2 sumps one Display?

[Jon Fishman]

Is there a practical way to run a display tank off of 2 sumps? I don’t have a “fish room” so overflow from one to the other with gravity isn’t an option, so I would need to use a pump, but is it possible to match flow rate in some way?

 

[ryeguyy84]

One sump can be taller and drain into the shorter one, or drill them both and connect them.

Why 2 sumps?

 

[Jekyl]

Why 2 sumps?

+1

 

[KStatefan]

so I would need to use a pump, but is it possible to match flow rate in some way?

Not a practical way.

You can hook two sumps together with bulkheads.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I just have the room, and an extra-sump, so thought I’d use one just for additional live-rock filtration. Doesn’t seem like I can do it practically and without adding a potential fail-point to the system, so probably gonna scrap the idea unless I come up with something

 

[lapin]

Good idea to scrap it if you can not have one drain into another. 2 pumps will never stay in balance.

 

[Mark3]

I just have the room, and an extra-sump, so thought I’d use one just for additional live-rock filtration. Doesn’t seem like I can do it practically and without adding a potential fail-point to the system, so probably gonna scrap the idea unless I come up with something

It wouldn't be that hard to make use of another tank and pump.....just pump water from sump #1 into sump #2 and then gravity feed #2 back to tank #1 .....make a great fuge or rock tank.
....and that would not create a fail point, even in the event of pump failure.

 

[Kangaroo]

What about one big sump with multiple compartments?

 

[Jon Fishman]

What about one big sump with multiple compartments?

I wanted a bigger sump..... My options got REALLY limited. The tsunami or whatever sumps I found, that were 60” long or so, didn’t have the nicer features of the trigger 39 I picked up..... I’m not too handy, and finding a narrow/shallow enough 6’ long tank to turn into a sump (and lose those nice features etc) seemed like a huge pain/expense.

Basically I didn’t want to spend more on a sump than my display tank. haha

 

[Mark3]

sump #1 is plumbed to display tank as normal....sump #2 is just additional space for sump filtering ...like an additional sump section, with its own pump/flow rate.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Is there a practical way to run a display tank off of 2 sumps? I don’t have a “fish room” so overflow from one to the other with gravity isn’t an option, so I would need to use a pump, but is it possible to match flow rate in some way?

When I had two refugium, I used two pumps

 

[ryeguyy84]

I did a remote fuge on my 60g. I think for the drawing above just tap the drain instead of using a pump. One bulkhead is easier to line up as well.

 

[Mark3]

Or another idea....have DT return into sump 2, 2 flows into #1 and returns to DT from 1 ....again it is just another compartment to sump.

or yes, instead of pumping from #1 to #2, use some of the return water and flow could also be adjustable, and only one bulkhead to cut.

always more than one way

 

[Jon Fishman]

Well, using 2 is probably out. so to “revise” this topic vs starting a new..... I have an algae scrubber..... Plan was to run scrubber and fuge, so I could get a healthy pod population...... I guess I don’t really “need” pods, so if I were to dedicate the space in the sump for more media, what should it be? In what order? and where should I have the algae scrubber plumbed to/from.

Can I pump from sump, through scrubber, and drain to return section of sump without directly plumbing the scrubber to to the display?

For sump, would it be pump in the first section or fuge section (which will now have????? rock? Media blocks? what? ). then drain to return-pump section?

I am worried a pump that is too strong (greater than return flow FROM display, would cause issues here though.

It’s a clear-water 100 scrubber and Trigger 39 sump. I would just put a shelf in the stand and mount the scrubber above whatever section I want it to gravity-drain into


Sorry. newbie and that was wordy

 

[Mastiffsrule]

When I had two refugium, I used two pumps

I am interested in how you achieved this. It does not look like they are connected. I would like to do a seperate refuge from my sump. Usually it does not end well.
Where did the drain lines from the dt and return lines go. If a pump failed in one of the 2 would that sump overflow since it is no longer pumping water out? Thanks

 

[MCloudy21]

Do you have 2 returns. If so you could run each individually and split your drain counting flow to each with a gate valve. Just make sure there is enough room in each for extra water should a failure happen

 

[Jon Fishman]

Do you have 2 returns. If so you could run each individually and split your drain counting flow to each with a gate valve. Just make sure there is enough room in each for extra water should a failure happen

The drain is bean-animal, and ultimately one return pump back to display. Nothing is currently setup

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am interested in how you achieved this. It does not look like they are connected. I would like to do a seperate refuge from my sump. Usually it does not end well.
Where did the drain lines from the dt and return lines go. If a pump failed in one of the 2 would that sump overflow since it is no longer pumping water out? Thanks

Hope this helps. Always add strainers

One on right, see drain, goes behind to bulk fitting on left sump.

 

[clm65]

I have 2 sumps on my DT. Well, I guess one is technically a refugium. I have a 180g with corner overflows/returns (so two of each). Both overflows drain into the left end of the sump. The sump has some rock and a skimmer. My first return pump is in the right end of the sump. A hose then connects the sump to the refugium via bulkhead fittings and a small length of hose. So what is not pumped back to the tank by pump #1 flows through the hose to refugium and is pumped back to the tank by return pump #2. The ATO valve is in the pump #2 chamber. It's kind of a rube goldberg setup, but I cant fit one long sump under my tank due to braces.

I'm currently considering modifying my setup so that one overflow line drains into the outboard end of each sump, and then have both pumps in the inboard end of each sump. The connection between the two pumps will stay the same and is crucial to ensure everything stays balanced.

 

[tehmadreefer]

I utilize 2 sumps in a way. I have one draim pipe that drains into an actual sump than I have another drain into an 8 gallon barrel where I have rock and my cheato that is gravity fed into the actual sump and back up the dt.