redoing my system - suggestions/tips/advice?

[jacksonpt]

Due to a couple of small leaks and risky workarounds, I'm redoing my system. I bought a new tank and a new sump, but will be keeping the rest of the hardware:
- T5s
- MP10s
- 700gph glass holes overflow
- eheim 1262 return
- SWC skimmer

The picture below is a pretty close representation of what I'm thinking, and should give you a sense of the location of the tank. Space is tight, and the tank needs to be kept as tight in the corner as possible.

My current setup has teh overflow box on the side of the tank, which works well with my space concerns, but isn't ideal for a variety of other reasons.

My thinking about the proposed setup goes kinda like this... Centering the overflow box will make vortech placement more flexible and will make surface skimming as effective as possible. Water drains from overflow box down to the sump, through a bulkhead in the bottom right corner of the back of the sump, up over the baffle and into the skimmer section, then over the baffle into the fuge area. Fuge will have DSB and macro algae, kept away from the pump by the last/short baffle and maybe some eggcrate if need be. Return is split - one line to the display and one line to the reactors and back into the sump. Both lines will have ball valves for adjustment.

My questions:

• Any reason NOT to center the overflow box?
• Any thoughts on the sump? I have a VERY similar setup now that works well, so I don't anticipate any issues with this. But comments are always welcome.
• Considering the tank sits in the corner, what makes more sense... have the return pump and reactors on the open side for easy access but the skimmer in the corner, or vice versa?

I'd love to hear people's thoughts... any and all suggestions are welcome.

 

[SkiFletch]

I have a center overflow box in an almost identical setup as that and I like it. My only real suggestions is to leave room for servicing of equipment, because if it's hard to service, you wont do it and problems can result. Make sure you use true union ball valves for your pump for not if, but when it needs cleaning, and make sure that skimmer cup is easily removable . Just curious if you have any issues with microbubbles with that setup?

 

[Tonynlo]

Will you have enough water in the return section where your pump isn't going to suck the section dry before more water can make it in? Seems small to me.

 

[jacksonpt]

I plan on using threaded fittings as much as possible to keep things easily take-apartable. Skimmer cup will be easily accessible, as will the pump and the reactors. What won't be is the "drain" section of the sump, so running anything in there will be virtually impossible. Maybe some LR rubble, but anything that needs changing wouldn't work.

Speaking of which, any pros or cons to putting some LR pieces in the drain section?

My current sump has 1 baffle, separating the drain/skimmer section from the fuge section. The water drops about 1" as it flows over the baffle, and I've had no issues with micro bubbles. Even when my ATO is off/empty and the water level in the fuge section drops, I still have no issues with micro bubbles.

 

[jacksonpt]

Will you have enough water in the return section where your pump isn't going to suck the section dry before more water can make it in? Seems small to me.

Normal operating level in the sump will be much higher than the last baffle... the baffle is just there to keep sand in place so it can't get sucked into the pump.

 

[fatrip]

What size is the sump? The problem I and a few others that I know have had when drilling the side and putting a pump on smaller tanks they tend to crack the side panel.

Cons of LR in the sump would be ditrus collection and a dead spot in you DSB under the rock.

 

[SkiFletch]

Another con of putting LR in the return section is that if you need to remove and service the skimmer, you'd also have to remove the rock to put the skimmer back in.

 

[Willistein]

I think a right-hand corner overflow is better in your case since the tank is in a corner of the room. Also, I think surface skimming works better when the overflow is at one end and the surface water is all moving toward it. Also, the center of the tank is where your eye focuses and is valuable real estate for corals. Just some thoughts.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I think a right-hand corner overflow is better in your case since the tank is in a corner of the room. Also, I think surface skimming works better when the overflow is at one end and the surface water is all moving toward it. Also, the center of the tank is where your eye focuses and is valuable real estate for corals. Just some thoughts.

agreed. Left or right hand corner is USUALLY a better spot than center for overflow.... center is usually a focal point and difficult to reach.

 

[pascal32]

for the sump -

[duplicate] pump return section visually looks small

your center area (refugium) will be full speed flow - typically folks strive to reduce the speed through the refugium. this is why the center return design is nice - the drains go to both sides, one slower than the other allowing two different levels of flow. the challange with that layout is the return pump has to pull from the middle which is tough at times.

Do you like having the media reactors on the back wall? I have a hard time not spilling when they are up front!

LOVE the pictures!

 

[jacksonpt]

Even with vortechs on both sides of the tank pushing water towards the middle of the tank, you still suggest placing the overflow box in one corner?

 

[jacksonpt]

What size is the sump? The problem I and a few others that I know have had when drilling the side and putting a pump on smaller tanks they tend to crack the side panel.

sump is a 15g. I have a 20h now with a similar setup, but the pump isn't supported as well as it should be. I'll be sure to pay more attention to that detail in the new setup.

Cons of LR in the sump would be ditrus collection and a dead spot in you DSB under the rock.

ok, didn't think about the dead spot... what about LR in the drain section of the sump... higher/more concentrated flow, no sand... ?

