” OD tubing from reactors, dosing pumps, ATO, etc.