Need input on sump/fuge design
- Thread starter dsmattice
- Start date
.357
Member
Overflow! When the power goes out how much water will come out of the DT? I had a problem not with the main overflow to the sump, but water coming back down the return line and overflowing the sump. At this point if have check valves on the returns. The rest looks cool. What about skimming?
turningtim
Active Member
try it this way
dsmattice
Member
I'm working with free stuff. I've got the overflow handled with my existing plumbing. The skimmer is the tall badly drawn item in the right hand intake chamber. The black line into the fuge chamber is a water line from a small pump in the intake chamber as well.
The intake and return rate won't change from my existing wet/Dry set-up, so my thought is that if I put my baffles at the right height to account for the added water volume in a power loss, I should be okay.
I'm real tight on space in the stand (limits plumbing) and I'm trying to add a low flow rate to the fuge....so that is where the idea of the small pump supplying water to the fuge and the fuge flowing into the return chamber would work. In the event of a failure in the main pump, the water capacity increases in the sump to a point. The small pump will the only recycle the water in the sump/fuge system and not add any volume.
Does this make any sense?
I know its not ideal, but hey, free stuff.
The intake and return rate won't change from my existing wet/Dry set-up, so my thought is that if I put my baffles at the right height to account for the added water volume in a power loss, I should be okay.
I'm real tight on space in the stand (limits plumbing) and I'm trying to add a low flow rate to the fuge....so that is where the idea of the small pump supplying water to the fuge and the fuge flowing into the return chamber would work. In the event of a failure in the main pump, the water capacity increases in the sump to a point. The small pump will the only recycle the water in the sump/fuge system and not add any volume.
Does this make any sense?
I know its not ideal, but hey, free stuff.
turningtim
Active Member
It works and I got smart enough to save it so its just a click away!
Besides its better then blowin' 1200 gph in one side and out the other and haveing pumps all over the place.
How'd the move go coach? Did/are you going to try that fuge set-up (video)?
Tim
Besides its better then blowin' 1200 gph in one side and out the other and haveing pumps all over the place.
How'd the move go coach? Did/are you going to try that fuge set-up (video)?
Tim
turningtim
Active Member
Originally Posted by dsmattice
.357
I have an anti-siphon hole drilled in my return line (HOB) so drainage back to the sump can be easily accounted for.
Anti siphon hole is great but remember the OF will drain until it equalizes and water still in the lines. Yes it won't be a lot but ........
.357
I have an anti-siphon hole drilled in my return line (HOB) so drainage back to the sump can be easily accounted for.
Anti siphon hole is great but remember the OF will drain until it equalizes and water still in the lines. Yes it won't be a lot but ........
coachklm
Active Member
Originally Posted by TurningTim
It works and I got smart enough to save it so its just a click away!
Besides its better then blowin' 1200 gph in one side and out the other and haveing pumps all over the place.
How'd the move go coach? Did/are you going to try that fuge set-up (video)?
Tim
i dont have my houshold goods yet but we'll see........
It works and I got smart enough to save it so its just a click away!
Besides its better then blowin' 1200 gph in one side and out the other and haveing pumps all over the place.
How'd the move go coach? Did/are you going to try that fuge set-up (video)?
Tim
i dont have my houshold goods yet but we'll see........
turningtim
Active Member
Nope should be an even trade! What size tank? I would have the baffles all the way up to the top. Drop them about an inch, just in case.
fairly easy to calc the room you need. You already know what drains from the tank, so how big of an area do you want for the skimmer/sump and fuge?
fairly easy to calc the room you need. You already know what drains from the tank, so how big of an area do you want for the skimmer/sump and fuge?
dsmattice
Member
Thanks Tim.
If all goes as planned I should be able to eek out a sizeable addition in total water volume. I want to plan the fuge as large as possible.
The next challenge will be trying to figure out the best approach to getting the sump/fuge into the stand without totally draining the 125 DP... I'm no engineer, so I'll be looking for advice on this forum.
If all goes as planned I should be able to eek out a sizeable addition in total water volume. I want to plan the fuge as large as possible.
The next challenge will be trying to figure out the best approach to getting the sump/fuge into the stand without totally draining the 125 DP... I'm no engineer, so I'll be looking for advice on this forum.
