coralfragger101
Gone Postal
OR, don't flip it but run the pipe horizontally as high as you can and then come down if this would help make less bends in the return line.
Newbie Building A Sump Filter!!
- Thread starter InADream
- Start date
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
My skimmer is a Homemade 4" Recirc... I followed the plans from RandyStacyE and made my skimmer... I dont know how much those require... As for the plan I have flipped it and will use 2 baffles under,center... The last baffle before the return pump will have slits in the top... Is that adequate, for the bubbles... I am still trying to grasp all this info, kinda like way too much way too fast... Here is my latest diagram... Thanks Coral, i really appreciate you dealing with me...
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
IMO - it's looking better. I assume that is a slot in the center of the baffle entering the fuge area. Good.
Slots in the top of the last baffle? The problem here is simply the bubble that water going over the baffle can make. That would happen with or without slots. The key is how big the drop is into the pump section.
Actually, My sump originally only had one baffle at that end as well. I simply put a float valve in that end and have the water level in the pump area remain about 1 inch lower than that baffle. With an auto top off, that will work great. IF you are not doing an auto top off then it is this area of the sump that will lose water to evaporation. You may leave in the morning and the level is only 1 inch below the baffle and when you come home it may be 3 or 4 inches below the baffles and splashing and making bubbles and the pump will be sucking in those bubbles and your entire display tank will look like bubbles gone wild. Get the picture?
Bottom line: if you are hooking up an auto top off to this system then the one baffle is fine. If you are going to top off the system then I would add one more baffle to the right of all the ones shown and keep it about an inch off the bottom so water enters the pump area at the bottom.
Slots in the top of the last baffle? The problem here is simply the bubble that water going over the baffle can make. That would happen with or without slots. The key is how big the drop is into the pump section.
Actually, My sump originally only had one baffle at that end as well. I simply put a float valve in that end and have the water level in the pump area remain about 1 inch lower than that baffle. With an auto top off, that will work great. IF you are not doing an auto top off then it is this area of the sump that will lose water to evaporation. You may leave in the morning and the level is only 1 inch below the baffle and when you come home it may be 3 or 4 inches below the baffles and splashing and making bubbles and the pump will be sucking in those bubbles and your entire display tank will look like bubbles gone wild. Get the picture?
Bottom line: if you are hooking up an auto top off to this system then the one baffle is fine. If you are going to top off the system then I would add one more baffle to the right of all the ones shown and keep it about an inch off the bottom so water enters the pump area at the bottom.
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
I would also T off of that main overflow as high as possible. In the photo it still doesn't look like you are giving it much room to build up good pressure to the skimmer.
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
Hows this? Visually, I'd say the baffles would need to 7.5 inches or 8 inches at the most.
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
Ok, The T off from the main overflow wil be T'd Off at the highest possible point in the system... Probably going to do it the same way you have it... As for an auto top-off system, I am definately contiplating using one as I plan on getting an RO/DI Unit... As for the immediate future, it will not be in the picture till after the tank is setup and running... Will I have to change anything if I add in a auto top-off system later on down the road... Here is the latest with all of Corals Great Ideas...
Dream
Dream
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
LOL. They way you have it now, you'd probably overflow unless you have a very small tank and little piping. During a power failure or when you shut the pump down then "some" water will drain from your main display, your overflow box as well as the water within the pipes. You need to have room in your sump for all that water. This is easily accomplished by setting the baffles lower. As in the way I redrew your diagram. I actually like that you added that other baffle on the pump end as well.
As far as how far right and left to set the baffles that will depend. Your skimmer section will be decided for you by the size of your skimmer. Have you stated what pump you will be using and the approximate head (how high up are you trying to push the water back into your tank).?
As far as how far right and left to set the baffles that will depend. Your skimmer section will be decided for you by the size of your skimmer. Have you stated what pump you will be using and the approximate head (how high up are you trying to push the water back into your tank).?
woz9683
Premium Member
Hmm, to each his own. But three baffles, aligned over-under-over is pretty much standard if you actually want to get rid of microbubbles. If you don't do the last "over" baffle any bubbles that make it under the second baffle can get immediately sucked into the return pump. The point of the third baffle is to give bubbles one more chance to get to the surface.
That picture I posted is just a diagram of my sump which has close to 2,500gph flowing through it (the dimensions are very deceptive in the drawing, it easily handles this flow). So, no it's probably not perfect for your application InADream; I was just trying to give an example of what a set of baffles should look like. Two sets are definitely not necessary for your sump, but at least do one full set (3 baffles) or I will almost guarantee that you'll end up with some bubbles being returned to the display.
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
5.5 would be going overboard. My baffles are over halfway up the tank and I'm running pipes off to two other systems as well and I can see that I could have probably taken them to about 2/3 the height of the sump.
Visualize and guess about how much water will fill your pipes and how much will come from the tank and overflow before they stop. With your tank dimensions you will need to leave one inch of height to accomodate 2 gallons of water. Even if you set the baffles at 8 inches you will have over 4 inches of space which would equate to 8 gallons of water that could drain before overflowing. I highly doubt tha you will have that much.
Visualize and guess about how much water will fill your pipes and how much will come from the tank and overflow before they stop. With your tank dimensions you will need to leave one inch of height to accomodate 2 gallons of water. Even if you set the baffles at 8 inches you will have over 4 inches of space which would equate to 8 gallons of water that could drain before overflowing. I highly doubt tha you will have that much.
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
WOZ - I think you are underestimating the what the length of the fuge itself does. If I was setting a skimmer right next to a pump section then I would definately want more baffles. I believe that InADream will find that there will not be any bubble going under that last baffle into the pump area.
I'm running a Reeflo Dart with only two baffles at the pump end and have no bubbles whatsoever entering the pump
I'm running a Reeflo Dart with only two baffles at the pump end and have no bubbles whatsoever entering the pump
InADream
I'm That Guy!!
Thanks Guys, i have to hit the hay 5 comes early, I will be back tomorrow night and hopefully get some of the pieces together here soon... Thanks Again to all that have helped and hopefully everyone will be here to help once the project really begins and troubles start..
Thanks
Dream
Thanks
Dream
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
Morning come early for me as well.
Here's one more for ya WOZ: EcoSystem fuges are well known for being a tried and proven product. I'm sitting here right now looking at an EcoSystem fuge that only has 3 baffles total. One on the input side (with slots in the middle) and then an over>under going into the pump section. I've been using it for years with different pumps, running different flows through it and not once have I had a micro bubble problem in my main dispay.
But you are right - to each his/her own.
Here's one more for ya WOZ: EcoSystem fuges are well known for being a tried and proven product. I'm sitting here right now looking at an EcoSystem fuge that only has 3 baffles total. One on the input side (with slots in the middle) and then an over>under going into the pump section. I've been using it for years with different pumps, running different flows through it and not once have I had a micro bubble problem in my main dispay.
But you are right - to each his/her own.
woz9683
Premium Member
Well, the distance from the skimmer will definitely help. I agree with you on that for sure. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I did have a microbubble problem in an old sump (someone else's design) and I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Any chance we can get some pics of your current setup/sump coralfragger101. It sounds pretty sweet.
Any chance we can get some pics of your current setup/sump coralfragger101. It sounds pretty sweet.
coralfragger101
Gone Postal
I have several "current" ones. I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them. Need sleep - tomorrow's a long day.
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