Sump Returns

[LbulletM]

Good point. Hadn't even considered painting the holes!

 

[LbulletM]

Alright. Just did that whole "look at the space you have, idiot" thing.

Officially re-committing myself to a 20L tank haha.

 

[cracker]

I'd like to revisit this thread . So , Any other aspects of having a small return section ? I get the" ATO turning on more often" & lack of room for" back fill". These aspects are not a concern in my situation.
My return section is entirely too large at the expense of the refugio . I'm wondering about micro bubbles or a wave running back & forth across such a small area. I don't use baffles for space saving reasons.
It's just an acrylic wall held by silicone & would be easy to use a temporary sump ,cut it out and reseal it in another place then wait to cure Thanks !

 

[Porpoise Hork]

The only downsides that I can see are lower overall water volume, and smaller fuge limiting the amount of macro algae you can have, thus putting a limit on nutrient mitigation and export benefits. But this can be offset be regular water changes and controlled feedings. You don't need a ton of space for baffles, really only 1-1.5" gap between plates with a 1" gap across the bottom for water to flow into the pump return. From there you can always insert an open cell foam block between the plates to trap bubbles, as well as macro algae and any larger inhabitants you may keep in the fuge. The Precision Marine R24 sump is setup this way but has a fairly small refugium section with a single overflow/bubble trap before the return pump section. When I first set mine up I got a ton of micro bubbles from the skimmer (also new) in the DT. It took about 2 weeks but once the skimmer was broken in the micro bubbles were gone any that do make it out of the skimmer are caught by the cheato at this point.

 

[Drewbacca]

Haha my biggest issue is that the skimmer has a 12.4 x 10 inch footprint!

Was wondering the same thing about space around the equipment...especially skimmee..and the return area question...trying to maximize fuge area as well... but dont want poor skimmer performance because intake or output is too close to sock or wall..
What did you find/figure out? How's it all doin now?

 

[LbulletM]

Was wondering the same thing about space around the equipment...especially skimmee..and the return area question...trying to maximize fuge area as well... but dont want poor skimmer performance because intake or output is too close to sock or wall..
What did you find/figure out? How's it all doin now?

Basically ended up with the layout on the second page, but got a Reef Octopus 150S to use until the upgrade (202 was too tall for the existing shelving) and downsized the skimmer section a little. Working great with maybe a half inch or so on each side of the skimmer and pump.