Sump design?

[Wilty]

I know this is a over hashed topic, but I was wondering what people prefer. I'm going to be designing one shorting with a referium (spelling?). I will have a good length under my main tank, I was thinking 5 feet long. So what is the train of thought?

START Bio Balls -> Referium -> foam pads -> skimmer & reactor -> pump FINISH

?? Skimming before the referium?

[Quinn]

My sump design, for what it's worth.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/18897sump-design.gif

[Wilty]

you spent a bit of time drawing that out in paintbrush for me. THANKS!

I'm hoping to use the Referium as a major component in filtration. I fear that the skimmer after the ref. will remove any good elements the ref. adds. . . . .But its all speculation.

[ryan_p]

I fear that the skimmer after the ref. will remove any good elements the ref. adds

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I don't think that the refugium will "add" anything that the skimmer could remove. The refugium will allow a place for macro algaes to grow and will use any excessive nutrients within your system to allow it to grow and will out compete nuissance algaes for these elements causing their demise. The fuge will also give you a "sheltered" place a to increase your copepod population. I don't think skimmer placement should matter too much for what you mentioned. But again... I'm new, what do I know.

[Aquattro]

The skimmer could remove planktonic larvae from the pods, which is good coral food. I would plan for avoiding that problem.

[ryan_p]

see... you learn something new everyday!

I stand corrected. :biggrin:

[Wilty]

ok, sounds good. I'm going to view a few other setups and decide on what i need to do

[ldzielak]

The best system would be for the fuge to flow back to the tank without the use of pumps, but who likes to have that much water sitting that high.

Also kind of un-clear in the picture where the outlet of the skimmer is, but don't forget about the bubbles.

Personaly I like having the fuge in the middle of my sump, but it is a pain cleaning the intake of my return pump every week or 2. I could fix it but that would mean more baffles.

Here is an old pick from 2001 of my sump:
http://www3.telus.net/public/a7a92965/fish/Sump_Explained.jpg

I don't have the LG pump anymore, using a MAK4 for now. Also don't have the partial recirc line on the return pump, since I changed my overflow screens, but better flow. Don't have double valve on the outlet of the Iwaki pump anymore, I just take the hose off and put another one on to pump out my water for water changes. Other wise it's still the same, fuge is completly full of caulerpa. I have 2x55w PC over the fuge now, first tried 2x 36" NO but they just wouldn't cut it.

If you ever want to clean the baffles, you need more room or very small hands, I would have gone bigger had I known at the time. Also could use more to keep the bubble under better control, if I did not have the algea to help.

Lee

[Canadian Man]

Regarding the baffle width.

If your baffles are close together then the water will actually speed up through the baffles which dosent allow much time for the air bubbles to come to the surface.

So it's not always a matter of having more baffles but having what baffles you do have spaced properly.

[ldzielak]

I agree 100%, mine are spaced 1.5" appart and are 14" wide, so I have about 21 inches sq surface, will about 1000 GPH that is almost too high for my likeing, another 1/2" would have been much better.

Lee

[Wilty]

Personaly I like having the fuge in the middle of my sump, but it is a pain cleaning the intake of my return pump every week or 2. I could fix it but that would mean more baffles.


What are you cleaning? caulerpa that has been sucked up against it? I notice that no one has any foam pads or bio balls in their setups. . . I can understand the lack of foam due to it getting clogged but bio balls?

And can you tell me the reason for the piping from you main pump returning to the 'over flow return area' I don't see a valve. If it is wide open, how is water going to the tank? Wouldn't most of the water stay in the sump?

[ldzielak]

Bio balls are another filtration method, no used by many people any more if they have LR.

You can use what you like, but maintenance things like foam are not always a good idea, personaly I think that my corals would like a second chance at the DT's I put in the tank and not filter it out with foam.

My recirc line had a 1" to 1/2" fixed reducer so that would keep the flow under control. I don't like to have valves that if adjusted could overflow the tank, safety against other and maybe my self. I have done dumb things before.

Lee

[Wilty]

ok, well if I'm not using foam and its a toss up to use bioballs, I have a lot of room in that sump for a Fuge. mmmmmmmmmmm,