Sump Help confirmation.

[speedstar]

Cleaning up a used sump and curious if this would be the correct layout. I am also replacing the top and bottom braces as they had cracks, hence why the top is removed right now.

Will this layout work for equipment, it seems to make sense to me, as if the return pump was in the last chamber the water level would always be pretty high, and I want to make sure if the siphon break fails, there is enough capacity for the tank water.

 

[Ippyroy]

Return and Fuge need to be switched. REturn chamber should be small because it is the one where the water level will drop and where you add the ATO. The Fuge needs to be as big as possible. At least 10% of total water volume.

 

[speedstar]

Return and Fuge need to be switched. REturn chamber should be small because it is the one where the water level will drop and where you add the ATO. The Fuge needs to be as big as possible. At least 10% of total water volume.

So you just have full flow thru the fuge? I thought that you wanted reduced flow there? What you suggested is what I first thought till I started to consider the siphon back from a 300g tank even if just couple inches of water and also the flow thru fuge area would be pretty high.

I get the smaller more percise ATO area, but is that really needed when talking this large a over all volume of water, years back (over a decade) I just would always even up at the end of the day adding 4~5 gallons manually in my large system. That area being 17X17 as I have it for the return in the picture, even if the ATO took an inch drop to kick in it would still just need 1.25g of top off, that my tunze ATO can handle.

Again my concern is having room for the back siphon, if it needs to be the other way i'll notch the glass bevels to change the water level, in the 17X17 chamber to have more room for back flow.

Hope my ramble above came out of my head to computer correctly.

Thanks

 

[homer1475]

Skimmer chamber really need to be that big?

I would leave it as is, except make the return chamber smaller, and increase the fuge area. When you drain down, you'll fill the whole sump, not just the return chamber. I like the fuge area being just a spill over with the return pump on a valve to control the flow.

 

[Ippyroy]

Chaeto needs lots of flow. The backflow will level out thoughout the tank. All of my compartments raise when I turn of the return. I have to remeber to turn off the ATO or it beeps very loudly at me. I personally us the filter sock section in my sump as the fuge area. I grow chaeto like crazy so it traps all of the detritus and I have a healthy CUC and live in sand in it.

 

[Jeffcb]

Mine is.. Drain / Fuge /Skimmer/ Return. My RS 3XL900 gets here tomorrow!! and is that as well.

 

[speedstar]

Skimmer chamber really need to be that big?

I would leave it as is, except make the return chamber smaller, and increase the fuge area. When you drain down, you'll fill the whole sump, not just the return chamber. I like the fuge area being just a spill over with the return pump on a valve to control the flow.

This was a used setup so I am doing what I can with it and trying to determine what will work. The foot print of the skimmer is 11X11 plus the pump to the side, Once the top brace is back on it takes away some of the access as well. The previous brace was just a single center, the replacements I am using have two.

I am wondering if the easiest mod would be to add another divider instead of cutting out and moving the existing one on the far right, and have just two fuge chambers with one flowing into the other. like below, i am sure your all loving my CAD skills in paint lol Thoughts?

 

[homer1475]

totally understand reuse. Thumbs up for that!

I would just move the baffle over instead of installing another. A piece of piano wire, guitar string, even a razor knife will get it off there.

 

[Ippyroy]

This was a used setup so I am doing what I can with it and trying to determine what will work. The foot print of the skimmer is 11X11 plus the pump to the side, Once the top brace is back on it takes away some of the access as well. The previous brace was just a single center, the replacements I am using have two.

I am wondering if the easiest mod would be to add another divider instead of cutting out and moving the existing one on the far right, and have just two fuge chambers with one flowing into the other. like below, i am sure your all loving my CAD skills in paint lol Thoughts?

I'd just remove the panes and move them. That is a nice large sump. I'd love to have one like that. I would also switch the skimmer section and frag section but the way you have it is much better. Bigger frag section would mean more corals. Bigger skimmer section allows you to easily add reactors with individual pumps instead of a manifold.

 

[speedstar]

Thanks all that replied, appreciate it. It appears the previous owner had the return pump in the middle, as he had the water line marked with the blue tape. I wanted the return further from the skimmer to reduce micro bubbles was my thinking. Any reason to rethink this or simply just move the one pane as suggested.

 

[homer1475]

I would just move the one pane and go as you have it planned. Theres enough bubble traps where you have it planned.

 

[speedstar]

Thanks again everyone, the silicone is drying now and i'll have about a 28g fuge and an easier to manage ATO chamber. Appreciate the help. This was the other part of the project. The back became the front. A bunch of vinegar and then 12 steps of wet sanding all the scratches out.