Multiple sump chambers in series.

[John from Canada]

I wish you the best of luck on your next tank. Please keep in mind that automation and monitoring are tools we may choose to employ to help us be successful reef-keepers. They will not replace us or our eyes looking at our tanks daily or weekly.

I've found that I get the best result when I have a purpose for what I do. Other people may have more complicated or simpler setups than mine, but we can all be successful if we understand "why". I think the major part of a mature reef tank is that the reef-keeper (me & you) becomes more mature, patient, and experienced: the tank follows us rather than the other way around.

I couldn’t agree more.
in the last 15 or so years, that is a lesson that I’ve really learned.
going from a know-it-all kid, to a middle aged(ish) father of three has forced me to slow down. The automation is more of a hobby and is absolutely not a replacement for hands on maintenance.

a little TMI - I was recently diagnosed with adhd which explains my impulsiveness and rush to set up a display the last time. I’m now in cbt and am medicated and looking for a long term sustainable hobby. My current view on this is that the actual husbandry is not the main priority of the build. The build itself is.
The electrical, plumbing, chemistry, fabrication, problem solving...that’s the hobby.
the display is a meditation aide and something to show off when we can have people over again.
(don’t get me wrong - I plan on it being gorgeous as well lol lol)

 

[MnFish1]

1) I can absolutely appreciate the increased running costs. But does this system really add THAT much more volume than an under cabinet? If I have 200g in the main display and 60g in the sump or 100g in the sump, I feel like the end of year additional expenses would be negligible. It still all runs on only one return pump I could be wrong if those costs are exponential in anyway.

2) on the left side of the storage room photo there is the main stack from the second floor bathroom and kitchen.
on the right side, behind the coat racks, is the stairwell with the furnace/laundry room (complete with sink and floor drain) on the other side. It would be nothing to run pvc between the two rooms as they are simply framed and not even dry walled between. That’s where I’d be putting my rodi and mixing station.

3) benefits (as I see them).
-I've run an under cabinet sump before and I hate working on my hands and knees overtop of carpet. I’d rather have the extra space and concrete floors for maintenance.
-I’m mechanically included and loooove a good diy, so I would consider this part of the hobby and not a roadblock build.
-cheap to replace and easy to drain and reconfigure as needed
-keep noise out of display area and isolate in another room.
-no compromises with config. I can put in any skimmer I want. I can have a huge fuge. I can dsb (although I don’t think that I want to). I can swap the macro out and build a cryptic zone instead.

I hope I’m not coming off as contrarian. I’m not trying to staunchly defend my position on this. Just letting you inside my thought process. I wanted to make sure that I had at least handled the basics before I went off and asked the pros for their opinions lol lol

I can see the benefit of a remote sump - what I dont see the benefit of is the barrels. And - yes - to me - the running costs will be maybe double. First - the return pump will have to be stronger. Second you will be using more RODI, salt, and whatever other additives you plan on - as well as the heater - and on top of that you don't know if your 'design' is as efficient or will function as well as a different type of sump. To me - you may have less mixing of water with round containers - and pipes - as compared to say a baffled sump - where all of the water has to go through each section - and is completely mixed throughout the sump. I see less oxygenation and more stagnation, etc with your design. I don't know if I'm being clear - what I mean is piping water between barrels seems to me to be less efficient than a conventional sump - unless maybe - you put small powerhead in each barrel to make sure its mixing... I'm also not trying to argue - I'm just giving my personal opinion/preference. If I were you - I would buy a large sump to put in your remote location (or since you like DIY) - build your own out of say a 90 gallon aquarium which sits on a stand (with baffles siliconed in. Hope this makes some sense

 

[Gtinnel]

I think it sounds like an interesting idea at least, and I don't see why it isn't feasible.

I bet people used to find it odd when someone started putting a smaller aquarium under their display tank to act as a sump many years ago too. My point being if no one questions the status quo of what's the "normal" setup then how can things progress to whatever setup becomes normal in the future.

If you do follow through with it I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Gtinnel]

Second you will be using more RODI, salt, and whatever other additives you plan on

This is true on any setup where there is a larger than average sump but most people don't recommend getting a smaller sump. It will be around half the volume of the display, which is large but not completely insane IMO.

I see less oxygenation and more stagnation, etc with your design.

