Bubble Trap Design

[Delphinus88]

I am currently making a sump for our new 180 inwall and have a qestion aout the design of the bubble trap. I have seen both "over under over" and "under over under" Which is optimal and why?

 

[BlackTip]

I was told to make the water go over the first baffle so any protein floating on top will be skimmed. Also, my tank builder recommended 1.5" between each baffle.

 

[sleepydoc]

it depends on how your sump is set up. My last sump was set up Skimmer -> fuge/chaeto -> Return section with a bubble trap before the return. I didn't see much point in doing over-under-over, so I just did under-over. What I realized later was that water would fall over the first baffle from the skimmer section, then tend to continue down the baffle and across the floor of the middle section, under the first baffle of the bubble trap and into the return section, meaning the water in the middle section was relatively stagnant because it didn't mix much.

 

[Delphinus88]

The plan is for socks, skimmer, bubble trap, return then fuge. What was the distance between your baffels sleepy doc? Black tip, can you explain skimming with the baffels? Thanks

 

[RocketEngineer]

The surface of the water in any section of the sump can become a collection spot for oils/proteins without sufficient disruption. The easiest way to prevent this is to have the water go over a baffle. If the last baffle before the return section is an over, that water coming over the edge of the baffle can be enough to stir the oils back into the water. If it is an under baffle then you can have buildup. Having the return in the middle means the refugium baffle (and you only need the one) can do double duty and create this surface renewal in the return section.

The 1.5" distance between baffles is something I don't understand. Now I have seen where folks place heaters in bubble traps but I wouldn't design for that myself. I use 3/4" because thats the thickness of a 1X board. I think anything between those two values is plenty.

 

[BlackTip]

The plan is for socks, skimmer, bubble trap, return then fuge. What was the distance between your baffels sleepy doc? Black tip, can you explain skimming with the baffels? Thanks

Mr. RocketEngineer explained it the best way.

Initially, I wanted 1" distance between baffles. My tank builder recommended 1.5", so I went with his recommendation.

 

[Delphinus88]

Now I get it. Thanks all for the input.