Sump/fuge plans....will this work?

[ilektrik22]

I was also looking into starting up a sump, my problem is that I don't have any space to "hide" it so it needs to be a pretty sump/fuge


I was wondering if this makes any sence,
-I would have a small intake chamber and outtake, in the back on either side of the tank,( 20-30g)
-then a chamber for hang on skimmer, heather etc.

-and then in the front have "pretty algea" for looks, rock, sand

will be a glass tank with coloured acrylic to section off everything.


Sorry I don't know how to get the pic to show up on the post so i had to attach it, the flow would be from the intake into

the cheatos
to the algea/plants/rock/sand
to the skimmer and heater etc area
then out back up to the tank using a pump

uding HOB overflow

 

[Krish]

Hard to imagine it without a pic , but if you don't have any space under the tank for a sump, do you have space on the back? If so, they have quite a few hang on refugiums/sumps you can buy that will house your skimmer as well as some chaeto

 

[ealshabaan]

the important part of the fuge is not to keep it before the protein skimmer line - water intake of the protein skimmer – because in this case, where the PS is taking the water from the fuge, almost all the pods and the nutrient, from the fuge, will be removed by the PS. And then the fuge will not be fully functional

 

[ilektrik22]

yeah that would make sence,

Okay, so would this work, water going into the sump/fuge intake chamber, the wall being the same height so water goes into both the fuge and some into the equipment area, and then baffles from both routes that meet up at the outtake pump chamber.

At the moment I don't have a skimmer so i'm just planning if i decide to get one ( and I want to put the heater in that area).

iI'll try posting a pic tomorrow

thanks

 

[ealshabaan]

it will be better with pics!
and, in fact, it's very OK to put heater in the fuge area

 

[ilektrik22]

alright so I finally drew a very crude idea of the set up.
Sorry I don't know how to post the pic directly so it's an attachement.

another question, how high do the walls have to be inside the different sections? or what does the hight difference have to be? is there any formula for this or is it just preferance etc?

I want the flow to be higher through the equipment area and slower through the fuge area, so i'm figuring that I should make baffles on the fuge walls from the in chamber( water coming in from display tank area), and shorter walls on the in/equipment area so water takes the faster route, does this make sence?

also I saw a post somewhere where a guy made his AC 50 into an outflow, has anyone tried this? any luck with it? I would think that this would help reduce the chances of the display overflowing due to a loss of suction in the outflow, so if a power failure occured both the AC50 and the return pump would shut off.

thanks

 

[ilektrik22]

okay so here is the attachment, sorry i'm also a noob at posting, i have no idea how to post the pic directly on the thread :|


hey it worked

 

[Meche]

You want the baffles low enough so that when you loose power and the pump stops working, any water in:
1) the return line
2) the supply line
3) in the tank down to the siphon break on the return line
4) left in the overflow
will not overflow the sump.

After that consideration, I would put them as high as possible so that the volume of the sump will be at maximum. You may have to play with this though if you have a skimmer (or build a riser for it).

 

[ilektrik22]

no skimmer so that's not a problem.

So say if the power goes out, and syphon broke etc. sump is not flooded. Then the power comes back on, the pump starts pushing the water back out of sump, once the tank water is at the outflow hight the syphon starts again so no disply over flow?

Ac 50 rather then outflow box anyone?

 

[Haole]

Ac 50 rather then outflow box anyone?

You’re bound to run into problems trying to match flows between the two pumps.
What if one pump stopped working for some odd reason? Remember, Murphy’s Law... If it can happen there’s a chance that it eventually will.

 

[ilektrik22]

Alright,
so I just got a remora hangon skimmer for christmas ( what a good boyfriend I have). I'm waiting on a 35 gallon tank and stand along with a cpr50 overflow( going to check it out tomorrow) and have ordered a mag3 pump(the pump will have to lift 1.5' up to display tank) and still need to pick up an aqualift ( was told that it has something to do with the suction, no idea why i need it though).

I have glass from a tank we broke a few months ago, so i'm going to use that for baffles and I need to get piping, I've read that I should have a 1'' incoming(does this need to be rigid or can it be some sort of tubing?) to sump and a 1 1/4'' outgoing (rigid piping).

I was wondering if anyone could help me with the design, as I'm not sure where the baffles should go.

1. do i really need to have the 3 piece baffle thing coming from the fuge area, or only from the skimmer area, as i would think there shouldn't be bubbles forming in the fuge, only from the skimmer. Or do I put them at the incoming area?

2. I would like flow to be slower through the fuge then the equipment area, will my design allow me to do this and how?

3. I'm planning on putting LR into the intake area to reduce bubbles.

4 anything else i need to know before i go and learn to cut glass?

 

[Meche]

the pump will have to lift 1.5' up to display tank

This should be measured from surface to surface. Is it really only 18"?

I've read that I should have a 1'' incoming(does this need to be rigid or can it be some sort of tubing?) to sump and a 1 1/4'' outgoing (rigid piping).

I would size my drain larger than the return. If you are going to use a mag3 (300gph?) then I would not use 1.25 pipe. You don't need it that big. Although, there is no danger in oversizing. You should never undersize.

still need to pick up an aqualift ( was told that it has something to do with the suction, no idea why i need it though).

This will maintain a siphon in the CPR overflow. It will pull out any bubbles that may acumulate in the top of the siphon.

 

[ilektrik22]

sorry i'm not to good with the non metric, so it has to lift the water from sump to display at maximum 18 inches ( the sump is will be on a stand beside display tank, I have no room to hide it)

 

[Meche]

Sorry, I can use either. I was just being consistant with what you said earlyer.

Keeping the sump higher is good in that you will have to spend less on a pump.

 

[ilektrik22]

what would you recommend as my drain/return sizes, and what type of material, pvc tubing, flexible tubing etc?

 

[Meche]

pvc tubing, flexible tubing etc?

Either; obviously metals would be a bad idea. It really depends on what your setup looks like. The more elbows you use in a plumb-job the more restriction there will be, so if you can get away with a few gradual bends in the flex tubing then you can use that. It is really up to you.

I just bought a Mag pump (950gph/3300lph) and it has a 3/4" barb fitting on the outlet. I think this is a little small, I'll probably change this to a 1" fitting when I use it. I think 3/4" will work fine for you. 1/2" might be ok too, although if you can do 3/4" that would be better.

 

[Meche]

I forgot the drain part.

As big as possible. 1-1.25" should do it.

 

[Meche]

Also, further reading.

Everything you always wanted to know about sumps

calculator

 

[ilektrik22]

cool thanks!

 

[Haole]

Great link Meche!
So ilektrik... What are you planning to put into the refugium section and why do you want it to be at a slower flow?