Sump design/layout help needed?

[budsreef]

I have a 120G on order and am trying to figure out the sump portion. The spot I plan on putting the tank will have relative easy access to the basement below so I am going to set up my sump in the basement and am going to use separate containers.

Right now I have a 70G Rubbermaid Stock Tank that will hold live rock and a 30G All-Glass tank that I plan to drill and use as a refugium with a DSB and Chaeto. I still need something for the skimmer and return area.

The 120G will have two overflows so I'm thinking I'll run one of them to the skimmer, from the skimmer through baffles to the return area and back to the tank. The other overflow I was thinking of splitting so that some of it also goes to the skimmer and the rest goes first to the live rock tank, then through the refugium, and then through the baffles to the return area.

So after you get done laughing please give me some specific inputs and help. I still need to figure out what the skimmer/return area should be and would prefer to buy something already made like a MegaFlow Sump. I need help with the design concept and I also need some inputs on how exactly to plumb it all together. Thanks for any and all help with this.

Here is a pretty crude representation of the design concept:
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[purplegorilla]

Bud, I would incorporate the Skimmer to the refugium and then to the live rocks prior to the return for the following reasons, but thats just me.

1. Not all water will get processed through the protein skimmer so having it filtered by the live rocks will help even more.
2. Will reduce the bubbles even more (even though you have baffles but this will reduce it even more)

It looks like its gonna be a great system. If you need help on weds or sunday. Let me know.

 

[horsesziggy]

Bud I Agree Not To Go To Skimmer First With One Side, Live Rock,refuge,skimmer Return

 

[budsreef]

dawgdude;85868 wrote: If I were you I would also add a large bin that you could have salt water mixed up in and then a valve where you can let water out and then turn another valve to get it in your system. With that much volume I would definatly have some kind of a water change system. Let me know if you need baffles or anything and ill take care of it for ya. Let me know when you start plumbing and Ill be there to help! Im weird.....I like plumbing stuff. Its like a big puzzle.

I just may take you up on that offer. Right now I really need help just figuring out what kind of plumbing pieces I need once I settle on the final design concept.

 

[budsreef]

purpleGORILLA;85873 wrote: Bud, I would incorporate the Skimmer to the refugium and then to the live rocks prior to the return for the following reasons, but thats just me.

1. Not all water will get processed through the protein skimmer so having it filtered by the live rocks will help even more.
2. Will reduce the bubbles even more (even though you have baffles but this will reduce it even more)

It looks like its gonna be a great system. If you need help on weds or sunday. Let me know.

Trinh, are you saying just reverse the order of the LR-Refugium for the half of the second overflow or run both overflows to the skimmer, then refugium, then live rock? I put the refugium last since I figured that would give me the most pods making it back to the tank. I also split just one of the overflows for the LR/Fuge loop because I wanted the flow slower there to lengthen the time in that loop.

 

[budsreef]

horsesziggy;85883 wrote: Bud I Agree Not To Go To Skimmer First With One Side, Live Rock,refuge,skimmer Return

Sal, same question, are you saying I should have both overflows go through the same path?

 

[purplegorilla]

Budsreef;86189 wrote: Trinh, are you saying just reverse the order of the LR-Refugium for the half of the second overflow or run both overflows to the skimmer, then refugium, then live rock? I put the refugium last since I figured that would give me the most pods making it back to the tank. I also split just one of the overflows for the LR/Fuge loop because I wanted the flow slower there to lengthen the time in that loop.

Yes Bud, both overflows to the location where the Skimmer will be..Then either baffled or hard pipes to Live rocks/Refugium area then to a smaller area for return pump. Actually this will also help you save on time and money by not having to plumb extra pipes since you will be tying both overflows to 1 large pipe directly to the area of the Skimmer.

Here is a picture off the web that I downloaded, however they only have 1 sump that divided into different areas..You have 2-3 that you can play around with but basically that is the order that I have suggested.

Overflows -->Skimmer area--->Refugium/Live rocks area---->Return area
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[skriz]

Bud-

I Would make one overflow go to a "receiving area". This is where the water initially crashes; you will catch a lot of larger debris here that you can vaccum out. You can add a mechanical filter next to help also. The next step should be the skimmer. The skimmer should dump into the LR which should dump into the refuge. Finnaly back to the tank. You want the LR and fuge to be later so that the water than goes through it will be as clean as possible.

I can draw out a pic if you like. I have to warn you though, it will be pretty ghetto!

Oh yeah, make sure you have a nice area for your probes! Since you are in the design stage, you can make a specific area that is not cluttered with anything else to house your probes.

 

[budsreef]

Thanks for the inputs! Based on the feedback here and from others, I have tentatively decided to connect one of the overflows directly to the skimmer (DAS EX-2), which should arrive today, the output of the skimmer and the other overflow will go into the live rock tub, then to the refugium and then to the return. I still need to figure out the return area and whether to use an external or submerged pump.

I also still need to figure out if/how to add any mechanical filtration and where it makes sense to put a dedicated probe area. Thanks, Raj for getting that on the radar screen!

 

[jetchris]

IMO thats way to much flow for your fuge - you may want to look into a seperate fuge that overfows into your main sump - On your main drain I would t it off and have most going into a filter sock and the other going directly into your skimmer.

 

[jetchris]

so your return pump puts out around 900gph so that is how much flow your going to have going through your fuge! A fuge should be low flow - For your first chamber I would but a filter sock, 2nd put your skimmer, 3rd filled with LR - seperate tank for fuge just my IMO

 

[wbholwell]

I'm with Mr. Pink Sock. You want a pretty slow flow through the fuge- just enough so you don't have dead spots.

 

[budsreef]

Thanks for the additional inputs. Right now I don't plan on having a divided chamber sump so I'm not sure how I would be able to add a filter sock, although I'm sure that would be the wise thing to do. My skimmer is a DAS EX-2 and I plan to feed it directly from one of the overflows similar to the way Cameron has his set up. The outflow of the skimmer and the other overflow which I could put a sock on, but not pink, will go into the 70G Rubbermaid Tank filled with live rock, which will overflow into the refugium which will overflow into the as yet to be determined return area. I was only planning on a return pump to give me about 500-600GPH so I think that will be ok through the refugium.

I got my skimmer yesterday and hooked it up to the 70G live rock tub today.
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[jetchris]

sounds like you got it figured out, you have something against pink socks? I have never heard of putting a sock on the skimmer outflow. It would decrease microbubbles. Good Luck , oh also i read some reviews on your skimmer and it seems to work great. Nice pic on the skimmer! Still might be a little to much flow through your fuge. Ive got a MJ400 split into a t half goes through my UV and half into my fuge.

 

[budsreef]

I may have said that poorly. I was saying I could put a sock on the second overflow which is bypassing the skimmer not on the skimmer out put. I only wish I had it fugured it out. Still just talking out loud about all of this and changing and tweaking as I get more inputs. Good news is my new tank came in and is sitting at Aquabuys!

BTW, I hope to get the drill bits you recommended in the next day or two and plan on trying to drill a couple of tanks. I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes before I do for any last minute advice and/or moral support!

chrisjet;91740 wrote: sounds like you got it figured out, you have something against pink socks? I have never heard of putting a sock on the skimmer outflow. It would decrease microbubbles. Good Luck , oh also i read some reviews on your skimmer and it seems to work great. Nice pic on the skimmer! Still might be a little to much flow through your fuge. Ive got a MJ400 split into a t half goes through my UV and half into my fuge.