Sump Design help..Redesigning!

[3twenty5]

Ok so I am taking the insides out of my current sump pictured below. I have a bad microbubble problem no matter what i fo with it. Please give your comments on thenew design. It is a copy of a ETSS Sump, but I added a drip plate box . I am running a mAG12 on this system which pumps to my 65 gallon tank which houses a 1 1/2" Drain. Please give me your suggestions as I want to get it right this time.

ETSS Sump
http://www.superskimmer.com/images/DSCN1585a8.jpg

My Current Sump(Microbubble Problem
http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost/data/3014/3231Skimmer.jpg

New Design

[Dazureus]

Is that a refugium in the corner? Also, which is the inlet and output? What kind of pump are you using?

[3twenty5]

In the old sump, yes it was a 10gallon refuge, I have 2 1" ports from teh refuge to the main sump and a 1" return to the MAG12 for return to the tank...and then drains thru a 1 1/2" drain

[Dazureus]

So the Mag is externally plumbed and it goes through that bulkhead on the outer wall? The only reason I'm intersted in this is because it doesn't look like you have much evaporation space with those baffles. Unless you're going to keep the water level well above those last baffles.

[3twenty5]

Yes the pump is external....Remeber the tank is 16" wide...there will be good amount of room for evap..:)

[wrasstaman]

Take some of your $$ and get ya a bigger sump!
fwiw mine (sump) is 36in long by 14x16 and and the fuge is another 30x18x16. Acrylic sheets are not that much and it's easy to work with if you feel like a DIY project.
It will be tough to get rid of your micro bubbles within a 10G space.
Good luck with it!
Wrassta

[v10king]

I have a 15g sump with a DIY bubble trap in the middle. The tank is 20"L. The intake area and skimmer area is 10" then the bubble trap takes up a total of 2.75" leaving me with 7.25" of room for my evap area. I initally had a mag950 hooked up as the return pump. I could not get rid of the microbubbles unless I turned down the flow of the mag950. I have an exact replica of melev's buble trap with 8.5" high baffles. I finally switched out my mag950 to my closed loop and took my mag 700 from the closed loop and used that as the return. Now I have no bubbles whatsoever in the tnak with the same amount of flow. You may have issues getting rid of all the bubbles in such a small space. I am sure the filter floss will help but then you have to clean that all the time or else it becomes a nitrate factory which I wanted to avoid. You could also get a 3-4" diameter pvc pipe with mathcing cap. Put the cap end on the bottom of the sump and have the other end sticking out the top of the water line like 1-2" inches. Stick you intake from the tank into the pipe which may help you. I also ended up putting a tee at the bottom of my intake like so it splits the flow of water from the tank into the sump. I dunno if that helped.

[3twenty5]

Originally posted by v10king
I have a 15g sump with a DIY bubble trap in the middle. The tank is 20"L. The intake area and skimmer area is 10" then the bubble trap takes up a total of 2.75" leaving me with 7.25" of room for my evap area. I initally had a mag950 hooked up as the return pump. I could not get rid of the microbubbles unless I turned down the flow of the mag950. I have an exact replica of melev's buble trap with 8.5" high baffles. I finally switched out my mag950 to my closed loop and took my mag 700 from the closed loop and used that as the return. Now I have no bubbles whatsoever in the tnak with the same amount of flow. You may have issues getting rid of all the bubbles in such a small space. I am sure the filter floss will help but then you have to clean that all the time or else it becomes a nitrate factory which I wanted to avoid. You could also get a 3-4" diameter pvc pipe with mathcing cap. Put the cap end on the bottom of the sump and have the other end sticking out the top of the water line like 1-2" inches. Stick you intake from the tank into the pipe which may help you. I also ended up putting a tee at the bottom of my intake like so it splits the flow of water from the tank into the sump. I dunno if that helped.


So you are saying that your MAG700 is giving you as much flow as your MAG9.5 did turned down correct? So technically you could have stuck with your MAG9.5 turned down and not have microbubbles and have te same flow you have now?

[melev]

Since you are redesigning this completely, you might also consider implementing one of these to help with your bubble issues. It is a simple sketch:

http://www.melevsreef.com/plumbing/pvc_cut.jpg

On to the bubble issue.

If your plan is to have 10" of water depth, your baffles <b>must</b> be 10" tall. <i>All of them</i>. If you want 14" depth, make all the baffles 14" tall.

The center baffle of the bubble trap is 1" off the bottom of the sump, so it will be 1" taller than the rest and work perfectly.

You can put an elbow on your bulkhead to your Mag, pointing downward. Make sure you have at least 3/4" between the base and the elbow so water can flow in easily.

And fwiw, I still believe your original sump was fine, but the baffles were TOO SHORT! I know you raised them up some, but you had to bring them up to the normal water level so they would be an actual barrier.

[v10king]

That is correct. I have the exact setup as before but with the mag7 I have no bubbles and the mag950 I do.

Paul

[3twenty5]

Thanks melev, I like idea of your bubble trap device and am going to try it if I have room. As for teh water level, I will all make all the baffles 10" , I am curious why the ETS designs middle baffle is shorter then the other 2? I am curious why they do this? I just think my other sump had too little water volume to allow for bubles to disssapate.....so I will let you kbnow how it goes,....thanks