I have had many sump designs, and like my current setup best.
1. Display tank flow enters skimmer compartment at end (semi-recirculating zone), and overflows to center chamber filled with LR & eggcrate (Berlin/benthic zone)
2. With a ball valve, display tank flow is also metered to a refugium section at opposite end, which has it's own sand or mud bed. The water movement through this section is slow and doubles as a pretty good pod factory.
3. The center chamber is where water scrubbing (Rowa, etc.), and water monitoring/adjusting is done and is also where the return pump draws water.
I think the biggest hurdle with a center-draw sump is micro bubbles, but solved if there is a sufficient pile of LR (or like) over the return pump inlet. This can be done with a minimum of baffles which can be a waste of precious space if you ask me...
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90gal Starfire mixed reef, 400W MH (Giesemann 13K megachrome/Icecap E-ballast), (2) 54W T5 Giesemann true actinic, 45gal sump (65W 50/50 PC), ASM G-3 Skimmer, Mak 4 return, Sequence Dart closed loop, foam backdrop, 120 lbs LR, 2" sandbed, & 1 dillhole running the show.
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