Pics Of Sump, Looking For Feedback

[adambrum]

This is my planned sump for a 35g tank its my first sump so i wanted to check to make sure i have made no mistakes before i start gluing.

I have added the bubble walls in paint to show where i plan to put them.

The plan is to have water return in the right section which also houses the skimmer pump through the bubble wall ( i will also have the skimmer return pipe going into the first section ) and into the return section which houses a heater,aqua-medic OR3500 and the skimmer. the return pump will have a valve in the return pipe feeding water into the refuigum which will overflow into the return section, and breath !

Any thought are more than welcome

 

[SkiFletch]

Couple thoughts. First, make sure the skimmer output goes into the same chamber as the skimmer pump sits in.

Second, clean that float valve every month. I dont care if it looks dirty, clean it anyways. The last thing you want is your float valve to get stuck and have the sump run dry or to hyposalinate the water.

Third, the drain from the tank should be jsut below the surface of the water level in that compartment of the sump. Having it too far down creates more bubble problems than having it near the surface.

And finally, how are you going to supply the refugium with water? Tee off the return line, or just a small powerhead?

Edit: Hope all that helps. Your design is pretty good, clearly a lot of research done. Hopefully we can make it fool-proof

 

[adambrum]

Couple thoughts. First, make sure the skimmer output goes into the same chamber as the skimmer pump sits in.

Easy done

Second, clean that float valve every month. I dont care if it looks dirty, clean it anyways. The last thing you want is your float valve to get stuck and have the sump run dry or to hyposalinate the water.

noted

Third, the drain from the tank should be jsut below the surface of the water level in that compartment of the sump. Having it too far down creates more bubble problems than having it near the surface.

I thank you again and will be noted

And finally, how are you going to supply the refugium with water? Tee off the return line, or just a small powerhead?

tee of from the return line

Thanks for that, should be getting water in the thing soon so i can set the bubble wall heights

Might be tempted to go for a electric topup instead but im running out of space !

 

[adambrum]

A pic of the sump in the stand

electrics panel, the timers are rated at 4a passive load twice as much as normal timmers and are available at b&q but it does not say the rating on the box

 

[SkiFletch]

Nice clean looking electrical work

As for the topup, float VALVES are significantly more reliable than electrical float switches. Stick with the valve, its the right choice.

 

[adambrum]

got a bit further today, the return and refugium plumbing is done apart from the refugium return just going to have a 25mm bulkhead into a pipe going down into the return section as it will be such a small flow i should not get any bubbles.

The tank is now drilled with two 1 1/4" bulkheads with durso's at the top and the left hand side has a small amount of rubber hose attached then hard pipped going across then it will be going back to hose as it enters the sump, the right hand side is going to be rubber hose straight down.

The reason im using hose is that if you imagine hard tubing acts like a lever on the bottom of the tank so if i knock it there's no chance of cracking the tank.

enjoy the pics and anything spotted wrong please let me know as this is my first sump

 

[STD]

I would have the return pump in a seperate section

That way if the overflow gets blocked the whole contents of the sump can't be pumded back into the tank causing a flood

 

[adambrum]

It will be the baffles are not in yet, until its all fully plumbed i cant get my levels, the skimmer is just sitting in the return section the inlet and outlet are in the first section this way gives me more room. (bad design of the v2 skimmers)

 

[SkiFletch]

Ok, one more thought... Having a horizontal run in your Drain line is NOT a good idea. Your flowrate gets cut bigtime doing it this way. If you do have to re-direct the drain flow a little bit use dual 45 degree angled fittings, or better yet flexible tubing

 

[adambrum]

Ok, one more thought... Having a horizontal run in your Drain line is NOT a good idea. Your flowrate gets cut bigtime doing it this way. If you do have to re-direct the drain flow a little bit use dual 45 degree angled fittings, or better yet flexible tubing

Go on then tubing it is

I thank you again