Help me with my sump/skimmer (pics)

[Rskillz]

So, a friend helped me design this sump, which is just a 30 gallon glass tank with acrylic dividers put in.

The problem I'm having is massive water level fluctuations, which affect my skimmer. Often times I wake up and the bubbles are so low they are ineffective, or it's overflowing. The water level really only variates on the low side. So what can I change? Any way other than a ATO unit to get it to stay stable? (I don't have space for a reservoir next to the tank)

So, to help with what pics may not show...

The intake has two filter socks far left, which is divided from the second chamber and skimmer by a acrylic divider with holes drilled in it. The last section of the sump has a low divider then a higher divider with space under it that works as a bubble trap with a piece of foam in there. The last section just has a heater, PH probe, and Temp probe floating.

So what sucks about this design? Anything I could change to fix this skimmer and water level issue?

[TTrout]

Is the return in the same section as the skimmer?

[Rskillz]

Originally Posted by TTrout

Is the return in the same section as the skimmer?

Nope, its one section to the left

[Phyxius]

You need it reversed since the section with your return is also effecting the skimmer area. If the water level drops in the return section it also drops in your skimmer section

You should have had the bubble trap baffles after the return section and then a solid divider along the return pump section. This way only the section with the pump would fluctuate. When you evaporate water its causing your problems....
The way its set up now ALL sections are dropping with water evaporation or loss since your first divider also has holes in it.

I added this pic for a general idea. The first section from the tank has the three bubble trap baffles with the last section going over the top into the middle area.It has the inflow from the tanks overflows. It stays at the level of the baffle as long as the tank is running. The last baffle to the right of tank is slightly taller than the highest baffle in the 3 bubble trap ones so the center section always stays at the height of the last baffle. The 3rd section will fluctuate with the water loss of the tank as its also the return section but not controlled by any baffles except for the water flow/feed from the rest of the sump. You can control the water height in the middle like yours using the height of baffle that you need for the water depth you need.

BTW-even with power off and total tank shutdown the water level in this sump is 3" from the top as its a 50g tank...You need to account for that in your design so you don't have a overflow on tank shutdown

Hope that helps a little to explain it more

[TTrout]

I think I see the problem. The divider with the holes in it between the skimmer section and the drain isn't creating a separate section. In fact the sections are acting as one. Which your evaporation always shows in the section with the return. That is why you are seeing varying levels.

You need to remove that divider and put a solid divider, preferably a bubble trap.

Here's how my sump is setup:

drain/skimmer -> return <- fuge (fed by T off return)

design of my sump on my build page

Hope that helps.

[Rskillz]

Ok, I think I get what you guys mean; so, put a bubble trap right after the return with the baffle height at 9 inches, which is what my skimmer asks for?

The thing I do not get is what divides the second section from the return pump section? Just one acrylic wall? So if the water drops below that wall line, the pump empties that chamber and sucks air? That can't be right...

I redid the sump one time before and the issue I ran into originally is that the pump cleared water faster than the chamber could fill. I had to use the ball valve on the return to dial it down (which is bad)

[TTrout]

You should check out melevs site, it explains sumps very well.

http://www.melevsreef.com/

[Rskillz]

Ok, I get it I think, I read all the info on that site. So help me out.

I'm going to change it tomorrow. Problem is, I don't have space to change the drain, so it's gotta stay on that left side. If I add a baffle with bubble trap after that and then a space big enough for the sump, how tall should the last baffle be?

[Lynnmw1208]

I would just make the bubble trap larger on the right side. Like I have my short baffle (the left one) at 11in and my other baffle (the right one) is 13in but it's higher up I have 2in from the bottom of the tank to the baffle. you want the water to have to go over the first baffle and under the second but not to the extent yours is. I have my drain line in the same area as my skimmer as well except I won't be putting LR in it so you can keep yours the way it is on left.

[Rskillz]

Originally Posted by Lynnmw1208

I would just make the bubble trap larger on the right side. Like I have my short baffle (the left one) at 11in and my other baffle (the right one) is 13in but it's higher up I have 2in from the bottom of the tank to the baffle. you want the water to have to go over the first baffle and under the second but not to the extent yours is. I have my drain line in the same area as my skimmer as well except I won't be putting LR in it so you can keep yours the way it is on left.

Ok, I'm getting a clue now. So leave the left side, but take out right, add a bubble trap with first baffle at the height I want the constant in my skimmer chamber (9 inches) second one higher but with an inch left underneath it, and then a 3rd baffle the same as the first?

So on the right side: 9 inches, 10 with an inch underneath, 9 inches?

[Rskillz]

Also, sorry for another dumb question, but the external pump I have is a 790gph coralife, I think when I first setup this sump, the guy helping me had it the right way, but the pump drained the return section way too fast before it could fill back up, and air kept getting sucked in.

Does that sound right? And if so, should I just install a "T" after the pump that goes back to the sump with a ball valve? That way I can solve that without putting pressure on the pump? Also, which section would that T need to drain into?

Thanks so much