Let's talk sumps!

[koda_dad]

hi all,

Trying to put all my stuff together...and wow...there is soo much more to think about once you get into a larger tank with a sump :frustrat:

I have 55" x 15" x 34" of space under the cabinet.

Here is what I want to put in it....
Vertex In250 Skimmer
VERTEX AQUARISTIK

SWC Media Reactor for zeo rocks and carbon
SWC PCR 100 Media Reactor SWC PCR 100 [PCR 100] - $129.99 : SWC - Salt Water Connection, Protein Skimmers, Calcium Reactors, Filters & Lights

2 - Fluval E200 Heaters
Fluval VueTech E200 200 Watt Aquarium Heater

Coralife UV Sterilizer 36w
Coralife Turbo-Twist 12X UV Sterilizer - 36W

Return Pump
Sedra KSP-9000 Water pump

Fuge???

Compartment for RO water for ATO????

I know NOTHING about sumps.... please help me design this :)

 

[koda_dad]

PS - I wanted to do this out of acryllic

 

[Rcpilot]

Couple questions and some pondering.....

What size is the display tank?

That's a lot of equipment. Do you want a little sump where it's all neatly packed into the smallest space you can get and a lot of room left under the stand? Or do you want a large sump with a lot of water volume - perhaps separated chambers for each piece of equipment - and not much room left under the stand?

There's pros and cons to everything. You need to narrow it down a little bit. Weigh some of those questions and decide which way you want to go. You could even do a 2 sump system and run a separate refugium with lower water flow - and then have a main sump with the equipment and return pump. I love designing sumps and I'm willing to put a drawing together for you. Just need a little bit more info before I can get started.

Any particular reason why it has to be done with acrylic? Do you know how to glue it together correctly?
Just something to think about:
Glass tanks are easy get and come in many different sizes. A combination of 2 or even 3 tanks properly placed and stacked under that stand could provide a separate sump - refugium - and auto top off reservoir.

Don't be scared to drill glass. I'll tell you where to get the hole saw bits dirty cheap - and yes they work very well. I've posted videos of me drilling tanks. I can dig them up and post them here if you want to think about using a glass tank.

IMO acrylic is expensive and hard to work with. But if you have some specific reason why it must be acrylic - let me know. You can do a total custom design to your exact specifications. But you need saws and cutters and sanders and knowledge to cut the stuff. If you have all that stuff or you're willing to pay somebody else to cut it up to your exact spec's - okay. But if not - cheaper to buy a glass tank (or 2 or 3 glass tanks) and punch holes anywhere you want with a cordless drill and a $3.59 hole saw.

Give me idea of which way you want to go. Provide a rough sketch or detailed explanation of the available room space and stand space. I'll draw it up in paint for you and post it.

 

[koda_dad]

No particular reason....

Someone is going to make it for me... and yes they do :)

 

[Rcpilot]

Okay. Let me know how you want to go.

Tank size?
Do you want an RO reservoir under the stand?
Do you want a fuge build into the sump?
Do you not want a fuge at all?
Do you want a separate section for each piece of equipment?
Can we combine multiple pieces of equipment in the same section of the sump?

 

[koda_dad]

Couple questions and some pondering.....

What size is the display tank?

That's a lot of equipment. Do you want a little sump where it's all neatly packed into the smallest space you can get and a lot of room left under the stand? Or do you want a large sump with a lot of water volume - perhaps separated chambers for each piece of equipment - and not much room left under the stand?

There's pros and cons to everything. You need to narrow it down a little bit. Weigh some of those questions and decide which way you want to go. You could even do a 2 sump system and run a separate refugium with lower water flow - and then have a main sump with the equipment and return pump. I love designing sumps and I'm willing to put a drawing together for you. Just need a little bit more info before I can get started.

Any particular reason why it has to be done with acrylic? Do you know how to glue it together correctly?
Just something to think about:
Glass tanks are easy get and come in many different sizes. A combination of 2 or even 3 tanks properly placed and stacked under that stand could provide a separate sump - refugium - and auto top off reservoir.

Don't be scared to drill glass. I'll tell you where to get the hole saw bits dirty cheap - and yes they work very well. I've posted videos of me drilling tanks. I can dig them up and post them here if you want to think about using a glass tank.

