Critique my sump design pic included

[Southern Boy]

O.k. so this is what I came up with for a sump/fuge foe my 54 bow front.The return section will be in the middle and fuge will probably be on the right.The last will be for a protien skimmer.Sorry but I drew this by hand and my skanner would only get so much so I lost the corner.If I leave all 3 sections even they will all have a compacity of 5 gallons to the baffles.And there will be enough over them to except 3.5 gallons of water during down time.I only have 1 drain from the tank so I guess I will split that with a T and put a valve on the fuge side.How should I set up where the draind dicharge? I was thinking of making a 4"x4" section in the corner of the fuge and filling with LR rubble and cutting slits in it so it drains through the rubble to the fuge.On the skimmer side though I would likt to incorperate a sock.Should I build a tower up higher than the sump so I can put a sock in so the water goes through there into the skimmer section.Does it matter if the sock is submerged?The measurements are 19.5" long at the outside, 9.5" wide at the outside,10" wide at the inside,and 16" tall.What ya'll think?Any help will be greatly appretiated!!

 

[Southern Boy]

anyone?

 

[Southern Boy]

bump

 

[bebitte70]

If youre building it, why not make it square? But keep youre design, sort of. Make the refugium half of it, then the other to compartments for skimmer and return. I would also change so that the water from the overflow goes to skimmer first, then through the refugium and finally back to the tank.

 

[Southern Boy]

The reason I'm not making it square is bacause it's going into a corner bowfront stand.The stand has a 1/2 round front andwon't allow a sqrare.Plus I'm trying to save a little room in the in the front for the return pump.I want to run it external.I'm downsizing fromr a 180 1/2 due from cost of running the chiller/lights. And last sump I built that I put the return and skimmer in the same section I was haunted by micro bubbles.

 

[30mini]

I think that it's a good idea. But, if you are going to run an externail pump, which area will be drilled for that pump? If you are going to have it in the middle section, than you may want to use a submersable pump b/c of this design. The only way you could use an external pump in the middle, would be to have it coming off one of the flat sides, b/c it will be nearly impossible to drill into that corner and have it seal correctly, even with a uniseal! Other than that, I think it looks good!

 

[Southern Boy]

Yes you are 100%correct.I decided to put a flat section on the inside corner so I could pipe it in from the side.I've got the plexi and tools just waiting on the glue.Hope to have it finished by this weekend.

 

[supereri]

Wow, I thought I had it tough fitting a sump under my 72 bowfront....

 

[Southern Boy]

Yea it's tight.I could do it with a rectangle but probably won't get as much volume.I'm settin here stairing at it now.