Sump Design

[kramleigh]

Hi Guys.

Bet your all pretty sick of seeing these type of drawings. I would be grateful for an opinion from you about the sump set-up I'm about to have made. Any suggestions much apprecaited before I send final plans of to LFS 2moro. Thanks

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/124057Sump_Design.JPG

Green - Chaeto
Orange - Live Rock
Yellow - Sand

[zoomfish1]

Looks right to me. Exactly like mine. The other theory is to place the refugum where the outlet area is and put the pump in a smaller space in the center. It only decreases flow through the fuge. I like your design better. You can also "T" your return line to flow into the refugum, but to me this works just fine.

[kramleigh]

Thanks. My only concern is that the chaeto will get into the outlet chamber and get into the main tank, shall I just use a edging similar to a weir inlet to ensure that only water comes over the 1st divider from refugium?

[bryon0508]

the sand in the sump really doesn't do anything its more useful in the display tank

[llama72]

What type/size skimmer is that?

[zoomfish1]

I used a small piece of light diffuser to keep the chaeto where it belongs.

[kermit98]

what is a light defuser sorry for the stupid question

[jer77]

Kermit98, Welcome, I'm assuming he means eggcrate

kramleigh, llama72 has a good question about what skimmer it is. Are you sure 300mm is the right height for the skimmer?

[bnhd3]

i just upgraded my sump. i decided to have my return in the center, and i plumbed it so that i can control the flow to the refugium with a ball valve. i can divert most of the water to the skimmer cmpartment on the other end. here are some pics and a link to melev's site where i got the design from:

http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

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[kramleigh]

It's a deltec MCE600 skimmer

[jnguyen4007]

bnhd3,

I'm trying to understand your sump configuration and how it's set up so that I can try to put one together similar to it so please bear with my inexperienced question. Water flows from the display tank down to your sump. It looks like you divert part of the water to the refugium and the rest to where the skimmer sits. Do you need to have a pump there to push water into the skimmer and the output goes out into the water return area which is then with the help of a pump to return the water back into the display tank? Is that how it works?

James

[bnhd3]

here is another pic. in this pic i have the ball valve circled. i close this ball valve about 3/4 of the way which intern diverts most of the flow over to the left pipe coming from the left overflow and into the skimmer section.

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[bnhd3]

here is a link to the sump mine is modeled after. this will probobly help explain. http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html

the skimmer is powered by a mag 12 submersible. it is on the other side of the skimmer out of view. if you haven't already search around melev's site. it is very informative.

[jnguyen4007]

bnhd3,

I'm trying to understand your sump configuration and how it's set up so that I can try to put one together similar to it so please bear with my inexperienced question. Water flows from the display tank down to your sump. It looks like you divert part of the water to the refugium and the rest to where the skimmer sits. Do you need to have a pump there to push water into the skimmer and the output goes out into the water return area which is then with the help of a pump to return the water back into the display tank? Is that how it works?

James

[bnhd3]

jnguyen4007,

this is the same post as before. do you still not understand? if so let me know and i will try to explain it better.

[kermit98]

question: looks like he has 2 overflows going on looks like only a partial of one overflow going in the refugium part of the sump and the other overflow goes to the skimmer and both end up in the middle tank to be tanken back up to the main display tank is that correct thanks

[bnhd3]

yes kermit98 this is correct. if you notice i have a pipe running horizontally from the right side overflow tube to the left. the more i close the valve to the fuge compartment the more water is diverted to the skimmer section. the idea is to have about a 25% of flow to the fuge and the other 75% to the skimmer section.