Sump, are baffles necessary?

[Ratpack]

I am building a new sump for my tank and due to the cost of cut glass, I only got 2 pieces. Each piece will separate the sump into three sections. One for the skimmer, one return and a fuge. Do you think there will be a lot of bubbles from this? It will be a real slow flow system. I am building it out of a 40 breeder.

 

[Snid]

My design is a bit unusual, but it has no baffles and I have no problems with bubbles. I guess the only way to be sure would be to do a test run with your setup (maybe not into the tank itself with just regular water). My point is, they may not be needed, but perhaps they will. Only you will be able to tell.

 

[Ratpack]

What makes your sump unusual? Maybe it is something I can model after. I really don't want baffles if possible. My current sump has them and it collects a lot of stuff and hard to clean out between them.

 

[Snid]

Mine's unusual in that it was originally a Bio-Ball Sump with no 3rd chamber for a Refugium. I added on a third chamber. So the water flows like such...

Down from the DT through a filter pad chamber, trickles down from there through Carbon in Media Bags, crosses over to another chamber through a narrow slit to where the Skimmer and Return Pump are both located. Water that enters the Skimmer is pushed into the added 3rd Refugium chamber through a Bulkhead opening The water in that chamber is pumped through my DIY GFO Reactor then back into the Refugium. Excess water in the Refugium flows back into the Skimmer/Return Pump chamber through the Bulkhead opening.

So in essence, some of the water in my Sump is recirculating through the Skimmer and the GFO Reactor on several passes before returning to the DT. On that same token, however, some of the water is not getting skimmed or put through the GFO Reactor, so it evens out I guess.

All I know is that my GHA is going away, I have pods and Cheato growing in my Fuge, and my water is crystal clear and always passes all the chemical tests.

 

[sirrealism]

Baffles are nice but not needed. More then just a bubble trap baffles work best to keep the water in the sump the same level at all times so you can set your skimmer and leave it. if not you will be chasing your skimmer. On the other hand if you have an ATO then you really dont need any baffles. i have a 90g with an open sump and an ATO and have no problems with micro bubbles.

 

[frisbee]

I don't have any baffles in my sump either. Just a return pump, a heater, a skimmer, a couple pieces of live rock, and an ATO. Here's an older picture just to give you an idea. This is when I first got my skimmer, so I was fiddling with the water level at the time. It should be a little lower, right at the bottom of that piece of tape on the glass.
Even when I had my old 60 gallon breeder, the sump was almost identical to this one, just on a larger scale.

 

[sirrealism]

If it works dont knock it. Not that its going to win sump of the month LOL. if it does the job thats all that matters