Critique my Sump Design Please

[Steelslinger75]

This is a sump I have designed and am planning to have fabricated in the near future. The sump is for my 210 AGA.

Dimensions: 48" x 20" x 24

Description of flow:
Flow of water is from right to left through sump
1. Dual overflows plummed into (1) 2.5" pvc enters the sump on the far right hand chamber.

2. Water flows to the left and passes throught the bubble trap. Spacing is 2"

3. Far left icontains 2 genX pc40s plummed back to main display.

4. Overflow also plummed into refugium (Front Chamber) and regulated with ball valve. Flow is from right to left and passes over teeth back into far right chamber.

Thanks,
John

 

[latazyo]

external skimmer?

looks pretty good...how does water get into the fuge?

great graphics

 

[Steelslinger75]

Yes I have a Deltec AP702 plummed externally, which by the way rocks.

Flow will be supplied to the fuge from a Y in the main overflow and plummed to the upper left hand side of the fuge. There will be a ball valve so i can control the amount of flow through the fuge independently from the rest of the sump. The flow in the fuge will be from left to right.

 

[AUS]

So long as you aren't skimming the water after it leaves the fuge I think the rest of the design looks good. Nice 3D - makes things a lot easier to follow.


All the best
Andy

 

[Steelslinger75]

anyone else?

 

[melev]

Hi John,

Okay, I'm looking at the layout, and it seems like you may run into some issues.

In the secondary image, there seems to be a bulkhead in the refugium wall. Is that a reflection only? Why are you draining the refugium into the first compartment where the bubble tower is located?

You mentioned two return pumps. How many gph do you plan to move through your sump?

 

[Steelslinger75]

Marc,
In the second image that is just a reflection from the outer bulkheads.

My thought on draining the refugium back to the front compartment towards the bubble tower was that when the water would go through the teeth of the refugium there is a possibility of bubbles to be created and I wanted the water to pass back through the first compartment and then pass throught the bubble trap on the rear of the sump to get rid of as many micro bubbles as possible.

I am using 2 Gec X PC40 which are rate for about 1200gph each. I currently have them running on my current sump.

John

 

[melev]

You are draining the refugium into the section that will be skimmed. Odds are any free-floating copepods that you hoped to send to your tank as food would be skimmate fodder. I would have it drain over the side either before or after the bubble trap. If you have 75%/25% flow in the sump, it should work out fine without microbubbles. (75% of the water goes to the skimmer section/bubble tower; 25% to the refugium)

Moving 2400gph through your sump may create microbubble issues. Your sump adds up to roughly 95g to the top. Do you plan to run it pretty full? Your baffles indicate you are.

 

[Steelslinger75]

I see your point and overlooked that fact about the refugium flow. I will change the teeth to the back of the refugium. What size do you recommend for the teeth?

I do plan to run the sump pretty full. I did all the calculatons to make sure that with the level i plan to run the sump, there is enough free space to accomidate large water changes without affecting the main disply level as well as enough space for the
water when the pumps are off and the main disply siphons back down.

Anything else I am missing? I want to make sure I get it right the first time because this is not going to be cheap to have fabricated.
Thanks for all your help so far Marc

 

[melev]

Yes. Your bubble tower, the way it is drawn, will not keep up with 2400gph, or actually 1800gph (75%). I redesigned those, and now the openings at the base are 1" wide and 1.5" tall. This allows you to fill it up with LR rubble, but should keep the rocks inside the tower itself. With teeth, the tower tends to overflow instead. I'll try to find a picture of the new bubble tower so you can see it.

The refugium teeth are 1.5" deep, and 3/8" wide. I would have them pour over the side wall that is facing the bubble trap section. You can have it pour over the trap itself, or just after it.

Keep in mind, you'll have detritus collecting in your sump. Will you be able to reach in there and siphon it out easily? My sump is 16" tall, and it is reasonably easy. However, since my sump is 36" front to back, the stretch in the return zone is somewhat of a pain.

Are you planning to put your heaters in the skimmer section? If you run a Phosban Reactor or two, will those go in the return zone? They'll hang nicely on the refugium wall.

Your sump will definitely need to be made with 3/8" acrylic due to its height, plus because there is no top flange.

 

[melev]

 

[Steelslinger75]

Marc,
Thank you for all your help with my sump design. I resized the bubble tower and changed the location of the refugium teeth as you suggested.

I just finished up the drawings and I am going to go get a quotation tomorrow for the build.

John

 

[melev]

Let me know what they'll charge you. I'm curious.

 

[Steelslinger75]

Ya me too. You sure you don't want to ship across the gulf?

 

[melev]

FedEx and UPS have a OS3 limit of 165 cubic inches. Boxing it up with padding, I don't think I can stay within the limits, which is why you are doing it locally.