IMO acrylic is expensive and hard to work with. But if you have some specific reason why it must be acrylic - let me know. You can do a total custom design to your exact specifications. But you need saws and cutters and sanders and knowledge to cut the stuff. If you have all that stuff or you're willing to pay somebody else to cut it up to your exact spec's - okay. But if not - cheaper to buy a glass tank (or 2 or 3 glass tanks) and punch holes anywhere you want with a cordless drill and a $3.59 hole saw.

Give me idea of which way you want to go. Provide a rough sketch or detailed explanation of the available room space and stand space. I'll draw it up in paint for you and post it.

Wow... that was weird... for some reason the first time I read this...I only saw like the first 2 sentences.... apparently I need sleep :)

 

[koda_dad]

As for the design...I really like D2mini's sump.
Here is the link to a photo in his thread.

However, I would want to add RO storage compartment in it as well.

All the sizing details are listed above.

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Rcpilot]

Well then here ya go

 

[Bifferwine]

^^ This was the way I did my last two sumps. But without the bubble trap.

 

[cageburn]

+1

.];

well then here ya go

 

[Piratefish]

I would skip the UV unless your doing a FO tank. I don't run mine at all, but Im doing mostly coral.

 

[koda_dad]

Hi all,
I really really have to get my sump ordered. So.... if you can. Please help me figure out a design.

The available space under my cabinet is 32 3/4" H x 15.5" D x 50" L

I want to leave room for my Profilux controller/ dosing pump and some containers for dosing.


Here is the info I think will be helpful :)

My skimmer is Vertex IN250
· Base dimensions: 15.25" x 10.75"
· Height: 31.5"
Vertex IN-250 In-Sump Protein Skimmer - Up to 250 Gallons

As per the instructions for the skimmer.... "For optimal performance, it is recommended that you place your Vertex™ Skimmer so that it is resting in 6-8” of water."

I will also be running a Zeovit reactor. The Vertex ZR30 3L
· Height: 21.5"
· Base: 11.5 x 8"
Vertex ZeoVit Filter (3.0 Litre)

I was also considering having a section for RO water for ATO as well...

Lastly, the pump......I am currently planning on a Mag 9 but I will be upgrading to a Eheim 1262 eventually... I was planning on running that internally...(unless I get convinced otherwise)

I have been using D2mini's sump as inspiration (thanks for all the detailed info)... The photos linked below are of his sump setup ..

Unfortunately I think it will need to be changed in order to work with my space and gear...

The problems I see with his design (for my space and gear) are:

A) His design uses an external pump... I am using an internal.
B) I would need a riser to get the vertex skimmer at proper water height... Unfortunately, I do not have anymore height to give up in the stand. So that is just not an option....

The skimmer has to sit on the floor of the sump.

Does anyone have solutions to the skimmer water height issue?

Hopefully, so I don't have to run only 6-8" of water in the sump.

I read somewhere that sometimes people put the skimmer in the 2nd compartment... but I don't understand how that works. Could someone explain this?

Here are the details of D2Mini's sump.....
(ALL info provided from D2mini - thanks again btw)

Exterior Dimensions:
30" x 18.5" x 16.5"tall
1/2" thick acrylic

Water flow is skimmer ---> fuge ---> return

Skimmer section (interior): 14" x 17.5"
Refugium (interior): 8.5" x 17.5"
Return (interior): 5.75" x 17.5

Here you can see how the water flows from the skimmer section to the fuge through the base of the divider with the separator that allows me to have a sandbed.
http://d2creative.smugmug.com/Other/...41318418_b4aQX
That piece is solid, even though the pic kinda makes it look like it has holes in it. The holes are at the base of the main divider.
http://d2creative.smugmug.com/Other/...44992579_sss9C

And in the skimmer section you can see that there are brackets to hold the two drains, and then a large bracket underneath to hold the filter sock (not shown).

Here's the backside where you can see the return coming out the back and going to my external return pump.
http://d2creative.smugmug.com/Other/...42929782_7RgWq


The initial size I was thinking for my sump was 42"Lx12"Dx16"H which I think would be a decent size....

The problem is I have no idea how to determine baffle heights, bubble trap placement, tank height and order of compartments (to maintain maximum water volume).

Any advice people have on this would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks again all!

 

[koda_dad]

bumpity bump

 

[chbix]

check here http://www.melevsreef.com/make_a_sump.html