New Sump Design

[will1021]

Here is the design for my new sump. Any suggestions on improving it would be helpful. I will be putting acrylic sheets in an AGA 55 gal tank. I will also be getting an Aqua C Urchin Pro Skimmer. 18 in. seems to be a good height for for the skimmer.


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/will1021/Reef/NewSump.jpg

[dvmsn]

Looks good to me.

[H2OLUVSME]

you need to reverse your baffles into the return area, IMO & E.

ill try my best to explain, but this gets a little tough sounding.
you have the last baffles designed over/under/over. they need to be under/over/under. the last baffle you have is going to create a water fall as soon as your water level drops from evaporation (which creates bubbles). if you change it to under/over/under the water fall bubbles are trapped behind the final baffle.


one other (possible non-)issue is the height of your baffles. how much water do you loose from the main tank when you shut off the return pump? i would figure this out, then put some extra space in the sump to handle that much, then a little. its pretty easy to figure. gallons are equal to (LxWxH)/231 make sure you have more area in the sump than drains out. it should be pretty easy to figure and reduce the amount of back flow and you may have already done this. just wanted to point out the issue.

[chad508]

i would also put the return in the middle and split the supply to the sump and fuge

[will1021]

I have already calculated the water extra water and I am confortable with that. I see what you are saying about the baffles, and I am gonna make that change to an U/O/U.

I did think about putting the return in the middle, but I wanted to try and keep it simple, as this is my first attempt at doing a sump like this. Is there an up or downside to putting the return in the center????

I did calculate my water volume and I will be adding 40-45 gallons of volume to my tank. :)

[H2OLUVSME]

what kind of return are you going to run?

the main advantages to center drain is controlling the flow to the fuge, most macros and pods do better with lover flow. the main disadvantages are more baffles (need three from each section to center (which cuts down on usable fuge space) and more of a chance for bubbles. this will put your skimmer and drain in the next chamber from your return (which i dont like). i

i have a self built sump on each of my tanks. one is a center drain with the return at one end and the fuge at the other. my return pump is powerful enough to suck the insane amount of bubbles (from the drain) down under the last baffle.

in the other tank i have the drain/skimmer, then the fuge, then the return (exactly as you have designed). i have restricted my return pump (by splitting my it into three different outlets) down to ~400gph. i have the skimmers draining into their own chamber (same as drain) to keep the majority of the bubbles in that section, and recirculate the water. this maximizes the skimmer efficiency and keep the bubbles in check. i like this design better (as log as you dont go with too big of a return pump). it makes the bubbles from the drain and skimmers travel over a baffle then across the top of the fuge, then though my bubble trap, and to the return. i have much less bubble trouble in this set up than the other, and i think 400gph is not too much flow for my fuge, considering most of it is across the surface.

if youd like to come by my office and home i can show you both designs in action. the one i prefer (like you have drawn) is at my house, and you are welcome to stop by anytime.

[phishguy78]

will looks good to me i would take into consideration on landons ideas as he has built one before and i like the way chad has his setup with the refuge on the front and everything else behind it many different ways to do it maybe the best way is to just expermint with every possible way see what you like better

[phishguy78]

may will you might want to talk to jimmy i think he built his own and i think he sectioned it to run a little of water to refuge and most of water is going around it but im not sure ask him call me at store if you need his number also he is building my canopy for 150 and i will see him fri or sat

[bugshop]

Update?:D