[FishStix]

So I am going to have custom sump built, and I have been searching for weeks to find something I like. My drawing skills are not good, never have the time to figure out how to use sketch up program. So I found the one that member here used Craigthor, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about it and would change anything or reasons for not going this route? I want to be able to have large return area. At one point I was thinking Refugium, but I think that will just make things more complex than it needs to be. I seem to always make things more complex. My only question is that with the drip trays, will that area be loud, will I hear water since this is going right next to my bedroom.

Thanks

 

[FishStix]

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Ruxl]

What size tank, and what kind of overflow? Assuming a minimum of 2 drains given the sump design, but if you are worried about noise from the drip trays you want to use a herbie or bean animal overflow. You can also run the drain pipes down into your filter socks slightly, keeping them just under the water level. This will silence any drainage sounds.

You are very correct that you want as large a return area as possible, when I built my sump this was my largest flaw; I do weekly water changes but need to run a mid-week top off else my return pump starts to run dry.

I also have a refugium, and while it can be a pain, it is nice to have an area that is safe from fish/critters to "play" in. My barbs have picked virtually all the HC out of my display tank, but the refugium is growing a nice carpet now. No one sees it, but it is certainly rewarding.

If you don't need the space for the filtration, you could modify those plans to use one side as a refugium while using the other side as your main filtration, with the return pump in the middle. Food for thought.

 

[FishStix]

What size tank, and what kind of overflow? Assuming a minimum of 2 drains given the sump design, but if you are worried about noise from the drip trays you want to use a herbie or bean animal overflow. You can also run the drain pipes down into your filter socks slightly, keeping them just under the water level. This will silence any drainage sounds.

You are very correct that you want as large a return area as possible, when I built my sump this was my largest flaw; I do weekly water changes but need to run a mid-week top off else my return pump starts to run dry.

I also have a refugium, and while it can be a pain, it is nice to have an area that is safe from fish/critters to "play" in. My barbs have picked virtually all the HC out of my display tank, but the refugium is growing a nice carpet now. No one sees it, but it is certainly rewarding.

If you don't need the space for the filtration, you could modify those plans to use one side as a refugium while using the other side as your main filtration, with the return pump in the middle. Food for thought.

I would like to have a refugium, my biggest problem, is I really don't know what to design, so trying to find online what I think might work.

I do plan to setup the tank with herbie drains. primary drain in each overflow box and backup drain in each overflow box with returns over the top of the tank.

The tank is 180 72x24x24, and the sump, I was thinking around 70 gallons.

 

[Ruxl]

Just tossing out ideas; here's your image with some overlay text/arrows. If I were to do this I would run both drains to the right side of the sump, and the drain directly over the refugium I would T it between the right and left sides of the sump. Add a ball valve to the drain that runs to the refugium to control the flow through the refugium. If you wanted to increase the return pump area, just shrink the refugium size.

I have a home depot clip light with a 23w CFL bulb in it as my refugium lighting (~$15 or so total). I have it ~2" above the water, and the plants respond better to it than my BML XB dutch light I have in my display tank (although it is 24" deep). Since its under the tank, it really doesn't much matter what it looks like.

For what its worth, I have a 65gallon display tank with a 20L tank for my sump.

Here is mine, but again it has its flaws:

 

[FishStix]

Thank you for the info. I have what I want in my head, but trying to figure out how to use program like sketchup well, that just not working out for me, if I could figure that out this would be easy. ha

 

[FishStix]

So this layout is very rough, but it basic idea of what I am thinking. The company that going to build it will take care of all the fine details, spacing so on. What do you guys think? Also please excuse my sad skills of trying to draw this out.

 

[Ruxl]

Can't have the refugium after an "underflow" weir; you won't be able to lay down any substrate.

I would also recommend the return be in between the filtration & refugium sections, that way the refugium flow is independant of the rest of the tanks flow. I tend to have difficulty keeping a lot of plants down and am constantly pulling plants off my pre-filter on the return pump because the layout is similar to what you have here.

 

[FishStix]

Can't have the refugium after an "underflow" weir; you won't be able to lay down any substrate.

I would also recommend the return be in between the filtration & refugium sections, that way the refugium flow is independant of the rest of the tanks flow. I tend to have difficulty keeping a lot of plants down and am constantly pulling plants off my pre-filter on the return pump because the layout is similar to what you have here.

Thanks for the input. Because my skills are poor with sketchup, I don't know how to make the correct divider. I was thinking it would be solid on the bottom, and up several inches I would have some teeth water would flow in.

So your saying move the return back to the center?

 

[Ruxl]

If I had to do it again, I would have my return in the center. You want to be able to control the amount of flow going through the refugium without impacting the flow through the mechanical/biological filtration.

You also don't really need teeth in the sump, a solid weir will be fine. Not sure on the manufacturing process, but removing teeth may save a few $.

 

[Ruxl]

Here's a general idea of what I'm trying to explain:

Note the plumbing wouldn't necessarily work for you since its dual herbie, but the sump layout is what I'm talking about.

 

[FishStix]

If I had to do it again, I would have my return in the center. You want to be able to control the amount of flow going through the refugium without impacting the flow through the mechanical/biological filtration.

You also don't really need teeth in the sump, a solid weir will be fine. Not sure on the manufacturing process, but removing teeth may save a few $.

Is this more along the lines of what your saying? The weir are not in the correct place, but overall layout what your thinking?

Thanks

 

[Ruxl]

Yep, exactly!

 

[FishStix]

Yep, exactly!

Thanks for your help. I will send that layout over to the builder and see what he says. He going to do a a detailed layout of it for me. I post it once it ready.

 

[FishStix]

Here's a general idea of what I'm trying to explain:

Note the plumbing wouldn't necessarily work for you since its dual herbie, but the sump layout is what I'm talking about.

Thanks, I do plan to have herbie as well, primary and backup drain in each overflow, then returns will go over the back of the tank. So do I need to have one of the drains going into the area where the rock/plants are? How will that water get filtered?

 

[Ruxl]

I'm not sure how a dual herbie would work as you'd have to perfectly balance both drains to each other, else only 1 siphon would run. Honestly I'm not certain how folks run dual overflows silently, as a durso seems the approach the tank manufacturers are thinking of when they build them.

It isn't ideal, but after the gate valve for one of your drains run a T with a ball valve that then runs to the refugium. The ball valve allows you to control the flow into the refugium.

The water running into the refugium portion wouldn't be filtered, but it shouldn't matter.