Houston.... we have a bit of progress.
Well, after a long last couple weeks I've finally been able to get some work done on the sump I plan on using for this system. It's a 110 gallon I helped liberate out of Brad's back yard. Thanks again Brad!
I got 'er all cleaned up and removed all the old baffles and with the help of Greg, Sphelps and a couple others I came up with a design I think will do what I want it to. Thanks guys!
Greg: I really like the way you mounted your heaters and I think I'll be doing something similar in the very first chamber where my drains dump into the sump. Here's a pic I took tonight while doing a water test on the sections.
The first section is going to be where the drains empty into. The water will fill this chamber and overflow into my filter socks. Thanks to Greg, I raised the end baffle in this area an extra inch or so, so water wouldn't overflow and skip the socks as easy if they plug up just a bit.
The next chamber is going to be my skimmer section. The skimmer will be held at the correct depth by sitting on egg crate that rest on 4 - 4" diameter ABS pipe cut the correct height for my SRO skimmer. There will be as many 2" holes as I can cut into the sides of those 4" pipes to allow for water flow in and around them. In my existing sump, I've actually even filled them with LR rubble and will no doubt get as much rubble in this section as possible too.
The next section is where I plan to set up a DIY turf scrubber and more LR.
And finally, the last section is the return chamber. I've yet to decide where I'm going to drill the bulk head for the external pump. I'm tempted to drill the bottom and put some LR in here as well.
Brad: If you're reading this, do you know if the bottom is tempered?
The plan is to have a remote refugium.
Anyway, here's the pics:
I also finally got my calcium reactor on line tonight. What a pain bleeding the air out of that first section. Little air bubbles constantly keep getting caught in the plastic media in there. Is there a trick to getting all that air out so the pump isn't sucking air into it for an hour and a half? Hmmmm, may have to do more reading on that me thinks.
Anyway, we have a bit of progress. If work ever slacks off, maybe I'll find time to build my stand for the sump and the one for the tank.