Sump /fuge Input welcome

[as1720]

So for the return pump i want to find a pump that is 1200 GPR?

And then about about GPH for the closed loop?

Im not sure if i want a sand bed or not yet.

What do you mean by good contact time with the skimmer?

Sorry im a little dizzy. (polishing the new tank with a drill)

I like the finall design..
You'll prolly only want about 900 GPH not much more going through the fuge/sump..thats about 8. times tank volume going to it an hour....
So with 4' of head your looking at about a 1200 gph pump there about's..
If you want slower flow put a ball valve on the return line.. to tone it down a bit..
And if your not doing a sand bed in the fuge you can SCREAM water though there with out issues..
But you want to have good contact time with your skimmer..

 

[Red C Aquarium]

Good luck with the whole set-up !

 

[Myteemouse]

O.K. I ment sand bed in the fuge..
and as for "contact time" meens you dont want water to absoluty scream by your skimmer and get pushed right back in the tank the skimmer wont take it all out but good contact time is your friend..
Some don't use this philosophy.. Everyone to there own..
As for the CL. "if your gonna be a bear, be a grizzly".
Get a monster pump.. (You'll thank me later)
You will put ball valves on every output and you can always put the lock line "fans" on to spread out flow.
I use a REEFLOW DART.. 3600 GPH
2-1 1/2" inlets (bulkheads)
4-3/4 outlets.. (bulkheads)
All plumbling is 1 1/2" all the way to the 3/4 bulkheads on the tank for the return
they hold 3/4" lockline on each output and I have a two 1 1/2" "T"'s one the inlets with screens ...

 

[beoks]

cheato grows best in high flow areas but i you plan on putting sand and other critters you dont want the flow throwing sand around,

 

[as1720]

Ok back on topic what about measurement wise on the sump do you think it is big enough? I was thinking about adding an extra section on the end to hold top off water and having it plumbed to the return area. Too complicated?

Thanks for the tips Adam! Vary helpful!

 

[Myteemouse]

What skimmer you gonna get, that makes a big difference with what size sump you will need,
I like the theory of " the more water, the more better"
Get as big as you can... It will get small really fast when you start to put all your hardware in there..

 

[as1720]

I am getting as big as i can with a little room to spareso i can try to put other stuff in there, like calcium reactor or ballest to the lights, or water top off. Not that it will all fit grrr i give up this is too much work! How am i going to add onto the stand!

 

[Myteemouse]

Don't give up yet...
You dont need to put that big of sump in there..
Just get one big enough for your heater/s skimmer and a return pump...
Get a HOB fuge to hang on back of the sump and then you'll have plenty of room for your CA reactor and ballasts and what not...
I could come over on sunday and maybe we can come up with some ideas...
You don't HAVE to go big on the sump...
Ballasts can be hung anywhere they wont get dripped on or splashed
And the CA reactor will squeeze in the stand too...
No worries,
Step away for a few days and re think the project...
have a beer and take a night off..
Draw some pics and do some measuring and be realistic with the size of everything..

 

[as1720]

No im more so frustrated with the lights lol.

I didnt buy them or look into them or anything like that and OMG you should see this ballest! Its as big as the sump! I was rolling on the floor laughing when that box came and my boyfriend opened it. all i could say was ya didnt ask for measure ments did ya? lol i told him to ask. Every time i see that box i giggle.

So i think i am going to hve to find the lights this time.

That and this sanding has me just pooped!

Anyways im not giving up yet, i am going to have to remeasure everything and try again. I dont know about the HOB fuge i really want something that i can put fish in if i need to or corals if i need to, that and with how the top of this tank is i dont think i could hang anything off of it lol.

I mean if it were 100% up to me it would look nice even if i didnt buy brand new everything. Which his whole thing was have it look really nice, and so then he buys these POS lights! i was dude real nice i could do better then that and i have like NO money!

Sorry im rambling!

I think im going to go drink that beer, sit in my recliner and watch some football i mean desprite house wives.

 

[Myteemouse]

The HOB can hang off the back or side of your sump not your tank..
And as for the lights??
What did you get??

 

[as1720]

i will post pictures when i have time today. It only funny because he was willing ot spend $300 on a sump wich would get ugly anyways but when it came to lighting, something you would see, he went cheap! I mean he's got the basic idea, i just wish he would have listen to me in the first place. its kinda annoying.

I think we will be replacing the GIANT ballest for a smaller one we can hang on the back of the stand. lol Then its just a matter of getting it all to fit in the hood or modifying the hood and still haveing it look nice.

The only plus to the lights he got is that they have heavy duty wireing from like 10 years ago. lol But its in really good condition. They are the lights i was asking about last week. And the other is a POS broken down nasty sunpod/something else not sure exactly what it is but its a name brand and its just dirty and burnt out.

Bla Bla Bla.

 

[RAJOD]

When I see that picture of the sump, I envision two separate supply lines to the sump from the tank - one to the skimmer section and one to the refugium section. Water flow through the sump does not necessarily need to be linear and pass through all of the sections.

Also, if you go with a smaller return section as Sid suggests, you will probably want an auto top-off system or will need to keep an eye on your sump to make sure that the return section does not run low enough to cause you return pump to suck air and potentially run dry.

Gary

On the running dry note. In my sump I have my return pump use a 90 deg PVC angled so one edge hits the bottom and the other us above the bottom by maybe 1/2 inch. I have a check valve on the return as well.

I've run the sump dry for days and no pump failures. They never will suck 100 percent air. They will suck in some air but with the angled piece it would take days for a total dry run to occur. Hard to explain but its a simple way to prevent the return pump from running completely dry.

For example, my skimmer (venturi type) overskimmed and lost a ton of water.
The sump ran low and started sucking partial air. This lowered the output of the pump so then the skimmer stopped overflowing. The check valve also lets some back siphon to the pump as it opens and closes when the pump surges. When the pump slow down the overflow catches up and fills the sump with a little more water so then the pump gets a little bit of water.

Short of a cracked tank this has saved my pumps many times over.


I have mine go semi dry about 5 times in past 3 years. The pumps never failed. There is just enough water entering to prevent overheating.