new to SW looking to build sump!

darryl2786 · 07/14/2009, 04:33 PM

hey everyone.
im new to SW and am looking to build my own sump. some of my ideas might seem weird but this is all just an experimental tank until i gain some knowledge to convert my 75 from FW to SW.

my DT is a 29 gallon. small.. but agian just to learn with.

the sump I am proposing is also a 29 gallon tank, havent decided on a skimmer yet. I will be building a stand myself to make everything work. (I have 2 29 gallons sitting around)

in terms of the sections and the way the water will flow, taking into account none of this is measured into specific places will this work??

just a quick sketch....

any and all info will be appreciated

thanks,
Darryl

sunsetSPS · 07/14/2009, 05:21 PM

You don't need to build bubble trap from overflow to skimmer or from skimmer to fuge charmbers. I dont know if your draw is to scaled but it looks the baffles are little too high, make sure you have room for power off overflow.

darryl2786 · 07/14/2009, 05:58 PM

ok. thanks.
not to scale just drew it up quick.

scotbehot · 07/14/2009, 07:27 PM

I would make the glass between the return pump section and the fuge section no more than 5 inches high, you can use egg crate to keep the algae in the fuge, and this way you will not have to be as concerned with topping off the water. I have a 15 gallon high sump and squeezed everything into it for my 55 gallon aquarium. I have a mini two paned bubble trap between the fuge and skimmer section, which is also the section where the water dumps in from the tank. I get zero mini bubbles returning to the tank from the pump. I also used 45 degree elbows vice 90 degree elbows on the tubing from the return pump to the tank. My one major flaw was that I made the glass baffle too high between the fuge and return pump section, which causes me to constantly monitor and top off the water. Hope this helps!

sunsetSPS · 07/14/2009, 07:39 PM

I think the higher the of the panel between fuge and return charmber (the bubble trap) the less top frequent top off required as there are more water in the return chamber. However, you may want to lower the panel between your overlflow and the fuge (with egg crate) to avoid surface skimming.

scotbehot · 07/14/2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sunsetSPS
I think the higher the of the panel between fuge and return charmber (the bubble trap) the less top frequent top off required as there are more water in the return chamber. However, you may want to lower the panel between your overlflow and the fuge (with egg crate) to avoid surface skimming.

I could be wrong but this may hold true if the return section is in the middle. But if it is the third chamber as drawn in the picture above, I was always told to put a small 5 inch glass baffle between the fuge and the return section this way the water in the fuge is shared with the return section, depending on the height between the skimmer anf fuge section will determine how much water is in the sump.

DustinLSX · 07/14/2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scotbehot
I would make the glass between the return pump section and the fuge section no more than 5 inches high, you can use egg crate to keep the algae in the fuge, and this way you will not have to be as concerned with topping off the water. I have a 15 gallon high sump and squeezed everything into it for my 55 gallon aquarium. I have a mini two paned bubble trap between the fuge and skimmer section, which is also the section where the water dumps in from the tank. I get zero mini bubbles returning to the tank from the pump. I also used 45 degree elbows vice 90 degree elbows on the tubing from the return pump to the tank. My one major flaw was that I made the glass baffle too high between the fuge and return pump section, which causes me to constantly monitor and top off the water. Hope this helps!

I agree. I made mine way to tall and have come close to running my pump dry a couple of times.

07/14/2009, 04:33 PM	#1
darryl2786 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 14	new to SW looking to build sump! hey everyone. im new to SW and am looking to build my own sump. some of my ideas might seem weird but this is all just an experimental tank until i gain some knowledge to convert my 75 from FW to SW. my DT is a 29 gallon. small.. but agian just to learn with. the sump I am proposing is also a 29 gallon tank, havent decided on a skimmer yet. I will be building a stand myself to make everything work. (I have 2 29 gallons sitting around) in terms of the sections and the way the water will flow, taking into account none of this is measured into specific places will this work?? just a quick sketch.... any and all info will be appreciated thanks, Darryl

07/14/2009, 05:58 PM	#3
darryl2786 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 14	ok. thanks. not to scale just drew it up quick. __________________ 75 gallon FW CA cichlid Tank -1 x JD -1 x Salvini -1 x Convict -1 x Red Parrot -1 x Jewel -1 x Pleco 35 gallon SW tank being build first SW tank ever!!

07/14/2009, 05:21 PM	#2
sunsetSPS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 355	You don't need to build bubble trap from overflow to skimmer or from skimmer to fuge charmbers. I dont know if your draw is to scaled but it looks the baffles are little too high, make sure you have room for power off overflow.

07/14/2009, 07:27 PM	#4
scotbehot Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 147	I would make the glass between the return pump section and the fuge section no more than 5 inches high, you can use egg crate to keep the algae in the fuge, and this way you will not have to be as concerned with topping off the water. I have a 15 gallon high sump and squeezed everything into it for my 55 gallon aquarium. I have a mini two paned bubble trap between the fuge and skimmer section, which is also the section where the water dumps in from the tank. I get zero mini bubbles returning to the tank from the pump. I also used 45 degree elbows vice 90 degree elbows on the tubing from the return pump to the tank. My one major flaw was that I made the glass baffle too high between the fuge and return pump section, which causes me to constantly monitor and top off the water. Hope this helps!

07/14/2009, 07:39 PM	#5
sunsetSPS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 355	I think the higher the of the panel between fuge and return charmber (the bubble trap) the less top frequent top off required as there are more water in the return chamber. However, you may want to lower the panel between your overlflow and the fuge (with egg crate) to avoid surface skimming.