Nonlinear Sump?

[LeaveItToReefer]

Hey Everyone! I'm putting together a 90 gallon corner bowfront and I'm having some challenges on the sump build since I have to work around the cabinetry. The tank is currently running with live rock and some fish to get the cycle started but I'm relying on the wet/dry sump that I know is just not going to get me to where I want to be in terms of coral and fish population. The problem is I have a support column in the middle of the cabinet which restricts my options on the size and shape of the sump. I've played around with multiple designs and found the best way to get the right size refugium and still fit my Reef Octopus 200 skimmer would be a non-linear design.

I've never seen any designs for a non-linear sump so I'm wondering if it's just because it doesn't really work. I've done some to-scale drawings and a linear design just doesn't give me the room I need to have both the skimmer and the refugium without the risk of lots of microbubbles. I've put together a footprint of what I've got in mind below and would love some feedback on what the heck I should do here. The idea would be to have the outer walls at 18 inches and the inner separations dropping the water level little by little until it ultimately gets the final chamber and pumped back into the display tank. I've got 3 baffles planned for the bubble trap but I'm also wondering if I should put a few more. Any feedback is appreciated!

https://s32.postimg.org/6tgj27rz5/Sump_Footprint.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/6tgj27rz5/)

[Breadman03]

What side do you have access from?

[LeaveItToReefer]

From the 17.5" side and the 28" side

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[Brando457]

I would make the fuge drain right to the return, having it go to the skimmer you'd be losing some of the pods and good life you want.

Or put the skimmer before the fuge.

[jmm]

The acute angles are not as strong as a right angle. But they might be good enough.

[LeaveItToReefer]

Thanks for the feed back Brando457! I was always under the impression that the skimmer gets rid of some of the nutrients the refugium needs to survive which is why I put the refugium first. However if switch the two, I actually have the ability to do a linear sump with wider baffles for noise reduction! I'm going to have to put an elbow of some sort to reconfigure the skimmer pump but I think I can make this work:

https://s31.postimg.org/qcsgxfc9z/Sump_Footprint_V2.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/qcsgxfc9z/)

Jmm you make a great point about the acute angles (no pun intended). I'll probably put a brace on each of those just in case and the one on the bottom left corner could actually double as a sock holder.

Thanks guys! :beer:

[zeemofree]

Don't know if it's applicable, have you considered dual sumps with the support in between them, that could hold the skimmer and the fuge could be larger and bypass the skimmer altogether?