Can someone check my sump design

shwstpr88

Member
I am thinking of leaning towards making a new sump since my original one is starting to fall apart:

Let me know what you guys think or suggest thanks!
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by shwstpr88
http:///forum/post/3204538
I am thinking of leaning towards making a new sump since my original one is starting to fall apart:

Let me know what you guys think or suggest thanks!
How are you going to get the water from the left into the right chamber without submerging your skimmer. What is the LR going to accomplish. where and how are you going to reintroduce the skimmed water into your sump
 

shwstpr88

Member
woops that wall right of the skimmer is too high my mistake it would be lower than the skimmer and overflow to the right.
I should have live rock in the bio balls would be section of the sump?
 

scopus tang

Active Member
Personally, I would make all the walls the same height, and add a second ballast on them, especially the first and last wall. With the design you have currently, chaeto will break out of that clump and end up in the return pump are all the time, not to mention that when the pump is shut off and the sump fills, it'll float all over.
Beyond that I like the two live rock areas, and would return the skimmed water into the same chamber that the sump sits in. Without the double ballasts, you will likely have air bubble issues with your return pump.
 

robertmathern

Active Member
honestky I would get rid of the first compart all together and stick you skimmer there so you have a bigger fuge and like scopus said add a bubble trap by the return pump
 

robertmathern

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bulldog123
http:///forum/post/3204880
Why do most put the refuge in the middle chamber? This does not make good use of the fuge. Or does it?
if you put it in the first chamber you will skim out pods. Not that we dont anyway but far less.
 

bulldog123

Member
Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/3204882
if you put it in the first chamber you will skim out pods. Not that we dont anyway but far less.
I could not agree more. But I am not saying put it before the skimmer or in the same chamber. I prefer to put it in the last chamber, return in the middle or in a seperate tank. This allows us to control the flow (what flow rate do you want your sump vs fuge) along with pulling water from the first (intake) chamber and put it back in the return chamber.
 

shwstpr88

Member
It goes in the middle so that the water flows through it no? This way macro algae can obsorb the nutrients in the water that you do not want and then clean water is returned to the DT.
 

robertmathern

Active Member
Ok I got ya there but got to ask you a question. By controlling the amount of flow going to the fuge ad the skimmer area. Where is the proven benefit and if there is no proven benefit why bother plumbing all those lines. IMO it is hurting more than helping cuz every uneeded line slows down flow from your overflow thus not letting you reach the full amount of flow you could acheve.
 

bulldog123

Member
Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/3204900
Ok I got ya there but got to ask you a question. By controlling the amount of flow going to the fuge ad the skimmer area. Where is the proven benefit and if there is no proven benefit why bother plumbing all those lines. IMO it is hurting more than helping cuz every uneeded line slows down flow from your overflow thus not letting you reach the full amount of flow you could acheve.
How much flow do you want going in/out of the sump?
How much flow do you want going in/out of the refuge?
Is it the same, or would it be best to be different?
 

bulldog123

Member
Originally Posted by shwstpr88
http:///forum/post/3204899
It goes in the middle so that the water flows through it no? This way macro algae can obsorb the nutrients in the water that you do not want and then clean water is returned to the DT.
You have the correct concept, but is it the best/only design? Im not saying right or wrong just food for thought. I like doing things one time, usually doesnt work that way.
 

robertmathern

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bulldog123
http:///forum/post/3204911
How much flow do you want going in/out of the sump?
How much flow do you want going in/out of the refuge?
Is it the same, or would it be best to be different?
I dont see how it makes a difference. I would rather have my skimmer filter the water and what it misses goes to my fuge to get filtered. Instead of have what the skimmer misses and what the fuge misses mixing and going back to the tank. But now that I typed that I realize we are acomplishing the same thing. What my skimmer misses and what my fuge misses all go to the same place
. So control is nice but I would rather not have so much plumbing and be able to have more flow. I guess it is just a preference.
 

