Sump plans

[Dustin0_15]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new here. I'm about to set up a 125 gal tank which will eventually become a mixed reef over time. I have thought out some plans for a 40 gal sump that I want some feedback on before I commit to it.

The sump will be baffled, except instead of channeling the water over or under, I'm channeling it side to side. This will be done by siliconing glass sections into the tank. The reason is that after the baffles are in place, I want to add a 4-5 inch layer of aragonite oolitic sand to start a DSB. This will be seeded with about 10 pounds of rubble and I will grow chaeto on top of that. The reason for the baffle configuration is to channel the water over a maximum surface area and to reduce any deadspots. I will have a light source running on an inverse schedule. I've even thought of putting a small detritus crew here after it matures for several months.

The water will flow in a guided course, the skimmer will be the first in line for cleaning. Then after several channels it will come to a 12" X 18" space where the return pump(s) will be at the very end. I've made this area larger to enable me to add an additional piece of equipment later on if desired. Also, the larger space will make it easier for water changes and such.

This will be a low-flow system for now. I have one Lifereef overflow rated 600 gph and a Tunze return pump rated at 564 gph. Even though this is a large tank, I only want small fish (< 5"). Gobies, wrasses and other peaceful fish.
I will not have any live rock per se, other than the rubble to seed the bed. I want the display tank totally pest free to start with so I will initially put in some dry ornamental reef rock and let it seed slowly. After a few years and some additional coral, it should look like any other tank.

Eager to hear responses. See the attached jpeg.

Thanks,
Dustin

[Slayer311]

I like this raceway design, good idea and I think you will see faster cheato growth this way. Can't wait to see it in action . Make sure you include a baffle at the end for a constant water level in your return section for top offs.

[dryad001]

I always heard that chaeto needed a slower moving water current. And wouldnt everything eventually end up near the return pump?

[Dustin0_15]

@Slayer,

I'm still new to water dynamics but I reason it this way. There are only two states in my sump, water level with pump on and water level with pump off. The sump will be at its highest level with the return pump off, therefore it will only dose while the pump is running. I'm not sure I understand why I'll need this final baffle. So maybe you can explain a bit more about your thoughts on it.

@Driad,

I think that the baffles will keep everything in place. I'm not sure the rate that chaeto grows the best. It's slow right now b/c I'll have to wait several months to get another powerhead and return pump. If this Tunze pump works out well, I may get another one, that way I'll have two incase one fails. This will also give the bed a chance to mature.

[RocketSurgeon]

I'm not familiar with reactors, but the skimmer typically operates best under consistent water level, requiring a baffle. I would imagine your reactors will be the same. The final compartment or return compartment will be where you have your evidence of evaporation.

[disc1]

Even if you have a float switch and ATO, you want the section where you realize the evaporation to be small. That way a small amount of evap makes enough difference in the depth to trigger the ATO.

One thing to think about with this design is how much water will be flowing through it. If you have much of a pump the water may be ripping through there too fast to think about the sand bed. I would like this design more if it didn't get all the flow from the tank. Split the return and feed one side directly to the business side of the sump and just do the refugium as a racetrack.

[RocketSurgeon]

If installing sand, i prefer a REMOTE Deep Sand Bed. Easily taken off line if need be for maintenance/replacement.

[Dustin0_15]

I appreciate the feedback. Guess I need to do more reading on sump dynamics. So you want a smaller water-tight compartment for your ATO float because it will show evaporation sooner? Thus, the ATO goes off more frequently with smaller amounts to keep things more stable. Guessing I'll probably need to put it in the same compartment with the return pump. How do you know the proper water levels for devices before you build the sump? By searching posts? I figured I'd just havd the in sump items sitting on blocks made with egg crate or something.

I like the idea of a remote sandbed as well, but I also like double use. The more uses an object has, the more valuable it is to me. My my will operate at a maximum of 560 gph that's a about a 4X turnover. Not that fast I don't think, and probably too slow for most. It's also has an adjustable flow feature. If it turns out that I need more flow, I can just add another pump and powerhead and take the advice to place the overflow closer to the return.

Thanks.