Will This Setup Work Out? Pic Attached

[euphoria]

Hey guys,
Will this work out? I will have a 180 g main tank w/ two overflows. One overflow will go to a 10gallon sump that has a skimmer in it and sits above a 60 gallon sump. So the water will be skimmed in the 10g, then gravity pulled down through two PVC pipes into the return chamber of the 60 gallon. (OR, I can aim it into the skimmer section of the 60g so that it gets skimmed a second time).
The other overflow of the main tank will flow and split. Some water will go to the fuge, and the rest into skimmer #2 to get skimmed and move through baffles into return chamber to go to main tank.
I want to make some use of the 10g sump I have now, so I figured I might as well put one of the skimmers in there, so that I have more room in the 60g sump for a fuge.
If this setup is stupid, feel free to tell me or give advice.
Thanks

 

[euphoria]

anybody?

 

[mr_bill]

Is that 10GL going inside the chamber its above?

 

[mr_bill]

It looks like it would work but it's going to take most of the water from the 1st skimmer in the return if it's dropping right on top of it like that.

 

[mr_bill]

Looking at it again..
Why not pipe the 1st overflow over to where the 2nd one is at, you would save money on a 10GL tank and a 2nd skimmer.

 

[bigb]

If the 10gal is drained right above your return you may end up with a lot of air bubbles in your main tank.

 

[nm reef]

Looks workable to me...but I'd send the water from sump #1 into the center section of sump #2...it would eliminate excessive bubbles in sump#2's return area and would insure the water entering the return on sump#2 is adaquately skimmed....looks like a veryworkable filtration system. I think I'd find a way to have a seperate refugium...but your design will work in my opinion.

 

[euphoria]

Thanks for the replies guys.
The skimmer I have now (G1) is not big enough to handle a 180g tank, so I need a second one. That's why I'm using 2 skimmers.
The small sump (10g) will be located anywhere above the big one (not inside) so that the water will just flow into big sump w/out needing a pump.
NM REEF - I've thought about your setup, but the only thing that concerns me is that I'll be taking the skimmed water from the small 10g sump and pouring it into skimmer #2 chamber, which has non skimmed water flowing into it, thus making the skimmed water from 10g sump dirty again. Or am I being too picky here and shouldn't worry about them mixing again?
I was thinking of making the 10g a refugium, but it's too small to handle 180g size tank.

 

[funkyman]

Why couldn't you make the 10 gallon the fuge?

 

[euphoria]

Too small of a fuge for a 180g tank.

 

[castiron]

Euphoria,
I've been reading through these posts for a year or so now and have never read one that suggests sending refugium water to a skimmer area. The logic being, "Why skim all the good stuff out before pumping it back to your main tank?" I'd suggest that you put your fuge in the center of the 60 gallon tank. When I set my sump up, I also made the initial mistake of sending water from a separate tank straight to the return...microbubble hell! Send the water from tank #1 to the fuge or skimmer #2 and let the baffles and water flow do their work to eliminate the bubbles. Also, probably no need to split overflow #2. Send it to skimmer #2 (now on the right) and let your return pump bring the water across the wall to the refugium.

 

[euphoria]

CASTIRON - when you say "why skim out all the good stuff before sending it to the return", what exactly are you referring to? I know skimmers pull out dissolved organics and gunk, but what would they possibly pull out from the fuge? Also, I wanted non skimmed water to go to the fuge first, and if I aim return #2 into the skimmer, then I only have return #1's non skimmed water for the fuge. Will that be ok?
Also, when you say, "let your return pump bring the water across the wall to the refugium." what do you mean by that? Wouldn't the return pump take the water into the tank? Why return it back to the fuge and not the tank?
Thanks

 

[dogstar]

IMO A refugium is just that. A place for bio orgs and micro life and pods ect. to breed and flourish so that you can have a constant supply for the display by being pumped in thru the return. Best to supply the fuge with as clean as possible water ( preskimmed ) and not to skimm out the micro life befor it can be pumped to the display.
Any macro that you should have in the fuge is there to absorb any nutriants that would feed algea and does not hurt to skim any of those nutriants first since the goal is to not have algea.
Not sure how much of this you know but just to help. I think your design is workable but I agree with skimming ahead of the fuge.
Can you fit both skimmers in one chamber?

 

[castiron]

Dogstar has it! The refugium is a source of micro life that you are sending back to your tank. I don't think it matters whether you send skimmed or non-skimmed water to your fuge, it will still be doing it's work so long as you have supplied it with light and macros.
As for my statement on the plumbing, I was just commenting that it would be best to put the overflows as far from your return pump as possible. No matter how hard you try, you will get bubbles while going from the higher tank to the lower (I know, I've battled this). As long as your return pump is running, your scematic will have water flow from the right to left. The water will naturally seek low ground. Dump overflow #2 AND the water from the 10g into the far right section (which I would place the skimmer in). By doing so, the water will have to travel over the wall from skimmer to fuge, travel across the top of the fuge and finally travel through the baffles. That would be your best bet for removing bubbles.

 

[euphoria]

How about this setup guys.
I added a fluval 404 canister filter as well, to take water from the skimmer area in the big sump and run it through carbon (24/7) and dump it in the sump (or return chamber if no bubbles).
I am just confused as to how the baffles would be setup for this setup. Would I need two sets of baffles as I drew them? How would I control the heights of water column in individual chambers?

 

[castiron]

That looks better! With the canister filter would you need the second skimmer? Any thoughts of sending overflow #2 straight to the canister then to the fuge? I claim no expertise on that subject, just wondering for my own good.
On the baffles, envision your system with the return empty. In essence that is what will happen as you pump water out. Water seeks the lowest ground and flows down hill (unfortunately, folks in New Orleans are learning this lesson). The water will only enter into the return area by flowing over the wall closest to the return. Having the wall second from the return tank lower than the closest will do you no good as the water height will be where it is flowing over the wall to the pump. Therefore, you can have different heights, but the shortest would be next to your return and the tallest would be from the skimmer to the fuge.

 

[castiron]

I just checked your profile..don't think I need to explain water dynamics to an aerospace engineer. Sorry. Baffles from skimmer to fuge can't hurt as far as removing bubbles is concerned but are not necessary.

 

[zman1]

Dropping the two out flows (skimmer and canister filter) in your fuge area may be turbulent and disrupt the fuge. I know you didn't want to drop the suspended skimmer in the same area as the sump skimmer, but that's what I would do. That's my nickel 98 (.0598) on it......

 

[euphoria]

You can know all the fluid dynamics you want on Earth, but when it comes to this not so exact science hobby, some things don't follow tradition, science, or common sense at all.

 

[dgirard05]

The water from the over flow should go into the first section thats where your skimmer is to do its work, Here is a pic of mine. This sump is running for about 3yrs it is free flowing no filter mat. just live rock to keep the air bubbles in check.This set up works for me , if i can help email me.
Dave