Need help w/ sump design! Fast!

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

I have to get my sump up and running ASAP b/c of pending delivery of algae, etc. I am doing a DIY sump, basically a ECO design. I need some clarification on a few things as soon as I can possibly get it.

One - I am doing an overflow box from my wet/dry to my sump. I am assuming that overflow boxes work from gravity? Does that mean that I need the sump lower than the wet/dry?

Two - My sump will be a little one, 10 gallons, I have the baffles that have been precut and shipped to me. My 10-gal is 20 inches long. I have the first wall that will have a gap at the bottom, the second short, short wall that will lead into the refugium area, then a third wall with a long slit in the center going horizontally. How far apart should I space these 3 partitions? By the way, I am not putting bioballs in the first part of the sump b/c the water is coming from the wet/dry and really doesn't need filtering, but I am putting it at the end to prevent any algae from entering the main tank.

Three - With the placement of the bioballs being at the end of the sump (last chamber), does that mean that the return pump will be in the same area as the bioballs? That seems very wierd to me. What am I missing?

Thanks so, so, so, so much!

 

[Navarre]

I will answer as best i can but a diagram would be helpful.

Yes, the sump will need to be placeds above the wetdry filter (or the wother way around depengind which is first) so gravity will take over the siphon action.

I had a gap under the 1st partition of just over half an inch. The gap between 1st and 2nd partition for mine is 1 inch but with hindsight i should have made it larger (maybe 3" or more) because i have had several fish find their way to the sump and trying to catch em in this tiny parition is very hard as the net cannot manouver.

Bioballs in the last section is good to stop algea clogging the pump.

You seem to have the sump design pretty well thought out. Hope it all goes well for you.

 

[Def]

Your fish got into the sump? Woah...

Navarre, would you mind posting some measured dimensions of your sump, eg: size/height/position of partitions and the "ribs" you use to lay the miracle mud on? Really appreciate that, thanks... If you could just draw them on that previous diagram of your sump yoiu showed me, that would be great!

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Yeah, I would LOVE to know how high those ribs are that the MM goes on, too. For some reason, those weren't included in the pkg for the ECO that I got. I was thinking about fashioning some on my own. Are they needed or can you just put the MM right on the flat bottom of the tank?

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Well, bad news from me. I never thought that I would say this, but my shipment got here too fast! The chaeto arrived today and the sump is not done, not even close. I siliconed the dividers in last night, but I'm going to have to do another run of the silicone b/c there is way more of a gap than there should be where the dividers touch the tank. Also, I got my "overflow box" in and it is in 20 pieces!!! Somehow I managed to order an overflow box that has to be completely assembled. My second newbie mistake, I guess. Well, I guess it doesn't have to be COMPLETELY made from scratch--they did cut the acrylic pieces for me. Thanks a lot for that--NOT! I don't know what the heck I was thinking ordering the chaeto the same time as the rest of the sump, but I never dreamed that the overflow box would have to be assembled, too!!!

So, how do I keep this little bit of live sand and little bit of chaeto from kicking the bucket? Put it in a container with a powerhead and some saltwater from the main tank? Put a light over it? How long will it be OK like that?

 

[Navarre]

I dont actually have the ribs in my tank. They are there to keep the mud from oving around if the flow is high. It also make it easier to change the mud in sections after it gets to a time where the mud should be changed (usually after the 1st year you should change around a 3rd)

I canot do the measurements at the moment as i have things to do tonight but i will do them tomorrow if i get a chance. The sump measurements overall though are 36" x 15" x 18" high

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Navarre, looks like we were posting at the same moment. Did you get my last post about the too early delivery? Can I save this stuff by putting it in a bucket with a powerhead and some light? Thanks so much.

 

[Navarre]

Hmm.. unfortunate.

A bucket will have to do for now. Not ideal as i am sure you will agree but its better than nothing. (At least it will make you get a move on to get the sump running )


Sorry to hear about the overflow too.. I have never used one and had no idea tht some models come "flatpacked"

You do seem to have a very organised setup and attitude to your tank. Therefore i have every confidence that you will do an excellant job.

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Thank you so much, I really needed that compliment right now, because everything is pretty much going well, not very good right now. As I am figuring out from my new overflow box that's in 20 pieces-- (SOME assembly required, my &*%)--exactly how it works, I realize that it's not going to work, not for my setup. I have a drilled tank that overflows into a wet/dry, who pumps back into the main tank via a submersible pump. For those of you who aren't familiar with my recent modification wants, I wanted to add a small 10-gallon sump to the system, not replace the wet/dry but ADD the sump. I was PLANNING to do an overflow into the sump from the wet/dry, but then I realize that a wet/dry's waterline is too low to reach the HOB overflow box that I purchased. I was planning to just move the pump that is currently in the wet/dry over to the sump and still use that as the return to the main tank and to just add the overflow box between the wet/dry and sump, but that's not going to work. So, how the heck do I get water from the wet/dry to the sump

My hubby had the idea of putting a pipe between the wet/dry and the sump and letting that channel the water from the wet/dry to the sump, but would that work? Seems fraught with trouble to me, but maybe I'm missing the simplicity of the design or something. Maybe an inclined pipe? I think I'm doomed.

I have no idea what to do now, but my chaeto is going to die if I don't figure something out soon.

 

[Navarre]

First of all ... "DONT PANIC!!!" )


OK seriously. your husband might be on to something. If you can run a simple pipe from 1 tank to the other and when the water reaches this level it will si mply pour into the next tank. This should work if its done properly.