Sump Design to replace my old sump..

[alanseah]

Hi all,

I guess more mind work better then just 1 mind. So I need your help in giving tips on where to improve on the design to make it better.

This new sump is to allow my new coming skimmer to fit in.. and also a build in water top-up container..

cause I love everything to be in my cabinet and dont like having any equipment outside which I find it very unsightly...

My return pump will be 12000 l/h so after head lost will be around 8000++ l/h return pipe will be 25mm

Over flow pipe will be 25mm and overflow box in main tank is 9" by 9" by 24" big

So wonder will I face problem like over flood, marco bubble, etcs...

Thanks in advance for those who help..

Lastly anyone got lobang for sump marker best will be Acrylic sump marker.

[marcvelous]

ehhh.... I no expert but see your top up area like very small opening. If got water sure bound to have algae after long time. how you intend to clean?

Also, how your water top-up compartment work? Assuming you using T.U.B.B.Y. still need to cater for pump and pipes right?

No filtration tower? What will you be using to trap solid waste?

my 2 cents worth

[alanseah]

hmm ya never think of the cleaning of the top-up area.. think better take out the top cover and do with a removeable one...

as for filtration tower.. no me not going to use anything to trap waste will be purily using skimmer and marco algae design...

it's a powerful skimmer so can do with out filtration as filtration will tend result in a build up of no3

[alanseah]

hmm...

some changes to the design as hightlighted..

I think with a fast flow about 8 time turn over (8000 l/h) and another 6000 l/h turn over from skimmer should help alot in removing all the waste and have clear water...

Cause with this new design I will have a turn over for the whole tank of 8000 + 12000 = 20000 / 800 (tank vol) = 25 times turn over rate...

so it a very gd turn over rate...

what I'm afraid of as mention is flood and marco bubble (which I'm not sure if the skimmer will produce or not)

[lightningstrike]

hi alan,

u r not going to hv dsb or LRs in ur sump r u? coz ur macro algae area seems a little limited to me.

[alanseah]

no me not going to start haverting anything...

so just having a small LR with Marco algae and a 1"++ sandbed only.. which is what I have put in my current sump.. so the space seem quite alright for me..

arrggghhh no choice cause I dont have much space for a bigger sump.. what to do...

[lightningstrike]

well, if u r going to hv juz a small LR wif macroalgae, then no point right? juz ask urself how much good will it do....... u do know the considerations of having a refugium. then wif a 1" sandbed in the sump, might as well dun hv sandbed better right?

juz me 2cents......

[ZeRoC00l]

Wow 12000L/hr?? May i know what pump you'll be using???

with this kind of flow rate, there'll be lots of bubble in the overflow. I dun see any buffles in your 2 designs

IMO: Perhaps a buffle or 2 at the overflow area will reduce too much bubbles from going into the marco algae region, and then back to the return pump.

Food for thought: Have to consider abt micro bubbles being returned back to the main display tank

[alanseah]

hehehehe.. but me not going to have a refugium... if want I would have grow it somewhere else...

I dont believe in refugium...

I only want to grown Marco algae to help reduce n03 only.. this is what I learn from JB from RC..where he dont even have design space in his sump for marco algae he just put a small ball of marco algae at the beginning of the sump only...

attach is his sump hwo it look like..

[alanseah]

Wow    12000L/hr?? May i know what pump you'll be using???

with this kind of flow rate, there'll be lots of bubble in the overflow.    I dun see any buffles in your 2 designs

IMO: Perhaps a buffle or 2 at the overflow area will reduce too much bubbles from going into the marco algae region, and then back to the return pump.

Food for thought: Have to consider abt micro bubbles being returned back to the main display tank 

of coz the pump is RD else where got pump at that high flow..

O the overflow pipe will be fully inside water where big bubble will be coming out.. if need to just use a filter sock will remove the bubble problem from the overflow pipe...

cause in my current sump I got 2 buffles one is at the overflow and another at the return there it dont help remove the marco bubble at all until I try out the filter sock method...

[weileong]

Wow red dragon user

Okie with such a high flow rate you are definately going to see micro bubbles. This is especially true for your sump design when there is no baffle. Even with baffle you might still need to resort to sponge to kill the bubbles.

Here's what I would do. Have a same water level throughout the sump. Then have 5 sets of baffle to kill the bubbles.

My sump turn over is ard 8000+2500+1000 = 12500 l/h and w/o sponge confirm my main tank full of micro bubbbles.

I would suggest that you have your refigium outside the sump, if not your high flow rate will blow those macro algae away.

Finally which skimmer are you going for?

[alanseah]

hmm can show me a few pic of how your sump look like..???? at least got a better idea.. since u r the RD user now... hehehe

no choice leh.. RD is the only one suit everything high flow and low watt...

skimmer huh.. sorry dont want to say now.. else wait I cant get it.. will make a joke out of myself .. but mostly likily will be able to get it unless something happen cross finger..

[ZeRoC00l]

of coz the pump is RD else where got pump at that high flow..

