Please Criticize My Sump Plans

[donaldj]

Howdy Folks,

So I think it's high time I upgrade my system. I'm coming up to the one-year point, and for my 20 gallon tank's birthday I might give it a sump.

I'm eyeballing the Eshopps nano overflow, which is rated at 200GPH, which will be a nice 10x turnover rate through the sump. The protein skimmer I'm looking at is the Reef Octopus BH-50, but that can change. Small footprint is good. I'd probably get a cheap-o Par38 LED lamp from ebay, don't know about wattage though (is 54W too much? I might fry any frags). If 200GPH is too low flow for SPS, I could always toss a little powerhead in the frag compartment.

Please, tear my plan to shreds. No good plan is perfect on the first draft.

[edit] this is a 10 gallon tank, by the way, that I would modify with baffles and the like.

 

[Duke]

ideally you will want the water level in the return section to be the same height as the other sections so its not waterfalling over from your frag area and causing air bubbles that will get sucked into the pump and give you micro bubbles in your display tank.

 

[donaldj]

Hmm, I was thinking the waterfall would nicely agitate bags of GFO or carbon, eliminating my requirement for media reactors.

 

[benzzz]

Then possibly raise the last panel up a inch or two just before the return pump.

 

[donaldj]

I'm considering simply getting an external media reactor. It would use the media more efficiently, and take up less space in the sump.

 

[benzzz]

Good idea as well. Regardless you dont want water pouring over last baffle
it will create bubbles. Flow under panel is the way to go.

 

[donaldj]

Version 2.0! Thoughts? I'm thinking of the CPR Nano media reactor because its so bleeding tiny.

 

[EricTMah]

Much better!

But if your drawing is to scale.  You may want to drop the height of your "under" baffles a bit to allow for a bit more head room for water flowing back from your tank when the power is cut.  But other than that V2.0 looks much better

 

[donaldj]

Much better!

But if your drawing is to scale.  You may want to drop the height of your \"under\" baffles a bit to allow for a bit more head room for water flowing back from your tank when the power is cut.  But other than that V2.0 looks much better

I'm having trouble imagining what you are describing. Are we talking about the water coming back down the return?

 

[Poseidon]

I think it's to full.
As in if will over flow if your pump shuts off and the tank keeps draining

Your media reactor can be on the outside (external) and you can run a manifold off the return so it takes up absolutely no space in the tank at all.
I always love the idea of tying a frag tank into the sump, it could work depending on how big your sump is.

Another option you could ponder is- have a frag tank in between your sump and display- I.e.
Drain your display into the frag tank, and in turn drain your frag tank into your sump-

Very doable ( if you have the room) and efficient as you get more space and no extra pumps

 

[EricTMah]

I think it's to full.
As in if will over flow if your pump shuts off and the tank keeps draining

^This

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

they mean yu want 2 baffles from the centre opening to the return. so the water is flowing over and then under to yur return. to keep micro bubbles at bay

 

[donaldj]

I did consider having a frag tank AND a sump. My goal is just to grow/acclimate a few frags for my display, not get into hobby fragging. That may be a future venture.

How much extra water would drain? I can't imagine that much water would sit in the plumbing.

 

[AdInfinitum]

It will drain the DT to the level of the siphon breaks in your returns and unless those breaks are large...a bit past that until enough air is in the line to break the siphon.

 

[benzzz]

they mean yu want 2 baffles from the centre opening to the return. so the water is flowing over and then under to yur return. to keep micro bubbles at bay

Exactly what I tried to say  lol.  Thanks

 

[donaldj]

Version 3.0! I nixed the media reactor. My display is only 20 gallons, so I'm not sure a media reactor is completely necessary. The smallest reactors I can find are rated for 60 gallon tanks, so anything I buy commercially would be overkill. I may just anchor little bags of GFO and Carbon in high-flow areas of the sump.

New in 3.0:

• Baffles! Baffles everywhere!
• Lowered Water Level
• Nixed media reactor

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

how much water does the sump need to be in?....that and a few more inchs is all the water yu need. ..then when yu display drains yu have the rest in free space ..my first baffle from drain is 9 inchs.  my skimmer says 6-7 inch of water so  i had to raise the skimmer    my sump is a eshopps with 3 baffles

 

[EricTMah]

V3.0 is better even.

The only thing I would change is your baffles that water travels under shouldn't go all the way to the top of the sump.  Leave yourself room over those baffles in case something clogs between the baffles, the water can cascade over top of the baffles rather than spilling onto the floor.

 

[donaldj]

The skimmer intake is at 6.7", so the level has to be a minimum of that. I suppose I could lower the water level a bit. Another reason for having a sump is to increase my total water volume a little bit. I am envious of the stability larger tanks have. Maybe I should go for a larger sump? 15 or 20 gallons?

Good call, Eric. I've always seen top baffles being lower than the top of the sump, but never really known why.

 

[benzzz]

If your looking for water volume.  You can always add a one way check valve so no water drains to sump in case of power fail.  Just a thought.