Sump help
 

I bought a used setup and am looking for help with the sump.

[IMG]http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps0bc69168.jpg[/IMG]

The sump is an old wet/dry filter. The first chamber is an obvious detritus trap. I was thinking of cutting away most of the first chamber baffle and putting a new baffle around the area of the current wet/dry baffle. I'd like to keep the water a little higher so I can grow cheato in that chamber as well. I would like to add a section for a skimmer if possible. I'm not sure how to make sure I have enough empty space so it doesn't overflow when the pump is off.

Any suggestions.

the best thing to do is to connect the sump to your tank.

once connected, shutdown the pump and monitor the water level.

just make sure you have either a backflow valve or a hole drilled in your return lines to stop the siphoning.

good luck

I have the same sump sitting around somewhere in storage and it's the bigger model and I think that's too small to do that. I don't recommend cutting any baffles out and trying to put more water in there than suggested. The sump will bow out. Skip the chaeto and just worry about a skimmer. Oh in just in case you don't know, don't use the bioballs.

I think I see what you'd like to do, but if you could repost the pic with some lines drawn on it for your proposed baffles, maybe it would help the rest of us help you ...

I will see if I can get a pick done up but before I do, any suggestions on ideal size for a skimmer compartment? the skimmer I have for it is just a coralife HOB so I would rather include a chamber that would support an in sump skimmer. The tank is a 72g so down the road I would be looking at a decent skimmer rated around 100g probably.

Does the skimmer need to be in its own section?

As for the bowing out, I can't see it bowing with baffles holding the sides. Obviously 1/8" acrylic has its limits but I don't really plan on filling it to the top, it needs empty space so as not to overflow when the return pump shutts off.

[IMG]http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...s17c0d29e.jpeg[/IMG]

okay so here is more or less what I was thinking. The red circle represents removing or cutting out as much as I can safely remove of the first chamber wall so that I can get in there with a siphon to clean it out.

The red line is removing most or all of that baffle. I was thinking of possibly keeping part of it and using the egg crate as a frag rack, but i could put that anywhere.

The blue lines are the new baffles, the one on the left would be sectioning the return area that would also house the cheato. The one closest to the return pump would be to keep a constant water level for a skimmer section.

My questions are what depth and width should a skimmer section be and since I have never designed or built a sump, does anyone have better suggestions for me or things I have overlooked?

To be honest with you man, modding out that sump would be more work then just buying a new/used tank and putting in baffles. I will bet you will switch that sump out in the first 6-12 months of your tank running for a different sump because that will not do anymore.

Skimmer section should be the same as your return for a few reasons. 1. The changing water level with evap unless you plan on using an ato. 2. Micro bubbles that will end up in your display via return pump.

If you're still set on go for it, make your skimmer section as big as the internal skimmer you plan on buying

Okay, I have to ask, what won't it do? Why would I switch it out in 6 months? Is there something I'm not seeing or don't know?

As far as evap from the skimmer section, will the skimmer section not always have the same water level and the water level change from evap be in the final section where the return pump is?

Can I not put in baffles for a buble trap to stop the micro bubles? Why would a different tank reduce micro bubles more than this one?

I don't want to go through the work of changing this one if it won't be any good. But I'm also not going to go buy something different without a valid reason. The only reason I can see would be to go bigger, but I don't know how much bigger I could go and still get it in the stand.

Read through the sump section and you might get some ideas of what you would like to have. Also a lot of good info

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

The evap is referring to if the return and skimmer are in the same chamber .


The size is the problem when you want to add more stuff sorry I'll reply better tomorrow