Sump suggestions

[dwillis]

I need some help designing a sump for my 29 gallon aquarium. I have a 20 gallon long aquarium that I want to use. I have purchased a Coralife Super Skimmer (base measures 4.25" x 5.5") that I want to include and I want to accommodate as large a refugium as I can. How can I set this up. I've read lots of information and I'm totally confused now about how to go.

I was thinking of creating a baffle on one end that is 6" from the end of the tank (how deep should this be?) and the return section would also be 6" on the other end of the tank.

That would leave an 18" long area in the middle to be the refugium. I'd like to have algaes and some amphipods, etc. in here.

I also need to create an overflow because the tank I'm using is a standard All-Glass aquarium. What's the best way to go here. I've seen a couple of designs but I'm worried about flooding (suction loss, power loss, etc.) Any suggestions here?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Dick Willis
Bayless High School

 

[chadfarmer]

when building a sump --- the most important part of it is where the return pump goes (that is the part of where the water should fluctuate up and down from evaporation) to small and you will run the pump dry all the time if you dont have a auto-top off






overflows (suggest having the tank drilled much easier to work with)


suggest the skimmer in the first chamber of the dump than the refugium, and return section

 

[dwillis]

Thanks, Chad.
Is there some formula to use to figure out how big to make the return area? I'm sure this would be based on the size of the return pump I am using.

I was thinking the same thing about the order of services, so to speak.

Just really nervous to commit to it for the challenges everyone talks about - flooding, etc.

 

[VSpeck]

figure out how much are you need for skimmer and equiptment and figure out the dimensions you can allow for return area and use the volume caculator on the home page or use the L"xW"xH"/231 formula to see how many gallons the return are is and figure in evaporation and see if the area is big enough or if your pump will run dry.