Critique sump design/build

[abrooks12376]

I'm winging this so any ideas or don't do' s would be greatly appreciated.
The sump will be placed slightly higher that dt, it will have a pump pulling from the dt and gravity will return water to dt. I drew up a crude sketch. I want to make an in tank overflow that allows water to fall into box. Sump will be on a manual reset gfci so if power goes out I can baby sit the start up. Dt has ato and overflow will have a float switch to shut down sump if water level in overflow drops. Am I forgetting anything? Is this ridiculous? I know I should have just drilled the damn dt but I'm an idiot and in trying to make it work.

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[CleanReef]

It is unusual to place a sump above a display tank as far as I know. How are you planning on pushing the water to the sump? You'd have to put a return pump in your overflow if you wanted any decent gph through the tank.

I will say that your attachment makes this post difficult to take seriously. Also, if you are worried about drilling a tank, perhaps look at other overflow options.

Good luck

 

[abrooks12376]

It is unusual to place a sump above a display tank as far as I know. How are you planning on pushing the water to the sump? You'd have to put a return pump in your overflow if you wanted any decent gph through the tank.

I will say that your attachment makes this post difficult to take seriously. Also, if you are worried about drilling a tank, perhaps look at other overflow options.

Good luck

I suppose, normally it would.below with a return pump. This will have the 500 gph pump plumbed directly to overflow box pulling from dt and the sump will have a gravity fed return. Sketch looks like 5 year old failing art class.. not.much of an artist and I'm even less of a computer graphics guy. Just trying to get the point across. What other other methods would there be for a non drilled tank aside from hob overflow?

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[CleanReef]

How big is this tank? 500gph? I have a bigger pump on my algae scraper.

Is the overflow box already installed? I think if you need more help you need actual pictures.

 

[abrooks12376]

It's a 29 gallon tank, there' s power heads in the tank, wouldn't slightly slower flow through the sump allow for the skimmer to work better? Over flow isn't even built yet, researching correct size and waiting on weld on for assembling acrylic.

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[Yellow_donkey]

So my immediate worries would be:

1. lack of surface skimming, you will only have a simple weir and no skimming. You can get a $30 Eheim surface skimmer unit, I use one in my sump, love it, as I hate surface film.

2. So you are reversing the process with NO way to stop the feed from the DT as a weir overflow would usually top the overflow as the weir teeth are exposed to air and the overflow box is emptied past a certain point. You are now going to be doing this with a float switch cutting the power to your pump. I use float switches for my sump ATO, I have triple redundancy now, did have double and both failed at once on me, not the system but both switches at once, emptied 20-gallon of sump onto floor after 50 gallon ATO reservoir was sent into sump. What you need to do is put it all together, have a backup relay on hand, that has gone out on me too, within 1 year, get it working then disconnect everything and solder it together, I have found with salt you need solid ATO connections, cant be half arsed. Make this system solid as a rock. Use 3 switches, add snail guards that dont impact the float whatsoever, adn keep it all clean and tidy. They go out on me easily.

3. Definitely without question use an adjustable flow pump or add a valve where you can adjust the flow. I have my sump in closet in guest room behind wall where DT is at in living room. Its a nice DC pump rated at high GPH and I have it set on 8/10, have it split 4 times to reactors, UV, Siporax reactor, etc. and then to DT and even with a super high GPM, on 8/10 still only getting 400 GPM, but that is all I need. So a single speed at 500 GPH running 10 feet uphill, your looking at 150 GPH

4. has to be some other issues, no I like the idea if you can place sump a little higher elsewhere and don't drill. Hiding the output line to sump off of pump would be a pain, black painted 1" PVC would work until it can be hidden in wall.

Let us know and keep asking questions.

