Sump advice..

[reeffreak]

You will want the skimmer in the first chamber and fuge in the second then the return section.Another option is skimmer chamber on the left and fuge on the right and return in the center chamber.

Check Melevs site for sump designs.......Melevsreef.com | A simple sump project

 

[Bifferwine]

Skimmer goes before fuge.

 

[fatman]

Just switch the position of the refugium and the skimmer. You will be running more water through the refugium, but you are not running huge flows anyway, so that is OK. The main thing is to make sure sure the refugium gets some raw unfiltered water which it will if you split the flow from the tank to the separate sump/skimmer and the refugium compartments. The skimmer should get water straight from the tank which has seen no other processing. In this setup your tank evaporation will be shown by the water level in your sump so it will be easy to see when fresh new water must be added. Your heater would also go in with the skimmer.

 

[cravinmohead22]

my question is how do you get the flow rates correct? water from main tank into sump and water from sump back out to the main tank. i know you need a return pump but what to use for bring the same amount of water to the sump. im so confused. i need help. hahaha

 

[yote]

my question is how do you get the flow rates correct? water from main tank into sump and water from sump back out to the main tank. i know you need a return pump but what to use for bring the same amount of water to the sump. im so confused. i need help. hahaha

Thats where a ball valve comes in.Your over flow will only drain what the return pumps back.With the valve,you can slow the pump down if its pushing more than then the drain can handle.

 

[cravinmohead22]

i thought i could run a sump without an overflow. thats where i messed up. could you, if possible, give me a link to show me all the parts i will need. i already have a 10gal. aquarium.

 

[reeffreak]

Cravin,what exactly are you asking?
Do you need links to overflow boxes(some do come with drain hoses and clamps).If not then you can get vinyl hoses or pvc a drain to the sump.

 

[cravinmohead22]

i want to do this as cheap as possible as i hear it is able to be done. my tank is not drilled so i need to do something. i hear HOB overflows will overflow if the power goes out so i would like to avoid that if possible. thanks for the help.

 

[FNG44601]

Cravin,
You'll need an overflow to get the water flowing to your sump..... that's the given. To avoid an overflow in a power outage, what you can do is get you a $7 marineland diffuser (or any that you can find), attach that to your tubing from your return pump in your sump.
Now figure out the level where the water will be in your sump- (this is easier to do while it's actually running) so you can adjust your slowdown valves, etc....
This is the most important thing to avoid overflowing!!!!!!! Mark a spot below the water level on the diffuser- low enough that daily evaporation doesn't effect it- but also high enough that if it does siphon back into your sump- there's enough room in the sump that it overflows. Now Drill a hole in the diffuser, this will break the siphon.

 

[reeffreak]

You have two options:To drill or use an overflow box.

I leave it to someone else on the drilling part.This is probably the cheapest way.

A good overflow box will not lose the siphon after a power outage.Lifereef overflow boxes are the best on the market.It will cost about $100 though.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Another way to get the right amount of water in your sump to avoid an over flow is to have both the main tank and sump completely full with out it running. That is key with out it running. Then when you get it running properly, the sump water level will lower and the main tank will raise slightly. All the plumbing will fill up. If power goes out, all the water will drain into the sump but not over flow.

When everything is running, put a mark at the level in the sump and do not fill up past that point.

Brian