snyderju
Reefing newb
For a sump as you probably already know your baffle height dictates how full the sump is when running. I run my baffles 9 inches high from the bottom of my 10 gallon so the water level never exceeds 9 inches of depth when running properly. You want to make sure to allow for adequate room in the sump in the event that the power goes out or your return pump dies because your water will still drain from the main tank until the water gets too low or the overflow loses the siphon. That is why my sump only operates at a 9 inch depth. When the return pump is turned off the water continues to drain from my overflow until the display tank water level is too low for it to maintain siphoning. The extra room in my sump easily handles this excess water without overflowing. Checking this is what is called the "power outage test"
My sump is set up so that the water drains from the overflow into my first section that houses the skimmer. From there it goes through my bubble trap and enters the fuge. After the fuge area the water goes to the return section and is shot back up to the main tank.
The first section with the skimmer in it needs to be only big enough to house any skimmer or other piece of equipment you wish to have in this section. If you can't easily adjust the operating depth of your skimmer then you should make your baffles at the appropriate operating depth for your skimmer.
The bubble trap should consist of 3 baffles to make the over, under, over sequence that traps the bubbles. I left a 1 inch gap in between these baffles and I raised the center baffle or the "under" section of the trap about an inch and a half off the bottom of the sump.
The fuge section ideally should be your largest section so you can keep as much macro as possible to aid in nitrate and phosphate removal. Mine is about 2.3 gallons.
The return section needs to be big enough to house your return pump. Keep in mind that this is also the only part of your entire system where evaporation will be seen. I made my return section a little bigger for that reason. I don't have an automatic top off system so I wanted some extra water volume in this section so I don't have to constantly be topping it off to prevent the pump from running dry.
I had all of my baffles cut to the same dimensions from the glass shop. They all stand 9 inches tall off the bottom excluding the the center baffle for the bubble trap. Keep in mind that the center baffle for the bubble trap will not affect the operating depth of the sump. If all other baffles are 9 inches tall then the depth your sump runs at will be 9 inches.
This is how my sump runs and it seems to be a pretty standard way to set up a sump. It has been working well for me. There are however many different configurations for sumps. I hope this helps! I did weeks of research online and watched a ton of youtube videos before I got my design where I wanted it.
My sump is set up so that the water drains from the overflow into my first section that houses the skimmer. From there it goes through my bubble trap and enters the fuge. After the fuge area the water goes to the return section and is shot back up to the main tank.
The first section with the skimmer in it needs to be only big enough to house any skimmer or other piece of equipment you wish to have in this section. If you can't easily adjust the operating depth of your skimmer then you should make your baffles at the appropriate operating depth for your skimmer.
The bubble trap should consist of 3 baffles to make the over, under, over sequence that traps the bubbles. I left a 1 inch gap in between these baffles and I raised the center baffle or the "under" section of the trap about an inch and a half off the bottom of the sump.
The fuge section ideally should be your largest section so you can keep as much macro as possible to aid in nitrate and phosphate removal. Mine is about 2.3 gallons.
The return section needs to be big enough to house your return pump. Keep in mind that this is also the only part of your entire system where evaporation will be seen. I made my return section a little bigger for that reason. I don't have an automatic top off system so I wanted some extra water volume in this section so I don't have to constantly be topping it off to prevent the pump from running dry.
I had all of my baffles cut to the same dimensions from the glass shop. They all stand 9 inches tall off the bottom excluding the the center baffle for the bubble trap. Keep in mind that the center baffle for the bubble trap will not affect the operating depth of the sump. If all other baffles are 9 inches tall then the depth your sump runs at will be 9 inches.
This is how my sump runs and it seems to be a pretty standard way to set up a sump. It has been working well for me. There are however many different configurations for sumps. I hope this helps! I did weeks of research online and watched a ton of youtube videos before I got my design where I wanted it.
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