Basement Sump Advice?

[cardiffgiant]

Joe's Woodworks is helping me get some of the woodwork in my new house in order, and this will include routing some plumbing to the basement for a basement sump. I'd like to set this up so that I can move my new system in and hook right up to it.

Right now, I've got a 90 display with a 29gal sump/fuge in the stand directly below. The new system will have a sump in the basement 14-15 feet below.

I'm thinking that I'll use a 40gal breeder as a dedicated sump, with the 29 used as a separate fuge. Can any folks with basement sumps help me to recommend equipment and configuration?
-What type of pump would be good for this application?
-What size vessel is good for a basement sump? I was thinking a tank so that i could use baffles to manage micro bubbles, and I also didn't want to get into having several hundred gallons in my system.
-How big does the return chamber need to be to avoid micro bubbles?
-How large of a hole would I want to use in the return chamber to feed the external pump.

 

[naprestsleep]

I have a similar setup (92gal display) except the vertical distance to my display is shorter, about 10 feet. I used a 29 as a sump with about 2/3 for the skimmer and 1/3 the return. I used 1 baffle about 10 inches high to keep the skimmer section at a constant water level. No issue with bubbles. I got a 2 inch bulk head to a reeflo dart. It returns water to the tank, the refug and reactors. I have an ATO on the return section, but without it I was able to go almost 2 days before the water level got too low.The refug is another 29 next to the sump, slightly higher to allow it to drain back into the sump.

When I power the pump down my sump fills to about 2 inches from the top, not bad. If I could have I would have went bigger with the sump to be safer but I am happy.

Joe

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

All I can say is, plan for "expansion." If you think you want to run a 1" drain line, make the holes big enough to fit 1.5" plumbing. Same for the return pump bulkhead - if the pump you want to use today calls for a 1" bulkhead, put in a 1.5" and a reducer just before the pump.

The 40br is a nice wide tank so microbubbles should not be a problem - your baffles will be wide enough that flow velocity will be slow.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

-What type of pump would be good for this application?

a pressure rated pump

 

[pascal32]

I recently built a 120G display with a 40 gallon basement sump. I have about 15 feet of head over a 30 or so foot run from the sump to the display. I love having a bsement sump and can't imagine every going back!

I am using a Reeflo Wahoo pump which is doing great!

you can see the build thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826526

sump:

<excuse the wire mess, I need to finish labeling and zip tie the wires back>

 

[SQUIRT110]

I had some woodwork done by Joeswoodworks and Im very happy with the way everything turned out, Good luck with your basement sump.