any recommendations on design for 35g sump/refugiun ?

[Sidewaze]

Just picked up a tank so now 20g will be a emergency QT. So looking for some designs. Thanks in advance

 

[Poseidon]

a place for filter sock- skimmer, then a bubble trap (2-3 baffles) then refugium in the middle... then another bubble trap,
and then you have your return pump area...

and i would use the 20gal to quartine ALL fish before putting them in your tank... ive seen to many tanks crash/fail miserably because of a sick fish spreading diseases that could easily have been caught...

just put them in the tank for a week or two, just to watch... make sure there healthy and eating...

 

[reeffreak]

this is the exact size of my sump and this is how mine goes  from left to right ......... skimmer/return/fuge ..... having only 3 baffles between the skimmer section and return that stand 9 inchs and then between the return and the fuge there's 1 baffle that stands 13 inchs high ....... 2 drains from DT drain to both sides of the sump one to the skimmer one to the fuge . HTH

 

[Poseidon]

this is the exact size of my sump and this is how mine goes  from left to right ......... skimmer/return/fuge ..... having only 3 baffles between the skimmer section and return that stand 9 inchs and then between the return and the fuge there's 1 baffle that stands 13 inchs high ....... 2 drains from DT drain to both sides of the sump one to the skimmer one to the fuge . HTH

ive seen designs like that before.... thought they were pretty cool, but theoretically... wouldn't that cut the flow (gph) in half for either side of the sump, which wouldn't allow near as much water through the skimmer section/fuge section???
im just thinking out loud here...

 

[Neopimp]

If you design the waterlevels to be fairly close to each other you can ditch the bubble traps.  I run 2500gph with no bubbles.  Either way will work.  Saves on acrylic and gives another 6inches of space if each trap takes up 3 inches.

 

[reeffreak]

[quote author=reeffreak link=topic=3190.msg26197#msg26197 date=1348317775]
this is the exact size of my sump and this is how mine goes  from left to right ......... skimmer/return/fuge ..... having only 3 baffles between the skimmer section and return that stand 9 inchs and then between the return and the fuge there's 1 baffle that stands 13 inchs high ....... 2 drains from DT drain to both sides of the sump one to the skimmer one to the fuge . HTH

ive seen designs like that before.... thought they were pretty cool, but theoretically... wouldn't that cut the flow (gph) in half for either side of the sump, which wouldn't allow near as much water through the skimmer section/fuge section???
im just thinking out loud here...
[/quote]

not if you install a valve ... then you control how much flow goes to one side either the skimmer or the fuge sections ..... you could do this using just one drain also with 2 drains . you dont want the water rushing through your skimmer section anyways you want the longest possible contact time between the skimmer and water .. same can go for the fuge you dont want water rushing through there either . so I think when you say wont let near as much water through either section doesnt apply because all that means is more contact time with a) skimmer b) macro algeas in fuge , etc ... also i dont mean the water is dripping in from the drains , there should still be enough moving threw that the skimmers not skimming already skimmed water

 

[Poseidon]

If you design the waterlevels to be fairly close to each other you can ditch the bubble traps.  I run 2500gph with no bubbles.  Either way will work.  Saves on acrylic and gives another 6inches of space if each trap takes up 3 inches.

true. i just use egg crate in my sumps... i hate anything permanent 

 

[Neopimp]

then you can make the arguement that more flow through the more dirty water is being refreshed and avaialkbe to the equipment

I dont think its a huge deal either way.  The skimmer is gogin to take what its gogint to take out of the water, the algae is going to use what its gogin to use from the water column. 

The one thing i know is not hte greatest is that I am moving alot of water I do not really need to, therefore a waste of energy but I want as much flow as I can upstairs.

I am just playing the role of opposition I wouldnt get hung up on it too much.  Design your system where ever your sump through speed falls is fine as long as water is moving and not a whitewater rapid

Too each their own

 

[reeffreak]

the amount of water your return pump is pushing shouldnt be used for flow in the DT , you want the most contact time possible through out the sump and use power heads or wave boxes to supplement the flow in the DT . your water from returns shouldnt be insane amounts  .

Neo-  about your first point ,  you want the dirty water thats going into the skimmer section  be skimmer as much as possible before going back out and being returned to DT .

 

[Neopimp]

but any dirty water leaving will be back for another pass a lot faster   ;D

 

[reeffreak]

ya but the big question is what is the more efficient way of exporting the nutrients , I may be wrong but Im sure one way is better then the other

 

[Neopimp]

you're Wrong ;D

 

[Poseidon]

you're Wrong ;D

how fast the flow through the sump matters... if its too slow, the skimmer pump will just be sucking up the same skimmed water potentially... if its fast enough, then it will always be sucking up new water... thats all that matters...

it just has to be fast ENOUGH... so both sump designs work just fine and your both right...

 

[reeffreak]

you're Wrong ;D

like you said to each there own , but you should try it out , see which takes longer to fill your collection cup

 

[Neopimp]

I think I might actually give it a try.  I will need to pinch in my pump more and run the refugium a little faster flow but shoudl be able to see a difference if any.  I dont have much of a bioload so not sure if I will see any difference at all.


lol this issue is near and dear to my heart

I got hazed when I said how much i run through the sump when I set this thing up.
The system was designed with a large pump just incase I wanted to add a frag set up later down the line.  Otherwise I probably woudl went smaller


Anyways, at the end of the day if you dont need to move that much water all the time then its a waste of electricity. 

heres mine, same idea as what you are thinking just a little bigger.




http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg143/davidolb/120%20Aquarium%20Build/?action=view&current=MVI_2874.mp4

 

[Sidewaze]

Going to do sump/refuge/return but two baffles or three day. I think two where sump flows from bottom keeping water at the top longer for skimmer.