Help with sump/refugium design

[kbriers]

So I have a 20 gallon high tank sitting in the garage and after ordering a reef octopus HOB skimmer and realizing just how massive this is going to be hanging on a 40 gallon breeder, I have decided to try the overflow/sump route. I've tried to do a lot of looking on sump ideas and this is what I have come up with. I don't know if this would work, be too small, big, waste of time etc. My ulitmate questions would be using these measurements, would the return and the refugium be too small? Would it be better to skip the refugium? Make the bubble trap and refugium plates higher to allow more water? This is my first attempt at saltwater and a sump so any ideas/criticism/comments would be greatly appreciated.Thanks so much in advance

 

[tcoker79]

I am no expert by far but I made my refugium wall 3" taller than the other sections and I'm getting a ton of micro bubbles right now. Trying to figure out how to combat these. So be careful with the tall refugium wall.

 

[kbriers]

What do you think about this them... I made the bubble trap wall 10" at the middle plate and 9" for the two outside pieces. I would leave the refugium wall the same so if I'm thinking this through correctly, the water overflowing from the refugium would only drop 1 inch or so into the return?

Or should I make the refugium wall and the higher plate at the bubble trap the same height? I want to try and make the return section as large as possible volume wise because I'm worried about evap. and I'm not sure if I can make an ATO system in my stand. (this is poor planning on my part, but what's done is done)

Again, thanks for the help

 

[kbriers]

Anybody? I was hoping to go get the glass cut fairly soon.