Need working DIY Sump/Refugium pics and advice please.

THK · 12/19/2016, 01:07 PM

My rock n sand is cycled my equipment is ready on standby but I need some visuals for my sump design. My setup is 75g tank/40b sump/refugium. It will be fowlr at first but I want to make sure I build the sump so It will be reef ready when the time comes. I have researched when I got the time but there is nothing like seeing a good working sump pic. My ideas so far are to use socks to prefilter into the first chamber with the protein skimmer then have sand,cheato with some live rock. Last partition with 3 baffle/weir to reduce micro bubbles into return pump. From reading threads here I realized less flow is much better. The first partition will be 17 1/2" to accommodate a raised aqua-c 120 although I am wondering if raised is a good idea. The sand and cheato with LR is also questionable. Another concern is how to silicone 3 panels only 1" apart. Anyway, any pics and advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Tom

garethwood · 12/19/2016, 02:48 PM

hi : ) all sounds good so far... seems youve been doing your research.
cant help with the pics as my sump is nothing like your building.
what i will say is i siliconed my central baffle 1st then waited for it to dry so i didint knock it about, i then used electrical tape to fix a length of airline tube to my silicone nozzle and that helped hugely with getting into the tricky other baffles. hope this helps?

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Sk8r · 12/19/2016, 02:53 PM

THat'll work. Understand the primary reason for the baffles is to keep cheato and stray fish out of your return pump. An over-under set of walls with an inch between them right before the pump chamber is really the best assurance this won't be a problem. Snails and worms and such will go where they like, but at least no fish chowder. Except for that problem, you could set up a five gallon bucket as a sump, just a home for the skimmer and a place you can add doses and topoff without bothering your dt.

scooters reef · 12/19/2016, 02:55 PM

For the baffles, just like a glass tank itself the silicone between the pieces is where all the strength mostly is. As long as you get the silicone to flow well into that space you should be fine. I'd do one at a time and make the "inner seal/cosmetic seal" on the side opposing the water flow. You could also space the baffles more, use a wood dowel where you can't reach just to smooth out excess that flowed through.

THK · 12/19/2016, 03:24 PM

wow thanks guys, good info. Do you think I could get by with just 2 bubble diffuser baffles rather than 3? 2 being an over/under configuration rather than over/under/over?

scooters reef · 12/19/2016, 03:47 PM

Over/under is like asking if a Ford or Chevy is better, lol. Also depends on the flow and may have no issues regardless. If going with two I would go over/under. You only have one baffle for the baffles to reduce bubbles against the flow. If going three though I'VE always felt under/over/under works best. Skimmer area ALREADY has bubbles trying to rise so makes more sense to me to let them rise and go under. Next baffle is over and sets the height but a remaining under to reduce bubbles.

So, start the Ford vs. Chevy discussion

My vote is if three go under/over/under, but if two go over/under.

12/19/2016, 01:07 PM	#1
THK Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Fernandina Beach, Fl. Posts: 15	Need working DIY Sump/Refugium pics and advice please. My rock n sand is cycled my equipment is ready on standby but I need some visuals for my sump design. My setup is 75g tank/40b sump/refugium. It will be fowlr at first but I want to make sure I build the sump so It will be reef ready when the time comes. I have researched when I got the time but there is nothing like seeing a good working sump pic. My ideas so far are to use socks to prefilter into the first chamber with the protein skimmer then have sand,cheato with some live rock. Last partition with 3 baffle/weir to reduce micro bubbles into return pump. From reading threads here I realized less flow is much better. The first partition will be 17 1/2" to accommodate a raised aqua-c 120 although I am wondering if raised is a good idea. The sand and cheato with LR is also questionable. Another concern is how to silicone 3 panels only 1" apart. Anyway, any pics and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tom

12/19/2016, 02:53 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	THat'll work. Understand the primary reason for the baffles is to keep cheato and stray fish out of your return pump. An over-under set of walls with an inch between them right before the pump chamber is really the best assurance this won't be a problem. Snails and worms and such will go where they like, but at least no fish chowder. Except for that problem, you could set up a five gallon bucket as a sump, just a home for the skimmer and a place you can add doses and topoff without bothering your dt. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/19/2016, 02:55 PM	#4
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	For the baffles, just like a glass tank itself the silicone between the pieces is where all the strength mostly is. As long as you get the silicone to flow well into that space you should be fine. I'd do one at a time and make the "inner seal/cosmetic seal" on the side opposing the water flow. You could also space the baffles more, use a wood dowel where you can't reach just to smooth out excess that flowed through. __________________ Current Tank: 270G Miracles (84x30x25)

12/19/2016, 03:47 PM	#6
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	Over/under is like asking if a Ford or Chevy is better, lol. Also depends on the flow and may have no issues regardless. If going with two I would go over/under. You only have one baffle for the baffles to reduce bubbles against the flow. If going three though I'VE always felt under/over/under works best. Skimmer area ALREADY has bubbles trying to rise so makes more sense to me to let them rise and go under. Next baffle is over and sets the height but a remaining under to reduce bubbles. So, start the Ford vs. Chevy discussion My vote is if three go under/over/under, but if two go over/under. __________________ Current Tank: 270G Miracles (84x30x25)

12/19/2016, 02:48 PM	#2
garethwood Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 92	hi : ) all sounds good so far... seems youve been doing your research. cant help with the pics as my sump is nothing like your building. what i will say is i siliconed my central baffle 1st then waited for it to dry so i didint knock it about, i then used electrical tape to fix a length of airline tube to my silicone nozzle and that helped hugely with getting into the tricky other baffles. hope this helps? Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

12/19/2016, 03:24 PM	#5
THK Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Fernandina Beach, Fl. Posts: 15	wow thanks guys, good info. Do you think I could get by with just 2 bubble diffuser baffles rather than 3? 2 being an over/under configuration rather than over/under/over?