scopus tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bulldog123
http:///forum/post/3204913
You have the correct concept, but is it the best/only design? Im not saying right or wrong just food for thought. I like doing things one time, usually doesnt work that way.
May not be the best, but it's certainly the cheapest. pumping out of the middle means either splitting the return line or running a seperate pump to supply water to the fuge. Unless you're going with a seperate pump for the fuge, it also means hardline for the overflow rather than soft. IMPO, the most effective method is to not have the fuge in the sump period, but rather have it in a seperate tank that dumps into the return chamber only - that means a seperate pump and additional space, as well as another tank or rubbermaid container. But if you truly want to talk about effectiveness, the most effective method/use of the LR is to have a seperate prechamber with the overflow dumps into that can hold a significant amount of LR, say the equivalent of a 10 or 15 gallon tank. More LR = more nutrient break down than the small piles of rubble that most people have. Again, most people don't do it that way cause it involves more plumping and takes more space.
 

bulldog123

Member
Originally Posted by shwstpr88
http:///forum/post/3204899
It goes in the middle so that the water flows through it no? This way macro algae can obsorb the nutrients in the water that you do not want and then clean water is returned to the DT.
Will the algea absorb the same amount of nutrients reguardless of flow rate?
If the water stays incontact longer will it absorb more/less?
 

bulldog123

Member
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/3204919
May not be the best, but it's certainly the cheapest. pumping out of the middle means either splitting the return line or running a seperate pump to supply water to the fuge. Unless you're going with a seperate pump for the fuge, it also means hardline for the overflow rather than soft. IMPO, the most effective method is to not have the fuge in the sump period, but rather have it in a seperate tank that dumps into the return chamber only - that means a seperate pump and additional space, as well as another tank or rubbermaid container. But if you truly want to talk about effectiveness, the most effective method/use of the LR is to have a seperate prechamber with the overflow dumps into that can hold a significant amount of LR, say the equivalent of a 10 or 15 gallon tank. More LR = more nutrient break down than the small piles of rubble that most people have. Again, most people don't do it that way cause it involves more plumping and takes more space.
IMO the best way is to have a HOB fuge. This way the pods dont go through any pump(assuming pods are part of your thoughts). I have a three chamber sump. Chamber 1 both intakes soft lines. Chamber 2 both return lines. Chamber 3 fuge. Yes i have to have any "extra" 50gph pump but its cheap and small. I not saying good, better, or best just giving extra thoughts. This sump desigh thing would be so much easier if everyone new of the texas reefer. He does some amazing sumps. I didnt dream this up I "borrowed" the idea.
 

robertmathern

Active Member
You are right the more contact time the more nutrients it will absorb but also allow for detruis to settle and rot adding more nutrients to the tank. . Thats why I like my sump. I have an external skimmer plumbed to my overflow (recirculating) that dumps into my sump thats a 55 gallon tank with no baffels in it at all just about 100 lbs of rock a little mud and chetao My return pump is a mag 9.5 so flow is alot higher than yours but still not that high
 

scopus tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bulldog123
http:///forum/post/3204929
IMO the best way is to have a HOB fuge. This way the pods dont go through any pump(assuming pods are part of your thoughts). I have a three chamber sump. Chamber 1 both intakes soft lines. Chamber 2 both return lines. Chamber 3 fuge. Yes i have to have any "extra" 50gph pump but its cheap and small. I not saying good, better, or best just giving extra thoughts. This sump desigh thing would be so much easier if everyone new of the texas reefer. He does some amazing sumps. I didnt dream this up I "borrowed" the idea.

I would love to see a schematic of your sump.
Originally Posted by robertmathern

http:///forum/post/3204952
You are right the more contact time the more nutrients it will absorb but also allow for detruis to settle and rot adding more nutrients to the tank. . Thats why I like my sump. I have an external skimmer plumbed to my overflow (recirculating) that dumps into my sump thats a 55 gallon tank with no baffels in it at all just about 100 lbs of rock a little mud and chetao My return pump is a mag 9.5 so flow is alot higher than yours but still not that high
How do you keep the chaeto out of your return pump and therefore out of your DT?
 

robertmathern

Active Member
Why dont we keep that my little secret haha. No I just pile rocks around the intake. and every so often I will find a small strand here and there no more than when I did have baffles in there
 
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