Sump design question

[scar_11]

I have a 36 X 12.5 X 12.5 that I am going to make in to a sump/refugium. What does every one thing? Can you post what you think . This is my design. Can everyone give me a idea of how much space I should use? as a sump and how much as a refugium?

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/scar_11/Sump.jpg

[spleify]

Are you going to have an ATO? Or are you going to be manually topping off? This will certainly dictate how big you want your return area to be.

Is the a particular reason why you want the return area in the middle? My personal opinion is (end to end, left to right or vise versa), inlet/skimmer area, baffle, baffle, baffle, refugium, baffle, return section.

Do you have the skimmer you will be using already? This will dictate the size of the skimmer area/first chamber.

All that being said, most like having the refugium area as large as possible.

HTH

Spleify

[drparker]

I like the middle return if you are going to split the overflow so some goes to the fuge and the rest to the skimmer. This allows a higher overall flow rate than a straight through design. I have a ball valve on the fuge side that restricts the flow (slows it down) and the rest dumps into the skimmer side at a much higher flow rate. I'd make the skimmer side only as big as you need.

Mine has about 11 inches for skimmer and 10 for the return area leaving 12 for my fuge. Baffles take up the rest. The flow through my fuge is slow enough that I just need a single wall and not full baffles, gives you more room.

[mrter]

I don't see the point of the extra baffles between the refugium and the return pump.

With this design, it doesn't look like you'd be getting much flow, if any, between the fuge and return sections

[scar_11]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14383522#post14383522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mrter
I don't see the point of the extra baffles between the refugium and the return pump.

With this design, it doesn't look like you'd be getting much flow, if any, between the fuge and return sections

so you would only run the baffle between the skimmer and the return

[drparker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14383731#post14383731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scar_11
so you would only run the baffle between the skimmer and the return Yep!

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/585/11548875g-sump.jpg

Split the feed like this
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/115488sump_back_view.jpg

[scar_11]

Can I put the live rock and the Fuge in the same section

[drparker]

Yes.

[Whys]

A split flow to provide a slower flow to the refugium doesn't require a center return. I have a split flow with the fuge on the left and the return on the right (see photos below). Theoretically, the only real advantage to a center return is that any pods flowing out of your refugium will not get eaten by your skimmer. They will unfortunately get eaten by your return-pump all the same. Impeller pumps have been found to kill 90% of all pods passing thru them. It still provides a meal, just not live food. IMO, until more gentle pumps are invented, the center return gives little to no benefit. Thus I went with a left-to-right design because of limited space. I did also go with a skimmer designed to be gentle on pod however.

http://www.4everb.com/tank_3m_03.jpg

http://www.4everb.com/tank_3m_04.jpg

[scar_11]

So you have yours set up Fuge/ Skimmer/ Return?

[Whys]

Yes, with the majority of the flow going to the skimmer and only a little run-off going to the fuge. There is a ball-valve hidden under the micron sock on the primary drain. This allows for some of the flow to redirect to the fuge. The fuge then spills into the skimmer section where it all cross over a baffle and then into the return-pump.

[Anemone0524]

See now i'm getting conflicting information from here.

'Whys' says that the return pumps are killing 90% of pods going through it.

I've seen in a couple of different places before that pods are generally too small and hardy to be killed by the inner workings of a return pump.

Anyone know more about this?

[Whys]

It's not a size issue. It's a pressure issue. Impeller pumps have to create a lot of pressure to force water up a tube. That's the head pressure and it is greatest at the impeller. A few pods will make it, but most won't. Unfortunately, I no longer have a link to where I read that information, but it was fairly current and contained other professional information.

I always encourage healthy skepticism, second opinions, and forming your own conclusion.