Two sumps?

RussR19146 · 08/10/2009, 05:28 PM

I am setting up a 90 g reef tank and have a 26 gal acrylic sump that holds the protein skimmer and return pump.

I also have a 20 gal acrylic sump from a 65g tank that I am going to sell

Is there a way to use both of thee to increase the water volume and use one as a refugium?

I guess I could drill and connect them via PVC any other uggestions?

Thanks

Russell

reefergeorge · 08/10/2009, 05:53 PM

I use a 29 as a sump, and a ten as a fuge.
I have the fuge raised up, and the side is drilled. I use a pump to pump water into the fuge, and gravity to return it into the sump.

WhoDey64 · 08/10/2009, 07:11 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1641991

This is my personal experience with trying to link sumps.

jfinneyi · 08/11/2009, 02:03 AM

Just be careful when doing this. Read up on it and follow that link...

RussR19146 · 08/11/2009, 05:54 AM

I most certainly do not want a flood!

I will read all the info in the above link but from what i have read drilling is probably the safest option(?)

My tank is drilled but I also have an overflow box so maybe i will use these sumps totally separate with separate pupms etc (not sure if i want to use the overflow though)

Thanks for the advice.

Russ

Hop · 08/11/2009, 06:21 AM

Pretty darn easy to do

I wouldn't think about trying to drain the tank into two sumps but rather one sump, into the other and then returned to the tank

Especially with acrylic, you can tap a hole pretty easy and have ne flow into the other without much effort.

eyesinthedrk · 08/11/2009, 07:17 AM

i have two linked with a u tube, no cutting, no drilling, i did add a coupling (aka collar) on the discharge side to give me extra room for the water evaporation,

so far so good once i worked the kinks out,

dt drains into a hanging filter sock and passes through live rock rouble, goes through the u-tube (with chemi pure bag hanging in front of it, into second sump with skimmer and phosban reactor, passes through the cheto fuge section the goes to my return pump

first section

second section

RussR19146 · 08/11/2009, 04:44 PM

Another quick question. If i use the intake for the one sump and have this pumped out the return valve and into the intake of the other sump would that work?

Only one of the sumps have both the intake and return valves so the return from the second sump would need to be via a hose directly from the pump.

3would this work? Would I need two exact same pumps or would one be higher rated and one lower?

Thanks

Sisterlimonpot · 08/11/2009, 05:00 PM

yes separate them so you get flow from 1 sump to the other. Otherwise you would have stagnant water in one tank.

I would like to add if you could drill the holes it would be better than using a u tube.... just for the fact that microbubbles like to collect in the tube and stop the siphon.... then you have a possible scenario for flooding.

ludiNano · 08/11/2009, 05:54 PM

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jtrasap · 08/11/2009, 09:28 PM

I would not use a u-tube as you will eventually run into a loss of siphon and a flood. I would conect the two sumps by drilling them and running a pvc pipe between the two. Let your display tank overflow run into one sump and place your return pump in the other sump. You could also install an overflow in one of the sumps, place it a bit higher than the other sump, let your display tank overflow into the higher sump, and then from there into the lower sump and back to the display.

milkit · 08/11/2009, 09:31 PM

I have a 20g fuge on top of my 30g sump. overflow splits feeding them both, fuge drains out the bottom into the sump, both return to tank

eyesinthedrk · 08/12/2009, 06:54 AM

the only time the u-tube looses siphon is if you let that much water evaporate, and in my case if i evaporate 4 inches of water in my sump im other trouble

you will have a really hard time syncing two pumps im sure if you put a valve inline on both returns you can eventually dial them in but be expecting a lot of spilled water until you get there,

weather its a u-tube, gravity feed, or pvc hard plumed, your better off using one drain from the DT and one return pump

just my opinion

08/10/2009, 05:28 PM	#1
RussR19146 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 104	Two sumps? I am setting up a 90 g reef tank and have a 26 gal acrylic sump that holds the protein skimmer and return pump. I also have a 20 gal acrylic sump from a 65g tank that I am going to sell Is there a way to use both of thee to increase the water volume and use one as a refugium? I guess I could drill and connect them via PVC any other uggestions? Thanks Russell

08/10/2009, 05:53 PM	#2
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	I use a 29 as a sump, and a ten as a fuge. I have the fuge raised up, and the side is drilled. I use a pump to pump water into the fuge, and gravity to return it into the sump. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

08/10/2009, 07:11 PM	#3
WhoDey64 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ft Lauderdale Florida Posts: 1,311	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1641991 This is my personal experience with trying to link sumps. __________________ My name is Robert and I am addicted to Nitrates.

