Which sump design is better for flow?
 

I was looking at my refugium/sump the other night thinking on a way to get the water to actually flow thru the refugium part as the way the water looks now is like it is flowing is only over the top. Here's a drawing of my current design.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...ntrefugium.jpg

Area 1 is the refugium part (7"). 2 is the return area (8"), and 3 is the skimmer area (7 1/4"). The baffles are starting from the left of the refugium (1) 2", 2 1/4", 2 1/4", 2 1/2", and 2 1/4". It's a 35 gallon tank which is 36" long, 18 1/2" high by 12 1/2" wide. I was thinking on building a new one that would be 40 1/2" long, 18 1/2" high by 15 1/2" wide making it 50 gallons and laid out as below if it would create more flow thru the refugium area. I have the space in the stand for it, and have been told bigger is better.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t.../refugium1.jpg

The numbered areas would stay the same, but the widths of each area would be 1=10", 2=8", and 3=10 1/2". Baffles would all be 2 1/2" apart and from the bottom and the top of the tank.
My question is which layout would be better for flow thru the refugium. If both layout were either the size I have now. Just moving the baffles/dividers around to make the new layout, (keeping the areas the same size) or go with the bigger tank and keeping the layout the way it is or changing it around to the second picture. I know what I want to ask, but I'm not sure how to ask it so hopefully this is clear enough.

A sump, like a display tank, is the bigger, the better. A few comments.
1. Why do you think you need more flow in your refugium? How much flow do you have for your fuge now?
2. You may want to re-size your partitions to give your fuge more space. Depends on what skimmer you have, you don't need that much space for skimmer section. Size your return section accordingly so you can have one week of evaporation water in that section (or how many days you feel comfortable), and of course can hold your return pump.
3. you don't need 3 baffles for fuge divider. The flow in the fuge is very slow and won't have that many bubbles. That design of baffles is for eliminating of bubbles.
4. Space between baffles can be as little as 1". Don't space them out too much. You are losing valuable space in the sump.
5. There is a red line between skimmer section and the fuge. Is that your fuge water feed? How are you doing that? Split the drain or a separate pump? Many people just split the return and add a valve to control the flow in their fuge.

I like the idea of teeing off the return to feed a fuge that has it's own overflow back into the return area. That or just place a small powerhead inside the fuge and leave the flow as is. It may look like the water flows only over the top but I'm sure there is decent water exchange occurring.

The water looks like it just flows over the top. The macro aglae doesn't move at all. I thought I had too much in there so I pulled out a bunch of it, and it's the same. I have no idea how much flow I have thru it. I have the valve on the inlet opened all the way, and the one on the skimmer side is open about 3/4's of the way.

I have an Instant Ocean SeaClone 100. (comments coming) I have enough room in my return area for the pump and about 3 days of evaporation. I could add more but it the hydro goes out there is enough room left for the overflow water to not overflow onto the flow by half an inch.

I think I'll go to work tomorrow and cut apart some 4mm units we have and see if I can make a better one. I think I might need to get a union since my overflow piping is all glued together. Might have some problems getting the new tank in there without cutting something.

I thought I needed the baffles that far apart so I could get more flow thru them.

My DT is drilled with a 1.25" piece of ABS coming down and tee'ing into 2 .75" inlets with flow comtroled by ball vavles. The return pump pushes too much water so I have the return tee'd off back into the return section with a ball valve on it. If I could have found something bigger to connect to the ASB Tee that I could put valves on I would have made them bigger. I have no idea how much turn over I get thru the sump, but all my zoa's, paly's, blasto's, ric's and shroom seem to always be open and my water tests good. Here's a picture of it.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...3-Refufium.jpg

Here's a pic of it before anything was in it.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...eas-labled.jpg

This one is backwards as it was tanken from behind the stand before I moved it and got it wet.

My thanks for your input!!!

Thanks Brent!! I'm bored so I think I just might build another one anyways. Glass is free for me so....:mrgreen: I like it when my bosses can't measure thermal units right and they just sit there collecting dust it I need to cut them apart!