All About Sumps

[the6goat6man6]

I also use Eshopp's overflow, 600gph, I use a wave maker which has a feed button to turn off all pumps. I use this with no problem, never lost prime. I also have had several power outages and never lost syphon. Great product, very simple to DIY, I have several I have made that work just as well. I made them out of PVC, and acrylic for the "u" tube (only to see air). But they are VERY noisy!!!!!! I built an encloser around my display to hide the noise. The wife was going to kill me.LOL.
If you make your own out of PVC, you can make the Drain out of 3in PVC and eliminate the sound. But you have a huge pipe to hide.

I have the Eshopps Model overflow 300GPH version. It is my first and only external overflow but I cansay that I have had many power outages and not once did it ever break its siphon. I would HIGHLY recommend their external overflow boxes any day of the year.

 

[the6goat6man6]

Foster & smith had them the cheapest last I looked!
Reef Aquarium Filtration: Eshopps Overflow Boxes

That looks nice makes me hungry to get started:hungry:, i took a look at the BeanAnimal design and see the efficiency in it. Now can Cut glass and I can Bend plastics BUT i can't cut holes in my 75gal tank!!!:nono: I need alittle more time to develope that skill. I'm looking, asking, and researching to make this fuctional and easy. I will look into the Eshopps Model overflow 300GPH version also, thx 07focus. I'll send pic's once i start and keep my :idea: on this forum for sure.

 

[07FocusST]

I also use Eshopp's overflow, 600gph, I use a wave maker which has a feed button to turn off all pumps. I use this with no problem, never lost prime. I also have had several power outages and never lost syphon. Great product, very simple to DIY, I have several I have made that work just as well. I made them out of PVC, and acrylic for the "u" tube (only to see air). But they are VERY noisy!!!!!! I built an encloser around my display to hide the noise. The wife was going to kill me.LOL.
If you make your own out of PVC, you can make the Drain out of 3in PVC and eliminate the sound. But you have a huge pipe to hide.

All I did to silence my O/F Box was remove the black filter media around the outlet and place a plastic disposable spoon in the 4" tall piece of PVC that sits in the bulkhead. Made a world of difference.

 

[the6goat6man6]

I made a Hoffer gurgle buster, I think thats what its called. Worked for the most part, still noisy. but more tollerable
I never used that black foam, I removed all filter pads from my system, they seem to produce loads of nitrates if you clean them every other day, anyway they really aren't needed

 

[freetareef]

thanks for the great write up!!!

 

[Krish]

thanks for the great write up!!!

No problem at all!

 

[Thrawn]

Awesome read. Thanks Krish! Could somebody explain microbubbles to me? Sorry for the noob question, I searched the forums a bit but couldn't find any threads on it.

 

[returnofsid]

Microbubbles are the tiny air bubbles that are caused for various reasons. The main reason would be the skimmer. Baffles in the sump/refugium, "trap" these bubbles on one side of the baffle, not letting them continue on to the return pump and into the tank.

 

[Krish]

Awesome read. Thanks Krish! Could somebody explain microbubbles to me? Sorry for the noob question, I searched the forums a bit but couldn't find any threads on it.

No problem at all!! To add to Sid's post, micro-bubbles can also come from a closed loop system that has air trapped in the plumbing. Almost like running a canister filter that wasn't primed properly so it has a lot of air trapped in it resulting in micro-bubbles being produced. Can also come from new plumbing that hasn't had time to slime up a bit on the inside, but as far as sumps are concerned, Sid hit the nail on the head with the skimmer producing a lot of these in the sump that would require the bubble trap to eliminate them. It can also come from incoming water into the sump from a prefilter/overflow even if a skimmer isn't being used.

 

[Thrawn]

But what harm does it cause? Does it mess with the ph or something?

 

[Tecnomage]

I don't believe it harms anything except clouding the view of the display tank.

 

[Krish]

I think I read somewhere that the tiny micro bubbles can irritate the fish's gills, but not 100% sure if that is actual facts.


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[Thrawn]

Gotcha. Thanks for the replies!

 

[253 FISH]

ok ok so isit better to build one or to buy a sump idk and wich protrein skimmers are better for coarals please help thanks

 

[Krish]

ok ok so isit better to build one or to buy a sump idk and wich protrein skimmers are better for coarals please help thanks

Welcome to RF!! :welcome:

As for the sump, it is usually better to build one yourself or have one custom made. This way you can have it done to your specs that work best for you. Some skimmers for eg have to sit at a certain water level to operate properly and some have big foot prints that may not fit in a pre-made sump. By designing it yourself, you will ensure that your sump is built to suit your needs. As for a skimmer, we have a skimmer section here I'd post the question in. "Skimmy" our skimmer guru here will be the best person to get advise from. Just post what size tank you are planning on going with and I'm sure he will suggest the best option for the price. The skimmer section is located in the equipment forum.

Good Luck!!!!

 

[253 FISH]

hi this post is use full thanks

 

[Krish]

hi this post is use full thanks

No problem! Glad it helped!!

 

[mopargirl201]

I noticed several posts about overflows and breaking siphons and power outages. Could someone dumb it down for me? I would like to prep for a power outage before it happens. I don't want to annoy my husband with water all over his laminate flooring he installed. :help:

 

[IPisces]

Hey mopargirl, what do you have for an overflow and sump? What size tank do you have and what size is the sump?

Actually, if you were to walk over to your tank and unplug all power to it, would water continue flowing out of your tank into the sump and overflow the sump?
Then if you were to plug the power back in, and your return pump would start pumping water back up to the tank and water would restart its circulation from the tank to the sump and back to the tank all on its own?

 

[IPisces]

If the power goes out and the tank breaks siphon, when the return pump starts back up, if the siphon has broke then the water will not start its circulation from the tank back into the sump. Your return pump would then empty your sump by pumping it all into the tank and if there was not enough room left in the tank to hold the water from the sump, it would overflow the tank.

There are some wonderful people in your area that would be more than happy to come by your place and help you figure out if you would have a it set up so that it wont overflow form either the tank or the sump.
returnofsid and estanoche and there are a few others, just cant think of them at the moment