DIY HOB Sump.

[emonemo]

So I bought an acrylic kit on that big

[hr]
site, thinking it was a built item. I got a bunch of parts in a box and some cement.
They had it all cut out but it was up to me to build it. It was advertized as a refugium but it very slim and i thought would act better as a sump/filtration unit.
So I built it and used the baffles as a center diver that would hold a nitrate absorbing pad, as youll see in the schematics i drew up in paint. Pictures werent showing much.
I wanna ask you guys if you think my design will work, as it is currently running, with LR from my DT as well as some chaeto.
It works by pumping water up over the tank wall, and into the 2.7g hob sump. the overflow/out hole/pipe is half an inch lower than the inlet so the water just pours right into the tank via the elbow joint that is also used to hang it.
the side that has the higher elbow joint is actually hanging on an acrylic "ledge" ill take some pics laer tonight so you can see.
anyways, here is the drawing, let meknow what you guys think,
Maks

 

[sign guy]

not a good desige for chato turnover

 

[emonemo]

meaning i should have something else in that spot. or that i wont be able to harvest the the green stuff. if its the latter im not worried since im only doing it to help with nitrate reduction. ive got a 13w over it to provide the light.
Maybe im just not getting why its not good for the chaeto.

 

[sign guy]

chato needs high flow that makes it tumble in the water. with that design the water just flows across the top of the chato and out the hole

 

[emonemo]

so should i just turn it into a dark sump. with the LR on one side. then the nitrate filter pad, and in the other compartment have the Chemi-pure bags?
that would make sense right. the LR is getting most of the flow, the water HAS to go through the nitrate pad, and the chemi-pure just has to have light water flow to be able to do its thing.
that would be alright... yeah?

 

[sign guy]

why dont you put the chato in with the LR?

 

[sign guy]

also what that will do is let the water rise through the chato giving it more of a chance to tumble

 

[emonemo]

nah, the whole box measure 12"x12"x4". there just isnt enough room for it to tumble. water will flow through it at best...
followup, what is the tumbeling for? so that all sides get light?

 

[mes1]

why dont you just add a tiny power head and point it at the chaeto?? i dont see why that wouldnt work :thinking:
something like this...

 

[sign guy]

that sliped my mind I have two in my fuge but I still think you should move the chato with the LR and still add a small PH

 

[emonemo]

that could work.
How about if i switch the locations of the rock and the chaeto.
right? the rock needs flow. but not that much, just enough so that the water is moving. I caould just fix the inlet tubing to a specific angle and have the chaeto rolling around on one side. will the rock just sits on the other.
would that work?

 

[sign guy]

well the chato could use the lr as company so your copods have somthing to graze

 

[emonemo]

OK so i reconfigured it and I think this will yield the best results.
My old penguin is now just a physical filter using phosphate removing pad that also does partical filtration.
the Sump has lost the chaeto, it is in the tank in the back corners on both sides getting GOOD flow and lots of light.
The right side of the sump has the water pumped through the tube coming in at the bottom where is flows up through/around the rock in order to get to the second side it HAS TO go around/through a 1/2 sized chemi-pure and then through the nitrate pad which also does physical filtration by its nature. In the second compartement is another 1/2 sized chemi-pure bag that kinda soaks in whatever flow there is before the water flows out the top.
I did this 8 hours ago. it got murky at first because i stirred up all tat gunk, but was trapped by the filters within 30 minutes. the water is not Crystal clear and nitrate got cut in half from 20 to 10. 8 hours!!!
in hindsight i could have baffled it a bit different, but ill set thos plans aside for by next tank/sump project.
Ill draw up some plans and post.

 

[emonemo]

this is a rough sketch of how ide like to have it. set it up in such a way to where water HAS TO go a certain way and hit all the stops i need it to. Kinda like hitting the gym with a proper workout.

 

[emonemo]

come to think of it, i could probably stack a phosphate sucking pad on the nitrate one on those little shelvs attached to the baffles.
hack, what else can I stuff in this thing. >?