Recommended Sump Setup

wesside · 08/14/2013, 10:24 AM

I picked up a sump off Craigslist for a great price, but now I need help with determining the best uses for the different chambers.

You can see most of my tank info in my signature, but I will also be using two hang on overflows 800gph each. The sump in total is 20x16x13 (pictures of sump attached). I plan on keeping fish, lps and softies. If I'm missing any pertinent information, let me know and I'll supply it.

thegrun · 08/14/2013, 10:38 AM

What size is your skimmer and which sections will it fit into?

wesside · 08/14/2013, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

What size is your skimmer and which sections will it fit into?

I wasn't planning on setting up a sump and my tank isn't drilled so I bought an HOB skimmer (Aquamaxx HOB-1). It would fit on any of the chambers. Down the road, I will probably switch over to an in-sump skimmer if that changes your recommendation. Thanks!

thegrun · 08/14/2013, 12:04 PM

You could make the sump work in either direction, but it was probably intended to have the water enter in the right hand section where you would also place your skimmer if it fits. Then put a piece of egg crate on the raised glass supports and fill the second (middle) section with live rock (a refugium section) and the third section (left hand) would be your return pump section. You could either try to use the existing bulkhead or just plug it and pipe your return line out the top of the sump.

nlgill13 · 08/14/2013, 12:11 PM

+1 water inlet (right), refugium (center), water return (left)

wesside · 08/14/2013, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

You could make the sump work in either direction, but it was probably intended to have the water enter in the right hand section where you would also place your skimmer if it fits. Then put a piece of egg crate on the raised glass supports and fill the second (middle) section with live rock (a refugium section) and the third section (left hand) would be your return pump section. You could either try to use the existing bulkhead or just plug it and pipe your return line out the top of the sump.

In addition to the LR, should I also have chaeto in fuge section? If I use the existing bulkhead, I could use either a submersible or external pump, correct? If so, is one better than the other?

Thank you for your help!

nlgill13 · 08/14/2013, 12:38 PM

chaeto isn't going to fit in that fuge...you could possible have it in the return sections.

if you use the existing bulkhead you would want an external pump.

Im not sure if one style of pump is better, someone else will have to chime in.

u00bdl1 · 08/14/2013, 08:55 PM

I have a submersible pump on mine, just because of room in my stand, lack of room.

Reefin' Dude · 08/17/2013, 07:16 AM

that is a nice looking sump, though i am not sure why it was designed that way. those chambers are way to small to be of much use for anything. it looks like the water came in on the right. in the middle there was a large sponge, then on the left an external return pump. being glass removing and changing baffles can be more annoying than you may want to do.

since you are thinking softies, that may be the best way for you to go also. leaving the entire sump empty so that you can get in there with a siphon hose to remove all detritus when doing water changes, but use the sponge as the nutrient valve (so to speak). i am assuming you are also going to have a substrate in your display (because you are going softies, and the slow increase in nutrients from the substrate is what softies like). leaving the sump empty allows the substrate in the display to be in control making it easier to dial in the amount of available inorganic nutrients for the corals. you do this by observing the corals and cleaning the sponge. you may find that you need to siphon the detritus out every week, but only clean the sponge every other week, or you may only need to do both every other week. the sump is still your primary nutrient export device. the skimmer will help, but you will be amazed at the amount of detritus a system produces every week.

you do not want to use the return pump for primary flow either. when using a sump as the primary nutrient export device in a system, you would like the flow through it to be slower than the flow in the display. you want as much detritus to settle out in the sump instead of in the display, some will settle there, no way around it, but the majority of it should settle out in the sump. normally i suggest running only as much water through the sump as what the skimmer can PROCESS. not what the skimmer pump is rated for, but what it can actually process. this is usually only about 3X tank volume max. if you plan on putting the HOB down there, you might want to see if you can find the processing rate of the skimmer and find a pump to match. you might find it difficult to put the skimmer down there since it probably needs a certain water level and it will likely be to high in the sump to allow for any safety margin if the power were to go out and the display drains down into the sump. for additional flow in the display i would use either closed loop systems, or propeller powerheads.

