Design For Sump - Advice Needed

[cynos]

Hi Guys
I'm modifying my old tank<120l> to be a sump for my 600litre marine tank
Below is my Idea, I'm looking for any suggestions or feedback before I start work on tuesday night

Also what exactly should be in my Refugium and should the light in it be on 24hrs a day?, I have hundreds of bio balls from my freshwater aquarium and am wondering should I use them in my design or are they useless in a marine tank?

Thanks
Cathal

 

[SkiFletch]

Bioballs shouldnt be used in a marine setup, let the LR do the work . Is there a reason the skimmer chamber is so wide? If it were my sump, I'd remove the right most section and have the drain go straight into the skimmer compartment. Shift everything over to the right and make the pump compartment wider. If possible, thin up that skimmer compartment and widen the pump chamer. You dont want too small of a final chamber otherwise evaporation can be a real PITA

 

[hubbard_shark]

i currently have a refugium and to answer your question about keeping the lighting on, it all depends on how much growth in algae you want. i personally keep mine on 24/7, and the alage has doubled in size since i got it in november. more algae=more life=more nutrients

 

[cynos]

i currently have a refugium and to answer your question about keeping the lighting on, it all depends on how much growth in algae you want. i personally keep mine on 24/7, and the alage has doubled in size since i got it in november. more algae=more life=more nutrients

Thanks for the tips Guys
Started building last night
have changed design to this, now if a bubble trap gets blocked I wont get a flood<hopefully>
Have made the skimmer chamber shorter but the pump currently on the skimmer is huge, So the chamber will need to be at least 250mm to 300mm
The refugium is now a bit bigger and so is the return pump section

I may even make the return pump section 250mm and the refugium 350mm

 

[cynos]

i currently have a refugium and to answer your question about keeping the lighting on, it all depends on how much growth in algae you want. i personally keep mine on 24/7, and the alage has doubled in size since i got it in november. more algae=more life=more nutrients

Thanks for the tips Guys
Started building last night
have changed design to this, now if a bubble trap gets blocked I wont get a flood<hopefully>
Have made the skimmer chamber shorter but the pump currently on the skimmer is huge, So the chamber will need to be at least 250mm to 300mm
The refugium is now a bit bigger and so is the return pump section

I may even make the return pump section 250mm and the refugium 350mm

Right folks this sump design doesnt work
The return chamber runs dry after about 3 days, I'm loosing about 5-7.5litres per day I think
Ive just bought a V2 800 skimmer which I'm gonna hang on while I re design the sump, then I can hang off the sump or internal
I'm asking for a hand doing so

the measurements are

1000mm long
305mm width
380mm height

I dont want the water to be anywhere near the top of the sump so the highest the water can be in the sump would be 305mm max
I'm going to drill the return chamber so as to have the return pump external this time

If anyone has the time I'd much appreciate if they'd have a look for me and fire me up a quick mspaint diagram

 

[SkiFletch]

How high above the overflows is the display tank level during operation?

 

[cynos]

How high above the overflows is the display tank level during operation?

from top of sump to bottom of display about 6inches max
or 15cm

 

[littleimp]

What do you mean sump rund dry after 3 days?? You are topping up arn't you?? My 6ft tank iused to evaporate around 10litres/day striaght onto my windows This has to be topped up with ro every day on auto if possible.

 

[cynos]

What do you mean sump rund dry after 3 days?? You are topping up arn't you?? My 6ft tank iused to evaporate around 10litres/day striaght onto my windows This has to be topped up with ro every day on auto if possible.

Ive no auto topup yet

 

[SkiFletch]

Sorry Cynos, I meant, when you ran the system before, how far did the water level in the display tank rise? Like when the return pump was off, your tank was at the level of the overflow, then you turn it on and the display tank rose how many inchse?

 

[cynos]

Sorry Cynos, I meant, when you ran the system before, how far did the water level in the display tank rise? Like when the return pump was off, your tank was at the level of the overflow, then you turn it on and the display tank rose how many inchse?

Only about 1cm id say

 

[cynos]

Sorry Cynos, I meant, when you ran the system before, how far did the water level in the display tank rise? Like when the return pump was off, your tank was at the level of the overflow, then you turn it on and the display tank rose how many inchse?

Only about 1cm id say

Would a setup like this work for me?
I did not draw this but it is roughly the dimensions of my tank
Id have to reduce th size of the refug slightly to fit the V2 800 in the 1st chamber on the left
Also where abouts would you drill the final chamber for the return pump

 

[SkiFletch]

Most likely yes

 

[cynos]

Most likely yes

Well we'll find out in a few days as I've sent the old baffles in to be cut and emptied the sump.
The 1st chamber is going to have my V2 800
The 2nd a DSB 4inches with macro Algaes
The 3rd will be my return chamber
If I can manage to get hold of a drill bit by friday it will be drilled, If not we'll try it without 1st