Sump Design for REVIEW!!!

[reefarchitect54]

I have complteted my 46 gallon bowfront stand!!! I am know moving onto the designing and building of my sump. I have done some pre design according to melvs web site and sump examples. I have designed my sump to work with the specific compartments as follows.
The water enters the left side from the tank. This compartment over flows into the second one that contains live rock and sand. The second over flows and fills into the third from the bottom up where i have located my skimmer and heater. This compartment over flows into the last raised box on the right hand side where the water is returned to the tank with a pump.
Please offer any suggestions to better my design. keeping in mind i want it to be as simple as it can but the most efficient sump possible. Thanks ahead of time for reading and resoponding. I have attached a jpeg of my design for critis to comment on. Thanks again

[Snelly40]

looks good !!!!!!!!!

[boozeman]

google sketch?

[reefarchitect54]

sketch up YES I designed the stand and built it this weekend know ive taken the space left over in it and fitted it out with my sump. Really looking for ways to improve it or make it better. Thanks for the info. please be critical!!!

[powdertang05]

ok first of all from left to right i would put the bubble trap as 3 and tightly together then after that a refugium them a wall to return that way no micro bubbles. or first teeth to refugium then bubble trap then to return. also keep in mind only 3-5x your tank volume is needed to go through it do not i repeat do not use your return as your main circulation otherwise micro bubbles up the wazooo.

[billyr98]

looks good.. but i would agree with powdertang with 3 tightly close panels for microbubbles.... and then fuge... also where is your skimmer going? sump or hang on?

[Woodstock]

If you ever want to use micron socks, you'll need to lengthen the incoming 'box'.

[reefarchitect54]

This is all great stuff!!! keep it comming. I plan on putting a skimmer in the sump. Im not 100 percent sure I understand what you guys are saying about the micro bubbles. I think your saying that between my tank inlet and fuge i should locate three very close panels to filter out the micro bubbles before it enters into the fuge??? Please help me to make the best sump i can... Thanks!! What do you think the best order of compartments is and their respective size???

[powdertang05]

ok here is a simple design if you are not wanting a refug i dont have one but if you want one for later just ask. the from left to right sump entrance and yes you can use a sock the stand is for your skimmer i recommend it just because it gets it off the bottom and into the circulation of the water it fits more for like euroreef skimmers or asm if like my reef creations i would say no stand needed. now to the bubble trap this will get all alot bubbles from going back into your display and making it look bad. then finally to your return now i would use a small submergable pump that will only pump up to 5x your display this will also allow you to get better contact time for skimming and less micro bubbles. best of luck if you need anything else just post or pm.

[reefarchitect54]

i do want the refug. im just not sure in what order the compartments should be layed out. I guess it all depends on the best cycle for the water. when and where in the process should the water be skimmed? I get the micro buddles know and I know i have enough space in my stand to design something that fits. I just need to come up with the best layout.. Thanks again

[duke1231]

tang. That is an awsome design. I have printed it and would like to see your idea with the fuge added on please!!
Thanks

[Anselth]

Normally, you would want the skimmer before the refugium in the flow process. Otherwise, your skimmer will suck up a lot of the organisms the 'fuge is designed to send to the main tank.

[BoomerD]

Also, as the water goes over the baffle on the left, (feeding the fuge) it will tend to be pretty turbulent, kicking up the sand, which will tend to move a lot. Why not make the center part the incoming/skimmer area, and use a powerhead to gently pump water into the fuge, where it can gravity feed back out?
Probuilder (troy) helped a friend design his sump a couple of years ago like this, and it worked great.:


About the only thing that changed, is that he modified it to use micron bags under the intake lines. (this was a 100 gallon tank used as a sump)

[WaiWiliki]

How many gallons can you hold in your raised return compartment? Are the teeth the only way into this compartment? I have mine big enough to handle two days of evaporation (2 gallons for 92gal display tank). I don't have any automatic top up system and I engineered it to handle myself forgetting for a day. Maybe some additional small holes will keep the compartment filled.

[powdertang05]

ok these are my designs ive used the first is just a traditional sump with the refuge in the middle this is how it follows. from left to right first compartment it from overflow with skimmer then it flows over to refuge you can also have teeth on that first panel then from refuge to bubble trap you can have teeth there too if you like to keep the micro algae in place from not going out then from bubble trap to return.