Sump baffles

[Stanton]

Do I really need them? I have spent countless hours getting my sump bubble free and finally have it whipped. Now...Other than keeping my water level consistent for my skimmer..do I need baffles or can use the whole 30 gals for a refugium?

 

[Village Idiot]

The reef show tank at one LFS (I think a 180 with a 30 sump) has no baffles at all. He just has the skimmer output faced away from the return pump...no bubbles whatever in the tank.

I'd imagine you would need some type of baffling to keep sand/macroalgae/etc. from fouling your return pump.

 

[N_V_S]

I would install baffles in a 30 gallon sump. Listed below are some links to why you would want them. I am not an expert, however the rule of thumb is to have your system turn over rate at 3 to 5 times thur your sump. Also, if you plan to have a refugium I would not have too much flow running thur it. In order to have optmail use of the refugium you want to have the water hang in there as long as possible. HTH


How does a sump work:
http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

Determine your exact needs:
http://www.melevsreef.com/make_a_sump.html

DIY simple sump & refugium:
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html