08/11/2009, 06:21 AM	#6
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Pretty darn easy to do I wouldn't think about trying to drain the tank into two sumps but rather one sump, into the other and then returned to the tank Especially with acrylic, you can tap a hole pretty easy and have ne flow into the other without much effort. __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

08/11/2009, 07:17 AM	#7
eyesinthedrk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Williamsport, PA Posts: 675	i have two linked with a u tube, no cutting, no drilling, i did add a coupling (aka collar) on the discharge side to give me extra room for the water evaporation, so far so good once i worked the kinks out, dt drains into a hanging filter sock and passes through live rock rouble, goes through the u-tube (with chemi pure bag hanging in front of it, into second sump with skimmer and phosban reactor, passes through the cheto fuge section the goes to my return pump first section second section __________________ Everybody knows you never go full retard. Current Tank Info: SPS dominated, 125 gallon dt with 3 Apollo reef LED pendants, Apex Controler. 100 gal basement sump, 100 gallon basement fuge, euro reef skimmer, reef octopu s cr140 calcium reactor. Phos an reactor.

08/11/2009, 02:03 AM	#4
jfinneyi Moved On Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pell City, AL Posts: 59	Just be careful when doing this. Read up on it and follow that link...

08/11/2009, 05:54 AM	#5
RussR19146 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 104	I most certainly do not want a flood! I will read all the info in the above link but from what i have read drilling is probably the safest option(?) My tank is drilled but I also have an overflow box so maybe i will use these sumps totally separate with separate pupms etc (not sure if i want to use the overflow though) Thanks for the advice. Russ

08/11/2009, 04:44 PM	#8
RussR19146 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 104	Another quick question. If i use the intake for the one sump and have this pumped out the return valve and into the intake of the other sump would that work? Only one of the sumps have both the intake and return valves so the return from the second sump would need to be via a hose directly from the pump. 3would this work? Would I need two exact same pumps or would one be higher rated and one lower? Thanks

08/11/2009, 05:00 PM	#9
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	yes separate them so you get flow from 1 sump to the other. Otherwise you would have stagnant water in one tank. I would like to add if you could drill the holes it would be better than using a u tube.... just for the fact that microbubbles like to collect in the tube and stop the siphon.... then you have a possible scenario for flooding. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

08/11/2009, 05:54 PM	#10
ludiNano I'm becoming...Brundlefly Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bettendorf, Iowas Posts: 1,804	[IMG][/IMG] __________________ -The Loungers really contribute to RC.~ Agu -JoshTodd has a very good point. ~ R_Hudson -Fresh air will get the stink off ~ Carrie

08/11/2009, 09:28 PM	#11
jtrasap Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Elmo, Illinois Posts: 2,361	I would not use a u-tube as you will eventually run into a loss of siphon and a flood. I would conect the two sumps by drilling them and running a pvc pipe between the two. Let your display tank overflow run into one sump and place your return pump in the other sump. You could also install an overflow in one of the sumps, place it a bit higher than the other sump, let your display tank overflow into the higher sump, and then from there into the lower sump and back to the display. __________________ Jason Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

08/11/2009, 09:31 PM	#12
milkit Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 325	I have a 20g fuge on top of my 30g sump. overflow splits feeding them both, fuge drains out the bottom into the sump, both return to tank

08/12/2009, 06:54 AM	#13
eyesinthedrk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Williamsport, PA Posts: 675	the only time the u-tube looses siphon is if you let that much water evaporate, and in my case if i evaporate 4 inches of water in my sump im other trouble you will have a really hard time syncing two pumps im sure if you put a valve inline on both returns you can eventually dial them in but be expecting a lot of spilled water until you get there, weather its a u-tube, gravity feed, or pvc hard plumed, your better off using one drain from the DT and one return pump just my opinion __________________ Everybody knows you never go full retard. Current Tank Info: SPS dominated, 125 gallon dt with 3 Apollo reef LED pendants, Apex Controler. 100 gal basement sump, 100 gallon basement fuge, euro reef skimmer, reef octopu s cr140 calcium reactor. Phos an reactor.