Chk My Sump design?

[VectorAKA]

Would like feedback on sump I drew up please...

[VectorAKA]

Oh and this is to replace my wet/dry sump I am currently using on a 72 gal. Bowfront. I plan on having a lot of corals and some fish...haven't made a list yet.
I have live sand and rock in my DT.

[kriv4o]

With the sump set up like that you don't really need to split the drain from your DT because all off your drained water would go trough the fuge section anyway. Also 1 or 2" of live sand in the fuge won't give you the benefit of DSB it'll just make it harder for you to clean that portion of the sump.
GL and happy reefing!

[VectorAKA]

With the sump set up like that you don't really need to split the drain from your DT because all off your drained water would go trough the fuge section anyway. Also 1 or 2" of live sand in the fuge won't give you the benefit of DSB it'll just make it harder for you to clean that portion of the sump.
GL and happy reefing!

So should I make it four sections and do something else?

[Ron Reefman]

No need to split your drain to the sump. Just install a 'bypass' from the skimmer section to the return pump section with a ball or gate valve in it. Start with a bulkhead at the skimmer/refugium weir, run a pipe (with a valve in it) to the other weir and bulkhead it there. Now you can control the flow rate thru the fuge (as in slow it down) while still running more flow thru the skimmer and to the return pump thru the 'bypass'. I have a frag tank at one end of my sump, then a fuge and then the return (skimmer is at the other end and feeds the return as well). I want good flow thru the frag tank but slower flow thru the fuge, so I did the bypass and it works great. Use a gate valve rather than a ball valve and you'll have really fine control of the flow.

Do you intend that in the event of a power failure that water siphoning from the DT can flow back thru the fuge and skimmer section? I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm just asking because the return section looks kind of small and that's where siphon water will go first.

And kriv4o is right about the sand. If you are going to put any sand in the fuge, you might as well do 6" and have a real DSB.

[VectorAKA]

The sump I have now is smaller and when the system shuts off it only drains a few inches from tank then what ever is in the tubes....and when this shuts off there will be an extra 6in*12in*36in left for water to go the rim....plus a lil more Im sure with the return section prolly not at the 12" mark. Should I forgo the sand and splitting of water? I already have a pretty decent sand bed in my tank. I have mix of a veryfine sand and thicker "live" sand I bought from the LFS. I am just trying to create the most balanced filtration I can. I would love not to have to do water changes only top offs like the "Tank of the month" ....just enough for nutrients with the ones I will add as need increases from corals. I am also going to replace all the rock I have with live rock as I go except for base rock. I am also adding another 20lbs of " live" sand to give me a total of 110lbs of sand.

[thegrun]

Another note, I would either go to a minimum 4" deep sand bed or eliminate the sand altogether. A 2" sand bed is not all that useful in a refugium (it provides a little bit of buffering) and makes maintenance more difficult. Due to the shallow depth of your refugium I would just go bare bottom rather than give up 4" to a deep sand bed.

[Ron Reefman]

Should I forgo the sand and splitting of water? I already have a pretty decent sand bed in my tank. I have mix of a veryfine sand and thicker "live" sand I bought from the LFS. I am just trying to create the most balanced filtration I can. I would love not to have to do water changes only top offs like the "Tank of the month" ....just enough for nutrients with the ones I will add as need increases from corals. I am also going to replace all the rock I have with live rock as I go except for base rock. I am also adding another 20lbs of " live" sand to give me a total of 110lbs of sand.

1) If you add a bypass you won't need to split the drain to the sump.

2) Don't get the sand in your DT too deep. A couple of inches is normally enough. From 2" - 6" doesn't get you much. At 6" your are into DSB territory and that would be far better off in the fuge than in the DT.

3) Water changes... You will need to do them at least until your tank is really mature (6 months or more). And even then you need a way to remove nitrates (carbon dosing, DSB, macro algae, nitrate reactor). And even then it's better if you do water changes than not to. Even small ones are better than none at all. I have a 350g system with zero nitrates and phosphates. I consider the 25-40g water changes I do every 2-4 weeks as minimal as I can get and still do right by the animals I keep in the glass box.

4) I don't understand what you mean about changing out LR? Base rock becomes LR in a month or so (live meaning it has the good bacteria). Why change it? And as for adding more sand, see #2 above.

[VectorAKA]

The rock in my tank isnt very porus and I wanted to put older rock in their to help stableize the tank faster....Im not try to go fast with live stock just want a more mature tank faster and older live rock also has freebees and new creatures....thank you for all the advice

[MarkGP]

Don't split the drains, no sand, and 12" on the baffles might be a little high depending on the skimmer. Check to see what water level your skimmer works best at and set the baffle height to that.

[VectorAKA]

I was just going to raise the skimmer to the appropiate level...I am eliminating the sand and splitting of water but keeping the rest like I designed. And I can live with small water changes. 6th day into my cycling and I have brown algae on alot of stuff...0 amonia, .25 Nitrite, 8.1 Ph, 1.026 salinity, 79 F'...I am not testing the Nitrate...test kit isn't that great....Ill have the LFS test it

[MarkGP]

Sounds like a plan!

[Ron Reefman]

VectorAKA, you should check out this local website:
SWFMAS.com
It's a great local club with an incredible website. The website is free (even the forum) and club membership is only $15 with cool monthly meetings. We have one today and next month's meeting is a snorkeling trip to the Keys for a weekend! Check it out. There are a lot of members in Lehigh Acres!

[VectorAKA]

Checked it out and I am paying the membership fee soon.

Just bought the 29 gal tank from Petco for $29...love that sale...30" long x 18" tall x 13" width

Well I decided I am going to make the first part of the sump intake flow through a mechanical filter then I can use cheap carbon filters for when I feel the need, from there through bio-balls I'll rinse half of every so often ( the boi-balls will be kept above the water line). All that will flow into my skimmer chamber which will over flow into my refugium section with chaeto and LR pieces...I will add live sand if I get to many unwanted creatures in DT...I am going to seed it with copepods and that will flow through a zig zag wall section to help with micro bubbles. Would have plenty of space to add any other filter I feel are neccesary or OTB filters on sump for extra flow...I will post pics when its built and let you all know how my water levels are with using bio-balls....

[VectorAKA]

Oh and Iam going to buy the desk light size 50/50 light bulb for refugium...

[jeffreed39]

You have the same tank I do and I am looking for the exact refugium setup lol but I will be using live rock rubble instead of bioballs. My water will enter through a filter sock in the skimmer area, then rock, then into plant area. My pump area will be smaller to allow for more plant area and I will not have my two pumps in the water due to the added heat. I think the water flow will be slowed by the rock and plants enough with adjustment to flow on the two gate valves off the pumps. Still researching the amount of sand to use.....

[VectorAKA]

I wanted to try using both the bio balls and tne LR pieces...if I decide the bio balls aren't doing what I want I might try turf algae in in its place

I updated the design but it is not up to scale on the refugium....or measurements.

[VectorAKA]

Any comments on update?

[VectorAKA]

Bump

[sail33]

One thing I can add if it's not waaaay too late, I also have a 72 bow front. Unless you are willing to remove the center braces on the stand, a 20 gallon long is the sump tank that will fit.