HTH,

G~

wesside · 08/19/2013, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefin' Dude

removing and changing baffles can be more annoying than you may want to do. G~

I'm fairly handy. In an ideal world, how would you move the baffles?

Reefin' Dude · 08/19/2013, 10:26 AM

i would either remove them all, or leave them in there until/if you get a skimmer and figure out how much room you need for the skimmer and a baffle to determine optimal water level for the skimmer.

when adding a sump for primary nutrient export, it is a good idea to rise it up a couple of inches off of the floor in order to help in siphoning to a bucket.

G~

08/17/2013, 07:16 AM	#9
Reefin' Dude Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 739	that is a nice looking sump, though i am not sure why it was designed that way. those chambers are way to small to be of much use for anything. it looks like the water came in on the right. in the middle there was a large sponge, then on the left an external return pump. being glass removing and changing baffles can be more annoying than you may want to do. since you are thinking softies, that may be the best way for you to go also. leaving the entire sump empty so that you can get in there with a siphon hose to remove all detritus when doing water changes, but use the sponge as the nutrient valve (so to speak). i am assuming you are also going to have a substrate in your display (because you are going softies, and the slow increase in nutrients from the substrate is what softies like). leaving the sump empty allows the substrate in the display to be in control making it easier to dial in the amount of available inorganic nutrients for the corals. you do this by observing the corals and cleaning the sponge. you may find that you need to siphon the detritus out every week, but only clean the sponge every other week, or you may only need to do both every other week. the sump is still your primary nutrient export device. the skimmer will help, but you will be amazed at the amount of detritus a system produces every week. you do not want to use the return pump for primary flow either. when using a sump as the primary nutrient export device in a system, you would like the flow through it to be slower than the flow in the display. you want as much detritus to settle out in the sump instead of in the display, some will settle there, no way around it, but the majority of it should settle out in the sump. normally i suggest running only as much water through the sump as what the skimmer can PROCESS. not what the skimmer pump is rated for, but what it can actually process. this is usually only about 3X tank volume max. if you plan on putting the HOB down there, you might want to see if you can find the processing rate of the skimmer and find a pump to match. you might find it difficult to put the skimmer down there since it probably needs a certain water level and it will likely be to high in the sump to allow for any safety margin if the power were to go out and the display drains down into the sump. for additional flow in the display i would use either closed loop systems, or propeller powerheads. HTH, G~ __________________ Friends don't let friends use refugiums. Current Tank Info: Not dead yet.

08/19/2013, 10:26 AM	#11
Reefin' Dude Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 739	i would either remove them all, or leave them in there until/if you get a skimmer and figure out how much room you need for the skimmer and a baffle to determine optimal water level for the skimmer. when adding a sump for primary nutrient export, it is a good idea to rise it up a couple of inches off of the floor in order to help in siphoning to a bucket. G~ __________________ Friends don't let friends use refugiums. Current Tank Info: Not dead yet.

08/14/2013, 10:38 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	What size is your skimmer and which sections will it fit into?

08/14/2013, 12:04 PM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	You could make the sump work in either direction, but it was probably intended to have the water enter in the right hand section where you would also place your skimmer if it fits. Then put a piece of egg crate on the raised glass supports and fill the second (middle) section with live rock (a refugium section) and the third section (left hand) would be your return pump section. You could either try to use the existing bulkhead or just plug it and pipe your return line out the top of the sump.

08/14/2013, 12:11 PM	#5
nlgill13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boulder,CO Posts: 1,291	+1 water inlet (right), refugium (center), water return (left)

08/14/2013, 12:38 PM	#7
nlgill13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boulder,CO Posts: 1,291	chaeto isn't going to fit in that fuge...you could possible have it in the return sections. if you use the existing bulkhead you would want an external pump. Im not sure if one style of pump is better, someone else will have to chime in.

08/14/2013, 08:55 PM	#8
u00bdl1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Springfield Ohio Posts: 52	I have a submersible pump on mine, just because of room in my stand, lack of room.