O the overflow pipe will be fully inside water where big bubble will be coming out.. if need to just use a filter sock will remove the bubble problem from the overflow pipe...

cause in my current sump I got 2 buffles one is at the overflow and another at the return there it dont help remove the marco bubble at all until I try out the filter sock method...

RD! Okies

As for the baffles, you'll have to see those commercial and mimic them (copy right?), the spacing between them are abt 1" and they have a few just after the overflow and just before the return area.

The spacing between the base of the sump to the baffle also affect water flow/ bubbles. Too small a gap will result in very fast flow up and over the baffles. My 2 cent advice still to look carefully at the commercial ones and modify from there to suit yr tank.

Having the overflow fully in the water will still result in bubbles, if not bigger bubble. My ssetup currently have the overflow underwater, with 2 venting holes just at the water surface

As Weileong mentioned, sponges will kill most bubbles Search ard the webby got lots of working designs

[alanseah]

RD! Okies

As for the baffles, you'll have to see those commercial and mimic them (copy right?), the spacing between them are abt 1" and they have a few just after the overflow and just before the return area.

The spacing between the base of the sump to the baffle also affect water flow/ bubbles. Too small a gap will result in very fast flow up and over the baffles. My 2 cent advice still to look carefully at the commercial ones and modify from there to suit yr tank.

Having the overflow fully in the water will still result in bubbles, if not bigger bubble. My ssetup currently have the overflow underwater, with 2 venting holes just at the water surface

As Weileong mentioned, sponges will kill most bubbles Search ard the webby got lots of working designs

thanx..

yup I did look around and know the standard for baffles...

as weilong also say using baffles cant even kill the bubble... that's why I give up on baffles as my current one has the same design as you mention what out commerical one did...but I face marco bubble everywhere until I manage to kill it once and for all...

hmm look like I have to give it a try with the RD in my current sump and see how it is really like and then sit down and think and change to a better design...

thanx for everyone help..

if anything got pic to show how their sump design is like.. will be grateful for that..

[weileong]

Here's my sump

I made the mistake of too much water level drop so some sponge kills all the bubbles

Another non-conventional way to reduce to bubble coming down from your overflow is to use a dunso. Then you play with the ball valve and air valve setting to reduce the air that is suck in from the dunso.

However for your case if your skimmer (actually I think I know which one you're going for ) outputs too much micro bubbles then you will still get bubbles in your tank.

Like what I mentioned earlier. Have more sets of properly designed baffles should help.

[weileong]

MY sump in action. Sorry for the messy stuffs... photo taken just after 12 hrs of hardwork changing my sump. Thru the night (that night of major power failure).

Skimmer is external and draws water from 1st compartment where the overflow pipe located.

Skimmer returns water to 2nd compartment so that the skimmed and pre-skimmed water do not mix so skimmer runs at maximium efficiency.

The 1st and 2nd compartment also have 45 degs plate to deflect the bubbles upwards.

3rd compartment has two baffles to force the bubbles to float up. This compartment is long and allows more time for the bubbles to flow up.

Dimension is 3x1.5x1.5ft. 1st and 2nd compartment total ard 1".

[alanseah]

icic..

thanx.. where u got your sump make..?? have it done cheap enough???

dont mind send me the contact.. thanx..

[weileong]

Done by Ian. It's not cheap but certainly worksmanship is good, very professional and advise is certainly much more sound than "someone" else

[alanseah]

Done by Ian. It's not cheap but certainly worksmanship is good, very professional and advise is certainly much more sound than "someone" else

lolz ok... got time I might go try out the plastic shop where your work place is...

O ya possible to help me measure the size of the RD the lengh high and width.. thanx

Here is latest design.. think of it and came out with it.. see got anymore to improve or another able to re-design it.

[d00d]

I dun understand your design leh Alan, hehe

The water flow over the first 9" panel then go into an area that has a panel that is slanted and not completely connected to the side of the sump? Is that right? May I know why you designed it this way. I am in the midst of designing my sump too, so another cool idea would always be welcomed haha! Thanks!

[alanseah]

hmm I think if u look carefully all the baffle r joint to the side of the sump... I wont work if both side of the baffle is not joint to the side of the sump..

The strength of just 1 side joint to the sump is not enough. It will come off after sometime of usage...

[weileong]

The compartment holding the RD sump has a baffle with 5" high only, this is too low and the RD will suck in air for sure even if a elbow is used at inlet.

The center of the inlet pipe the RD is 123mm dia DIN 40

Top of the outlet pipe is 225mm

Length of RD from end of inlet pipe is 210mm.

If I were you, I wait till I get all my skimmer and pumps before I finalise and confirm the design of the sump to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Another issue you might like to take note, depending on the size of your overflow box, the water level in your main tank is going to raise after you pump in that type of high flow and as a result you might need more reservoir for the back flow in case of power failure.

[d00d]

Think it is a perspective thingy lah haha!

One more thing...The last panel 5" tall why you having it? Is it redundant?

[weileong]

self-explanatory.

[alanseah]

Think it is a perspective thingy lah haha!

One more thing...The last panel 5" tall why you having it? Is it redundant?

the last one is 5" cause if too high u will see water fall very soon.. that's why I reduce the high..