Help me understand my sump... (w/photo)

[Lylelovett]

Hi all,

I've spent a lot of time reading forums and am wrapping my head around my sump. Attached is my sump in the early stages of building...

This is my plan and understanding in very broad strokes.

1. I will have two lines split from my Synergy Reef Overflow bean-animal - one that will go to my intake/socks and the other will go to the refugium. This way I can have a slower flow to my refugium and faster flow to the skimmer. The return is in the middle and goes back to two returns in the tank. As I understand it, I will use ball valves on the overflow lines to the tank in combination with my DC return pump to achieve an equilibrium of water in and water out of the sump. If I want a higher flow through the sump I would open the ball valves on the overflow lines, which could be just one of the returns or both, and increase the pump's return speed - if I want a lower flow I decrease both. Is that correct?

2. The height of water in the skimmer section (as suggested by manufacturer) will be determined by raising or lowering the adjustable weir between the skimmer and return chamber. Is that correct?

3. The refugium height is determined solely by the height of the baffle between the refugium and return chamber. Is that correct?

Any other basic sump/flow principles I'm completely missing?

NOTE: I've done some preliminary math, and it seems when the power goes the sump will have to absorb around 6-8 gallons of water; as planned it should be able to take 10 or so.


Questions:
1. What determines the height of water in the return?
2. The baffle kit I bought has 3 socks and a 4th empty chamber... what would that 4 chamber be used for?
3. As pictured, the refugium baffle has some slots halfway up that I will be covering up to in effect make it a solid "wall". The height of the refugium baffle is only an inch or so away from the top of the tank. My plan is to cut the baffle down a bit as well as cut notches across. Are those notches necessary or is it easier/better to do a mesh/sponge type setup I've seen people do? (I've not worked with cutting acrylic before)
4. I have access to the house drain/sewer line right behind the tank. Is there any reason to plumb the emergency line into that, or is it just more work for minimal gain (since the sump can handle the 6-8 gallons anyway)?

Thanks everyone,
J

 

[Diesel]

You got it my friend.
This is a awesome self build sump that will perform perfectly for you.

 

[fermentedhiker]

The height of the water in the return is determined by you essentially. If you have an ATO(i'd recommend it) then the ATO sensor will set the level depending on where you place it.

The fourth chamber, at least as I'm seeing in the picture would be the refugium

As far as how to do the refugium baffle, I think it's a matter of preference. The point behind the mesh or the slots is to minimize chaeto or whatever from being sucked into the return. How hard this is to prevent will depend on how much flow you run through the refugium(more flow being harder to limit).

The emergency drain should go to the sump. If you ran it to an external drain the system would lose water in the event that the emergency drain came into use and the pump would run dry and burn up if you didn't have some way of shutting it down when the sump gets low.

 

[Lylelovett]

The height of the water in the return is determined by you essentially. If you have an ATO(i'd recommend it) then the ATO sensor will set the level depending on where you place it.

Got it. And yes I will have a redundant ATO. I plan to plumb the RO/DI into my house water line to feed the ATO. (I realize there are some strong opinions on this) I will be using an optical sensor to control the RODI water line solenoid/valve that passes through a mechanical float valve for first backup. Then a back-up float switch to trigger a separate water line valve that is also connected to a leak detector. I took the plan from a nice BRS video using the Tunze Osmolator. All of it through a break-out-box controlled by Apex.

The fourth chamber, at least as I'm seeing in the picture would be the refugium

As far as how to do the refugium baffle, I think it's a matter of preference. The point behind the mesh or the slots is to minimize chaeto or whatever from being sucked into the return. How hard this is to prevent will depend on how much flow you run through the refugium(more flow being harder to limit).

Correct and understood.

The emergency drain should go to the sump. If you ran it to an external drain the system would lose water in the event that the emergency drain came into use and the pump would run dry and burn up if you didn't have some way of shutting it down when the sump gets low.

Aha! Makes total sense! Thanks.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Also typically you wouldn't split the overflows. You run the primary and the secondary to filter socks in the first section. You only need a valve on the primary. You then set the flow through the sump as desired via your pump(typically something close to your skimmers flow rate). Then you close the valve on the primary drain until it goes into full siphon and the water level in the overflow rises to the point where it starts to trickle down the secondary. You would have both of these line exit beneath the waters surface in the sump. The emergency drain you would terminate above the water level so that it will be noisy if it ever gets used(so you'll know something is wrong). I think most people running a center return like your sump split a line off of the return pump (a T on the output) and use a valve to control how much of the flow gets sent to the refugium and how much goes to the display.

I hope that made sense.

 

[Lylelovett]

Also typically you wouldn't split the overflows. You run the primary and the secondary to filter socks in the first section. You only need a valve on the primary. You then set the flow through the sump as desired via your pump(typically something close to your skimmers flow rate). Then you close the valve on the primary drain until it goes into full siphon and the water level in the overflow rises to the point where it starts to trickle down the secondary. You would have both of these line exit beneath the waters surface in the sump. The emergency drain you would terminate above the water level so that it will be noisy if it ever gets used(so you'll know something is wrong). I think most people running a center return like your sump split a line off of the return pump (a T on the output) and use a valve to control how much of the flow gets sent to the refugium and how much goes to the display.

I hope that made sense.

It does make sense, yes. ALL of the water would go into the "sock" end of the sump and the return pump provides flow to the fuge. I will look into those builds.

Thanks!

 

[miPapareef]

If those are open slots in the baffle between the fuge and return section, then the water level in the fuge will be the same height as the return section or the lowest slot which ever is highest.