Also, use this, get different diameters, but it really is nice hiding wires and plumbing if you dont want to paint, keeps everythign clean looking which you will need going this route.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1OQRNW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[abrooks12376]

So my immediate worries would be:

1. lack of surface skimming, you will only have a simple weir and no skimming. You can get a $30 Eheim surface skimmer unit, I use one in my sump, love it, as I hate surface film.

2. So you are reversing the process with NO way to stop the feed from the DT as a weir overflow would usually top the overflow as the weir teeth are exposed to air and the overflow box is emptied past a certain point. You are now going to be doing this with a float switch cutting the power to your pump. I use float switches for my sump ATO, I have triple redundancy now, did have double and both failed at once on me, not the system but both switches at once, emptied 20-gallon of sump onto floor after 50 gallon ATO reservoir was sent into sump. What you need to do is put it all together, have a backup relay on hand, that has gone out on me too, within 1 year, get it working then disconnect everything and solder it together, I have found with salt you need solid ATO connections, cant be half arsed. Make this system solid as a rock. Use 3 switches, add snail guards that dont impact the float whatsoever, adn keep it all clean and tidy. They go out on me easily.

3. Definitely without question use an adjustable flow pump or add a valve where you can adjust the flow. I have my sump in closet in guest room behind wall where DT is at in living room. Its a nice DC pump rated at high GPH and I have it set on 8/10, have it split 4 times to reactors, UV, Siporax reactor, etc. and then to DT and even with a super high GPM, on 8/10 still only getting 400 GPM, but that is all I need. So a single speed at 500 GPH running 10 feet uphill, your looking at 150 GPH

4. has to be some other issues, no I like the idea if you can place sump a little higher elsewhere and don't drill. Hiding the output line to sump off of pump would be a pain, black painted 1" PVC would work until it can be hidden in wall.

Let us know and keep asking questions.

Also, use this, get different diameters, but it really is nice hiding wires and plumbing if you dont want to paint, keeps everythign clean looking which you will need going this route.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1OQRNW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1.I was hoping/ under the impression that water being pulled from the top would handle the surface muck? Gets blown into the sump and the skimmer goes to work on it?? I have no problem employing an ehiem skim, run them in my planted tanks and they work well.

2.
Everything I planned makes perfect sense to me, I understand I'm probably not explaining/portraying my ideas very well. I have a.d.d., apparently my brain moves faster than I can apply sometimes. My biggest hurdle yet is designing this overflow box, I know if I do it wrong the pump will drain it faster than it can fill up and we have a problem. I'm tempted to build it larger. With larger slots (teeth??) And have it always be full. The flow will immediately stop from dt if box drains, no water for the sump pump to pull, if left unchecked the sump pump would probably burn out and hopefully noting worse. In come the float switches, I'll tether 4 of those little guys together if I need to, they work well on my ato, 2 in tandem. I have no issue in replacing relays and switches as needed, short money. I use crimp fittings with a sealant and electrical tape.

3. Ball valve! Done! I'll need to figure out the return pipe size to accommodate the intake volume, if it doesn't allow fast enough draining I'll have a big problem. Thinking if intake is 3/4" id than out put should be 1"?? Even a little bigger? It needs to fast enough but not too fast, too fast and I anticipate noises and air bubbles. No!

4. Oh I'm sure there will be a few I need to get this thing mocked up on the empty 20 tall I have, i can dial it in on the basement floor.

5. Thanks for taking a minute, appreciate it! While I'm no stranger to spending all my monies on Aquaria.. I do like to build it when I can..sometimes it even saves me money!


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[abrooks12376]

Working with acrylic kind of sucks, very unforgiving stuff. Need some proper equipment.. practice overflow! Teeth look about as good as my drawings haha. What do people use for black paint in their setups if any?

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[abrooks12376]

Going to fill the sump today. had a realization.. priming will be a major issue with the pump in the sump. Pump will now have to be in the tank. Building the over flow tonight.

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[abrooks12376]

Here's the updated scheme.. works like a champ so far..this is being tested on a 10 gal for the night.

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