Creating a Sump

[SaltLife]

Several topics have been started about sumps but for some reason it's just not clicking in my head yet because i have a few questions and people from other areas have contradicting ideas on some things.

 

I still have not created sump for my 75g and have a 30g to start a design on. When i look at some peoples tanks they have a chamber it seems like for everything! In my 20g frag tank i have one chamber for a skimmer 3 baffles for bubbles (not a big fan of because dirt gets in the middle and can't get it out) then it dumps of into rocks, sand, and i have a pump raised above the sand that pumps water back up. Now this is were i get a little confused with other systems because of what i have seen.

 

1) Do i need some kind of mechanical filtration? (Carbon?) Can i just put it into the filter sock?

 

2) When plumbing the return to the tank should i have some of it dump back into the sump to get refiltered?

 

3) Should i seperate the tank into three sections? (ex. - skimmer, baffles, fuge, baffles, return pump)

 

If any of you have any pictures i would love to see them. I just want to get this one right for my 75g. Would love to hear opinions to!

[smallreef]

Sumps end up as personal preference....I prefer a sock, a baffle then my skimmer then another baffle or bubbletrap, and then my return chamber....

 

heres some good info...

 

http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

[SaltLife]

Thank you for telling me your setup though.

 

I guess things like reactors would be the mechanical filtration for a sump?

Edited January 24, 2013 by SaltLife

[Jason Rhoads]

1) Do i need some kind of mechanical filtration? (Carbon?) Can i just put it into the filter sock?

 

2) When plumbing the return to the tank should i have some of it dump back into the sump to get refiltered?

 

3) Should i seperate the tank into three sections? (ex. - skimmer, baffles, fuge, baffles, return pump)

 

If any of you have any pictures i would love to see them. I just want to get this one right for my 75g. Would love to hear opinions to!

 

 

 

1) You don't need any carbon. It can help, but I would not consider it essential. I don't have a filter sock on my current build and wish I did. When I put together my next sump I will have one for sure.

 

2) This is extra line actually isn't so that the water gets filtered again it is the preferred way to dial down your return pump. You put a valve on the return line going back to the sump and open it to decrease the flow back to the main tank. This is easier on the return pump than putting a valve directly on the return line and creating more head pressure to reduce flow to the tank.

 

3)Baffles are up to your preference. I just had my baffle system give out (will use glass from here on out) and I actually saw a reduction in bubbles in the DT through running a baffle-less sump. I like one baffle to keep the water level in my skimmer compartment at a constant level. Other than that I don’t see much use for them. If you are running a refugium in your sump you will need a baffle to separate your fuge from the rest of the sump.

 

 

 

The sump I just built has the return in the center flanked by a refugium on one side and skimmer on the other. I am running four return lines -two to the refuge and two to the skimmer (skimmer side will have filter socks). But like I said, currently my sump is a totally open (no baffles) 20 long and I don’t see any ill effects to not using separate chambers. I should note that my current tank has a remote refugium and the new build will have the refuge integrated into the sump.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Jason Rhoads

[zygote2k]

Cramming a fuge into a tiny spot in a sump does nothing. It might grow some macro and a few pods but is drastically undersized to be very effective.

Putting valves on return lines is the preferred way of regulating flow to the tank, using an extra empty line that dumps back into the sump is not the correct way to do this.

You basically need a sump that has a bubble trap/diffuser at the end where water comes from the tank, an area for the skimmer, and another area for the return pump. Baffles would be between the skimmer and return pump section to allow water to always be in the return section to prevent pump burnout.

If you need some help designing an efficient sump, ask.

[SaltLife]

Thanks for all these replys. You guys are helping me out a lot. Have another question for you about pumps and gph turnover rate through the sump. Going through a few other forums it seems to be general knowledge of about a 10x turnover rate/hour through the sump, is this a decent rule of thumb? Should it be more or less?

 

Thanks again you guys!

[hypertech]

That much flow is ok but not really required. Any 500-700 gph return pump will work for you.

 

My sump for my 75 is a 20L with one baffle. For a 12" wide tank, I find a quarter inch acrylic panel to work well. Wider and you will need thicker or glass.

 

If you do a filter sock make sure you mount it so the top is below the top of the tank. It will clog and you want the overflow to spill into the tank.

[ohaverd]

on my first tank, a 55 with a 20g sump. I had no sock, I didnt run carbon, I had 3/4 of the tank for the skimmer, a UV filter, and heater, and the 3 baffles for the bubble trap. On the other side of the bubble trap was my return pump, plumbed with a return that turned back into the sump and a ball valve to control how much flow went back into the display tank. This is all you really need for the smaller tanks. Sumps arent as hard to make as they seem, once you get started they come together fast. One thing I advise on is to make your baffles out of acrylic and EPMD which can been seen here

 

Adjustable baffles are the shizlestick

[Jason Rhoads]

Putting valves on return lines is the preferred way of regulating flow to the tank, using an extra empty line that dumps back into the sump is not the correct way to do this.

 

You are misunderstanding. A "T" is run off the return line and a valve put on that line. The flow is regulated by opening the valve. This allows you to adjust the flow on the return line without adding any extra back pressure to the pump. IMO it is the better way of regulating flow.

[Origami]

You are misunderstanding. A "T" is run off the return line and a valve put on that line. The flow is regulated by opening the valve. This allows you to adjust the flow on the return line without adding any extra back pressure to the pump. IMO it is the better way of regulating flow.

I've seen this approach. For some pumps whose power consumption goes up with head pressure, it's a fine way to save energy and have the pump run cooler. It probably applies to most pumps. However, not all pumps, however, work on this part of the power curve. Most notably, many of the Reeflo pumps consume less power with increased head pressure (their flow drops off dramatically, though) and, with these pumps, the preferred way of regulating output (according to the manufacturer) is to put a valve directly on the return to throttle back the pump with increased head pressure.

[Jason Rhoads]

I've seen this approach. For some pumps whose power consumption goes up with head pressure, it's a fine way to save energy and have the pump run cooler. It probably applies to most pumps. However, not all pumps, however, work on this part of the power curve. Most notably, many of the Reeflo pumps consume less power with increased head pressure (their flow drops off dramatically, though) and, with these pumps, the preferred way of regulating output (according to the manufacturer) is to put a valve directly on the return to throttle back the pump with increased head pressure.

 

Good to know! Thanks for sharing. I was unaware of pumps behaving in this way.

[SaltLife]

First thank you everybody for your help! I am almost done with the sump just waiting on a few pieces for it that i ordered. I decided to go off of this idea for a sump which was at the website that was recommended for me. I only have a 75g RR tank, So with the 1" line coming down i only have one line of pvc i was going to run, it will T off just like in the diagram one will go to the skimmer the other to the fuge, both will have ball valves so i can control the flow to each then a return pump will be in the middle to pump it back up the tank.

 

Is that sound good? Love your guys opinions!

Thanks for the time!

[hypertech]

I would research a herbie drain and run all the drain water into the skimmer section.

 

The T off the return pump to supply the fuge.

 

I would also use gate valves instead of ball valves becasue htye are much easier to control. You need to get the all plastic ones from a LFS or mail order though. Gate valves at teh home improvement stores usually have brass parts inside and are not for use in a reef tank.