smaller or BIGGER pump area in sump?

[Qdoggie]

Some recommend making the pump area larger to help with slowing evaporation due to heat produced by the pump. In theory, I dont know how it would work, because the water is only going to flow as fast as the pump pumps. Hence, if the area is smaller, the water would be flowing faster and less time getting heated up.... If its larger, less turbulent and the water isnt moving as much in the given area. Right? You physics people help me out.

[Qdoggie]

BUMP

[quiksilver]

You want the sump area larger so that you don't have to top off as much. In a properly built sump the return area of the sump is the only part of a system in which the water level will change with evaporation.

The larger this are, the less you are gonna have to top off the system. You have to find a balance in the sump return area size that works for you.

For more information on properly built sumps check out www.melevsreef.com .

Good Luck

[Qdoggie]

I get it. But with a simple system with the baffles the same height, the fuge and the return are, in essence, all one compartment. I really was asking the question based on my system. I guess it really doesnt apply to me..

[quiksilver]

You really should probably use a bubble trap before your return area that seperates it from your refuge. You probably want a seperate area so that the water level of the refuge won't change. This keeps your return pump from killing pods too.

[Sloth]

The evaporation doesn't only occur in the pump chamber. It occurs over the entire surface area of water in your system and is only evident in the pump chamber. The amount of water you have to topoff will not change with the size of the pump chamber. Topoff dose volume and frequency are the only things that change.

The size of the pump chamber doesn't change how your tank is affected by the heat your pump produces either.

One benefit to making a larger pump area is that if your topoff system goes on the fritz, your pump won't dry up as soon. As I found out last night. :rolleye1:

[Qdoggie]

I do have a bubble baffle. from the return, the plate is at the top and hangs 1" from the bottom. The second is the opposite, then I have my fuge, then another set of baffles in teh opposite order... But I do get at what your saying. I dont think I explained my sump too well. Thx...

[Trackz]

Taking the same reasoning as evaporation, why would a smaller return make the pump run dry quicker? Not sure about that one.

I would think you'd want it at least big enough to handle your current and future plans (i.e.: heater, probes, couple float valves for top-off system, etc.)

[Qdoggie]

IMO, with my type of set up, as tall as I make the last baffle betwenn the return and the fuge, will determine how low the water can get. Therefore, in theory, if I cut the wall down to 4" I will have more water from the current 6" height. That extra water would be an extra 2" between the return AND the fuge combined. It really doesnt make a difference how wide the return area is, for me. So it really doesnt matter how big my return is.
In some systems, depending on how the water travels to the sump, the area needs to be larger to hold more water as it is a seperate entity from the rest of the sump.
This is what I got out of reading. Its was a little hard for me to understand without having a different set up the physically see. But you guys tell me if Im way off and just talking out my but.....

[Sloth]

I just got done reading that for the 10nth time and I think I understand. My sump is like your second example. Where the pump sits in a box where water overflows into it.

Whereas yours sits in a box that is submerged a bit under the static water level of your sump. So if your water evaporates, it shows over the entire surface of the sump instead of in the pump box. I get it.

Are you worried about crud, critters, algae, etc getting stuck in your pump intake? I use my little overflow to keep all my macro algae away from my pump.

[Qdoggie]

Sloth, exactly what I mean. Yes they are some of my concerns. How does yours overflow? Any photos?

[Sloth]

Check it out (http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13090&perpage=20&pagenumber=2)

The last pic of the sump shows the water over the overflow baffle. Don't know why it was like that in that pic. Maybe my return pump was off.

[Qdoggie]

You have a fun little set up there... thx for the pics

[katchupoy]

Originally posted by Trackz
Taking the same reasoning as evaporation, why would a smaller return make the pump run dry quicker? Not sure about that one.

I would think you'd want it at least big enough to handle your current and future plans (i.e.: heater, probes, couple float valves for top-off system, etc.)


Considering that you have a baffle system which acts like a dam from two seperate chamber, then if you know that you only need 1/3 or 1/2 of the sump for your equipment use such as skimmers, heaters, probes, etc... then you must as much as possible get the largest you can allocate for your return pump...

Why? like they said if you have a smaller space then the evap time will be faster than the bigger space.
How? water displacement. Example you have an evap of 1gallon a day. Then one gallon a day in a 1 gallon chamber will be emptied in one day while if you have a 2 gallon chamber then it will take 2 days to empty that chamber.

I hope im not confusing you more.

Also if you have a bigger last chamber.... this will also help keep thos runaway bubbles to surface before it reach the pump... meaning bigger travel distance.

Cesar