Sump design will it work?

[brian762]

Here is a design i came up with for 2 tank sump since my stand will only allow a 10" wide tank so i am going to use 2 10gal. It is going under a 55 gal already filled. Please help me! comments, concerns, etc welcome. I was thinking of maybe doing away from the first refugium and using it incase i need to run carbon or something else. Would this design be better or should i not use the stand under the first tank and just do a horizantal pipe? Thanks for all input you give me!

 

[thegrun]

You show the water level in the first section (skimmer) lower than the 2nd chamber (refugium), which I suspect is just a drawing error, the water level would be higher in the first section. I would eliminate the bubble trap between the skimmer section and the 1st refugium section for sure and probably between the 2nd refugium section and the return section as I cannot see micro bubbles making their way through the two refugium sections, better to increase either the refugium sizes or the return section if needed to hold the pumps off water flow. You may want to add a filter sock in the first (skimmer) section. I like them if you maintain them.

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

not to be a jerk but it wont work.water flow will be to fast for the refuge.a refuge needs to be slow in order to get any of the benefits.also some of the heights of the baffles are not the right size.it looks good i give you points for being originial.why would you want 2 seperate tanks? if you would like i can help with the plans to have a sump and a refuge that will work.but like i said the refuge needs its own slow flow and water that goes into your sump will be going to fast.how big of a sump are you planning?im not saying i know everything but this is a look at my sump and refuge

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

refuge is in blue

refuge

refuge

 

[brian762]

not to be a jerk but it wont work.water flow will be to fast for the refuge.a refuge needs to be slow in order to get any of the benefits.also some of the heights of the baffles are not the right size.it looks good i give you points for being originial.why would you want 2 seperate tanks? if you would like i can help with the plans to have a sump and a refuge that will work.but like i said the refuge needs its own slow flow and water that goes into your sump will be going to fast.how big of a sump are you planning?im not saying i know everything but this is a look at my sump and refuge

No ur not being a jerk, i want to know if it will work. the baffles are not really set to scale, it was more of an idea. due to my stand, i can only fit a 10" tank between the center bars, thats why i was doing a 2 tank set up. i drew it as 2 10gal. but before the braces i could fit a 12" width tank but not much length. do you think it would be better to drop the first tank and and just have a horizontal pipe between the 2 tanks so its not to much flow to the refugium in the 2nd tank?

 

[brian762]

bump

 

[Southpaw]

hey IMM3DOORSDOWN why is there a green penis in your first drawing?
also will a 10gal sump be enough for a 55gal? and what should the return pump be if you are using a 10gal sump?

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

hey IMM3DOORSDOWN why is there a green penis in your first drawing?
also will a 10gal sump be enough for a 55gal? and what should the return pump be if you are using a 10gal sump?

Good one. I had to look wondering what you were talking about. That is the top view of PVC piping.that's where the water from my refuge enters the 2nd stage of the sump.

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

10 gallon sump hmmm I guess it could be done it will be tight though.it depends on what you want to put in it refuge,skimmer,frag rack.as for a pump it all depends on you plumbing.(size)as for mine I have 1 inch and a return I'm using a mag 18.people say it's over kill but my return splits into 2 . One on one side and the other on the other side. I day a mag9.5 but didn't like the flow I was getting.my last tank was mostly soft corals and now I want more sps.Soo there gonna need the flow.

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

This is my last reef tank

 

[brian762]

hey IMM3DOORSDOWN why is there a green penis in your first drawing?
also will a 10gal sump be enough for a 55gal? and what should the return pump be if you are using a 10gal sump?

lol.

IMM3DOORSDOWN what do sugest then for a sump? will a side by side work with a horizontal pipe at the same level instead of angled?

 

[evsalty]

Two tanks will work but I would run them at the same height that way they both can hold extra water when the return pump is off.

As for the fuges they will actually flow less then the rate of your sumps overall flow amount. This is because the water will go over the baffle and travel mostly on the surface of the fuge to the bulkhead for the first one and to the outgoing baffle of the second fuge. Some water will go down into the fuge creating a soft circular flow in the fuge but again the majority of the water will pass over the surface and on to the next chamber.

I would keep the bubble traps myself. Well atleast the last one. This way if any bubbles do get thru they have that one last place to get trapped. Rember the flow will be fastest at the surface of each chamber after the first one and bubbles rise to the surface.

 

[brian762]

Two tanks will work but I would run them at the same height that way they both can hold extra water when the return pump is off.

As for the fuges they will actually flow less then the rate of your sumps overall flow amount. This is because the water will go over the baffle and travel mostly on the surface of the fuge to the bulkhead for the first one and to the outgoing baffle of the second fuge. Some water will go down into the fuge creating a soft circular flow in the fuge but again the majority of the water will pass over the surface and on to the next chamber.

I would keep the bubble traps myself. Well atleast the last one. This way if any bubbles do get thru they have that one last place to get trapped. Rember the flow will be fastest at the surface of each chamber after the first one and bubbles rise to the surface.

Awesome thank you. so you think the attached drawing will work?

 

[evsalty]

Yes but your water level in the skimmer section will be the same as the first fuge as the fuges entrence baffle height is higher then your skimmers exiting baffle.

I have heard that it is hard to drill 10g tanks due to how thin the glass is but I have never tried it myself so I could be remembering wrong.

 

[sslak]

Why not just use a 20L with baffles instead of 2 tanks?

 

[brian762]

Why not just use a 20L with baffles instead of 2 tanks?

becase it wont fit under my stand. i only have 10" width to work with. a 20L is 12" wide correct?

 

[Humu Humu]

He only has 10 inches of width to work with. A 20L is 12 inches wide.

 

[brian762]

Yes but your water level in the skimmer section will be the same as the first fuge as the fuges entrence baffle height is higher then your skimmers exiting baffle.

I have heard that it is hard to drill 10g tanks due to how thin the glass is but I have never tried it myself so I could be remembering wrong.

i know my baffles arent at the right height, it was more of a drawing to get an idea of what i was wanting to do.

 

[thegrun]

I think the flow will be fine. You should be have somewhere between 300 and 500 GPH through the sump/refugium give the DT size. I have cheato and live rock in a refugium with more flow than you would have in your sump and it grows fine. You might not have as many pods with stronger flow, but the cheato will not suffer.

 

[Southpaw]

Not to hijack brians thread but what about this design? can you use two tanks with a U tube separate them? just like the overflow box? as long as there the same height?