Sumps.... Refugiums... Pulling Hair Out

[Nalaundi]

so I have been reading a ton on diy sumps and refugiums. thinking that they make it seem sooooo easy. just drill a hole put some glue have the hardware store cut some acrylic and glue it... tada... new happy sump... uggg was I wrong. the pumps the thought of a flood... (in dorm style apartment 4th floor) Im really baffled by this stuff. I was able to get from work a free 10g tank and the custom flow filter system (just the expansion with all the fittings... and not the actual filter which I didnt want anyways.) anywas I though i would beable to throw something together pretty cheap and efficiently... now Im just back at square one. I was hoping to grow fauna (sp?) for my corals..... thats it... I have been looking at the hang on the back refugiums... should I just do that instead?

any help or Ideas would be verrrrrryyyyy much appreciated

thanks

here is what I have....

http/s124.photobucket.com/albums/p16/nalaundi/

obviously plus a standard US10G tank.

 

[ox5477]

so your trying to make the 10 into the sump for this 12?

Well since you have it up and running you can buy (or make if your feeling adventurous) weir overflows that require no tank drilling. You can then pipe this into the 10G below. for the 10G, you can get some pre-cut pieces of glass or acrylic to make a bubble trap and return section wall and simply silicone them in. Then you get a return pump and pipe that back up to the main tank who says it's not simple... haha... I know skipped over alot of little steps and specifics, but that is the jist of a fuge/sump

 

[Nalaundi]

so your trying to make the 10 into the sump for this 12?

its for my 20 gallon. where do you get precut acrylic?

 

[ox5477]

I believe any glass supplier should have both glass and acrylic... I believe...

 

[Nalaundi]

I believe any glass supplier should have both glass and acrylic... I believe...

like lowes? homedeopt? or a specialty place?

 

[Nalaundi]

ok here are some of the things Im working with... going to do overflow... cpr or the Tom Aquatics Pro Series Surface Skimmer Overflow Box with Aqua Lifter ... 10g aga from the bottom of my 10g (on the bottom rack of stand) to the top of display aquarium (20gH aga) is barely under 3Feet. fromt the top of my 10g to the top of my 20g is just under 2 feet. Im confused on the baffles what dimensions should they be and placement so I dont get flooding. how powerful of a return pump will I need.

I dont want to put a skimmer in it. I was just hoping to put some extra sand and live rock and a place to put my heater out of the display tank. I would though like to have a direct flow of the intake over my seagel and purgen thinking just small eggcrate basket under the intake itself..only one side left open for easy extraction.

you alll are so patient thanks...

 

[Nalaundi]

here is what I have come up with.... what do you all think... more room above baffles? is it ok.. what size of pump do you think I will need there beeing 3foot head.

 

[kj23502]

Could I please ask a really dumb ?....not meaning to hijack I'm trying to learn about this stuff. Why are all the walls spaced apart like that in the drawing?

 

[Nalaundi]

the return chamber is smaller because I dont need much to fit into it. the baffles everywhere Ive looked have said to have one inch between and the center to be 1" off of the bottom... so that is how I planed it. the middle chamber is the main chamber ... wanting some extra good bacteria space ... so it will be for sand and a bit more live rock... som taken from my display .. maybe or added from my lfs. the other wall by the intake... is spaced like that so you dont get a gush of water pushing the sand or rock down... it keeps the flow even and mellow... or at least so i have read... I could be completey wrong in my thinking and design (any disputes about it happily taken ,... I want to get this efficient safe and most importantly finished anyways the intake chamber on the right.... is a little bigger because I want to put a spot for my two filtration media bags right under the intake.. I use seagel and purgen and that is it. thinkin I might put a little eggcrate shelf under the intake for these.

so um yeah

 

[kj23502]

Wow...great thanks!!! I feel really dumb asking, but have NO experience whatsoever w/sumps and am trying to plan a sw tank.

 

[Nalaundi]

Wow...great thanks!!! I feel really dumb asking, but have NO experience whatsoever w/sumps and am trying to plan a sw tank.

hey... I only figured this all out today and have been trying to figure it out for a couple weeks now.... now it just come to what to buy for the pump and actually getting the pieces... Ive just been getting quotes from online arylic dealers and tomarrow I am going up to the hardware store either they might do it or hopefully can refer me to someone who can. I know everyone says its simple and Im now getting that it really is..... I just tend to over think things wwwaaayyy tooo much andI know it! all smiles!

 

[andywg]

the return chamber is smaller because I dont need much to fit into it.

This could be a big mistake. The smaller the return chamber, the more often you have to top up the water in the system.

I would raise the height of your baffles at the end of the central chamber to be only an inch (at most) lower than the top of the first baffle. Also, how easy do you think it will be to install a three part baffle like that? There is a reason why many people just go for over/under baffles when doing DIY.

Having 1" isn't totally necessary for the water to pass through. Essentially you need the same cross sectional area as the drain pipe (perhaps a small amount more for safety) and you shuld be fine. Getting them much closer than one inch is not particularly easy though.

Finally, I woudl lose the last baffle before the return pump, it isn't going to do a great deal other than take up room.

Edit---

Gah! Just seen where I have posted.

/retreats

 

[Nalaundi]

good less work for me I can handle that... the basic design I got from melvsreef.com he had a few design this is the one that he had as a moving graphic.

thanks for the advice

is this what you were thinking?

 

[BigC]

On fitting the baffles I bought a piece of plastic chanelling from the diy store an cut it to the size if the glass. I siliconed on piece on the front and one on the back panes of the sump. I let the silicone dry (24hrs) then I turned the sum on its end and siliconed my first baffle plate to the channeling. The first plate was touching the aquarium base.(I ran a bead of silicone along the bottom edge of the baffle plate) I let this dry and then I positioned the second plate on the otherside of the channelling this time I left a 19mm gap from the bottom of the plate to the aquarium base. My refugium has only 2 chambers (when its up and running) and the gap between the plates is only 10mm. You can construct as many weirs as you need to suit your size of sump.
Both plates are the same size (height) and the second plate is offset by 19mm.
See pic below of my small 24ltr sump, its not operational yet as I still have to fit a small compartment for bio=balls and Rowaphos where the water comes in from the main aquarium.

Hope this helps.
Regards
BigC

P.S. Thanks also to Andy for answering my queries.

 

[Nalaundi]

Hope this helps.

it does thank you!