Sump design

[Mattiejay6]

This is my idea for how I am going to build my sump. It will be a 30g glass aquarium with acrylic baffles. I will get a swc extreme 150 bmz. For the refugee part I was thinking miracle mud with chaeto then leading to the pump chamber where a mag 9.5 will be to return the water to the tank.

 

I am new to this so is this a good basic setup? Or should I make some changes?

 

The tank will be a 90 gallon mixed reef tank in the long run.

[zygote2k]

skip the mud, use a sweater box or rubbermaid container and create a DSB. grow chaeto, gracilaria, halymenia, ochtodes above that. make some sort of bubble trap on htat incoming line, otherwise you'll get noise and salt creep.

[Mattiejay6]

What do you use as a bubble trap on an incoming line? I've read a lot of good things about that miracle mud.. Seems like it did really good?

[smallreef]

Miracle mud did nothing for me...

I agree with rob n needing a bubble trap on your incoming...like filter floss sitting up against or wrapped around the pipe...or a thick filter sock..some like them some don't...

[L8 2 RISE]

Skip miracle mud, stick with chaeto and/or grape caulerpa.

 

Also consider raising the sump slightly or having some way of aiphoning it out so you can keep all the junk and detritus from filling it up.

 

The first set of baffles should be under then over (then you can go under again, but it's not necessary). If you draw water from the surface near the skimmer, the baffles wont work as well. The second set of baffles I would just do one baffle with the water going over. If you want two, have it go under then over. The way you have it will drive the bubbles down depending on the amount of flow you have. Also when you set up the baffles, have the flow move diagonally through the refugium. For example, if the first set of baffles ends on over, have the second set start on under.

 

For the bubble trap at the beginning, you could also consider using an overflow that produces no bubbles. Like a siphon overflow

[Mattiejay6]

I have heard a lot of bad things about grape caulerpa?

 

What kind of sediment would you use in the refugee? Just a deep sand bed or live sand?

 

Thanks for the baffle ideas, I will adjust it accordingly. The skimmer will actually sit on the bottom of the tank it really won't be lifted up because it can be in 7 to 10 inch of water.

 

Also I was going to put 2 150w heaters in the first section with the skimmer.. How's that sound?

Edited June 14, 2013 by Mattiejay6

[Mattiejay6]

If the skimmer is drawing the water from the bottom because I have it sitting on the bottom would it work then? The over under over baffles in the beginning?

 

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do to be a bubble catch on the over flow.

[L8 2 RISE]

I would not use any sediment in my refugium.  Refugiums tend to be a gathering place for detritus, so I like to be able to completely clean my 'fuge out and not worry about detritus.  If you like the idea of a DSB, do a remote one in a bucket and have a filter sock set up before it.

 

No matter how you set the sump up, there's really no reason to start with an "over" baffle after the skimmer.  If you start with an "under" baffle, it will draw less bubbles.

 

Heaters in the skimmer section or between baffles is the best place for them.

 

The easiest bubble catch is a filter sock.  There are other things you can search for, but that's easiest.  You really don't NEED a bubble catch, but you'll end up with a lot of salt creep and annoying bubbles if you don't have one.

 

Grape Caulerpa can be bad if it goes sexual.  I use it a lot and have never had issues, though I need to do more research on it to give you an answer as to why or when it goes sexual...  There are other options though- chaeto, graciliera, codium, ochtodes, dragons breath all come to mind.

[zygote2k]

caulerpa is a fast growing aquatic weed that has been banned in many parts of the world due to the potential for clogging waterways and outcompeting local vegetation. In the aquarium it grows rapidly, absorbing nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate which makes it seem like a good choice for refugium use. At certain times, Caulerpa goes into sexual reproduction  and releases all of its' stored nutrients back into the water column. This has the potential to wreak havoc on your aquarium. This is the main reason not to use it.

[L8 2 RISE]

When will it go sexual? I've never experienced it or had issues with it, but I just wonder. Maybe because I keep mine very well trimmed? Or how exactly?

 

caulerpa is a fast growing aquatic weed that has been banned in many parts of the world due to the potential for clogging waterways and outcompeting local vegetation. In the aquarium it grows rapidly, absorbing nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate which makes it seem like a good choice for refugium use. At certain times, Caulerpa goes into sexual reproduction and releases all of its' stored nutrients back into the water column. This has the potential to wreak havoc on your aquarium. This is the main reason not to use it.

[YHSublime]

I had it growing in my dt. I don't know how it was introduced, but I do know I wouldn't want to try and get rid of it again. I can't speak to if its worth growing in a sump/fuge or not.

[jimlin]

if you are still interested on the avast cs1, they all come standard with the recirc kit. it is recommended you use a pump that puts out your tanks total volume per hour. a lot of people use a mj1200, but i plummed mines off of the return line to feed the skimmer. advantage with the recirc skimmer is that you dont have to keep your water level in the sump at a certain level just for the skimmer to function properly. i am sure someone from the club will have a used one for sale, and if you rather buy new, you get a discount with wamas membership. today is only the second day running it and it is already performing like my reef octopus, except on a bigger scale.

[Mattiejay6]

Thanks jimlin I appreciate it.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Mattiejay6

[Jason Rhoads]

Great job on the sump design! Couple that with the advice here and you will be light-years ahead of where I was with my first sump. 

 

Only advice I have is to be sure that with the 30g sump you have enough clearance to do maintenance. I used a 20 long for the sump on my 90g because I liked being able to easily remove the skimmer cup and body for cleaning. Measure it all out, and if possible do a dry run with the 30g in the stand and try to work on the skimmer like that. If it is a PITA you probably should go with a tank with a lower profile. 

 

Great job so far, looking forward to following along!

[TheyCallMeMr.703]

That's gettin' pretty close to pushin' it with the heaters.... it is a small spot... But you should be fine, I'm goin' to turn my old 3o into a Sump also... so Send me pic's, when you finish.

[Mattiejay6]

I ended up breaking 2 tanks trying to cut glass lol... I am paying Adam at AA to build me one.

[Kevin Garrison]

My CS1 will go into service either this evening or tomorrow depending on what time I finish construction tonight.  The guys at Avast are awesome to work with, I can't wait to get  this thing going and actually have a skimmer running I do not have to constantly fight with.  After almost a year of fighting with this AquaC EV120 I have, I just want something that is going to work.  The EV120 is VERY susceptable to the water level issues mentioned above, as in putting my arm in the tank to move something will cause it to lose the bubbles.

[Mattiejay6]

I am going to go with a vertex omega.. How ever premium aquatics just got a shipment of rlss r6i"s in. I am considering that one too