help building a sump

[Paul_MTS]

if you have read my topics a while back I'ved been researching to make a 2x15x15 nano tank. and i have a 24x12x12 tank to make into a sump.

well my tank complete with hole for sumping will be delivered most likely next friday.

and I'll be taking delivery of a sheet of 6mm acrylic to divide up my tank to be the sump.

being new to salt i don't have a clue how to arange it, I think the idea came of me using mineral mud to get rid of the need of a skimmer on a this small set up and maybe a DSB housed in the sump aswell rather than taking up tank space.

pictures and diagrams would be very helpful. I'm ready and willing to do a complecated build on the sump.

I'll most likely get a ehiem 1250 universal pump to run it then maybe it split the inlet to have a spray bar at the top then place one near the bottom to give a good flow rate through the live rock.

I'll be running 20mm pipe from tank to sump then ehiems 16/22 from sump to tank.

 

[ncjharris]

Paul,

this months PFK actually has a section on building a sump for a SW set-up.
Maybe of some help?

 

[Paul_MTS]

i spotted that when i first read, although forgot so I'll have a read through.

cheers.

 

[Paul_MTS]

seems quite a basic one, no??

they mention a DSB and thats about it, i'm wondering how to incorporate everything into it.

 

[Def]

Sump is on the left. Thing on the right is the r/o topup resevoir. Black thing is a UV.

Left sump section can be used for bioballs or similar and with filter floss. Center section is for miracle mud. Right section is soemwhere for the auto-ro topup to go and for pumping back up to the tank. Just a suggestion, it's what I'm preparing.

Granted mine is 12" longer than yours, but you can play around with it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

cheers Def,

i guess they are quite simple designs then! don't mineral mud sections usually have litle bars running acroos aswell, I'm guessing so it doesn't build up all at one end.

in a small system is it worst trying to incorporate a DSB aswell?

oh and whats kind fo the minimum section of mineral mud i can have before it's not worst having ?

like your section is 14" long so for that size tank whats the minimum area the mud needs to be?

 

[Def]

The ridges part is optional as far as I'm aware... I've seen sumps with and without them. Personally i'm not sure that the mud would drift, it's pretty heavy, maybe I'm wrong though.

The size of the mud compartment is a big question for me too. I honestly don't know the answer to this one - I just chatted with Nav one day and we agreed that 14" would be plenty space for a bucket of MM. If it helps, I designed the sump "backwards" - as in, took out the space I needed at either end for pumps and bioballs/filter floss, then added the partitions, and what was left in the middle became the MM part.

I can't answer the DSB question either. My opinion is that a DSB would add to the diversity of life, but none of it would make it back into the main tank because of the pump. On the other hand, you're adding the issues associated with a DSB to your system. So I personally wouldn't bother. I'd get other opinions on that though.

 

[Paul_MTS]

OK so get rid of the DSB....

as my tanks will be jamed packed with live rock will i need much space for bio balls? I could probable fit 4-6l in quite easily. then stuff the rest of the first compartment with filter floss.

so 5" of space for the bio balls then 5" for the pump leaves 14 then cut out 4" for dividers etc and i got 10" for mineral mud.