Reef N Discus
New member
Ok so I got a few questions and I will try not to bore with to many of the details but I want to be able to give you a good picture of what I got and made and what I intend to use it for. I also want to know if you think this will work for what I want it to and if any of you think I need to make improvements over what I have remember this is my first build ever like this so be kind but honest, lol.
ok so it is a sump made out of a past freshwater tank AGA 29 gallon
I plant to use this on a 75 - 90 gallon setup, not sure ye which one as both have the same foot print just the 90 is three inches higher trying to decide what I would loose/gain over each but thats another thread, this tank will onviously have a built in corner over flow I believe.
I have a Reef Octopus DNW 110 exteran recurculaing skimer, I think this can be used internal as well but I have it plumbed thus far for the external function this way I can dedicate more of the sump for the fuge and DSB I plan on incorporating into this system. I drilled the sump once on the one side about 12 inches up and one on the one end about an inch and a half up for an external pump a turbo sea Hig head pressure 586gph I think Coral Vue makes it. Any way so the side where the 1 inch hole is drilled into at 12 inches up is for the outlet of the skimer also 12 inches up to feed its return into for a fuge/mud section I have a acrlic partion in there about 8 inches over 11 1/2 inches long the width on the tank with holes drilled in about 11 inches up that 12 inch section so I have a 8x 11&1/2x 12iches high with holes drilled in which will recive a slow flow from the outlet of the skimmer which will more than likely be feed by a maxi jet 600 slow flow for this skimmer.
next I have a long middel section with a 6 inch baffel then a raised 6 inch baffel then anothe 6 inch baffel for the bubble trap before the third section. I also have a 2 and 1/2 inch box in the xorner after the fuge where a flexi pvc pipe will feed into to help eliminate bubels and to keep sand from being disturbed out of this area its also 6 inches high hopefully will also help with the micro bubels here as well, I plan on having like a 3 to 4 inche live sand bed in here and possibly some Live Rock rubble.
Now the questions are does this all sound fessible? the middle baffel for the bubble trap is only about a half inch off the floor of the tank should I try to add more hight to this? it was as high as I could safeyly prop it up while trying to use the GE I silicone, I figure although ugly I culd add a sliver of 1/4 inch acrlic to this if deemed needed by you all. Do you think the fuge is A big enoug have enough flow? and should I do chateo and mud or that fuge substrat the sell? and for the middle section should I try and do a DSB with LR? leave it empty? try to but the chateo and LR in there and do the DSB?? skip the DSB fuge only? I mean I just dont know what to do here? I figure I have some options seeing how the skimer is external and all I left the middle section large enough for the skimer should I need or deide to put it in the sump replace it one day and get an internal one? Also do you think this sump will hold enogh water for stabalization? I read that 6 inch baffels were a good highth the third section is not very large but the pump is extrenal, the only other thing I will probably put in there would be the power head for the skimer feed pump and maybe one or two more for a two little fishs phosban reactor maybe a second one for carbon I am really positive either a 75 or 90 gallon run off water if pump shuts off I will have plenty of room for the run off water rite? I will use a check valve as well but just incase and I plan on using an elbow on the inlet on the external pump to draw off the bottom of the third section if this makes sense?
Sorry this is so long and I do not have any pics up loaded I will try and get some up as soon as I can, I also incorporated that little box for the drain line I seen many with this type of set up in their sump so I though it would work for me and I had some left over acrlic so I thought why not, i will probably buy anothrer sheet to make a lid for the whole thing and mount a light for the alge I will ask for sugestions for the fuge light as well what type of bulb/fixture to grow good chateo.
I was using a buckett and a small 400 gallon an hr ECO pump to see how it would all flow the buckett I used was a 5 gallon buckett and I was able to calculate I had roughly 9 - 10 gallons of water in the sump and the middle baffel on the air trap the raised one was barely above the water line which I guess is needed for the bubbel trap to work properly correct? it seemed like it had good flow and it seemed like enough water but I dont know? I plan on "T" off the return into the fuge for additional flow if needed with a ball vale on it and one rite before the "T" of the return so I do not stress the pump by placing to much restricton on it and I seen were you guys do this as well so I though I would plump mine like this as well, this will not be a closed loop system put use power heads insted also plan on a ball valve for the drain line as well so I can totally take the sump out if need be, plus I can restrict the flow this way as well and again not stress the pump to much. I could throw caron or whatever in a media bag and put it in between the bubbel trap but I figured I would get the reactors they sell ones now with a vrible speed pump now as well or I could get a stronge enogh power head to feed both reactors with individual ball values in addition to the power head for the skimer. Also do you think that little 6 inch high 2 and a half by 2 and a half inch bof in the middle section I plan on running the drain line into will help with the micro bubbels and whatever else I will have in that section? I have seen it used before and thought why not cant hurt and thats something I can actually do lol lol.
