Sump Design Help

[djcanis]

Ok, here is the basic design for my sump. The first compartment on the right with the intake line will be live rock and chaeto, not calpurea, I am getting the 2 confused quite often. Any suggestions on what should be in the second compartment besides my heater and a phosban reactor? Or should the phosban go after the skimmer on the tank return? Is there a benefit to using the phosban reactor over some type of carbon filled box in the return line? Also, I am using pvc piping instead of tubing. Am I ok using the pvc cement and primer as in residential plumbing or is there something that is meant for reef tanks?
Thanks
B.

 

[djcanis]

Here are a couple pics as the tank stands now. As it stands now, I have 40lbs of base rock and about 80 lbs of LR. I added about a quart of live sand to seed the 90 lbs bed I have. Still waiting for the water to clear to arrange the rock. That has been the biggesty challange. THe rock now has a thick layer of sand silt, and I have no idea how to clear it off without clouding up the tank. My idea was to set up a coupel of 20 gal rubbermaids with water, powerheads and heaters, pull the rock from the tank, rinse them in a 5gal bucket of tank water and put in the tubs till the tank clears, then arrage. Anyone have an easier way? Will this cause die off, the rock will only be out of the water 10 to 15 seconds...
Anyway, here are pics of the tank and the start of the sump, I am gonna start building it tonight... I will post pic of the progress...

 

[superhero]

As far as your rock goes I would reccomend just waiting to avoid the hassle of going through withe all the rubbermaids and what now after everything has settled then rearrange the rock and kinda dust the sand off the rock by waving your hand back and forth next to it.. it is a lot easier and have you started your cycle by adding a couple of dead shrimp to the tank yet? If not i would reccomend it... also as far as the pvc piping goes its ok to use the normal primers and selant
-tony

 

[djcanis]

Havent started the cycle yet, was waiting till I had the sump built and running. The only part I think I am missing is a return pump, which I am hoping to pick up tonight... Should I not bother waiting, and just go ahead and start the cycle?

 

[superhero]

just toss the shrimp in there... you need that bacteria to start to grow but once you get your return pump fill her up and start her up because i will help the cycle faster than stagnate water would

 

[djcanis]

I got 3 400gph powerheads going and the fluval canister floating to remove some of the silt. DO I leave the shrimp in thill the decompose or take them out at some point?

 

[gypsana]

Originally Posted by DJCanis
http:///forum/post/3036645
Also, I am using pvc piping instead of tubing. Am I ok using the pvc cement and primer as in residential plumbing or is there something that is meant for reef tanks?
Yes use the regular primer and cement but let cure for at least 24 hrs.(sorry superhero I did not see that you answered this already).

 

[superhero]

no worries gypsana and as far as the cocktail shrimps go you should leave them in there untill you get some ammonia and nitrates and nitrites because the bacteria needs some organic matter to grow from

 

[unleashed]

for water clarity add a carbon filter your tank it should be crystal clear within 24 hrs..even a hang on type of filter will do this

 

[sk8shorty01]

I think the only real problem I see with your design is that your skimmer is going to be skimming a lot of the good stuff you are adding from the Fuge. It would be best to put the skimmer in the start of the system rather than at the end, not only to conserve what your fuge adds, but also to eliminate the chance of sending microbubbles back into your display. With the skimmer in the return chamber you run the risk of sending all those bubbles up so keep that in mind. Otherwise I think you have a good plan going there.

 

[djcanis]

Can I feed the skimmer directly from the overflow box or will the of box have to be run into something and the skimmr pull off of that?

 

[sk8shorty01]

Maybe something like this. If you have an in sump skimmer than you can just put the skimmer in the far right chaimber.

 

[sk8shorty01]

Sorry forgot flow lines. The water comes down from the DT and splits at the T. Most of the water comes into the far right corner, and flows through the bubble traps into the return pump area. The water that goes into the far left is of a lower turnover (to take advantage of refuge) and is controlled by a ball valve on the line (not shown). This water flows from left to right, ending in the return pump chamber in the middle.

 

[djcanis]

The skimmer is external and wouldnt fit in the sump box I have, thats why I had it last in line. The sump I have is only a 2 stage box, but I could but baffles in to create the stages. Could I have the the of dump into the right chamber on my sketch, pul teh skimmer from that same chamber, (opposites sides of course) then have the skimmer dump into the second chamber with teh return pump. I would sketch it out but Im at work at the moment.

 

[djcanis]

would something like this work...

 

[florida joe]

Think valves and couplings

 

[djcanis]

Not quite sure what you mean, valves and coupling?

 

[djcanis]

Ok, I have 2 shut off valves to put in the system, is that what you are referring to? I was gonna put one on the overflow and one on the return. The thing I dont understand about sk8shorty01's design is I have a 2 stage acrylic sump box, orignally it was for bio balls, so in his design, I am not sure where to put the skimer return. Should it go on the left by the second ofer flow feed? If I put it in the same section as the skimmer pump, wont the skimmer jsut keep skimming the same water? Where should I bring the return line of of then? I have corner "bubble filters" that act teh same as teh baffles for the overflow and skimmer lines into the sump...
My apologies, this is my first attempt at a sump setup and there are so many variations in the designs and photos I have seen. Trying to do this with the parts I have...

 

[sk8shorty01]

In my design the skimmer return could either be plumbed to go into the fuge or it could be plumbed to go into the return pump section. Either would be fine.

 

[djcanis]

Couple quick questions. In the 2 chamber sump, shoudl the sand bed cover the entire bottom of the sump, (ie both chambers)? On the same note, if I have LR in the right chamber where the majority of the overflow dumps into and the skimmer pulls from, should the left chamber be basically just water? That is where the skimmer will dump into and where the return to teh DT will pull from.