Sump/refugium

[timpetty]

I'm planning a 10gal display with a 10gal sump under it. I was planning to have a high flow rate (probably 270gph roughly) going through the sump. The return would feed a spray bar in the display.

I am planning to unclude:

Protein skimmer
Live rock
Chaeto
Heater
Return Pump

1) Please give me advise on how to seperate these chambers. I am doing it custom in a 19L x 10W x 11D tank so I can divide it however I please.
2) Will this flow rate be too high for the chaeto to be effective?

I know Ive seen sump examples on here before but for the life of me I cant find them now. Thanks in advance for everyone's help. I cant wait to get this started!!

 

[@ombomb]

that's too much, the sump will end up like a washing machine, concentrate on water turnover in the main tank and calm the sump down

 

[timpetty]

Yea, thats what I was worried about.... Well then ill downgrade to the Maxijet 600 (160gph minus the 2-3 foot rise to the display). Can you give me your recommendations on how to build the sump with a lower flow?

 

[showjyr]

270gph may be a little high but not far off. I bought a Danner Mag-Drive 2(250gph) for my 10gallon sump. I tested with sump only(direct line from pump dumping into the first compartment of sump) and with virtually no head loss it was a pretty gentle flow through the sump.

Figure in a few feet of head loss from pump to tank and you would most likely be right in the neighborhood of 200gph. Just my 2 cents but I would go ahead with the original pump.

 

[timpetty]

Thanks showjyr... Hopefully more people will weigh in on this since Im not 1 and 1 lol. Im assuming Im going to put the Skimmer in the first (return line) chamber because it will be easiest to keep the water level constant.

Again, any help with the actual construction of the sump will be appreciated

The flow seems to be a good topic so Id like to hear people's opinions on this also

 

[showjyr]

Sure, anything I can do to be of help. Skimmer in the first, fuge in the middle, return in the last. It came out great.

My 10gal sump

 

[timpetty]

Truly appreciate the help showjyr. I know Ive seen threads containing the making of sumps before but I couldnt find them in the hundreds of posts on here. Yours is actually the one I had in mind with the covered weir and even the loc-line feeding back into the tank (although I decided on the spray bar version).

Thanks again,
Tim

p.s. The fire alarm in my building just went of during my post so I hope u didnt add more while I was in the middle of this haha

 

[showjyr]

No problem, anytime I can help. The only draw back I found with my sump was fitting the workings of a 29 gal into a 10 gal sump. The heater, skimmer, and return pump are fit in there pretty snug.

Yours should be fine....and you are doubling the overall system size

If you do run a pump that size with a spray bar on the return side you will get a good half of your flow/circulation from your return pump alone, thats a bonus.

 

[timpetty]

Anyone else have opinions about the flow??

 

[andywg]

You will want to make the return chamber a fair size with that sort of a flow as otherwise it will drain dry and/or you will be topping up with RO every day.

I only ever look for about 5x the tank turnover through the sump (and often tht is without head loss), so 50-100 gph is where I would be looking.

 

[SkiFletch]

I use a maxi 600 on my 5.5g tank with 10g sump (see sig). Works great if you ask me

Are you drilling the 10g?

 

[timpetty]

Are you drilling the 10g?

Already drilled. 1 1/8" holes for a 1/2" bulkead. Working on the actylic pieces for the weir and dividers in the sump. Not too much fun without a ban saw or router but is coming along well. Also waiting on the last few plumbing parts so no big rush.

Thanks again for everyone's input

 

[Arimus]

Stupid question time (usual for me, and even more usual at this time of the day):

Reading the earlier posts one of them said to increase turn over in the main tank and calm sump down - for the turn over in the main tank would that mean just increasing the power of the powerheads (or adding a second etc)?

 

[timpetty]

Yes, @ombomb meant to decrease the amount im running into the sump and add another powerhead to the display for movement in there