Sump Design Suggestions

[jkf1983]

What do you guys think of this sump re-design... I have an aqua c ev180 mounted externally on the right. and I will have the drain going to the fuge with a ball valve and then on the far right in the return section.

 

[mnestroy]

Looks good, my only concern might be when the water level drops in your return section that the water flowing over from your fuge may cause bubbles...

 

[saleenpwr88]

That is same design I just put together. I don't think I'll have issues with micobubbles though because I want really slow flow through my fuge so I'm just going to use the output of my phos reactor for the fuge. Hopefully it will be slow enough not to create any micro bubbles. If I were you, I would try to do the same thing but just turn that ball valve down so you have slow flow through the fuge. The slow flow is supposed to be beneficial anyway.

 

[jkf1983]

Yea that was my plan too, to put a valve in for the fuge.... Right now I have the full flow through my fuge and i dont have the triple baffles.. Im having a lot of microbubbles in my display tank too, so thats why I want the change. the only thing im not totally sure what to do with is how to have the drain set up... should i make some kind of tower? with rocks in it. with like 4" pvc or cover the whole 5" section with LR and eggcrate? Oh and i have DIY autotop off for the return.

 

[mnestroy]

I like Drain->Fuge->return method. Realistically theres not much reason to have high flow in any part of your sump.

By having the drain as far away from Return as possible you limit almost all bubbles. (Since they have to pass through baffles and macro etc)

I've read people who have used bubble traps/rock towers and found them to provide very little if any benefit.