 

[jacksonpt]

Another con of putting LR in the return section is that if you need to remove and service the skimmer, you'd also have to remove the rock to put the skimmer back in.

I must be missing something, but why?

 

[jacksonpt]

your center area (refugium) will be full speed flow - typically folks strive to reduce the speed through the refugium. this is why the center return design is nice - the drains go to both sides, one slower than the other allowing two different levels of flow. the challange with that layout is the return pump has to pull from the middle which is tough at times.

I have 2 vortechs that I use for flow... the sump is very low flow to begin with, so flow through the fuge section isn't a concern.

Do you like having the media reactors on the back wall? I have a hard time not spilling when they are up front!

Mostly I do, yes. It keeps them out of the way for day-to-day tinkering, but they aren't super convenient to remove when I need to replace the media or clean the sponges.

LOVE the pictures!

Thanks. The sump is getting a lot of questions/attention, so I'm going to pull that out and blow it up so people can get a better look at it and what I'm thinking.

 

[jacksonpt]

ok, since the sump is getting a lot of attention, I thought I'd pull it out of the setup so people can get a closer look, and hopefully a better understanding of what I'm thinking.

Water will flow into the small drain section (back right corner), over the baffle into the skimmer section (front right corner), over another baffle into the main section. Normal operating water level will be just below the the skimmer baffle, so the sump will run at approx 2/3 full (roughly 11 gallons). There will be a DSB and macro algae in the main area, a short baffle approx 4" high will keep the sand in place so it doesn't get sucked into the return. I'll use egg create or gutter guard if necessary to keep the macro in place.

The only thing I'm uncertain about is how to setup a holder for my ATO float switch. I've got it jerry rigged now, which works well, but it is a clunkly, messy setup which is a nussiance when I'm working around the sump.

back of sump

from the side

from the front

from above

 

[SkiFletch]

Oh, I didn't realize you had two compartments over there on the right. I thought you only had one and assumed the rocks would be surrounding the base of your skimmer. I was mistaken

 

[Tonynlo]

Maybe its just the images... I cant help but see a bottleneck in your return section. If you want to use a small return section like that, try adding a 90° and point it up instead of directly at the baffle. Either that, or give a couple of inches of space between the baffle and the piece of PVC.

 

[fatrip]

I don't understand why you would need to put rock in the sump anyways? a 20H you should have no problem getting 20-30lbs of porous rock in there plus if your using your old rock it is seeded and established very well so I don't see the need for more places for bacteria to populate. But what you could do is make a small shelf that is 1/4 inch off the sand out of egg create and place the rock rubble on that which would eliminate dead spot and a bit of ditrus collection.

I think with the pictures you show it isn't depicting the water level so people are thinking of the last baffle as a baffle that water flows over rather than just a stop for the sand. I would suggest to put the pump as close as possible to the tank to reduce the chance of cavitation.

As for the position of the surface skimmer box I would say it is an aesthetic issue. If you can reach the center of the tank where the box will be with no problems in case of a blockage than it would be fine. I would suggest to look at some tanks online with boxes in each place to decide. As Willistein and Gary said in the middle it is a focal point for the eyes to go to when first looking at the tank.

 

[jacksonpt]

I don't understand why you would need to put rock in the sump anyways? a 20H you should have no problem getting 20-30lbs of porous rock in there plus if your using your old rock it is seeded and established very well so I don't see the need for more places for bacteria to populate. But what you could do is make a small shelf that is 1/4 inch off the sand out of egg create and place the rock rubble on that which would eliminate dead spot and a bit of ditrus collection.

I guess because I've always been of the mindset that more LR is always better... but I see your point and will probably pass on putting it in the sump.

I think with the pictures you show it isn't depicting the water level so people are thinking of the last baffle as a baffle that water flows over rather than just a stop for the sand. I would suggest to put the pump as close as possible to the tank to reduce the chance of cavitation.

You're right, it doesn't... I added it to the drawings, but felt like it made them harder to understand. As far as the pump goes - if it's a straight shot from the sump to the pump, does the distance matter? I know turns in the plumbing restrict flow which can lead to cavitation, but if it's a straight run is cavitation still a concern? Either way, because of space constraints, the run won't be any longer than it needs to be.

As for the position of the surface skimmer box I would say it is an aesthetic issue. If you can reach the center of the tank where the box will be with no problems in case of a blockage than it would be fine. I would suggest to look at some tanks online with boxes in each place to decide. As Willistein and Gary said in the middle it is a focal point for the eyes to go to when first looking at the tank.

I'll take a look. The problem I have now (with the box on the far right side) is that occasionally I get a buildup of surface scum because the vortechs keep the scum towards the middle of the tank.

 

[Tonynlo]

It's not the water level in the return area that makes me think bottleneck. Just make sure you have enough space in the return area so water flows smooth and isn't forced through. If it were my design, I would make the return area 2-3 times wider than the PVC used on my return pump. Again the images may be deceiving me.