Trigger Emerald 39 sump swap advice

[Ichthus1]

I am getting ready to do a sump swap on my 150 gallon reef tank. I am replacing an older Eshopps sump with a Trigger Emerald 39 sump. I am making some minor changes to the plumbing during the process, so I expect the entire change to take about four hours. I have never swapped a sump on a running system, so I have some questions for those of you who have experience with this:

1. How long will the tank be alright without the sump running if I keep flow in the tank with the powerheads?

2. How long can the water sit in my calcium reactor, biopellet reactor and overflows during the sump swap, before they need to be drained and the water replaced?

3. Should I replace the water in the sump with fresh saltwater, or reuse what is in the sump when I do the swap? To reuse the water from the system, do I need to keep it circulating in a container, or will it be alright sitting during the swap?

4. How long would you let the new pvc fittings in the return, drain and manifold lines dry before turning the return pump back on?

5. I am thinking of going without a one-way valve on the return line. I know that many people do not use one. The one I currently have always leaves salt creep on the pipes over time from a very slow drip. The old sump is 36 gallons and the new is 39. I don't think holding a little extra water when the system is off should be an issue. Am I right? Any strong arguments either way?

6. Should I relocate my biopellet reactor to my sump instead of running it externally? I was thinking of doing this just to avoid any issue if it ever leaks.

7. Due to the plumbing hangers under my tank I cannot use the plate on the sump in the picture above. The offset on the plate with two connections will not work. I will have to use the three connection plate, which has the two connections side-by-side. Do the drain pipes from the overflows need to be glued into these fittings, or can they fit snugly without leaking?

8. I plan to sit the sump on a base made of 3/4" plywood, like my current sump. The base will be braced from underneath to make sure it remains flat. If the sump is on a perfectly flat surface, is there any need to put something like foam underneath? If so, what would you use?

Post pictures of your install if you would like. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Brew12]

I'll answer the ones that I am comfortable with.

1. How long will the tank be alright without the sump running if I keep flow in the tank with the powerheads?

At least a good number of hours. If you move a heater into the DT you likely run that way for weeks. Just make sure you have good turbulance on the surface of the tank for air exchange.

3. Should I replace the water in the sump with fresh saltwater, or reuse what is in the sump when I do the swap? To reuse the water from the system, do I need to keep it circulating in a container, or will it be alright sitting during the swap?

It should be just fine for a few days just sitting.

4. How long would you let the new pvc fittings in the return, drain and manifold lines dry before turning the return pump back on?

At least 2 or 3 hours. Do the return plumbing first so it has more dry time since it has the higher pressure.

5. I am thinking of going without a one-way valve on the return line. I know that many people do not use one. The one I currently have always leaves salt creep on the pipes over time from a very slow drip. The old sump is 36 gallons and the new is 39. I don't think holding a little extra water when the system is off should be an issue. Am I right? Any strong arguments either way?

I like having one but my sump would be just fine even if I didn't use it. I just like not having all that backflow when I do maintenance. The way your tank is plumbed will determine if you need it.

7. Due to the plumbing hangers under my tank I cannot use the plate on the sump in the picture above. The offset on the plate with two connections will not work. I will have to use the three connection plate, which has the two connections side-by-side. Do the drain pipes from the overflows need to be glued into these fittings, or can they fit snugly without leaking?

They need to be glued.

8. I plan to sit the sump on a base made of 3/4" plywood, like my current sump. The base will be braced from underneath to make sure it remains flat. If the sump is on a perfectly flat surface, is there any need to put something like foam underneath? If so, what would you use?

I put mine on the plywood but wish I had cut up a thin yoga mat to set it on. Didn't think about it until it was too late and I haven't felt the need to change it since my plywood base is nice and flat.

I did screw up where I put my back braces which made my plumbing much trickier than it should have been.

 

[Billldg]

I am getting ready to do a sump swap on my 150 gallon reef tank. I am replacing an older Eshopps sump with a Trigger Emerald 39 sump. I am making some minor changes to the plumbing during the process, so I expect the entire change to take about four hours. I have never swapped a sump on a running system, so I have some questions for those of you who have experience with this:

1. How long will the tank be alright without the sump running if I keep flow in the tank with the powerheads?

2. How long can the water sit in my calcium reactor, biopellet reactor and overflows during the sump swap, before they need to be drained and the water replaced?

3. Should I replace the water in the sump with fresh saltwater, or reuse what is in the sump when I do the swap? To reuse the water from the system, do I need to keep it circulating in a container, or will it be alright sitting during the swap?

4. How long would you let the new pvc fittings in the return, drain and manifold lines dry before turning the return pump back on?

5. I am thinking of going without a one-way valve on the return line. I know that many people do not use one. The one I currently have always leaves salt creep on the pipes over time from a very slow drip. The old sump is 36 gallons and the new is 39. I don't think holding a little extra water when the system is off should be an issue. Am I right? Any strong arguments either way?

6. Should I relocate my biopellet reactor to my sump instead of running it externally? I was thinking of doing this just to avoid any issue if it ever leaks.

7. Due to the plumbing hangers under my tank I cannot use the plate on the sump in the picture above. The offset on the plate with two connections will not work. I will have to use the three connection plate, which has the two connections side-by-side. Do the drain pipes from the overflows need to be glued into these fittings, or can they fit snugly without leaking?

8. I plan to sit the sump on a base made of 3/4" plywood, like my current sump. The base will be braced from underneath to make sure it remains flat. If the sump is on a perfectly flat surface, is there any need to put something like foam underneath? If so, what would you use?

Post pictures of your install if you would like. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I added a shower pan liner to the inside of my cabinet and then put my trigger sump on top of it, did it so have some insurance against any possible leaks, have about a 4 in high sink now to aid in any leaks. It's hard to see in the picture but that grey mat under the sump is a pan liner.

 

[Ichthus1]

Thanks for the quick responses. I appreciate the help.