I hope the baffels are a good hight for this sump I just dont know I read and read and this is the design I came up with after looking at so so so many Sump plans.
I already got holes drilled I was so nervous about doing that and so proud when I did it without shattering my sump thanks to those who showed me a link to that video from that glass holes place big help bought a 1 inch hole saw for 35$ at lowes all in all except for the tank the sump cost me like 55$ in materials I stillneed the light yet but not to bad for a 36 inch length 12 inch wide 18 inch tall sump you prob pay like 250$ for something like that at te LFS?
So if you have any additnal energy I would like to know what you think about two I believe they are 1200gph evo's and maybe a 750gph evo ran on a wave timmer I read from the web site there actually desghm=ned to be able to be ran on a wave timmer if you want them to so its not hard on them some how like a normal power head can not afford Vortechs so dont even mention it is this to much not enough just right for a LPS dominated tank? (maybe a clam or two if possible high up?) (any suggestions on flow or a tank size?) with some reef compatible fish not many though mainly coral for a 75 gallon - 90 and which 90 or 75 your only getting an extra 3 inches in highth for the 90 its eother 21 or 24 I believe both are 48inches long and 18 inches wide so the hight is the diference. I am running two MH 20K Reeflux 10 inch pendant style 175 dual balast with T5 suplementaion if need be I can do that if the MH is not enough.
Well this was mainy a sump question I just thought I may as well lay it all out there for your critique if you will please help out with the sump thing first if you have the time and all to answr the rest or some of the others I would be very greatful for that as well please thank you in advance so much!!!
I am proud of my sump I never make anything and I just wanted to give it a shot and possible save some many on a sump and a spare tank I was not using any more again thank you!!! thank you all for the help I know its a long post with a lot of question I am sorry for that I just have so many and I am so un certain of my self I am sorry and I thank you all for your time and effort thank you!!
ok so it is a sump made out of a past freshwater tank AGA 29 gallon
I plant to use this on a 75 - 90 gallon setup, not sure ye which one as both have the same foot print just the 90 is three inches higher trying to decide what I would loose/gain over each but thats another thread, this tank will onviously have a built in corner over flow I believe.
I have a Reef Octopus DNW 110 exteran recurculaing skimer, I think this can be used internal as well but I have it plumbed thus far for the external function this way I can dedicate more of the sump for the fuge and DSB I plan on incorporating into this system. I drilled the sump once on the one side about 12 inches up and one on the one end about an inch and a half up for an external pump a turbo sea Hig head pressure 586gph I think Coral Vue makes it. Any way so the side where the 1 inch hole is drilled into at 12 inches up is for the outlet of the skimer also 12 inches up to feed its return into for a fuge/mud section I have a acrlic partion in there about 8 inches over 11 1/2 inches long the width on the tank with holes drilled in about 11 inches up that 12 inch section so I have a 8x 11&1/2x 12iches high with holes drilled in which will recive a slow flow from the outlet of the skimmer which will more than likely be feed by a maxi jet 600 slow flow for this skimmer.
next I have a long middel section with a 6 inch baffel then a raised 6 inch baffel then anothe 6 inch baffel for the bubble trap before the third section. I also have a 2 and 1/2 inch box in the xorner after the fuge where a flexi pvc pipe will feed into to help eliminate bubels and to keep sand from being disturbed out of this area its also 6 inches high hopefully will also help with the micro bubels here as well, I plan on having like a 3 to 4 inche live sand bed in here and possibly some Live Rock rubble.
