Sump Design

[RayAllen3422]

See the picture below. I am getting ready to construct my sump from a 75 gallon tank. Any issues with my design? Also, how do most people treat dual overflows - as separate drains into the tank or T'd together to one drain into the sump. I am only using one return pump so those will have to be tied together. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[callsign4223]

Do the overflows as separate drains into the tank.

Also, I don't think the triple bubble trap is necessary. I just did an over under after the skimmer and an single baffle after my refugium and it works perfectly.

 

[Swensos]

This might complicate things more, but I might do the far left chamber as the refugium and the center as either the return or skimmer chamber. Because you have a dual overflow, you can easily have one drain into the refugium and one drain into the skimmer chamber.

The reason I would do this is that you want as much volume of water as you can get for the refugium.

 

[RayAllen3422]

Is there any easy way for me to calculate how much water will back flow from my dual overflows? I never had an issue with any previous tanks but I wanted to make sure.

 

[RayAllen3422]

This might complicate things more, but I might do the far left chamber as the refugium and the center as either the return or skimmer chamber. Because you have a dual overflow, you can easily have one drain into the refugium and one drain into the skimmer chamber.

The reason I would do this is that you want as much volume of water as you can get for the refugium.

Is there any issues with the refug before the skimmer? I guess copes and everything make it by and get pumped back into the tank.

 

[C.Eymann]

Id say something like this is kinda of the "golden standard" of refugium/ sump design.

 

[Bartel]

New to the hobby, so I should maybe refrain from putting comments. But with a dual overflow, I would opt for the return pump in a middle chamber, skimmer and refugium either side, each fed by an overflow. This might give you more flexibility to adjust the flow rate in the refugium where needed. Also I would have my return pump chamber big enough, to ease water changes if they are done through the sump...

 

[drillsar]

I thought fuge in a sump a detritus trap and stay away from it.. Tagging along since I am redoing my sump.

 

[cloak]

IMO a sump is just a place to hide your equipment, nothing more...

Refugiums, baffles, RDSB, etc... I know not what these things are. KISS.

 

[RayAllen3422]

I thought fuge in a sump a detritus trap and stay away from it.. Tagging along since I am redoing my sump.

When I did my previous tank I had a small clean up crew in there and I would clean it periodically. I never had any big issues though.

 

[RayAllen3422]

IMO a sump is just a place to hide your equipment, nothing more...



Refugiums, baffles, RDSB, etc... I know not what these things are. KISS.

This is surprising to me. But maybe this is new.

 

[cloak]

 

[C.Eymann]

IMO a sump is just a place to hide your equipment, nothing more...

Refugiums, baffles, RDSB, etc... I know not what these things are. KISS.

I agree with cloak on this a bit, except for the baffles, I like my baffles. I am a fan of clean sumps, no rock, sand, or cheato. Just equipment.

If you want to do a fuge/RDSB, I recommend doing one as a separate tank from the sump.

 

[drillsar]

to my understanding fuges are a detritus trap and if you want one should not be in a sump but rather as a separate tank.

 

[rsain]

This might complicate things more, but I might do the far left chamber as the refugium and the center as either the return or skimmer chamber. Because you have a dual overflow, you can easily have one drain into the refugium and one drain into the skimmer chamber.

The reason I would do this is that you want as much volume of water as you can get for the refugium.

You need a 4th pane in your bubble trap. Many many people forget this. Right now your final step is for the water to FALL into the return area.. which will create....bubbles. So, add a 4th pane to the baffle then the water and bubbles will separate and remain so (the entire point of a bubble trap).

- ryan

 

[RayAllen3422]

to my understanding fuges are a detritus trap and if you want one should not be in a sump but rather as a separate tank.

Won't the detritus be trapped somewhere in the sump or overflow anyways? It has to go somewhere right?

 

[Coelli]

Won't the detritus be trapped somewhere in the sump or overflow anyways? It has to go somewhere right?

Yes. In fact a bare bottom fuge can be easily siphoned out. Detritus is not an issue if it's set up right!

 

[C.Eymann]

Yes. In fact a bare bottom fuge can be easily siphoned out. Detritus is not an issue if it's set up right!

exactly, or you can keep a small pump in there to keep it in suspension.

 

[A1t2o]

You need a 4th pane in your bubble trap. Many many people forget this. Right now your final step is for the water to FALL into the return area.. which will create....bubbles. So, add a 4th pane to the baffle then the water and bubbles will separate and remain so (the entire point of a bubble trap).

- ryan

Disagree, you will want to keep you water level in the return section high enough so that there is no "waterfall". If the water level drops because of evaporation, you can hear the water falling and see the occasional bubbles in the display tank. This will alert you to either refill the ATO or add manually depending on your setup. I run with 3 baffles in the same setup you have pictured and it works perfectly for me.

 

[cloak]

exactly, or you can keep a small pump in there to keep it in suspension.

This is what I do each week. (sort of) Like mentined above, I don't use a filter sock on a regular basis, but right before a water change I'll use a power head and stir everything up in the sump each week. Whatever might have settled down there gets pumped up to the DT and then I catch it on the way back down. (or siphon it out/dirty water) Being that this is done on a regular basis though, there's really not much crap that accumulates down there to tell you the truth. I'm staying ahead of it so to say... GL.