I wouldn't think that to be the case he is still having constant flow through every barrel. And if he does have a barrel that doesn't have enough water flow inside he can throw in a cheap power head to increase water flow like you mentioned.

Also, I am not trying to be argumentative and I mean no disrespect to your opinion but I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. I've made the sump for my tank out of two separate aquariums with one being a fuge that passively drains back into my return chamber of a different aquarium similar to how he is describing and so far it hasn't caused any issues.

I also apologize if it seems like I am talking on behalf of John from Canada that was not my intent.

 

[John from Canada]

I can see the benefit of a remote sump - what I dont see the benefit of is the barrels. And - yes - to me - the running costs will be maybe double. First - the return pump will have to be stronger. Second you will be using more RODI, salt, and whatever other additives you plan on - as well as the heater - and on top of that you don't know if your 'design' is as efficient or will function as well as a different type of sump. To me - you may have less mixing of water with round containers - and pipes - as compared to say a baffled sump - where all of the water has to go through each section - and is completely mixed throughout the sump. I see less oxygenation and more stagnation, etc with your design. I don't know if I'm being clear - what I mean is piping water between barrels seems to me to be less efficient than a conventional sump - unless maybe - you put small powerhead in each barrel to make sure its mixing... I'm also not trying to argue - I'm just giving my personal opinion/preference. If I were you - I would buy a large sump to put in your remote location (or since you like DIY) - build your own out of say a 90 gallon aquarium which sits on a stand (with baffles siliconed in. Hope this makes some sense

It absolutely does and addresses something that I hadn’t considered I suppose. I was more concerned with volume than flow.
i diy’d my last sump with an old leftover tank and it worked perfectly well. Maybe I’m over complicating things for no good reason.
I’m less interested in a bunch of additional power heads and failure points.
i suppose that if I really felt like I needed any more volume later, I could always dump the tank sump into a ‘return barrel’.
I’d looked at equine troughs as well but they’d be harder to baffle than a glass tank.
the search continues...

 

[MnFish1]

1) I can absolutely appreciate the increased running costs. But does this system really add THAT much more volume than an under cabinet? If I have 200g in the main display and 60g in the sump or 100g in the sump, I feel like the end of year additional expenses would be negligible. It still all runs on only one return pump I could be wrong if those costs are exponential in anyway.

2) on the left side of the storage room photo there is the main stack from the second floor bathroom and kitchen.
on the right side, behind the coat racks, is the stairwell with the furnace/laundry room (complete with sink and floor drain) on the other side. It would be nothing to run pvc between the two rooms as they are simply framed and not even dry walled between. That’s where I’d be putting my rodi and mixing station.

3) benefits (as I see them).
-I've run an under cabinet sump before and I hate working on my hands and knees overtop of carpet. I’d rather have the extra space and concrete floors for maintenance.
-I’m mechanically included and loooove a good diy, so I would consider this part of the hobby and not a roadblock build.
-cheap to replace and easy to drain and reconfigure as needed
-keep noise out of display area and isolate in another room.
-no compromises with config. I can put in any skimmer I want. I can have a huge fuge. I can dsb (although I don’t think that I want to). I can swap the macro out and build a cryptic zone instead.

I hope I’m not coming off as contrarian. I’m not trying to staunchly defend my position on this. Just letting you inside my thought process. I wanted to make sure that I had at least handled the basics before I went off and asked the pros for their opinions lol lol

PS - JMHO - I do see your 'benefits' - But - really most things are not benefits - they are just equal - you can use any skimmer, etc either way, having a huge fuge may not be any benefit - depending on what you put Into it (I don't have one at all) - In other words (obviously this is an exaggeration) - but you could have a 500 gallon sump - and other than

It absolutely does and addresses something that I hadn’t considered I suppose. I was more concerned with volume than flow.
i diy’d my last sump with an old leftover tank and it worked perfectly well. Maybe I’m over complicating things for no good reason.
I’m less interested in a bunch of additional power heads and failure points.
i suppose that if I really felt like I needed any more volume later, I could always dump the tank sump into a ‘return barrel’.
I’d looked at equine troughs as well but they’d be harder to baffle than a glass tank.
the search continues...

I'm not a flow engineer -your way may work - but - if you get what I mean about the flow - a baffled sump lets all the water flow through all the areas