Help adding on a second sump

[Foogoo]

Does anyone currently have two sumps? I'm going to add a second one tonight in the form of a rubbermaid for a skimmer. I already have an existing sump where the cheato lives.

My plan is to have the overflow go into sump 1, pump the contents into sump 2, then pump into main tank. Does anyone do this? Or should I 'Y' the overflow so I have two independent sumps pumping into the main tank?

Thanks.

 

[818]

Id go with option 2 "Y" with one return pump...

Or feed Sump 1 with overflow(Skimmer)| then feed sump2 gravitational style...

Either way I wouldnt go with two seperate tanks. It will take so much room in there. Just take out the one you have and get a larger sump for skimmer+Fuge. It will be so much easier.

If you feed it gravitational style have one tank elevated above one just on top(youll need to build a mini stand) that way youll save precious space in the stand.

 

[carman9941]

is the #2 sump under the stand?
if not this is what I did the overflow goes to the sump under the stand then I have a rio1700 pumping to my refugium and the it is gravity fed back to the main sump under the stand

 

[sharkdude]

connect your two 'sumps' via oversized bulkheads and plumbing below the water line.

you are asking for trouble with both scenarios you propose above.

what Carman proposes would work.

I have a 30 gal sump and a 45 gal refugium side by side underneath a 120 and 35 cube side by side.

Main pump LG 4 pulls from sump and is split supply to both 120 and 35. 120 drains back to sump and 35 drains to refugium whichs then gravity drains back to sump. sump and refugium connected via 1.5 inch bulkhead below the top of the refugium and sump. this allows for excess capacity in event of back siphon resulting from power outage.

I have a diagram at home I can post later.

 

[rscott76]

having 2 separate pumps is going to be a balancing act. even if the return and between sump pumps are identical you have to account for headloss in the return. you also have to consider the off chance that one pump fails. if one fails youre going to end up with a whole lot of water being pumped to nowhere. the best way to do it would be a gravitational feed from tank to sump 1. then make a drain to go sump 1 to sump 2.

 

[JeffersonReef]

foogoo... I almost did almost the exact same setup. The only problem is if you have sump 1 pump-feed into sump 2, and then a return in sump 2, you have added one more pump that could fail! If that pump that pumps from 1 to 2 fails, you will have a major league overflow! If you are gonna go with 2 seperate tanks, you need to plumb the two together. Myfishrdead had a good idea.... use something to elevate sump 1 so it gravity feeds into sump 2. Thats what I did... I have a 30g fuge that gravity feeds into the sump... I elevated the fuge a few inches over the sump using a piece of particle board I had laying around. Works like a charm. Good luck.

-Tony

 

[Foogoo]

Thanks for the tip on the gravity feed. I didn't realize my mistake until I set everything up and saw the potential for disaster. Going to be drilling a bulkhead in the rubbermaid soon.

 

[sharkdude]