Now the questions are does this all sound fessible? the middle baffel for the bubble trap is only about a half inch off the floor of the tank should I try to add more hight to this? it was as high as I could safeyly prop it up while trying to use the GE I silicone, I figure although ugly I culd add a sliver of 1/4 inch acrlic to this if deemed needed by you all. Do you think the fuge is A big enoug have enough flow? and should I do chateo and mud or that fuge substrat the sell? and for the middle section should I try and do a DSB with LR? leave it empty? try to but the chateo and LR in there and do the DSB?? skip the DSB fuge only? I mean I just dont know what to do here? I figure I have some options seeing how the skimer is external and all I left the middle section large enough for the skimer should I need or deide to put it in the sump replace it one day and get an internal one? Also do you think this sump will hold enogh water for stabalization? I read that 6 inch baffels were a good highth the third section is not very large but the pump is extrenal, the only other thing I will probably put in there would be the power head for the skimer feed pump and maybe one or two more for a two little fishs phosban reactor maybe a second one for carbon I am really positive either a 75 or 90 gallon run off water if pump shuts off I will have plenty of room for the run off water rite? I will use a check valve as well but just incase and I plan on using an elbow on the inlet on the external pump to draw off the bottom of the third section if this makes sense?
Sorry this is so long and I do not have any pics up loaded I will try and get some up as soon as I can, I also incorporated that little box for the drain line I seen many with this type of set up in their sump so I though it would work for me and I had some left over acrlic so I thought why not, i will probably buy anothrer sheet to make a lid for the whole thing and mount a light for the alge I will ask for sugestions for the fuge light as well what type of bulb/fixture to grow good chateo.
I was using a buckett and a small 400 gallon an hr ECO pump to see how it would all flow the buckett I used was a 5 gallon buckett and I was able to calculate I had roughly 9 - 10 gallons of water in the sump and the middle baffel on the air trap the raised one was barely above the water line which I guess is needed for the bubbel trap to work properly correct? it seemed like it had good flow and it seemed like enough water but I dont know? I plan on "T" off the return into the fuge for additional flow if needed with a ball vale on it and one rite before the "T" of the return so I do not stress the pump by placing to much restricton on it and I seen were you guys do this as well so I though I would plump mine like this as well, this will not be a closed loop system put use power heads insted also plan on a ball valve for the drain line as well so I can totally take the sump out if need be, plus I can restrict the flow this way as well and again not stress the pump to much. I could throw caron or whatever in a media bag and put it in between the bubbel trap but I figured I would get the reactors they sell ones now with a vrible speed pump now as well or I could get a stronge enogh power head to feed both reactors with individual ball values in addition to the power head for the skimer. Also do you think that little 6 inch high 2 and a half by 2 and a half inch bof in the middle section I plan on running the drain line into will help with the micro bubbels and whatever else I will have in that section? I have seen it used before and thought why not cant hurt and thats something I can actually do lol lol.
I hope the baffels are a good hight for this sump I just dont know I read and read and this is the design I came up with after looking at so so so many Sump plans.
I already got holes drilled I was so nervous about doing that and so proud when I did it without shattering my sump thanks to those who showed me a link to that video from that glass holes place big help bought a 1 inch hole saw for 35$ at lowes all in all except for the tank the sump cost me like 55$ in materials I stillneed the light yet but not to bad for a 36 inch length 12 inch wide 18 inch tall sump you prob pay like 250$ for something like that at te LFS?
So if you have any additnal energy I would like to know what you think about two I believe they are 1200gph evo's and maybe a 750gph evo ran on a wave timmer I read from the web site there actually desghm=ned to be able to be ran on a wave timmer if you want them to so its not hard on them some how like a normal power head can not afford Vortechs so dont even mention it is this to much not enough just right for a LPS dominated tank? (maybe a clam or two if possible high up?) (any suggestions on flow or a tank size?) with some reef compatible fish not many though mainly coral for a 75 gallon - 90 and which 90 or 75 your only getting an extra 3 inches in highth for the 90 its eother 21 or 24 I believe both are 48inches long and 18 inches wide so the hight is the diference. I am running two MH 20K Reeflux 10 inch pendant style 175 dual balast with T5 suplementaion if need be I can do that if the MH is not enough.
Well this was mainy a sump question I just thought I may as well lay it all out there for your critique if you will please help out with the sump thing first if you have the time and all to answr the rest or some of the others I would be very greatful for that as well please thank you in advance so much!!!
I am proud of my sump I never make anything and I just wanted to give it a shot and possible save some many on a sump and a spare tank I was not using any more again thank you!!! thank you all for the help I know its a long post with a lot of question I am sorry for that I just have so many and I am so un certain of my self I am sorry and I thank you all for your time and effort thank you!!
