The right way to set up 55g sump?

[kimha]

Hi all,

My current sump is too small for my new aquac ev-240 skimmer. So I bought a 55g tank to use as a sump. I would like to get your opinion on the best way to configure a sump, so I can do it right the first time. This is what I have in mind.. Would it work?

1. Use Acrylic to divide the 55g into 3 sections.

2. The water from the tank will go into the first section. I will put the skimmer in this 1st section to remove protein stuff, and the output of the skimmer will be directed to the 2nd section.

3. The second section (middle) will have filter pads, black carbon, live rocks for filtration. Hopefully the water floating out of this section into the 3rd section will be cleaned

4. The 3rd section will have a return pump to pump the water back into the tank.

This sounds too simple, I am afraid I am missing out on something. Is this the right way to set up a sump?

Thanks.
Kimha

 

[civicss1]

you have to use glass to make the dividers...i used a 55 also but i just made it into two sections...i have my inch and a half drain go into my fuge then it overflows through a filter sock into the other half where my skimmer is..the water that comes out of the skimmer goes through another filter sock ....for a return i used an external pump so i could put my skimmer in there....

 

[hansnfrans]

civicss1 is right, definately use glass for the dividers. I am about to do the same thing with a 55 gallon glass aquarium for my sump. What I am going to do is split the hose from the overflow box. 1 line w/ ball valve goes to my skimmer, other larger line goes to a DIY Acrylic wet/dry box. The skimmer output will also flow into the wet/dry box as well. The DIY wet/dry section will have carbon pads on top of the drip plate. If there is room, I am going to add a refugium in there after the wet/dry section.

 

[kimha]

What is the reason for using glass as divider? Shouldn't acrylic works just as well? I saw a 180g glass tank with acrylic overflow boxes. Glued together by aquarium silicone. I have some extra acrylic pieces laying around that I can cut into the right sizes for the dividers. But if glass is a must, then I guess I better buy some glasses. But wondering why acrylic can not be used.

 

[ONEMANBAND]

I would do it like your first post, glass would be better for the dividers as it is hard to get a good bond between them. The skimmer should be before the fuge.

 

[hansnfrans]

Glass is best with glass because of the material that you use to bond the dividers to the sump. With a glass sump you will use silicone, and unfortunately silicone doesn't bond well with acrylic and will eventually come apart.

Also make sure you put good lighting over that live rock, might as well toss in some macroalgae to reduce nitrates in your system. If in fact I can fit a refugium into my sump, I am going to use atleast 1 24watt power compact light, maybe 2.

 

[kimha]

Thank you very much for all the suggestions. So glass it is I will sure add some macroalgae to reduce the nitrate. I heard this may even reduce the algae problem in the main tank.

 

[hansnfrans]

Yes, that is the point of adding macroalgae. The macro will use up the nitrates in the system so that it can grow and therefore leaving the microalgae in your main tank with that much less fuel (nitrates) for its own growth.

 

[schiavonir]

I recently had a sump custom made and it is setup almost exactly as you described in your first post. First section is for skimmer, second section is for refugium, (LS, LR, macro) and the third section is for the return. A couple of suggestions, based on the way that mine is designed.

1. Depending on how the water flows from section 2 to 3, you want to make sure that your macro algae stays in 2, so put some eggcrate or something there to allow water and block macro.

2. Make sure that you don't have a lot of bubbles being created in the 3rd section, or they will be sucked up and shot out into your main tank. It's not harmful (I don't think) but it makes your water look "cloudy". One way to prevent this is to create sort of a maze of baffles in your 3rd section for the water to flow through before being returned. In my case, the water flows from the 2nd to 3rd section, then has to flow around a glass wall to get to the return pump.

3. This is an excellent and cost effective refugium light:
http://www.buylighting.com/cart/purchase1.asp?pid=642 (choose the 5100K bulb)
I remember reading some posts here on RC and an article about a guy that ran an experiment with this bulb vs. another full spectrum, and this one was way better. He set up identical conditions and the macro under this bulb grew about twice as much as the other in a period of two weeks.

Roger

 

[kimha]

Thank you very much Roger. Those small details are so important. I definite don't want microbubbles get into the main tank.

 

[hansnfrans]

Roger,

1. Wouldn't it be best to make the divider between sections 2 and 3 taller, instead of using egg crate. My thought is that doing it with a taller (glass) divider will alow you to keep all the little pods safely in the refugium with the macro, whereas the egg crate will prevent the pods from thriving in the refugium.

2. Couldn't you achieve the same level of prevention (regarding microbubbles) by adding a sponge to where the water flows over the divider from section 2 into section 3(similar to the way that some manufacturers of wet/dry's do)?

Just curious. Thanx.

 

[schiavonir]

hansnfrans,

1. Even the tallest glass has some potential for the macro to flow over it and then get jammed in your return pump. I'm using a Mag 7 return pump, so there's quite a lot of flow through my sump. All you really need to do is to make the glass divider as tall as you want (but lower than the divider between chambers 1 and 2) and then attach some eggcrate to the top of it as a screen. There will still be a safe haven for pods in there. Some will overflow and get back up to your tank, but that's okay. Good for the fish and the main tank too!

2. Yes, you can use a sponge, but if you were to create a post here asking about sponges you would get opinions all over the board. Some people like them, some people don't, some people say they're okay if you clean them regularly, some people call them nitrate factories, etc. My experience has been that the water flowing between chambers 2 and 3 still has stuff in it, so it would cause a buildup on a sponge if you put it there. I actually started putting macro there which I suppose does the same thing you are suggesting. Since I have that glass divider, the macro can't get into the return pump.

I should put up the caveat here that my sump is a 10 gallon tank (chambers 1 and 2) that flows through bulkheads (protected by an eggcrate screen) into a 5 gallon tank (chamber 3.) So my experience may be different than that of a 55 gallon sump, but I would think that most of the same principles would apply. With a much bigger fuge, you may have cleaner water flowing into chamber 3 than I do.

Roger

 

[hansnfrans]

Roger,
any pics of your sump? I have to make a 55gal sump, 29gal sump, and a 10gal sump.

 

[schiavonir]

I've been meaning to put some up. I'll take some pics and post them.

 

[hansnfrans]

Excellent. Lemme know when they are up.