Please critique my sump plan!

[thatmanMIKEson]

this is a 11 1/2 " cube making sump for 20g L.

The first chamber to the right of the pump is water in from tank @11 1/5" tall on both sides @3" deep.

Second chamber 11" piece 1/2" from bottom. With 11 1/2"x3"deep.(media filter section)

Third chamber( skimmer section) one 9 1/2" x 5 1/4"-5.5"

Forth chamber (heater section /bubble trap) 4"x11" @ 1/2" from bottom.

Fith section 6"x4"pump section and ato sensor spot.

So this is a rough guesstimate on size im going to get glass cut it seems to be about 6 pieces. This is a guess so far on exact cut sizes I need to figure in glass thickness and silicon space but I need to fit my sicce 3.0 and the tunze 9004 in at leat the max depth it will go @ 9.5" I can move it up.

Any advice or personal experiences would be very appreciated by me id love to hear any advice or stories! Thanks all

 

[lapin]

Looks like it should work
Be sure you have enough room for drain back when pump is off

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Looks like it should work
Be sure you have enough room for drain back when pump is off

I am worried about that, im going to rely on check valves and hoping for the best. its going to be pretty full, maybe I can keep the water level in the heater and pump section lower to just cover pump....

Thanks for your input!

 

[lapin]

Check valves not the best . But you know that.

 

[Onewolf]

Just something to keep in mind, both of my (non DIY) sumps are configured such that if there is a backup/clog along the chamber 'path' there is always a backup path for water to get from the incoming drain chamber to the return pump chamber without exiting the sump onto the floor.

 

[Billdogg]

Just something to keep in mind, both of my (non DIY) sumps are configured such that if there is a backup/clog along the chamber 'path' there is always a backup path for water to get from the incoming drain chamber to the return pump chamber without exiting the sump onto the floor.

^^^This^^^

All your internal baffles should be just a little shorter than the top of the sump. Floods are no fun.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Thats all very good points, floods are no fun! Not in the living room.. @Billdogg I was going to make them@ 1/2" increments stepping down im not going to put much flow through it, But @lapin is right about the blockage path, im thinking about my sock sump has that bypass. Thanks guys its getting the thinking juices flowing!