sump design

[chbix]

Ok so I almost cut the pieces of acrylic for the sump but then started looking at the 29 gallon tank and was originally going to cut 4 pieces 9" tall, but then was thinking whats the point of having them all the same height? Was going to have water drain into first section where the skimmer will be, then into a refuge then into the return via a bubble trap.

This was my original idea

Started thinking it didnt make alot of sense, and since the tank is 18" high was wasting alot of space.

Another concern was that water from the fuge could go back into the skimmer area. Is that possible or will the simple flow of water in one area and pumping out the oposite end prevent that?

So looking at melvs reef (man that guy is good!) I came up with a redesigned system that has the water enter on both sides. One drain goes to the skimmer, on the oposite end the drain goes into the fuge and the both drain into the center where the return is. I also upped the size of the fuge to 12" tall divider. Heres the drawing

Any issues with that design? Any thing else I should consider before cutting the panels?

 

[BL1]

IMO your first design is good, I would make the an inch or two taller. The water flow pumping out will keep it from going back into your skimmer. The only problem I see with the second design, and this is my opinion, is that having a one drain into your skimmer and another into the fuge is that you'll only be skimming half the water and having half go through the fuge. Seems like your lessening the benefits of the fuge. Also, you want to slow the water going through the fuge, having it drain directly in seems like it would be going through too fast to me and disturb the sandbed a lo

 

[Cottonwood]

I would think the first one as well, but have your first wall be like 11 or 12 inches and the others the 9 inches like you have. Also for the other reasons BL1 mentioned, of skimming all the water and having all the water go through the fuge. I haven't built my sump yet, but after reading and looking at plans, I'm going to do one like your first idea myself.

 

[chbix]

IMO your first design is good, I would make the an inch or two taller. The water flow pumping out will keep it from going back into your skimmer. The only problem I see with the second design, and this is my opinion, is that having a one drain into your skimmer and another into the fuge is that you'll only be skimming half the water and having half go through the fuge. Seems like your lessening the benefits of the fuge. Also, you want to slow the water going through the fuge, having it drain directly in seems like it would be going through too fast to me and disturb the sandbed a lo

Good points. In the second drawing I have a valve there so that I can lower the flow and have it moving slower than wide open, the rest will flow to the skimmer area.

As for skimming half the water and only half in the fuge, given the loop. im counting on the fact that it wont always be the same water through the skimmer all the time, sometimes it will be fuge sometimes skimmer, and will all mix nicely in the display....Just my thinking anyone else have any thoughts??

My design was based on this quote from melvs reef website

What is the best layout?
There are a number of ways to configure the compartments, including some comments:

Skimmer à Refugium à Return This is a simple layout that keeps the flow going in one direction. One objection often voiced is that “you don’t want to skim out the nutrients in the water going to the refugium.” This isn’t possible to do, unless every drop of water had to go through the skimmer to get into the refugium. Most of the water runs right past the skimmer! Even with a very weak return pump, the water pumped into the skimmer is only a portion of the body of water traveling into the next compartment.
Benefit - all baffles are the same height.

Skimmer à Return ß Refugium In this situation, the two outer compartments receive their water from two sources (or one supply line that has been split), and pour into the central compartment.
Benefit - Refugium wall can be taller, and the amount of water flowing through it can be controlled with a ball valve.

Refugium à Skimmer à Return This is a bad idea in my opinion, because the micro fauna (copepods, amphipods and more) that you hope to send up to your display tank as food are going to be skimmed out of the water before they ever reach the Return zone. If this is your layout, have the refugium drain via PVC pipe directly into the Return zone, bypassing the skimmer zone.
Benefit - none.


Found that here http://www.melevsreef.com/make_a_sump.html


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[Cottonwood]

I see what your saying and after reading that it makes more sense as well. Seems like its very similar as far as what is actually happening in both of those options. I think I still like option 1 a little just for the simplicity of it. But both seem to be good options. You can control how long the water is in the fuge area by dialing down or opening that ball valve so that is plus. Though it may take a bit more tinkering to get it how you want it, with option 2, though that isn't a bad thing really.

 

[reeffreak]

I move the baffles around.The three baffles after the skmmer and one for the return so reverse them from the first pic.

Also,you will want a slight waterfall effect so don't have all the baffles at 9''.Baffle where water comes into the fuge should be higher then the baffle where the water is leaving the fuge.

 

[chbix]

So I elected to stick with the simple design and just raise the size of the baffles. Here is my final design

Here is a pic of the first panel in

Here is a closer pic of the seal....not pretty. I did one side on both ends, will do the bottom and other sides after the initial sealant drys

Starting to get the hang of cutting the acyrlic with the saw, this piece was a little off but the silicone makes up for my mistakes.

I tried more with the glass cutter but it wasnt working. Table saw would be the best but I dont have one.

 

[BL1]

Make sure that second baffle doesn't go all the way to the top of the tank. If your pump goes out, you want your sump to handle all of the water coming from the DT. If that second baffle goes all the way to the top and your pump goes out then that first section will overflow out of the tank as it overflows into the second section .... I hope that makes sense

 

[reeffreak]

Ya,no need to have the baffle go all the way to the top like my design.

Good luck,have fun!