Sump design... need opinion

[Marteau]

This would be my sump design... what do you think?

Setup:
Tank: 48.3 gal (39.4 x 15.7 x 19.7)
Sump: 27 gal (36 x 12 x 15)
Skimmer: Euro-Reef Rs-80
Return-Pump: MAG 350

Thanks a lot for your time!
Vincent

 

[Fish_wiz2]

Looks good :thumbsup: maybe better than mine :lol:

 

[WinnipegDragon]

Pretty much what mine looks like.

 

[cdness]

Just looking at the drawing you may run into a small issue getting any flow to the fuge. If the piping is straight down with the valve on the pipe for the fuge it will probably flow straight into the skimmer and bypass the fuge altogether.

Flip the sump around. Have the vertical pipe running right into the fuge with a valve on it to control flow. Have the horizontal pipe fully unrestricted causing the rest of the flow to go to the skimmer. That may work better than restricting the horizontal pipe.

Just a my .02 looking at the plumbing...

 

[Marteau]

Great comments... thank cdness, i think you are right... i took this idea from here http://www.melevsreef.com/install_sump.html

But i didint notice that there was a ball valve...

Thanks a lot!
Vincent

 

[fishnu]

Good design. Mine is almost identical except I have two 1.5 drain lines, and one of them has a teed 3/4 inch ball valve as it passes the fuge, angled to spin the chaeto.

My "pump room" is a little smaller and my fuge a little bigger...but that might have made the velocity in my pump chamber faster and generated micro bubbles....

I also have a slightly taller sump, but I curse it every time I have to get my hands in there.

 

[Marteau]

Anyone knows....

With an auto-top off... how small could be the space for my return
pump? Is there a minimum? A comfortable zone?

Thanks again!
Vincent

 

[jthao]

the bigger the return section the less your top off will come on. it takes more evaporation to affect your return section water level.
My return section is very small (regret...regret..) it only holds like 5g of water, and my top off comes on at least 3-4 times daily. cuss a little evaporation and it already changes the level in my return section greatly. it has it's advantages, like I don't have any swing of salinity, cuss top off comes on at any slight evaporation (like less than 1/2 gal of water evap on my 180g tank.) if I was to do it over though, I'd make it bigger.

 

[Marteau]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13055340#post13055340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jthao
the bigger the return section the less your top off will come on. it takes more evaporation to affect your return section water level.
My return section is very small (regret...regret..) it only holds like 5g of water, and my top off comes on at least 3-4 times daily. cuss a little evaporation and it already changes the level in my return section greatly. it has it's advantages, like I don't have any swing of salinity, cuss top off comes on at any slight evaporation (like less than 1/2 gal of water evap on my 180g tank.) if I was to do it over though, I'd make it bigger.

Thanks for the info, my design would hold 3,6 gallons for the return pump... considering that i'll probably stick with it, the auto top-off should start once a day... i think...

Thanks, any other suggestions?
Vincent

 

[Playa-1]

I agree with cdness. The way it looks now you will not get any flow to the fuge. It needs to be adjusted. Mine is set up similar. Check it out.

 

[IslandCrow]

Take another look at Melev's design. He has a ball valve on the drain line coming into the skimmer section. With the flow restricted there, it will force some of the water into the the fuge section. I think if you add a ball valve in the line going to your skimmer section after the T coupling, the design should work. In other words, just like Playa has his.