help me design a high flow sump

[CMcNeil]

i am currently setting up a 150 gallon sps tank and am going to build my sump.the problem is i have never made a sump that has 3000 gph flowing through it.my current sump on my 90g is approx 40g(sump and fuge combined) and it works fine but only has around 500gph draining into it so flow problems arent an issue.i dont think the way my current sump is made can handle 3000 gph without all kinds of bubble problems.so the plan is to make a new one,here is what i have to work with as far as dimensions.
30" long x 24" wide x 16-18" tall
i would llike to have a refuge(as large as possible) and room for a recirc skimmer(so probably a footprint of 16"x16")would be needed for the skimmer,but the sump needs to handle the flow from a Reeflo Dart.can you guys or gals help me desing the sump.

[flyyyguy]

Why do you want to move that much water through your sump??

The key is baffle spacing. If you can alot the space to have 2.5-3" in between each baffle, and the same distance under your "under baffle" it will move slow enough to kill the bubbles. My 100 gallon sump could handle that much flow and kill all the bubbles, and it is only 18" wide. 3 baffles, over-under over-. The first baffle being higher than the last to control the water level in my skimmer section.

[CMcNeil]

i dont really want to move 3k in the sump but i have a dart for the return pump and my new tank has an external overflow with weirs at the top.so the tank is designed to have mucho flow pass through the overflow.i am trying to use only 2 darts to get all my flow,one for return and one on a closed loop.

[CMcNeil]

i could lower that 3k if i feed my skimmer and calcium reactor with the dart as well.

[flyyyguy]

Im a believer that there is no reason to move any more water by your skimmer than it can process.........goal being as little unskimmed water making it back to the tank as possible.

Regardless of that, wide baffle spacing like i mentioned will take care of it for you though.

Personally, I would taper that dart you are using for the return back to whatever your skimmer is processing, and use a bigger pump for your cls to achieve your in tank flow.

I use a hammerhead on my 90 cls. I also have an external coast to coast ovrlfow on it, but i only move about 600 gph through it...even though it could handle 4 times that. I have one of those "storebought" OM 8-ways. If i recall you made your own. ;) I enjoyed reading about it.

[CMcNeil]

i will be valving the dart to feed the skimmer and reactor.the skimmer i plan on running about 250-300gph max for feed rate.the skimmer will be a recirc and will have to have a feed pump anyway.my biggest concern is microbubble problems from poor overall sump design.

[CMcNeil]

bump for sump ideas.