Help, can I plumb two sumps?

[marcb]

I started filling my 240 with water, so far so good, but ran out of RO/DI water before I hit the closed loop, so that will be tested tommorrow.
Anyway, my question is, with 2 overflows can I have two separate sumps? Will having separate returns be a potential cause for an overflow issue?
Thanks for the help!

 

[alix2.0]

i think it would be risky to try, but i really have to idea so im just tagging along to see what someone else says.

 

[culp]

if you have two sumps it should not be a problem. both sump in theory should get equal amount of water if both overflows are the same size. to be safe to try to prevent overflows of either sump you could buy tanks to be your sump that are a lot taller than normal.

 

[culp]

or what you can do is to have two sumps and just link them together so that you only have 1 return pump.

 

[marcb]

Originally Posted by Culp
http:///forum/post/2883339
or what you can do is to have two sumps and just link them together so that you only have 1 return pump.

A friend is helping me set this up and suggested this:
Have the return in one sump, and have the other a little elevated and basically gravity feeding the first sump (the one with the return).
Basically it would all be one sump, just adding more volume and a separate chamber.

 

[slade1274]

Originally Posted by Culp
http:///forum/post/2883339
or what you can do is to have two sumps and just link them together so that you only have 1 return pump.

That's it... two sumps=OK; two return pumps are no-go. You can never match the flow rates down to the flow rates up. I have two sumps as mentioned, but the one flows into the other so one return pump can control the flow in the tank. No risk of overflowing a sump or running one dry.

 

[florida joe]

Two separate sumps if in fact you are using then as a sump/refug and not having them connected is a good idea you can control the level in each sump by the use of a valve connected to the influent water into each sump thus allowing you to regulate the turnover rate of each sump differently each sump would have its own designated return pump tied into your effluent water back to your DT

 

[ilovemytank]

I wished I had asked this question before I did mine. I wanted a seperate sump and refugium. I have two predrilled over flows. I took one house and hooked it to the refugium and one to the sump. It doesn't work. The flow rate never stays the same. I added ball valvles to adjust them. Doesn't work there is consatnt change in flow rates. I then bought two mag 7s and figured I would move and equal amount of water from the refugium to the sump and back, putting both overflows going to the sump. Doesn't work constant flow change. I now the perfect system and the only way you will get it to work. I have one overflow going to the refugium and one to the sump. I have both 1200 gph returns in the sump. I drilled a bulk head ( 3", giving 2" of hole diameter ) and conencted the two tanks. I put the bulkhead at the hieght I wanted the water level to be in the sump to allow for the overflow of a power outage. Works great. I am attaching a couple of pictures. If you would like me to take up close or provide more details let me know. I hope this helps.

 

[florida joe]

Regardless of your setup a hole in your influent water tubes just under the water level along with a one-way valve should protect you from back siphoning into your sump and overflowing it
BTW Ilovemy tank nice clean looking sump setup

 

[rgaynor81]

i have pretty much the same setup but i do not have the 2 built in over flows . i was woundering if any body had any in put on how mine could be hooked up. i have a 55 gallon with 1 over flow box over the side of the tank with a siphon u tube from there a hose gos down into the wet/dry and then back out into the tank. my new setup is going to be done in pvc pipe down from the over flow with a shut off then i will either put a tee or y fitting in from there 1 pipe will go into the new refugium i bought and the other pipe will go into the top of the wet/dry. i then thought i would put in a bulkhead in between the refugium and the wet/dry. i will then put a pump in the wet/ dry and pvc back from there put in another shut off and back into the tank . does anybody see any problems with my ideas. its going to look something like the tank above the refugium on the left and wet/dry on the right.

 

[ilovemytank]

Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/2885726
i have pretty much the same setup but i do not have the 2 built in over flows . i was woundering if any body had any in put on how mine could be hooked up. i have a 55 gallon with 1 over flow box over the side of the tank with a siphon u tube from there a hose gos down into the wet/dry and then back out into the tank. my new setup is going to be done in pvc pipe down from the over flow with a shut off then i will either put a tee or y fitting in from there 1 pipe will go into the new refugium i bought and the other pipe will go into the top of the wet/dry. i then thought i would put in a bulkhead in between the refugium and the wet/dry. i will then put a pump in the wet/ dry and pvc back from there put in another shut off and back into the tank . does anybody see any problems with my ideas. its going to look something like the tank above the refugium on the left and wet/dry on the right.

The flow of water will change and never keep a precise water level that way. Put your over flow into a filter sock in the first stage of the refugium the water will then run through the refugium stages and drill the two tanks together from the final stage of the refugium into the sump wet/dry. Drill the hole at the hieght you want the water to stay in the sump, allow for power outage and overflow fro the tank. Have the return pump in the sump. The drilling is easy. You will never have a worry this way.

 

[robertmathern]

I agree with Ilovemytank thats how mine is set up I used 2 wetdrys but its the same idea. It works great. ilovemytank did the corals I sent you make it of or they in the tolietbowl in the sky.

 

[rgaynor81]

ok so i should not tee off overflow then. the only reason i was going to do it that way was so that the wet/dry would still operate by going in the top running threw the filter pad and down threw the bio balls. i guess there would be know reason to hook up the wet/dry then ?

 

[robertmathern]

Do you have a pic of what you are trying to do. That way I get a better idea of what it is you are doing.

 

[robertmathern]

wait a minute I just got what you are talking about sorry I am a little slow. I would not recomend teeing a single overflow. If you had 2 overflows and plumbed both you wet dry and refugium to a return section with a pump to handle the overflows (unless it is a drilled tank) then it would work. One overflow for the wet dry one for the refuge but look at ilovemytanks pics it is what I have and you can do it with what you have and it works perfect.

 

[ilovemytank]

Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2886165
I agree with Ilovemytank thats how mine is set up I used 2 wetdrys but its the same idea. It works great. ilovemytank did the corals I sent you make it of or they in the tolietbowl in the sky.
Sorry to say that they didn't make it. IF you really want to be able to use the bio ball part of the wet/dry then replace your overflow box to one of the ones they sell that has two hoses. Then you can seperate one hose to each, but you still need to drill the two tanks and connect them. The drill bits aren't expensive and the plumbing is cheap too. Make sure that you go with a bulkhead that is large enough to move the quantity of water that you want.

 

[robertmathern]

Originally Posted by Ilovemytank
http:///forum/post/2886393
Sorry to say that they didn't make it. IF you really want to be able to use the bio ball part of the wet/dry then replace your overflow box to one of the ones they sell that has two hoses. Then you can seperate one hose to each, but you still need to drill the two tanks and connect them. The drill bits aren't expensive and the plumbing is cheap too. Make sure that you go with a bulkhead that is large enough to move the quantity of water that you want.
Oh well tanks for trying. And this is good advice here. I agree 100%

 

[rgaynor81]

im sorry my computer keeps shuting down i did get all you messages thanks for all the imput . im not going to start the project until some time after christmas if i have any more questions i will be sure to ask. have a great holiday.