.357
Member
I had an anti-siphon hole drilled in my return line and it usually worked. The times that I really needed it it would get plugged and game over. My Fuge is also a seprate tank. I also get some backflow from this as well. I have a 125H, if I olny have 1.5"of loss out of the top of the tank 7 gallons are coming down the pipe. then add the water in the lines, skimmer, fuge and uv. I your drawing (which looks good by the way and the small pump running the fuge will work fine) you are using most of the 55 gallons as filter and really only a small sump area. The sump as I am sure you know is where you will add the make up water. In my case the power only goes out when I just topped off.
The point is just make sure that you are thinking about backups. I found that in my case the check valve is the safest answer.
The point is just make sure that you are thinking about backups. I found that in my case the check valve is the safest answer.
turningtim
Active Member
Check out melev reef for your solution for that! I think thats where it was. Used temp supports and removed the center brace and after the sump was in replced it.
You want to run some numbers on the sump let me know......
You want to run some numbers on the sump let me know......
turningtim
Active Member
Originally Posted by dsmattice
Turning Tim
I'd love to run some numbers on the sump. As I said, I want to maximize the fuge, while leaving enough room for skimmer, return pump, fuge pump, etc. and allowing room for backflow.
OK well we need to know sizes of everything, skimmer return pump and what ever else you want to put in there.
What size OF do you have? How much water drains out of the MT (inches?) when the power is off?
Tim
Turning Tim
I'd love to run some numbers on the sump. As I said, I want to maximize the fuge, while leaving enough room for skimmer, return pump, fuge pump, etc. and allowing room for backflow.
OK well we need to know sizes of everything, skimmer return pump and what ever else you want to put in there.
What size OF do you have? How much water drains out of the MT (inches?) when the power is off?
Tim
dsmattice
Member
Originally Posted by TurningTim
OK well we need to know sizes of everything, skimmer return pump and what ever else you want to put in there.
What size OF do you have? How much water drains out of the MT (inches?) when the power is off?
Tim
MT = 125 gallon drains about 3/4" when the power is off which I re-calculated today to a little less than 6 gallons.
OF = ??? U-tube style It came with an amiracle wet/dry currently setup and the back measures 6"long x 4" wide x 10" deep with a single 1" bulkhead and flexible hose dropping about 4' to wet/dry.
Return pump = RIO 3100 HP running 5' head
Skimmer is brand new Coralife Super Skimmer 125 w/needle wheel 500 GPH
I currently have a Rena Filstar XP3 cannister filter running just for added flow. I don't plan on keeping this going.
I have a UV sterilizer running on a powerhead...any thoughts on the future of this??? Run it because it was there, still researching.
I have two maxijet 400 powerheads running in MT.
OK well we need to know sizes of everything, skimmer return pump and what ever else you want to put in there.
What size OF do you have? How much water drains out of the MT (inches?) when the power is off?
Tim
MT = 125 gallon drains about 3/4" when the power is off which I re-calculated today to a little less than 6 gallons.
OF = ??? U-tube style It came with an amiracle wet/dry currently setup and the back measures 6"long x 4" wide x 10" deep with a single 1" bulkhead and flexible hose dropping about 4' to wet/dry.
Return pump = RIO 3100 HP running 5' head
Skimmer is brand new Coralife Super Skimmer 125 w/needle wheel 500 GPH
I currently have a Rena Filstar XP3 cannister filter running just for added flow. I don't plan on keeping this going.
I have a UV sterilizer running on a powerhead...any thoughts on the future of this??? Run it because it was there, still researching.
I have two maxijet 400 powerheads running in MT.
turningtim
Active Member
You need some more flow. So I would keep the can filter for now until you get something to replace it.
Don't really know about UV, I don't use one but some folks swear by them...
The SS I think needs like 12 x 12 footprint? and you should size for a bigger return pump for the future.
Right at at 600 gph for that size tank is a bit lite but we''ll work with it for now.....
Tim
Don't really know about UV, I don't use one but some folks swear by them...
The SS I think needs like 12 x 12 footprint? and you should size for a bigger return pump for the future.
Right at at 600 gph for that size tank is a bit lite but we''ll work with it for now.....
Tim